Mandić celebrated without most of his government colleagues: The head of parliament did not celebrate with a reception on the occasion of Statehood Day

The ceremonial reception of the Speaker of the Parliament Andrija Mandić on the occasion of July 13 - the Statehood Day of Montenegro, at which the Thirteenth of July Awards were presented, was not attended by the highest state officials - President Jakov Milatović and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, as well as most ministers and government representatives.

Milatović's Public Relations Office told "Vijesti" that the head of state was not present because he was at an event organized by the French Embassy in Podgorica.

"The President of the State attended a ceremonial reception marking Bastille Day - the national holiday of the French Republic," the response reads.

When asked by "Vijesti" why Spajić was not at the event organized by Mandić, the Prime Minister's Office and the executive branch did not respond.

The office of the Speaker of Parliament did not respond to Mandić's comment on the fact that Milatović and Spajić, as well as most of the government ministers and MPs, did not come to his reception.

At the reception held on Tuesday evening at Villa Gorica, according to footage from the official YouTube channel of the Parliament and photos from its Flickr account, there were no MPs and ministers from the Bosniak Party (BS), nor MPs from the Albanian coalitions with which Mandić's New Serbian Democracy is in power - the Albanian Forum and the Albanian Alliance.

BS did not answer the newspaper whether representatives of their parties were at the reception, if so - who, and if not - to explain the reasons why they were not.

Representatives of the Democratic Alliance of Albanians (DSA), which together with the Albanian Alternative (AA) forms the Albanian Forum, were also not at the reception. This alliance has two representatives in the Assembly - Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nikola Camaj (DSA) and MP Artan Çobi (AA). The DSA told "Vijesti" that they had not received an invitation.

There was no opposition either.

The reception was not attended by representatives of opposition parties, who publicly expressed their disagreement with the decision to award the Thirteenth of July Award to writer Bećir Vuković. In his statements, Vuković denied the Montenegrin nation and supported the Chetnik movement. Member of the Presidency of the Civic Movement URA Dušan Golović told “Vijesti” that the most prestigious state recognition benefits the promotion of party and ideological soldiers, so that they would be, “forced to shame, recognized as the intellectual layer of Montenegrin society”.

"And we don't want to give legitimacy to something like that... If the award has become compensation, I suggest they start paying their soldiers from their own funds, and not humiliate the highest state recognition because of it," he said.

The reception was attended by numerous MPs and officials from Mandić's NSD and the Democratic People's Party (DNP), led by the party's president Milan Knežević. The event was also attended by ministers from the ranks of those two parties - Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property Slaven Radunović (NSD), Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordić (NSD), Deputy Prime Minister Milun Zogović (DNP)...

Of the NSD and DNP coalition partners, the ceremony was attended by MPs from the Europe Now Movement (PES) Uglješa Urošević, Nađa Laković and Jelena Nedović, Democratic Party official Vladimir Čađenović, and representatives of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Vladimir Joković (Minister of Agriculture) and MPs from that party Slađana Kaluđerović and Bogdan Božović.

Also at the reception were the president of United Montenegro (UCG) Goran Danilović, the party's MP Vladimir Dobričanin, the president of Prava Crne Gora Marko Milačić...

Also present was Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, as well as the Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro, Nebojša Rodić.

At the event, organized by the head of parliament, several flags from different periods were visible on the screen behind the stage - the Principality and Kingdom of Montenegro, the Crusader Banner, the flags of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), the Republic of Montenegro within the FRY...

Mandić: Freedom is not taken for granted

After the reception, Mandić presented the Thirteenth of July Awards to Vuković and graphic designer Veljo Stanišić, while the third laureate, musician Miloš Karadaglić, did not receive the award because, as he said, he could not do so "in the current circumstances".

Mandić pointed out that two key historical turning points, July 13, 1878 and July 13, 1941, although separated by decades, are united by the same value - the fight for freedom and dignity of the people of Montenegro. He stated that July 13 should be a reminder that freedom is not taken for granted and that, although territorially small, Montenegro must be a country of free, happy and wealthy people.

