The European Commission and the embassies of the USA and France in Podgorica appealed for the opening of political dialogue in Montenegro as soon as possible, after tensions were raised due to the alleged attempt of the new government to "weaponize" the country.
As reported by "Vijesti", they call for restraint and rejection of any form of violence.
At the same time, the Special State Prosecutor's Office requested from the Government the original open letter of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, in which he accused the adviser to the President of Montenegro, Veselin Veljović, of being behind patriotic-Comite gatherings throughout the country.
As "Vijesti" has learned, the SDT should open an investigation into that case today in order to determine what knowledge the Prime Minister has about Veljović's participation in those gatherings and the "dirty money" with which they are allegedly financed.
"We asked for original statements, after which we will open the case and examine Krivokapić's claims and findings. We do not have such knowledge", said the top of the SDT.
Two days ago, the Prime Minister called on political entities to withdraw supporters from the streets, stating that he does not dispute the right to protest, but without spreading hatred and violence. He said, among other things, that Veljović leads the Komita-patriotic movement and that it is known that "everything is financed by organized crime in collusion with politicians, because that is how they protect their interests".
The Government did not respond to questions about whether this is a political assessment or whether the Prime Minister has evidence for these claims, as well as whether they will submit them to the prosecution.
Krivokapić, as Prime Minister and the National Security Council, has access to confidential information of the security services, so it remains unclear whether he made the statement on that basis. Or based on the claim of a police officer who saw Veljović on Friday in Bogetići being passed by a column of demonstrators, who then blocked the Government's official car.
Since Thursday, auto-protests of the Komita-patriotic movement have been going on in some municipalities, which were called for by DPS activists, including vice-president Sanja Damjanović.
All this after the DPS ended the action regarding the dismissal of the Minister of Justice due to the disputed statement about the genocide in Srebrenica.
Now they are accusing the Government of wanting to take away the citizenships of citizens who are abroad, and that they want to hurt Montenegro.
The occasion is the announcement that the Ministry of Interior will change the decision on the criteria for citizenship in order to simplify the procedure for obtaining it, that is, including temporary residence.
After the Government abandoned that decision, leaving it to the Parliamentary Committee for Electoral Legislation to discuss it, the protests continued with roadblocks and demands for the removal of the Government.
In this context, Veselin Veljović responded to the name-calling of Krivokapić, who told the Prime Minister that he had brought the citizens to the streets, accusing him of "ethnic engineering to the detriment of Montenegrins and minority nations."
Civil activist and one of the organizers of the civil protests "Resist" Džemal Perović claims that the demonstrators are using the inviolable universal human right to freedom of assembly: "Most of them are disaffected citizens, among whom there is certainly a certain number of trained people who are "working" for other people's goals and interests. Therein lies the danger of abuse of that civil right, because behind them are those who are afraid of losing their stolen and/or privileged position. However, the reason for the gathering is more than justified and I think they would be much more massive if it were not for the measure to suppress the epidemic".
He says that the new government is complicit in the protests because, as he says, they should not have touched the amendment of the Decision on the criteria for granting citizenship without a comprehensive discussion and the involvement of interested parties.
"I can't do such things over my knees," says Perović.
The director of the Society for the Research of Politics and Political Theory, Vladimir Pavićević, believes that it is about "gatherings of a small number of people, behind which, apparently, the disempowered DPS of Milo Đukanović is hidden."
"It is enough to remember the mass of lithium, to compare them with these gatherings and to clearly see the difference in the number of people participating. In contrast to the lithia where over 100.000 people participated at one point in Montenegro and where there were no minor incidents, here we see that some of the small number of people gathered occasionally show aggressiveness, sometimes even a kind of violent behavior. It takes away from the value. The image of tension and instability is reinforced by the indecision shown by Zdravko Krivokapić and the Government in solving the problems they are facing. More determination, efficiency and courage of representatives of the government would mean more stable opportunities", says the interlocutor for "Vijesti".
In an unsigned letter from the "Initiative Committee of Free Citizens of Montenegro", they previously stated that the blockades were being carried out "due to perfidious intentions of the Government, which, through changes in the decisions on the criteria for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship, want to enable the acquisition of citizenship for 62.000 foreigners, mostly citizens of Russia and Serbia, after which they would be registered in the electoral roll according to the Constitution".
A session of the Security Committee is scheduled for Friday, on the agenda of which is the initiative for a control hearing of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Sergej Sekulović, in connection with the events during the blockade in Bogetići, when an officer and an Army official, as well as a policeman, were injured.
That initiative was announced by Milan Knežević (DF), the president of that committee.
"The American government asks all political leaders in Montenegro to contribute to reducing tensions"
"The European Union is carefully following the events in Montenegro. In this context, we call on all parties to show restraint, respect the rule of law and start a constructive dialogue. Although freedom of assembly is a basic right of the EU, it should be realized without jeopardizing public health and with full respect for the rule of law and public order, EC spokesman Peter Stano told "Vijesta".
And the American Embassy, as they told "Vijesti", repeats the recent comment of the European Union, calling on all parties to show restraint and engage in a constructive dialogue. "Although the right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental democratic right, public order and preventive health measures must be respected, given the serious state of public health.
The American government asks all political leaders in Montenegro to contribute to the reduction of tensions, call for unity and support Montenegro, which belongs to all citizens, regardless of their identity or affiliation," the American Embassy said in a statement.
Embassy of France: It would not be reasonable to spoil the excellent image of the country
"The life of the European Union is made up of discussions and compromises - we expect Montenegro to continue proving that it is ready for such a European culture," announced the French Embassy in Podgorica. "Vijesti" asked the embassies of influential EU countries, as well as the USA, if they were worried about the raised tensions in Montenegro, if they would discuss it with the leader of the DPS and the president of the country, especially because of suspicions that his advisor has connections with protests financed by criminal money. Also, whether these events cast a shadow on the peaceful surrender of power that DPS boasted about. In the response of the French embassy, it is stated that "a peaceful political change always deserves to be welcomed". "She is a trump card and proof of both democratic maturity and the European spirit. Now we need to organize cohabitation, including cohabitation at the highest level, with mutual respect for prerogatives. Our country, like other democracies, had this experience. It is necessary that all parties now engage in a constructive dialogue between the majority and the opposition. And the participation of each party should be a reflection of democratic legitimacy and commitment to the national interest. Any form of violence, whether verbal or physical, should be rejected. In this period of the pandemic, we all expect evidence of solidarity. It would not be reasonable to spoil the excellent image of the country, which is necessary for its economic recovery. We hope for concrete signals because it is in the interest of the country, the region and Europe that Montenegro remains an example and continues to be at the forefront of the process of European integration", the French Embassy told "Vijesti".
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