On the social network X, a debate broke out between Europe Now (PES) MP Miodrag Laković and opposition MPs Aleksandra Vuković Kuč (Democratic Party of Socialists - DPS) and Boris Mugoša (Social Democrats - SD).
Vuković Kuč, reacting to the announcement by the head of the DPS parliamentary group Andrija Nikolić, who announced last night that the parliamentary majority had denied the right to ask questions to the MPs who had been suspended from parliamentary sessions, said that "the servants and slaves of another state, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament, are abolishing parliamentary democracy in preparation for the Nikšić elections, where they will be defeated by their own nationalism and populism."
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The Prime Minister's Hour, where Prime Minister Milojko Spajić will answer questions from MPs, will be held tomorrow, starting at 12 noon.
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"They will answer to us and the Montenegrin citizens for all the evil they have brought to Montenegro," Vuković Kuč said in a post on the social network Iks.
Laković responded to her post, saying that "if we want the public to trust us, we must speak objectively and factually, even when it does not bring us political benefit."
Laković also published a screenshot of the Parliament's Rules of Procedure, in which he highlighted part of Article 109, which states that "an MP who has been ordered to take the floor does not have the right to ask a parliamentary question at the first subsequent session dedicated to a parliamentary question."
"And the real truth is that the standard of conduct in this case is imperative and does not depend on anyone's will," Laković wrote.
Mugoša replied to him, saying that Laković's claims were not true.
"That is not true, colleague... The MPs were not first given the measure of being deprived of their right to speak at the session and then expelled, but the position of that member was used, which imposed the measure of expulsion without being deprived of their right to speak. Therefore, this is a classic 'trampling' of the Rules of Procedure," Mugoša stated.
He told Laković to also look at the explanation of the suspension measure that was delivered to the MPs, which, according to Mugoša, only stated 15 days of absence from sessions.
"After all, if this is as you claim, and it is not, why was this not announced at the Collegium when we agreed to hold the Prime Minister's Hour, all five days from the scheduling of the session until last night, why were all MPs duly informed that they could ask questions today until 12 noon. Don't defend the indefensible, there is no need for you to do that. Let those who came up with this new erosion of the opposition's rights do their job," said the head of the SD parliamentary group.
On February 3, when imposing the measure of expulsion of opposition MPs, Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić invoked the same Article of the Rules of Procedure (109) as Laković, but the explanation of the decision does not state that the MPs were imposed the measure of deprivation of the floor, but only of expulsion from the session.
"Because of all the above, with a heavy heart, in accordance with Articles 109 and 110a of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, due to the disruption of order at the Session of the Parliament of Montenegro on 21 January 2025 and the continuous blockade of the work of the legislative chamber, I pronounce upon you the measure of removal from the session, which shall apply for the next 15 days of the session (work) of the Parliament from the date of pronouncement of this measure. In the hope that we will soon continue to work together for the good of all citizens of Montenegro and progress on our European path, I warmly greet you," Mandić stated at the time.
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Laković replied to Mugoša that "no matter what political-legal 'pirouettes' you make, the Rules of Procedure are clear."
"After all, there are enough of you who have not been given a measure and you can ask parliamentary questions, which is more politically effective than continuing to play the victim," Laković assessed.
Mugoša then told the PES MP that "you are again putting yourself forward for something that someone else came up with, and you just nodded your head."
"...Don't do that because you built your professional integrity outside of politics...", said Mugoša.
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