The Social Democrats of Montenegro (SD) will submit an initiative to the Parliament to dismiss its leader. Andrije Mandić because they hold him responsible for being his nephew and informal bodyguard To Danilo Mandic granted him powers that, as they claim, could not have been granted to him by law, which, they say, resulted in the recent wounding of two people in Podgorica.
The MP of that party Nikola Zirojevic He told "Vijesti" yesterday that they will seek Mandić's dismissal because, he claims, his responsibility is more than obvious.
"Which is reflected in the fact that, as a member of some kind of personal security, to which he is otherwise not entitled by law, he hired his closest relative, a person with a thick record who has been repeatedly deprived of his liberty, and even for a longer period of time sought by members of the security services. As we have learned, in the early morning hours, while driving an official vehicle accompanying the President of the Parliament, the said person blocked the path of another vehicle and wounded two citizens with an unknown firearm...", stated Zirojević.
He announced that the SD believes that it will be interesting to see the views of the ruling majority on the initiative prepared by his party, adding that the ruling parties "have repeatedly, extremely servilely, defended Andrija Mandić's numerous misdeeds."
"It remains to be seen whether they will be prepared to, by their vote, or by not voting, stand behind the criminal act of attempted aggravated murder," said Zirojević.
According to the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, a motion to dismiss its president must be signed by at least 10 MPs. SD has three, meaning they need at least seven more to submit an initiative. If the motion is on the agenda and voted on, Mandić's removal would require the support of a majority of the total number of MPs - 41.
In early March last year, he "survived" a vote on his removal, which was initiated by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), claiming that he was unworthy of office, among other things - because "he never once provided evidence that he was in legal possession of Montenegrin citizenship."
Danilo Mandić is suspected of attempted murder. Darko Perović i Aris Turković, whom, according to the police, he wounded on the night between Friday and Saturday in Podgorica. The police announced that he blocked the road of the injured parties with his vehicle and fired "several shots at them, which injured the injured parties in the leg area"... He allegedly blocked the road with an official jeep assigned to the legislative house.
A judge at the Podgorica Higher Court ordered Mandić to be detained for up to 30 days the day before yesterday.
Democrats: Questionable whether Andrija Mandić can be charged with abuse
Parliament and Andrija Mandić have been silent for four days regarding his nephew's alleged use of an official vehicle on the night of the attack, while most ruling parties say that the first man in the legislative chamber should not resign over a case of potential misuse of state property.
"Vijesti" asked the ruling parties whether they think Mandić should apologize to the public and resign because Danilo Mandić was driving an official vehicle on the night of the alleged attack, and if they don't think so, how else should he be held accountable.
The Democrats unofficially told the newspaper that parliamentary property, which includes official vehicles, is not managed by the Speaker of the Parliament, in accordance with regulations, and that it is therefore questionable whether Andrija Mandić can be charged with misuse of an official car.
Vice President of the Assembly Nikola Camaj (Albanian Forum), told "Vijesti" that he believes that the speaker of parliament "cannot be held accountable for the actions of his relatives."
"At this point, I can only answer you on my own behalf and say that I condemn anyone's arrogant behavior, especially people who are civil servants. The President of the Assembly can only be held accountable for his own actions," he said.
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Camaj stated that he is certain that "after establishing the facts and possible confirmation of Danilo Mandić's involvement," the head of parliament will decide how to speak out and react.
"Certainly, any case of possible misuse of an official vehicle should be investigated and, if there is a basis for it, adequately sanctioned. Therefore, everyone should be held accountable for their actions...", he concluded.
The Messenger of the Force Ilir Chapuni, told "Vijesti" that Andrija Mandić should apologize to the public, and that it was the least he could do. Asked whether the Speaker of the Parliament should resign, Čapuni replied that it was a personal act.
"It would be interesting, for example, if he gave up his escort, chauffeur and official car," he said.
Laković: Request for dismissal is unjustified
Representatives from the strongest ruling party, the Europe Now Movement (PES), did not respond to questions from "Vijesti". A member of that party Miodrag Laković, stated yesterday that he does not think that the request for the dismissal of Andrija Mandić is justified at this time.
"I don't think anyone should be held accountable for the actions of other people, even if it's someone close to them professionally and family-wise. But it's up to each of us to value personal responsibility and make our own decisions accordingly...", said Laković after the Security and Defense Committee session.
The Socialist People's Party, the Bosniak Party (BS), Mandić's New Serbian Democracy and the Democratic People's Party (DNP) did not respond to "Vijesti's" questions.
Head of the BS parliamentary group Amer Smailovic, announced on Monday that "someone should be held accountable" if an official Parliament vehicle was used in the wounding of two people in Podgorica.
DPS announced on Monday that it is demanding Mandić's immediate resignation. They said it is not a matter of political point-scoring, "but rather the minimum responsibility that this position implies."
"It will also be interesting to see how Mandić's coalition partners will react to this issue and whether they will confirm their commitment to meritocracy and the European path in action, or whether they will show that even in such extreme situations they do not have the capacity to oppose the real leader of the parliamentary majority," they stated.
Deputy President of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and President of the Budva Municipal Assembly Petar Odžić, said on the same day that he was not surprised that Danilo Mandić had allegedly wounded fellow citizens. He assessed that two things were strange - that the Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic and the Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović (both high-ranking Democratic Party officials) did not call a press conference "to demonstrate that they have 'solved' another case" and that "someone who wants to be a 'dangerous guy' and a thug doesn't want to spend five euros on gas, but goes brandishing a weapon, in a company car that his uncle gave him, at four in the morning".
Silence in the plenary session
At yesterday's parliamentary session, which discussed draft laws ratifying two government agreements with the United Arab Emirates, there was almost no mention of the incident involving Danilo Mandić.
The Range Rover jeep, which he allegedly used on the night between Friday and Saturday, was temporarily seized from the criminals, and then the State Property Administration ceded it to the General Secretariat of the Parliament for use free of charge. According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", Danilo Mandić is employed in the Parliament with the title of advisor.
The parliament's website states that two vehicles, a "Volkswagen Golf V" and a "Renault Laguna", have long been members of the security of the head of parliament, Damjan Damjanović i Branko Popović, while the Opel Astra car was given to Mandić's cabinet, without specifying the name of the person who owns it.
The Rules on the Conditions and Manner of Using Official Vehicles in the Parliament stipulate that they may not be used for private purposes (Article 8). It is stated that, if it is determined that an official vehicle has been used for private purposes, the car will be confiscated, and measures will be taken against the person who borrows it in accordance with the law.
The official vehicle can be permanently used by the vice-president of the Assembly, an authorized person designated by the head of the caucus (for the needs of the caucus), the president of the working body of the parliament, the secretary general, his deputy and assistant, the chief of staff of the president of the Assembly, and the head of security for the first man of the legislative chamber.
DNP demanded the removal of its official
DNP, the coalition partner of Mandić's NSD, invited the Minister of Health at the end of September last year. Vojislav Šimun to initiate the dismissal of the then State Secretary of the Ministry of Health and a member of the party's presidency Aleksandar Sekulić, unless he himself apologizes to the Montenegrin public and resigns for causing an accident in Podgorica while drunk, in a company car, and then trying to leave the scene of the accident.
The DNP then announced that they expressed "regret for the traffic accident" in which Sekulić was the culprit. They said that everyone should be equal before the law and should bear responsibility if found guilty.
Sekulić was fined 800 euros in the Podgorica Court of Misdemeanors. He admitted to the judge what he had done, apologized and resigned from all positions.
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