Cabinet Jakov Milatović He remained silent on the questions of "Vijesti" why the President of Montenegro decided to award the highest state order to the former Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral. Amphilochia, if the law governing that area explicitly states that this decoration is intended for presidents and high-ranking officials of foreign states, as well as leaders of international organizations.
Milatović announced on Sunday on "Iks" that on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Amfilohije's death, he would award the religious leader the highest state order, without specifying which award it was.
He said that Amfilohije "left an indelible mark on the spiritual and social life of Montenegro" during his almost three decades at the head of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, and that with his reputation "in the entire Christian world, he made a significant contribution to the international reputation of Montenegro."
According to the Law on State Decorations and Recognitions, the highest state award is the Order of Montenegro. This regulation stipulates that this decoration “is awarded on a large necklace to presidents or sovereigns of states and leaders of international organizations, or on a ribbon to other high-ranking officials of foreign states or international organizations.”
The Order of Montenegro in 2018 was the then president Milo Djukanovic presented to the former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, while Đukanović's predecessor Filip Vujanovic awarded this award to the King of Jordan in 2015 Abdullah II Al Hussein.
Several non-governmental organizations and civic activists yesterday expressed their protest over Milatović's decision and "the president's joining the wave of revisionism and falsification of the recent past."
They said that Milatović has so far "insisted on a legalistic approach", and that his decision to "grossly violate the law due to a populist approach to the right-wing electorate" is surprising.
They said that Amfilohije was one of the most vocal supporters of the “blood and soil” ideology, according to which “Serbia had the right to expand into all neighboring territories inhabited by Serbs.” They added that he welcomed war criminals, supported the siege of Dubrovnik, and glorified the leaders of the Chetnik movement “promoting the defeated centuries-old vow to unify all Serbian lands.”
"... He denied and justified the genocide in Srebrenica. He called Muslims, who make up 20% of the population of Montenegro, 'false people, false religions', which it made sense to kill. Although it is unclear exactly which order the president awarded the metropolitan, it is paradoxical that it would be awarded to someone who denied the existence of Montenegrins and expressed this in extremist language, saying that Montenegrins are 'communist offspring or bastards'," they said.
They noted that they believe that Milatović’s actions contribute to “the unacceptable normalization of extreme nationalism and deepen divisions instead of strengthening unity in Montenegro.” They stated that the propaganda that “attempts to build a personality cult around Amfilohije” has gained momentum to such an extent “that even opposition parties do not have the courage to remind us of the full truth about the activities of a prominent cleric who has deeply polarized Montenegro.”
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The strongest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, did not respond to the editorial team's question about their view on awarding the decoration to Amfilohije.
"In this context, we also express our protest against the intention to erect a 2,5-meter-high monument to him in Kolašin, after the erection of a four-meter-high monument in Berane is already underway. In the glorification of Amfilohije and the ideology he symbolizes, in addition to municipalities and the president of the state, the Government of Montenegro is also participating, which has given its consent to erect a memorial to him in Berane as soon as possible," the statement from non-governmental organizations and activists reads.
They emphasized that the Ministry of Culture and Media legally rejected the request to erect a monument in Berane, citing Article 10 (prohibition of erecting memorials to persons who played a negative role in history, collaborated with the occupier or represented chauvinistic ideas) and Article 20 of the Law on Memorials (that a memorial cannot be erected before 20 years after the person's death, so that history can make an objective judgment on their merits)."
They said that the simultaneous erection of a monument and awarding of the Order to Amfilohije is an indicator of the eroded secularism of Montenegro and the threatened equality of all its citizens.
"We do not deny Amfilohije's role in the history of the past thirty years, nor that he contributed to the expansion of the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, we find this role questionable, since it was not humanistic, but in the unequivocal interest of a defeated nationalist program," they stated.
The statement also states that "unilateral activities aimed at idolizing this controversial figure" are not in the public interest and do not contribute to social cohesion and a sense of equality among all citizens.
"Montenegro has a tradition of dogmatic and uncritical support for leaders, both secular and spiritual, but it is high time that such practices be replaced with a culture of respect for the law and human rights of all its residents," they assessed.
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