He pointed out that July 13, 1941, testifies to the original spark of freedom, "and that date was an authentic, nationwide response to the occupiers' attempt to humiliate the honor and name of Montenegro."

He thanked this year's laureates of the Thirteenth of July Award and stated that their works, dedication and successes are a symbol of what July 13th should be in the 21st century - "a fight no longer just for territory, but for spirit, for image, for culture, for humanity."

The reception was preceded by a protest near the "Villa Gorica", organized by the informal civic association STEGA, on the occasion of the awarding of the Thirteenth of July Award to Vuković.

The demonstrators tried unsuccessfully to break through the police cordon on two occasions, who then used pepper spray, after which oysters and eggs flew at the police officers. Among those present at the protest were directors Danilo Marunović and Mladen Ivanović, Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MPs Oskar Huter and Andrija Nikolić, Social Democrats (SD) MP Nikola Zirojević, SD official Miloš Đuričković, former Liberal Alliance MP Vladimir Nikaljević, Liberal Party president Vatroslav Belan, executive director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) 35mm Darko Ivanović, president of the Lawyers Association Branislav Radulović...

Huter: Police helped Mandic

At a press conference yesterday, Huter said that the police had helped Mandić in “institutionalizing chauvinism and shaming July 13th.” He said that the police had intervened in a “shameful and brutal manner” against citizens who, he claimed, were peacefully protesting, “among whom were a large number of intellectuals, as well as elderly citizens, of all religions and nationalities.”

"Last night (the night before last) the Montenegrin police assisted Serbian citizen Andrija Mandić in institutionalizing chauvinism and shaming July 13th, which is the sole goal of the Chetnik voivode, who with every action wants to humiliate and render meaningless everything that is Montenegrin," said Huter.

He pointed out that Montenegro has no brighter and holier date than July 13th.

"Thus, last night, the Montenegrin police became an accomplice in a sinister plot and directly subordinated themselves to other people's interests, the perpetrator of which is Mandić, standing against its own citizens," Huter said, adding that the police "baton-charged, sprayed and dusted citizens with tear gas and pepper spray, so that Mandić could enjoy the Greater Serbian feast."

The Police Directorate (UP) announced that Hutter, in his speech, in an untrue and manipulative manner, deceived the public by drawing them into the context of an unreported and violent public gathering and the latest tragic event in Cetinje, while presenting untrue and malicious messages that deeply violate the concept of citizenship.

"On this occasion, he announced that '1 people were killed in Cetinje in more than five hours on January 13st', which is incorrect, untrue, and extremely unempathetic towards the families of the victims of Cetinje, bearing in mind that the public was informed transparently on several occasions, as was he personally, at the meeting of the Security and Defense Committee, with information that the active threat and bloody riot lasted for about 30 minutes, while police officers took extensive measures and actions to protect citizens, stop the bloody riot, search, locate, isolate and neutralize the threat," the UP statement states.

The UP said that Hutter's claims are unfounded, and that they are being tendentiously manipulated, and the actions of the police are being negatively characterized and perceived in a mundane manner.

"The Montenegrin police work exclusively on the basis of the Constitution, laws, international standards and principles, in which work it is politically and ideologically neutral, preserving and defending the constitutional order of Montenegro, which is a civil state according to its constitutional order," the Police Department said.

Jakšić Stojanović: Did the award equally valorize all areas?

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Anđela Jakšić Stojanović (Europe Now Movement) assessed on Monday that the fact that all three of this year's laureates of the Thirteenth of July Award are from the fields of culture and art naturally points to the need to review whether achievements from other fields, especially science and innovation, have had an equal chance to be recognized and valued.

She said that it is a shared responsibility to encourage creators in all fields to continue building Montenegro as a society of knowledge, culture and scientific relevance on the international stage.

"The 13th of July Award represents the highest state recognition... Its value is based on legality, impartiality and equal evaluation of all areas that contribute to the general progress of Montenegrin society. In this light, this year's award raises an important question - were all areas clearly recognized by the law equally valued?" she asked.