After a debate that lasted more than two and a half hours, the Municipal Assembly (MA) of Bijelo Polje, tonight, by a majority vote, adopted the initiative of the Bosniak Party (BS) to revoke the "Risto Ratković" award from the former president of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska and convicted war criminal Radovan Karadžić.
Before the vote, opposition councilors left the assembly hall, and 19 councilors from the ruling coalition voted in favor of the initiative.
At the beginning of the municipal session, around 19 p.m., the proposal of New Serbian Democracy (NSD) councilor Vaso Obradović to remove the second item from the agenda - a conclusion on accepting the initiative of the Bosniak Party (BS) to revoke the "Risto Ratković" literary award from Karadžić - was not accepted.
17 councilors voted against removing this item from the agenda, while ten voted in favor.
Obradović: The Parliament is not competent to discuss this issue
Obradović said at the session that the Parliament was not competent to discuss the issue and that the issue of revoking the award from Radovan Karadžić was initiated for political purposes.
"Making this conclusion is unconstitutional and violates Article 147 of the Constitution of Montenegro, which speaks of retroactivity, where it clearly states that no by-law such as the statute or regulations on awarding awards can be retroactive, but only applies to future winners," said Obradović.
Smailović: The award was given not for reasons of literary quality, but for purely political reasons
The rapporteur on the agenda item for revoking the "Risto Ratković" award from Karadžić, BS councilor Amer Smailović, pointed out that today is "an important day for the Bijelo Polje Municipal Assembly, an important day for our citizens and for our joint dealings with the past."
"We are facing a debate on the revocation of the 'Risto Ratković' literary award, which was awarded in 1993 to Radovan Karadžić, a now legally convicted war criminal and one of the main ideologues and perpetrators of the genocide in Srebrenica. That award was then awarded not for reasons of literary quality, but for purely political reasons, in order to reward and promote a man who was already a symbol of war and nationalist ideology at that time. This award has been a burden for three decades, not only for our city, known and recognized for coexistence and mutual respect, but also for the Public Institution 'Ratković Poetry Evenings' that awards it every year. Because of this, many avoided participating in this event, and some previous winners even returned the award. Let me remind you that our fellow citizen, Marko Vešović from Bjelopolje, refused to accept this award precisely because it would put his name side by side with the name of a war criminal," said Smailović at the Municipal Assembly session.
He said that the story of revoking this award had often been a topic of public discussion, but that such a concrete initiative had never been launched before.
"We from the Bosniak Party announced the submission of this initiative at the end of last year and formally submitted it to the Parliament in anticipation of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. In parallel, a part of the non-governmental sector and prominent individuals submitted a similar proposal to the Public Institution 'Ratković Poetry Evenings', and we are grateful to them for that. Based on their initiative, the Council of the institution removed Karadžić's name from the list of winners. Today, as elected representatives of citizens, we must show responsibility towards the past but also towards the future," said Smailović.
He also stated that Montenegro had adopted clear positions.
"In 2021, the Assembly of Montenegro adopted a Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica, and the Government of Montenegro voted in favor of the UN resolution last year. Our municipality of Bijelo Polje marks Genocide Remembrance Day every year. Every year on July 11, we gather in front of the monument to those killed in Štrpci, also in 1993, when this award was awarded. How can we then at the same time still keep the name of Radovan Karadžić on our list of literary award laureates? That is not natural. That is why we proposed this conclusion, that the Assembly of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje accept the initiative of the Bosniak Party to revoke the award from Karadžić. I hope that today, as elected representatives of the citizens, we will vote and clearly state that we do not want the name of our city to stand tainted next to the name of a war criminal," said Smailović.
Smailović emphasized in the discussion that the sole intention of the initiative is to take away the award from Radovan Karadžić, to put an end to that issue, and that there is no other intention.
When the opposition stated that they were creating divisions in this way, he said: "If we are divided into those who are for Radovan and those against - let us divide ourselves," to which councilor Obradović said that it is not about "for and against Radovan", but about those who are on the side of the law and those who violate it for some reason.
Ljujić: We do not dispute the past, but is this a topic that the Parliament should address in 2025?
Democratic Montenegro councilor Marko Ljujić pointed out that this is an attempt to open old wounds for the umpteenth time and artificially produce divisions.
"We do not dispute the past, unfortunately we cannot change it for the better, but is this a topic that the Assembly should be dealing with in 2025? Our fellow citizens are facing emigration, unemployment, collapsed infrastructure and a sense of insecurity. Where are the initiatives that address these topics? The Assembly must be a place where people will come together, reconcile, where we, as legitimate representatives of citizens, will offer a policy of reconciliation, a policy that encourages development, infrastructure, etc. Simply put, we must conduct a policy where no distinction is made between religion and nation," said Ljujić.
Andrić: We will not be in the hall during the decision-making process, such moves today do not make any sense
Councilor of the Europe Now Movement (PES) Jelenka Andrić said that the councilors are considering an initiative to revoke the award that was awarded to Radovan Karadžić more than 30 years ago.
"At the beginning, I will say that I have no intention of engaging in any polemics or defending the character and work of Radovan Karadžić. We are certainly not declaring today whether we are for or against him, as my colleague Smailović pointed out, because that was decided in 1993 and citizens know what the circumstances were then, and above all that that policy was supported by the authorities at the time. Today, we are declaring for or against the law and the Constitution. We will not be in the hall during the decision-making process because we believe that the Parliament is not competent for this issue. Our position is that such moves today do not make any essential sense," Andrić stressed.
She added that revoking the 1993 award will not change historical facts, nor can it right the wrongs that have occurred.
"Our position is that this is not about the culture of remembrance, but rather a symbolic move that serves daily politics more than anything else. The Europe Now Movement is a civic party. Our topics are those that reconcile Montenegro and pull it towards the European Union (EU), as well as the policy of the rule of law and living standards. Therefore, we will remain consistent with the position that today's topic has no real value, but is exclusively a return to topics from the past for the sake of daily political points," said Andrić.
Đukić: Those who have no plan for the future offer stories about the past and false topics to blind citizens
Democratic Montenegro councilor Marko Ðukić said that while the local government is engaged in empty talk and a return to the 1990s, trying to score political points in a cheap way, Bijelo Polje has been left without 10.000 residents and an entire industrial zone.
"That is the true picture of your politics - running away from responsibility and from the problems that are pressing on our citizens today. Those who do not have a plan for the future offer stories about the past and false topics to blind the eyes of citizens. The Democrats of Bijelo Polje clearly say: we will not participate in divisions or waste time on political marketing and empty, incomplete conclusions and initiatives that only serve to earn someone a few votes and applause in the daily politics of untruths and deceptions. Our only goal is to create better living conditions in this city, that is what interests our fellow citizens and what we will do," said Đukić.
He added that the citizens of Bijelo Polje do not need false topics, but that it is necessary "to finally complete all local projects that are delayed due to irresponsible authorities, swimming pools, collectors, caves, the Ski Center and more, to rebuild all dilapidated local roads and pave new ones, and not to blackmail citizens for cartloads of asphalt."
Ljujić showed a photo of Đukanović
Ljujić, showing a photo showing, among others, former President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, said that these are those who participated in creating the politics of division, the politics of fear are solving problems from the past.
"We want to deal with the politics of the future, and we do not want to participate in creating artificially produced divisions," said Ljujić.
Striković: I would much rather take away the award from a winner who has a Muslim name and surname
Social Democratic Party (SDP) councilor Adnan Striković emphasized that for him and the party he represents, revoking the award from war criminal Radovan Karadžić is exclusively a moral issue.
"It has nothing to do with nationality, I would have the same opinion if it were a Montenegrin, Bosniak or anyone else. I would personally prefer to take away the award from a winner who has a Muslim name and surname, but unfortunately, apart from my subjective feeling, I have no judgment that objectively makes him unworthy of the award, and he received the award a few years before Radovan Karadzic," said Striković.
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