Part of the heads of parliamentary clubs of the ruling majority submitted to the parliamentary procedure yesterday a proposal to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, which recommends that a maximum of two of its vice-presidents can be elected from among representatives of minority parties.
According to the Rules of Procedure, one vice-president is elected from these parties. If that and the proposal to amend the decision on the number of vice-presidents are adopted, the current convocation of the parliament would have five, instead of the established four vice-presidential seats.
In the proposal for changes to the Rules of Procedure, it is written that they can be legally justified by "the need to ensure equal rights, promote democratic principles and align with international standards for the protection of minority rights".
"In addition, this amendment can contribute to greater efficiency and inclusion in the work of the Assembly, enables better representation of the specific interests of minorities and contributes to the strengthening of social cohesion," reads the proposal signed by MPs Vasilije Čarapić (Movement Evropa Sad), Dejan Đurović (New Serbian Democracy). , Boris Bogdanović (Democrats), Milan Knežević (Democratic People's Party), Bogdan Božović (Socialist People's Party) and Nikola Camaj (Albanian Forum).
The Assembly will decide on the proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure and the decision on the number of vice-presidents at the extraordinary session scheduled for August 16.
According to the Rules of Procedure, the number of vice-presidents is determined by the Assembly, on the proposal of its head. The current convocation decided to have four. Apart from the one from the minority parties, at least one vice-president is elected from the opposition (on its proposal) and at least one from the less represented gender (women).
At the head of the highest legislative chamber is the leader of the New Serbian Democracy Andrija Mandić, who, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, proposed changing the decision on the number of vice presidents. These positions are held by Zdenka Popović (Democrats), Boris Pejović (Movement Evropa Sad) and, since last night, Camaj.
DON'T MISS IT
He was elected from among the minority parties, since the parliamentary majority in mid-May adopted amendments to the Rules of Procedure according to which a candidate for vice president from minority parties can be proposed by a deputy of one of those parties, a club of deputies of those parties, or a minority party. Until then, all MPs from minority parties had to do it.
DON'T MISS IT
The reason for these changes was that the minority parties could not agree on who should cover the vice-presidential position. "Vijesti" wrote at the beginning of April that at the end of last year the opposition and recently ruling Bosniak Party (BS) proposed that their vice-president Damir Gutić be in that position, while the candidate of the other minority parties that are part of the government is Camaj.
DON'T MISS IT
According to the claims of one interlocutor, BS believed that it should have a vice-president because it is the strongest minority political actor, and the minority parties from the then parliamentary majority thought that it belonged to them and that the issue was regulated by the coalition agreement on power.
When BS came into power last week, it also got the vice-presidential post, so that party proposed the day before yesterday for their MP Mirsad Nurković. His election will also be voted on on August 16.
Although they will have a vice president, BS protested the election of Camaj, saying that it was a "gross violation of already acquired rights" and that they "will have a clear answer".
The opposition has not yet proposed a candidate, but "Vijesti" from the strongest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), said at the beginning of April that they intend to do so.
Mugoša: Incredible "hunger for armchairs"
MP of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), Boris Mugoša, criticized last night on the "Iks" network the proposal to change the Rules of Procedure and the decision on the number of vice presidents, saying that "the 'hunger for seats' of the constituents of the (ruling) majority" is incredible.
"After changes to the Rules of Procedure two and a half months ago increased the number of deputy general secretaries of the Assembly from two to three, ten days ago the number of members of the Government increased from 23 to 32 members, and now the number of vice-presidents of the Assembly is increasing from four to five. It is enough only look at what the chairman looks like in the parliament, where the president, vice-presidents and general secretary are studded, what government sessions look like with 32 members and other officials at that table in the government, in order to understand how meaningless the current majority has made everything...", assessed is.
Bonus video:
