Laković: The initiative to rehabilitate the people of Goloto is fair, but now is not the right time to address the issue

Miodrag Laković, MP for the Europe Now Movement (PES), said that in that political party, they consider the initiative of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, regarding the adoption of a law on the rehabilitation and compensation of political prisoners on Goli Otok, to be humane, fair and based on historical facts, but that this issue could cause further divisions in society, and that therefore its resolution should be left until after the fulfillment of the strategic state goals defined in the Barometer 26 document.

"The initiative of President Milatović, which refers to the adoption of a law on the rehabilitation and compensation of political prisoners on Goli Otok, we at the Europe Now Movement consider humane, just and based on historical facts. However, in the current political context and social moment, this topic could potentially cause further divisions and polarization, as well as the parallel opening of other painful and traumatic topics from the past," Laković wrote in a statement sent to the media.

"Therefore, we insist that we come together as both political entities and as a society, to fulfill Montenegro's strategic goals, as defined in the Barometer 26 document, and to leave resolving this and similar issues until after we fulfill the state priorities for which the citizens have given us the mandate," added the PES MP.

Yesterday, the President of Montenegro submitted an initiative to the Parliament (he does not have the right to propose laws) to adopt a law on the rehabilitation of the Goloto residents, saying that with this act "we are beginning an important process of facing the past and correcting historical injustices."

He called on all parliamentarians, regardless of their political differences, to support the idea.

Some of the ruling parties support the initiative of the head of state Jakov Milatović to pass a law on the rehabilitation and compensation of political prisoners on Goli Otok, some of them announce that a decision on this has yet to be made, while some are silent. On the other hand, the opposition says that they see Milatović's proposal as an attempt at his "political rehabilitation" and that they are not interested in commenting on his proposals.