Montenegrin President's Office: Đeljošaj threatened Milatović, dismiss him without delay

The office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Nik Đeljošaj sent a series of threats and inappropriate messages to Milatović, immediately after it was announced that the President of the State had returned the Law on Real Estate Tax to the Parliament for re-decision, "with clear and reasoned legal arguments".

"Given the seriousness of the messages and the direct attempt to exert political pressure on the President of the state, the Office of the President of Montenegro has informed the Director of the Police Directorate. We expect the competent institutions to react immediately, in accordance with their obligations under the Constitution and laws of Montenegro," the statement reads.

They demand that Prime Minister Milojko Spajić dismiss Đeljošaj without delay.

They say that "every minute of silence from the Government at this moment is a message that threats are permitted."

"After the threats to the President of Montenegro, we very quickly came across information that reveals the reason for such an inappropriate reaction by Mr. Đeljošaj. The multi-year court disputes that the Municipality of Tuzi has with the company 13. jul Plantaže, which concern the (illegal) calculation of real estate tax on agricultural land, are the reason for the actions of the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro. The disputes are being conducted due to illegally calculated annual real estate taxes that the Municipality of Tuzi was forcibly collecting through account blockages. Plantaže was forced to seek justice and the return of funds through the courts. These proceedings have been going on for several years, and all decisions made by the Administrative Court on Plantaže's appeals so far have been in favor of the company. The key role in this process was played by the current Deputy Prime Minister, and then President of the Municipality of Tuzi, Nik Đeljošaj, against whom the Plantaže company filed a criminal complaint before the Special State Prosecutor's Office," it is recalled.

The proposed legal solution, according to Milatović's cabinet, in addition to abolishing the single tax relief for all agricultural producers, including Plantaža, "is particularly controversial because of the 'retroactive' effect of the law, which would allow the Municipality of Tuzi to annul the ongoing court cases with Plantaža on July 13. This would legalize the illegal calculation of taxes by Đeljošaj, and the company would be permanently financially damaged by an amount of several million and its liquidity position would be further damaged."

"President Milatović's cabinet has already been informed that these are not the first threats that Mr. Đeljošaj has made to any of the Montenegrin officials regarding this controversial law. Therefore, the threats of the Deputy Prime Minister are not a political issue, but a matter of freedom, security and dignity of the holders of the highest state institutions and the office of the President of Montenegro," they said.

They also said that if the government "ignores this kind of action by its vice president," the question arises as to whether institutions are allowed to make decisions independently, without blackmail, threats, and private interests.

"If today the president of the state is threatened for returning the law in accordance with the Constitution, tomorrow any citizen who thinks differently can be threatened. President Milatović will not be intimidated by anyone's threat, but will continue to work as he has done so far, firmly committed to protecting the constitutional order and democratic principles on which Montenegro must be founded: free, legal and equal for all," the statement reads.