The former President of Montenegro, Filip Vujanović, renounced the right to the office and the official driver, but accepted the monetary compensation due to him as an honorary president. The Law on the President of Montenegro stipulates that the heads of state elected after 2006 acquire the title of honorary president. This, among other things, foresees that the honorary president receives 70 percent of the salary he received at the head of the state, and on that basis Vujanović will receive 1.500 euros until retirement or new employment.
"The status and salary of the former President of Montenegro, until the entry into force of the Law on the President, is determined by the Law on Salaries of Employees in the Public Sector. In accordance with the aforementioned provision, the former president exercised the prescribed rights. After the entry into force of the Law on the President on July 7, 2018, the honorary title "former President of Montenegro with determination of his status and rights" was established, according to the General Secretariat of the President.
The law provides that the honorary president has the right to use the office, has one adviser and one official for administrative and technical affairs, as well as the right to use an official vehicle with or without a driver. The honorary president is also entitled to permanent personal security. The General Secretariat claims that Vujanović renounced those privileges.
"He will not hire a driver, and instead of a full-time consultant in order to reduce costs, he will cooperate with the competent state authorities for specific needs, so he will only have an officer for administrative and technical work. This official was employed in the General Secretariat of the President, and will be there in the future with unchanged salary. The former president has security, which, in accordance with the security assessment, is determined by the competent state authority," the General Secretariat states.
The government submitted an amendment to the rebalancing of this year's budget, which proposed an increase in the amount of gross wages in the office of President Milo Đukanović by 155 euros, even though the recommendations of international institutions to reduce expenses and the number of employees in the public sector in order to put the growing public debt under control. With an additional 155 thousand, the total budget of that consumer unit will be 994 thousand. At that time, the Government explained that the money is needed to provide the necessary funds for gross earnings, as well as for the implementation of new legal solutions that regulate the issue of the institution of the president. The funds of the Property Administration were reduced by the same amount.
Three advisers get paid for another year
In the General Secretariat, they state that only three former members of Vujanović's cabinet asked for compensation to receive state compensation for another year. According to the Law on Salaries in the Public Sector, former officials have the right to receive a salary from the state treasury for 12 months, if they do not find a job.
"Two advisers exercise the right to receive salary in accordance with the Law on Salaries in the Public Sector, as well as the head of the president's cabinet," said the General Secretariat of the President, without specifying which members of Vujanović's cabinet are involved.
Vujanović had six advisers, including the chief of staff.
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