Member of the Bosniak Party (BS) Mirsad Nurković was elected late tonight by the votes of 48 representatives of the parliamentary majority as the fourth vice-president of the Parliament of Montenegro.
The votes of the majority of the deputies present are required for the election of the vice president. There were no opposition representatives in the plenary hall during the voting, who yesterday during the parliamentary discussion criticized the amendments to the Rules of Procedure that enabled the election of Nurković, saying, among other things, that it was only about "distribution of chairs" and "the need to feed the hungry mouths of officials".
Before the election of Nurković, the ruling majority had to amend the Rules of Procedure of the highest legislative chamber and the decision on the number of vice-presidents, and to wait for the changes to enter into force, that is, to be published in the Official Gazette. The amendments to the Rules of Procedure were published earlier this evening in the Official Gazette, while the decision on the number of vice-presidents entered into force immediately (by voting), and will be published later in the Gazette.
The adopted amendments provide that a maximum of two vice-presidents of the parliament can be elected from among the representatives of minority parties, instead of one, which was the case until now. Accordingly, the decision of the current convocation of the parliament was changed, that instead of the established four vice-presidential positions, there will be five in the future.
Those changes were proposed at the beginning of August by a part of the heads of parliamentary majority clubs. In the proposal for changes to the Rules of Procedure, it was 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", it was stated in the proposal signed by MPs Vasilije Čarapić (Movement Evropa Sad), Dejan Đurović (Nova Srpska democracy), Boris Bogdanović (Democrats), Milan Knežević (Democratic People's Party), Bogdan Božović (Socialist People's Party) and Nikola Camaj (Albanian Forum).
According to the Rules of Procedure, the number of vice-presidents is determined by the Assembly, on the proposal of its head. Apart from two from 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).
The leader of the New Serbian Democracy, Andrija Mandić, is at the head of the highest legislative chamber, and the vice-presidents are, apart from Nurković, Zdenka Popović (Democrats), Boris Pejović (Movement Evropa Sad) and Nikola Camaj.
Camaj was elected to office from among the minority parties at the end of July, since the parliamentary majority in 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.
The opposition has not yet proposed a candidate for vice president, but "Vijesti" from the strongest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), also said yesterday that they intend to do so.
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