CDT: Initiate parliamentary control of the actions of state bodies in the case of the erection and disappearance of the monument to Đurišić

The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) called on members of the Parliament of Montenegro to initiate a procedure for parliamentary control of the actions of state bodies in the case of the erection and disappearance of the monument to Pavle Đurišić.

The Executive Director of the CDT, Dragan Koprivica, also called on the competent institutions to provide precise official answers to the question of how it is possible that the illegally erected monument to Đurišić, which was in the process of being removed, photographed and documented by the media, suddenly ceases to exist in the institutional field of view.

Koprivica added that the competent institutions should also answer why in this case the laws and obligations of state bodies have not been implemented for months.

"We call on the members of the Parliament, regardless of party affiliation and without any politicization of this case, to initiate the procedure for controlling the actions of state bodies in this case," said Koprivica.

According to him, the CDT believes that this is a topic of primary public interest and that the facts regarding the proceedings in this case must be established in a country that is "on the threshold of the EU."

"These facts are additionally important to establish after, according to "Vijesti", the National Security Agency announced that it had been providing information to the authorities regarding the events in Gornji Zaostar in a timely manner," said Koprivica.

This, as he pointed out, further opens the question of how such an outcome occurred despite this and requires a clear explanation from the institutions.

"Instead of clear and responsible action, for months now we have been seeing a picture of powerlessness that the institutions themselves produce. The disappearance of the monument has become a symbol of the disappearance of the rule of law: everyone knows where the monument was, everyone knows who erected it, everyone knows that it stood in the monastery area, but, according to the official version, no one can find it," explained Koprivica.

As he added, it is incredible that security institutions, which regularly inform the public that they are monitoring the situation and are aware of the activities of extremist groups, are now unable to establish even a basic fact - where the subject of public controversy ended up.

"It is a massive bronze statue, physically larger than the average person, which is impossible to move unnoticed," explained Koprivica.

However, as he stated, according to institutional versions, the object simply "disappeared", as if it were something that could be put away in a drawer, rather than a very massive construction.

"If our security services are unable to determine where such a large and difficult feature ended up, it is difficult to have confidence in their ability to deal with more serious security challenges," Koprivica warned.

According to him, additional concern is caused by a series of contradictory decisions and actions by competent authorities, in which institutions sometimes refer to their own jurisdictions, sometimes shift them to each other, leaving the public unable to understand what is actually happening and who is right, as if the goal is to create as much confusion as possible.

"This has long ceased to resemble a legal dilemma, but rather a political assessment - that it is easier to withdraw than to take responsibility and confront the radical right," Koprivica assessed.

As he said, in this case in particular, social selectivity in responding to extremism is evident.

"When fans chanted Ustasha slogans at a recent game, the reactions were correct, quick, loud and unified. But when a Chetnik commander responsible for collaboration with fascists and Nazis and for mass crimes against the civilian population is glorified, an unnatural and very unpleasant silence and endless protracted proceedings ensue," said Koprivica.

According to him, such double standards normalize extremism that is politically acceptable to some in power and show that declared values ​​are applied selectively.

"If we add to this that in the whole case there was violence against journalists, which was subsequently denied, these double standards become something that must not be tolerated," warned Koprivica.

He said that Montenegro cannot build democracy and the rule of law on practices in which some forms of extremism provoke an immediate institutional reaction, while others turn into a months-long institutional adventure that ends with the "disappearance" of evidence.

"The rule of law implies equal protection of victims, equal sanctioning of glorification of crimes, and a clear line towards those who relativize violence and historical facts," said Koprivica.

This, he emphasized, is no longer a question of one bust.

"This is a question of trust in institutions, their ability to protect the public interest, and their willingness to confront extremism, without calculation and double standards," concluded Koprivica.