My Montenegrin sisters and brothers, take the books in your hands and turn the first page...
Those words, according to the director and editor of the program at the Montenegrin Cinematheque, would Andro Martinović, Njegoš addressed the Montenegrins on today's date, when in the shadow of the debate on how many days should be celebrated, the last established cultural holiday - the Day of Birth - is being celebrated for the first time Peter the Second Petrović Njegoš.
The date of birth of the bishop, poet and ruler of Montenegro was adopted as a national holiday last year, through the adoption of amendments to the Law on National Holidays, which was initiated by Democratic Montenegro.
Martinović told "Vijesti" that, like every great personality, Njegoš arouses both idolatry and denial.
"Opposed to the extreme, these conflicting reactions confirm his status as one of the most significant figures in our history and culture," Martinović said.
When it comes to culture, Martinović pointed out that Njegoš is "truly a light in the Montenegrin darkness of that time".
"To a world constricted from everywhere, he gave a literary form on the basis of which he could be understood and accepted by others".
Martinović emphasized that Njegoš's achievement is a continuation of the miracle represented by the undertaking of bringing the printing press to the Montenegrin hills, three and a half centuries earlier.
"Njegoš, it should be said, was exclusively loyal to Montenegro. And the idea of freedom, as the essence of human existence and the community to which he belongs. In the sense that (Alber) Us define as a chance to be better", said Martinović.
He pointed out that, according to everything known to him, Njegoš was a modernist and progressive:
"Hence, the failed reference to "Njegošev's Montenegro" as an anachronistic society unwilling to change, subordinated to the role intended for it by others. In one letter, crying out for independence and taking fate into his own hands, Njegoš complains that he is too much a 'slave to Petrograd moods'".
Martinović notes that instead of the slogan that "we don't need another book besides the one he wrote", we should also read Njegoš and the books written about him, including a kind of biography Milovan Đilas.
He assessed that the holiday in his honor should have been established earlier, but in a different, more appropriate way for this time.
"Bulumenta, which governs the country, managed to make a circus out of this topic as well. I think that Njegoš, instead of discussing whether his day should be celebrated for one or two days, would address us with the words: 'My sisters and brothers, Montenegrins, take the books in your hands and turn the first page...'".
According to the Law on State and Other Holidays, Njegos Day is celebrated for one day, on the day of the holiday -13. November.
On November 7, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare announced that Article XNUMX of the Law on National and Other Holidays stipulates that national and other holidays are celebrated on two days, on the day of the holiday and the following day, and Article XNUMX further stipulates that non-working days, and that if the holiday is a Sunday, the following two days are non-working, and that if the second holiday is a Sunday, the first following day is non-working.
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"However, the Law on State and Other Holidays in Article 3b prescribes an exception to the above-mentioned rule, which reads that exceptionally from Article Two and Article Three, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the cited law, the holiday November 13 - Njegošev Day, the Montenegrin cultural holiday, is celebrated one day, on a holiday, and accordingly Sunday, November 13, is a non-working day," the Ministry announced.
Last week, the Democrats called on the Government to make Monday, November 14, a non-working day as well.
Minister of Justice Marko Kovač proposed it at the Government session, but his proposal was rejected.
President of the Democrats-Demos club of deputies, Boris Bogdanovic, he told "Vijesti" that today the Democrats will present the Bill on Amendments to the Law on State and Other Holidays, which will provide for two non-working days instead of one.
He pointed out that they are proud of their legal project which declared Njegoš's birthday a national holiday and that then, as the proponents, they accepted a compromise that instead of two non-working days, as all other holidays are celebrated, Njegoš's birthday is celebrated on one non-working day.
"Article 3 of the Law on State and Other Holidays clearly and decisively stipulates, I quote: 'If the holiday is a Sunday, the following two days are non-working days. If the second holiday is a Sunday, it is the first following day'.
Article 3b of the same Law states: "Njegošev Dan, a Montenegrin cultural holiday, is celebrated for one day, on the day of the holiday".
He pointed out that it is clear that this norm does not derogate from Article 3 of this Law, but only stipulates that Njegoš's Day is celebrated on a holiday, if the holiday is a working day.
Bogdanović said that rejecting the proposal of the Minister of Justice to declare Monday a non-working day in accordance with the Law on State and Other Holidays is a first-rate state scandal and a very bad message, which surely has political and other motives.
"Those who made it impossible to celebrate Njegoš's day with their voice also expressed their attitude towards Njegoš's image and work," said Bogdanović.
The Bosniak Party, whose MPs voted against the proposal to make Njegoš's Day a national holiday, did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" as to whether they are still of the same opinion and for what reasons.
In the last ten years, it has been proposed several times to declare the day of Njegoš's birth a cultural holiday.
This was proposed by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro in 2013, but the proposal did not pass. In 2016, the then Government again announced the establishment of Njegoš's Day as a new national holiday, but abandoned it without an official explanation. Prior to that, negative reactions were sent from the ranks of DPS' then coalition partner in government - the Bosniak Party.
Then, in October 2018, the Democratic Front actualized the proposal to declare Njegoš's birthday, November 13, as a Montenegrin cultural holiday. It was not even discussed in the Assembly, because there was not a sufficient majority in the parliament.
The Assembly, EPCG and CEDIS also celebrate on Monday
The Assembly will not work tomorrow based on the decision of the Speaker of the Parliament Danijela Đurović, despite the decision of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare to celebrate Njegoš Day for one day. Her cabinet said that her position - that the Assembly will not work on the occasion of celebrating Njegoš's Day on Monday, November 14, applies to both MPs and employees in the highest legislative chamber.
"We note that this is not about acting contrary to the Law on Amendments to the Law on State and Other Holidays...".
The executive director of Elektroprivreda Nikola Rovčanin (Democrat) announced that Monday will be a non-working day in that state-owned company, as well as in the Montenegrin electric distribution system...
Rovčanin published this information on his Facebook account.
Survey - What citizens think about Njegoš's birthday
Maja Radojevic
I know that on Sunday, November 13, the Day of Njegoš's birth is celebrated.
I think the non-working day should be moved from Sunday to Monday.
Vasilija Sarovic
I know that Sunday, November 13, marks the birth of Njegoš and that it will be a new national holiday.
The non-working day should not be transferred to the first working day, if it falls on a weekend. I think we have enough non-working days, that is, there are too many of them.
Predrag Vukovic
Naturally, I know, Sunday marks the birth of the great Serbian and Montenegrin poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš.
I think that this holiday, like all the others, should be transferred from the non-working day to the first working day, that is, Monday should be a non-working day.
Aldin Osmanović
I know that Sunday is Njegoš's day, that is, it is the day when Petar II Petrović Njegoš was born and that Monday should have been free, but it wasn't.
As far as I'm concerned, it would be great if Monday was non-working, it would be an extra day after the weekend for me to rest, but realistically it's not necessary.
Bonus video:
