The first man of Pljevlja Dario Vranes (New Serbian Democracy) did not want to answer to "Vijesti" yesterday how much money from the local budget will be spent on the ceremonial academy on the occasion of the Day of Serbian Statehood - Sretenje, but instead insulted the journalist of "Vijesti" and humiliated the journalistic profession.
The key partners of the coalition "For the future of Pljevlja" in the government in that city - the Democrats and the Europe Now Movement (PES) are silent on the decision of the leaders of Pljevlja to organize a ceremony to mark the 220th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising and the 189th anniversary of the promulgation of the Sretenj Constitution. The first three people of Montenegro - the president of the state - did not answer the questions about this Jakov Milatovic, President of the Assembly Andrija Mandic and the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.
Of the parties in the Pljevlja government, Vraneš's move was criticized only by the Citizens' Movement (GP) URA, saying that "Pljevlja belongs to everyone".
The formal academy will be held tonight at 19 pm in the hall of the Cultural Center in Pljevlja. The invitations to attend the event were signed by Vraneš, who stated that "the entire Serbian nation from Australia to America celebrates the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising and the proclamation of the Sretenj Constitution" and that he hopes "that the day of all Serbs in Pljevlje will be celebrated forever".
The announcement of the ceremony caused stormy reactions from part of the public and the opposition at the local and state level. This is not the first time that the holidays of other countries are celebrated in Montenegro - this is how the Albanian national holiday - Day of the Albanian Flag - has been celebrated in Tuzi and Ulcinj for years.
Member of the GP URA Radivoje Vojinović he told "Vijesti" that the Municipality of Pljevlja is not the address that should organize a ceremony marking the 220th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising and the 189th anniversary of the promulgation of the Sretenji Constitution. He pointed out that he, as well as other officials of the Pljeval GP URA board, will not attend the event.
Vojinović says that the only day of statehood that every municipality in Montenegro, including the Municipality of Pljevlja, should celebrate and mark is July 13 - the Day of Statehood of Montenegro.
"I appeal to the holders of the highest positions in Pljevlja to refrain from organizing such events, since Pljevlja belongs to everyone and represents all citizens, not only certain national groups. All national groups have their national councils, whose mission is to develop and affirm the culture and identity of individual peoples, so this type of work should be left to them," he pointed out.
Member of Parliament and president of the Pljeval Committee of the Democrats Nikola Rovčanin he did not want to comment on the event organized by the local administration, saying only that no one consulted them on the matter and that they learned about the ceremony from the media.
Coordinator of the PES Initiative Committee in Pljevlja Saša Bjeković he did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" whether he will attend the academy and what the party thinks about the celebration organized by the Municipality. Democrats and PES recently signed an agreement on joint action. These two parties have eight councilors in the local parliament, and without their support the government in Pljevlja would not be able to function.
President of the Municipal Board of the United Montenegro Vela Mickovic, she told "Vijesti" that "remembering the dates that were harbingers of freedom and that established the division of power into legislative, executive and judicial, deserve to be respected and commemorated".
"Just as there is a standard for celebrating international holidays that remind us of the importance of the rights that should be guaranteed by every civilized society... all the more we should celebrate the days when our ancestors stood up against tyranny, slavery, the Turkish occupation of areas that mostly belonged to the Serbian people. The Constitution of Sretenj can proudly serve the whole of Europe because it abolished slavery and feudal relations, and proclaimed the rights and freedoms of citizens...", she pointed out.
Head of the committee club Movement for Pljevlja Bozidar Bajic he said that Vraneš did not consult them either, nor did he ask for any support for the organization of the ceremony. He said that the President of the Municipality had not even sent them invitations until yesterday. He pointed out that he personally does not mind holding that event, but that it is obvious that Vraneš bypasses them when making certain decisions.
By the time this issue of "Vijesti" was closed, the answer had not arrived from the president of the Municipal Committee of the Socialist People's Party Saša Grbović.
Vraneš and the bishop of the Milešev eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church will speak at the ceremonial academy Athanasius, and an actor will perform in the artistic part of the program Ivan Vuckovic, a fiddler Saša Laketić, KUD "Pljevlja" and sisters Ljiljanić.
The Day of Serbian Statehood is celebrated on February 15 and 16 in memory of the gathering in Orašac in 1804, when the First Serbian Uprising took place. It is also celebrated as the Day of the Constitution of Serbia in memory of the day when in Kragujevac in 1835 the first Constitution of the Principality of Serbia - the Constitution of Happiness - was issued and confirmed by oath.
Mayor of Cetinje Nikola Đurašković (Social Democratic Party) wrote on Facebook yesterday that "proud, multicultural, multinational and anti-fascist Pljevlja can only make noise like this, whose measure of achievement in politics is the level of condescension towards others and humiliation of one's own".
The Municipal Committee of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) in Pljevlja announced on Monday that the organization of the ceremonial academy is another in a series of "shameless attempts to deny Montenegrin independence and attack the foundation of its statehood".
In December, on the day of the elections in Serbia, Dario Vraneš visited the election headquarters of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Prijepolje to support the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and his progressives.
In September last year, Vraneš proposed amendments to the Statute of the Municipality of Pljevlja, which stipulated that, instead of November 20, the Day of the Municipality of Pljevlja would be celebrated on October 27, on Good Friday. The Government has not yet commented on this proposal.
Pejović: The partners are silent so as not to endanger the armchairs
Program Director of NGO "Uzor" Marko Pejović, assesses that the ceremony organized by the Municipality of Pljevlja represents the collapse of Montenegrin statehood and independence.
He states that, if at the national level there are no reactions of competent authorities and political entities to similar events, then at the local level individuals are additionally motivated and encouraged to implement their ideas and goals.
"The actions of Vraneš fully correspond to the policy of the party of which he is a part, and the statement of NSD president Andrije Mandić that he will achieve his goals in another way or on another path. This strengthens their electorate and promotes the ideas of NSD, to preserve and develop the national identity of the Serbian people in Montenegro and to advocate 'national education'", said Pejović to "Vijesta".
The interlocutor notes that the silence of the Vraneš coalition partners has become common, "so as not to affect the assigned functions".
"Because, otherwise, they would defend the concept of the civil state and advocate for the principles of their policies that they promote at the national level," says Pejović.
Jovović: He knows that there is a small difference between him and the Sky fans who organized the writing of graffiti
Dario Vraneš yesterday, instead of answering the question of how much money from the budget will be allocated for the maintenance of the ceremonial academy, sent a message to the "Vijesti" journalist in which he insults him and humiliates the journalistic profession.
"Vijesti" sent Vranes a question via Viber.
"When I hire these 31, I will let you know," Vraneš wrote with a smiley face in the message, alluding to the text that the "Vijesti" journalist recently published about the intention of the Municipality of Pljevlja to hire 31 new employees this year.
When the journalist stated that he was only quoting the personnel plan of the Municipality of Pljevlja signed by Vraneš, the mayor sent a smiley with the message: "Get an honorable job, don't be a fool."
To this insult from Vraneš, the "Vijesti" journalist replied: "Well, I don't know who is fighting more - me or you", Vraneš retorted: "We'll see..."
"There's nothing to watch. Mr. Vraneš has already made a big deal about the claim that the journalistic profession is not honorable, and he is addressing that to Goran Malidžan, one of the most honorable people and the most professional journalists I know," said the editor-in-chief of "Vijesti" Mihailo Jovović.
He said that Vraneš "often tarnishes the honorable medical profession with his street manners", and that "since the 90s, we have been watching the shameful profession of politicians of his clan, of which he is a representative example".
"In this manner, he avoids answering how much money from all Pljevlja taxpayers - even if it is five euros, but not - he will give for the 'academy', where he will celebrate the statehood day of another country with like-minded people today, and he says that he will consider whether in In Pljevlja, there will be a celebration of the day of the state in which he is the mayor," said Jovović.
He said that Vraneš "knows very well that there is little difference between him and the people of Skaj who organized the writing of graffiti, crosses and glasses after August 30, 2020".
"Both he and they have the same goal - to quarrel with normal people in order to manipulate and rule them more easily. At least they secretly spent their bloody mafia money for that, and Mr. Vranes openly and arrogantly spends the honestly earned money from everyone's taxes for his dark ideas Pljevljaka".
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