The Parliamentary Club of the Democratic Front (DF) yesterday accused the President of the Assembly, Ivan Brajović, of suspending the role of the legislative chamber and allowing the country to be unconstitutionally governed by "a few individuals from the National Coordination Body".
The head of the DF club, Milutin Đukanović, asked Brajović to urgently schedule an extraordinary session of the parliament, where the ban on the movement of citizens and the previously adopted measures of the Government and the NKT in the fight against the covid19 virus would be discussed.
The ruling coalition, i.e. the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Social Democrats (SD) and Bosniak Party (BS), said that there is no need for a session with this agenda because, as they state, the decisions are in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
DF did not ask for the support of its colleagues from the opposition, nor did they offer it, and today there is a collegium where further activities of the parliament will be discussed.
In the initiative of the DF, it is stated that Brajović should stop avoiding and postponing the fulfillment of his duties and that he is obliged to make a decision in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, given that there is no agreement on the convening of the session at the collegium.
"As much as the Government tries to justify itself that it introduced the curfew in accordance with the law, they are sure that it could not have been done without introducing a state of emergency". The Government announced yesterday that there is no curfew: "There is no curfew - life, work and movement take place in a manner appropriate to the current danger and to protect the health and life of citizens, with the possibility of daily movement every working day from 5 a.m. to 19 p.m., and on Saturdays." from 5 a.m. to 13 p.m. Also, exceptions are prescribed during the ban, in order to carry out activities of public interest", the Government announced.
The Front states that the practice of functioning of the NKT is "very problematic" and that the body does not provide an explanation for the adopted measures.
The president of the DPS parliamentary club, Nikola Rakočević, told "Vijesti" that there will not be a session of the Assembly on the question of the constitutionality of the decisions, which are fully in accordance with the law and the Constitution, as far as the DPS is concerned.
"On the other hand, a session of the Assembly, with possible proposals for laws that can help in finding the best solutions for the citizens of Montenegro in a moment of crisis is possible," Rakočević pointed out.
He assessed that the Government has made all decisions so far in accordance with the Constitution.
"Once again, I call for the homogenization of all political and social forces and potentials. Now is not the time for political quarrels", said the head of the DPS club.
SD MP Boris Mugoša said that for them the new measures proposed by the Institute for Public Health are constitutional. He pointed out that today is the session of the collegium of the President of the Assembly, where, as he said, they will have the opportunity to discuss the initiative of the DF, as well as the dynamics of the implementation of the activities agreed upon at the last session of that body.
BS MP Ervin Ibrahimović assessed that society is in a situation where we need to show unity and solidarity: "Let us come out as winners in the fight against this virus. This is possible only with joint efforts, with respect for the recommendations of experts and competent authorities," said Ibrahimović.
The President of Demos, Miodrag Lekić, supports the urgent holding of the Assembly session, stating that its controlling role is in the interest of citizens, especially in crisis conditions.
"We stand for the work of the Assembly, including the sessions during the current epidemic. The leadership of the Assembly uses the epidemic as an alibi for not holding sessions. The Italian parliament was in session the other day in difficult conditions in which the country is," Lekić said.
Lekić pointed out that "the leadership in the parliament and those outside it who control the same leadership must no longer hinder the work, including the holding of sessions."
Numerous decisions are disputed, no one controls the cash flows
In the DF initiative, it is stated that the way the NKT works creates an unfavorable climate of repression, imprisonment, bans, arrests, reports, censorship, incompetent decision-makers, fake news, and concealment of the real situation. They point out that transfers of money from the budget and from donors are carried out without any control and reporting, subsidies, favorable loans are granted, companies are exempted from paying taxes.
"The country is governed by a narrow group of people who make some decisions that have nothing to do with measures to prevent the spread of the virus or effective treatment of the sick," DF assesses.
Danilović: Will we get a prince in the age of corona?
United Montenegro supported the request to introduce constitutional conditions in Montenegro. Everything is prescribed by the Constitution, including what is happening to us. If someone circumvents the constitutional norms, then it is not for the good of the community, but to its detriment. Playing around with the highest legal act of this country puts the country and the basic rights of citizens in danger, said MP Goran Danilović.
He expressed surprise that a state of emergency was not declared without liberties being suspended to this extent during the biggest epidemic in the last 100 years.
"The form is often a reflection of the essence, and in such occasions they must be one. The excuse that the only important thing now is to be healthy, and to trample on everything else, can be a catchphrase in primitive communities. The Constitution is valid both in war and in peace, in good times and in bad times of epidemics. It is necessary to know who is doing what, or in the time of corona we will also get a prince on the back door", said the deputy.
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