The Parliament of Montenegro should discuss the reconstruction of the Government Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement) will decide next month, but possibly not before the local elections in Nikšić, scheduled for April 13th - "Vijesti" has learned unofficially.
The newspaper's interlocutor from the top of the executive branch claims that the issue of reconstruction is "going according to plan," although, he says, he does not know exactly when the topic will be put on the parliament's agenda. He claims that with the head of the highest legislative chamber Andrija Mandić (New Serbian Democracy) there has been no discussion about that yet.
"It will probably (reconstruction) take place in April, because by then the EU (European Union) agenda is full. The laws necessary to close the negotiation chapters in July need to be adopted quickly...", the source told "Vijesti".
Prime Minister Spajić submitted a proposal for changing the composition of the Government to the Parliament on March 3. He proposed that Admir Šahmanović (Bosniak Party), who holds the position of Minister of Mining, Oil and Gas, is also elected as Minister of Energy and Mining, and Majda Adzović be at the head of the Ministry of Public Works, which is to be formed.
Member of Parliament and leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knezevic, said in parliament on March 13 that his party would not vote for the proposed reconstruction until Spajić told them when the dialogue on the issue of standardizing the Serbian language as an official language and introducing dual citizenship with Serbia would begin, but also until, as he stated, he heard when the Bosniak Party (BS) would leave the coalition with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) in Bijelo Polje.
Knežević said that he would not vote for the reconstruction "in which BS should be awarded the energy ministry because they are in a coalition with DPS."
Asked whether Knežević's request was an obstacle to reconstruction, a "Vijesti" source from the top of the executive branch answered in the negative.
A source from a ruling party claims that Spajić has not yet given the DNP any guarantees that they will meet their demands. He states that at a recent meeting between representatives of the ruling parties and Spajić, organized after the prime minister recently signed an agreement with part of the opposition on resolving the political crisis, the DNP's demands were mentioned, but that there was no further discussion about them.
This interlocutor claims that the "refreshment" of the executive branch should follow the elections in Nikšić.
Another source from the ruling majority said that no one among these parties is interested in the reconstruction for now. He claims that it depends on Mandić, and that the speaker of parliament can put the issue on the agenda of any session, under the item "elections and appointments."
Mandić did not respond to "Vijesti"'s question about when the proposal to change the composition of the 44th Government would be on the agenda of the parliamentary session.
Šahmanović was recently appointed coordinator of the Ministry of Energy, which he managed until the end of last year. Saša Mujović (Europe Now Movement), who was then elected mayor of Podgorica. It was planned to merge this department with the Ministry of Mining, Oil and Gas, which is now headed by Šahmanović. These departments were separated during the first reconstruction of the executive branch.
Majda Adžović is State Secretary at the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property.
This is the second reconstruction of Spajić's Government since its formation at the end of October 2023.
The first change in its composition was voted on at the end of July last year, when the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF), Mandić's Nova and Knežević's DNP, and BS, became part of the government.
The parties of the former DF received two vice-presidential and three ministerial positions, while BS received one vice-presidential and five ministerial positions.
The government has a total of 32 members, making it the largest to date. After the new restructuring, the executive branch will gain one more member, but given that two ministries are merging - the total number of its departments will remain the same.
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