Parliament session paused: Democrats and DPS MPs clashed verbally over Popović's complaint against Živković

At today's parliamentary session, a verbal conflict broke out between members of the Democrats and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) over a report filed with the police last night by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Zdenka Popović against member and DPS leader Danijel Živković, claiming that he threatened her in the plenary hall yesterday.

A newspaper source from one of the ruling parties said that during the presentation of Democrats MP Albin Ćeman, MPs from the strongest opposition party quipped that what he was saying was not true, and that then the head of the Democrats parliamentary group Boris Bogdanović asked DPS MP Ivan Vuković why he was doing that.

Vuković allegedly replied that he had been "silent for a long time" and that he should say "everything he knows", to which Bogdanović allegedly replied: "Don't make me say everything I know".

After chairman Mirsad Nurković (Bosniak Party) gave a five-minute break, a Vijesti source claims that the Democrats' deputies allegedly told their DPS colleagues that their boss's behavior towards Popović was "incorrect", and that they responded that the report against Živković was "packaged" and that "Bogdanović set it all up".

A source from the opposition newspaper told Vijesti that during the session, Democratic MPs tried to confirm what Popović stated in the complaint, but that it was not true, and that such behavior was "incorrect" and "malicious." He stated that anyone who knows Živković knows that Popović would not have addressed him in that way, and that today's verbal clashes were "in the heat of a parliamentary battle."

Popović filed a police report against Živković last night, claiming that, after the end of yesterday's parliamentary session, he threatened her that she would have "a huge problem" because she did not allow him to comment on a speech by an MP.

Živković gave a statement to the police last night in his capacity as a citizen regarding the report, rejecting the claims of the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament. He stated that he addressed her with the words: “Zdenka, you will have a big problem with me in the future, when you chair sessions, because, in accordance with the procedure, I will always ask you for replies and presentations, all in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro.”

At the beginning of today's parliamentary session, the head of the DPS parliamentary group, Andrija Nikolić, said that no one from DPS "would think of threatening colleagues, especially female MPs."

"I was present, Danijel Živković told Zdenka Popović, 'You'll have a problem with me when you lead the session,'" he said.

The procedure was then requested by Democratic Party parliamentarian Duško Stjepović, who stated that what Nikolić said "is not a true characterization of what happened."

"Yesterday, Danijel Živković told Zdenka Popović at least three or four times in a raised tone and with an outstretched index finger, 'Zdenka, you're going to have huge problems,'" he said.

Europe Now Movement (PES) MP Branka Marković stated that after the end of yesterday's session of the Parliament, Živković requested a procedure, but that according to the Rules of Procedure, he did not have the right to do so.

"Everything was as my colleague Stjepović said. We all heard, he said 'you'll have a huge problem, Zdenko', and after I told him how you were addressing her, she's a woman, he said 'now you're going to complain about women's rights'," she pointed out.

Nikolić said that "the general public can distinguish between MPs who are decent and those who draw targets."

"Popović said that she feels threatened because the DPS is connected to organized crime groups. That is not a realistic foundation. These are dangerous constructions that led to a mayor being beaten up because he cooperates with the DPS, so tomorrow a DPS MP will face a threat or a physical incident," he said.

Albin Ćeman said that he saw Živković saying something to Zdenka Popović, and that he then went down to the podium and heard "you're going to have a huge problem, Zdenka."

"After I asked him if it was a threat, he said what Branka Marković mentioned, that he was not interested in women or women's rights. After security arrived, he tried to correct himself and said, 'You will have a problem organizing the session,'" he said.

After Ćeman's presentation, there was an exchange of words and a verbal conflict between DPS and Democrat MPs, which led to Nurković giving a five-minute break.