The Democratic People's Party (DNP) and the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) have requested the deletion of Article 1 from the Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty, which concerns annexation, in order to support amendments to that act, while the opposition conditions its support on retaining the term "forcible annexation" in the legal text.
Members of the Montenegrin Parliament today concluded their debate on the proposed amendments to the Law on the Status of Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty, and will make their decision at a later date.
The amendments to the law, submitted by Europe Now Movement (PES) MPs Miloš Pižurica and Gordan Stojović, among other things, propose deleting the word "violent" from the formulation referring to the annexation of Montenegro in 1918.
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Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić said that the proponents themselves proposed the amendments to the Law, after discussions with Prince Nikola.
"They have the opposition and part of the parliamentary majority who are arguing over one detail, and I think our parliamentary group has made a good proposal to secure that majority and to do what is completely right," said Mandić.
He pointed out that the proposer should assess for himself how to reach the required majority.
"We want that castle to be returned to the descendants of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, but in order to do that, you have to make some move - either you're going to add this "forcible" to have a vote and that law, or you're going to remove it and throw out the historical context from the law," said Mandić, adding that he doesn't see why, if a castle is being returned, the Law needs to be a reference to some historical context.
He pointed out that the proposed amendments were complicated by Article 1, which needs to be redrafted.
Pižurica said that when the vote is held, he will see if he will have the necessary majority.
"Once again, I ask you to try to find the strength to pass a law that will finally put an end to the difficult position of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty and to pass a law that will restore at least part of what our dynasty deserves," added Pižurica.
He said that the goal of the proposal is for Montenegro to pay its respects to the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, which created its statehood, international recognition, and European identity.
"This law is a civilizational gesture, to correct historical injustice without deepening new divisions, its essence is to affirm what is the best part of our tradition, Montenegro as an open society and community of all citizens, regardless of religion, origin or political beliefs," said Pižurica.
He emphasized that this proposal unites Montenegro, instead of dividing it along the lines of the past.
Explaining the proposed amendments, Pižurica said that the proposal introduces gender equality, because the heir to the dynastic tradition is no longer just the first-born male child, but for the first time it can also be a female child.
He pointed out that the proposal envisages that the Kruševac Castle in Podgorica, with its associated land, be transferred to the descendants of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, which, according to Pižurica, is an act of historical respect and cultural continuity, not a privilege.
"It is clearly stipulated that in the event of a possible sale, the only buyer can be Montenegro, at a pre-determined price. There is no room for abuse and resale, the state remains the ultimate guarantor and guardian of that heritage," said Pižurica.
As he stated, the law returns a five thousand square meter plot of land in Cetinje to state ownership, which further confirms the responsibility and trust between the state and the dynasty.
"What is important is that the Petrović Njegoš family, although it has been waiting for more than a decade for its obligations to be fulfilled, has not shown greed, nor has it asked for more, but is returning the property that was previously allocated, thereby demonstrating dignity and the absence of greed," Pižurica emphasized.
He pointed out that it was not any of these things that attracted the most public attention, but one word – "violent".
"It was omitted, not because we want to change history, but because we want the law to be terminologically, legally, historically accurate," said Pižurica, noting that in international law, annexation means the joining of territory without the consent of the legitimate government or people.
As he added, annexation by definition contains an element of violence, so talking about violent annexation only makes sense rhetorically, not legally or linguistically.
Pižurica said that in July 2010, the then government proposed a law that did not even mention the word annexation, let alone violent annexation, and that it was only at the insistence of the then Speaker of the Parliament, Ranko Krivokapić, that the first article, which he strongly advocated, was added to the new bill from April 2011.
He said that the proposed amendments also have the support of Prince Nikola Petrovic.
Stojović said that the Law on the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty was created in direct and continuous communication with representatives of that dynasty, with full respect for their views and feelings.
As he stated, if someone today has a problem with the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, then they have a problem with the foundation of Montenegro.
"Montenegro was not created yesterday, it did not begin on May 21, 2006, but has lasted for centuries, and the Petrovićs finally shaped and defended that state," Stojović pointed out.
He pointed out that it is sad that an inherited problem, which the state was obliged to solve, is being used to create new divisions.
Democratic People's Party leader Milan Knežević said that the story of annexation and the injustice inflicted on the Petrović Njegoš dynasty has several gaps.
"The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (SHS) and its Assembly, at the request of King Aleksandar Karađorđević, made a special decision to compensate the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, with tens of millions of francs, which are tens or hundreds of millions of euros in today's value, and then the descendants of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty bought villas in Nice," said Knežević.
He said that DNP MPs are ready to vote for the proposed amendments to the Law on the Status of Dynasty Descendants, if annexation is removed from the introduction.
"We cannot accept that Serbia annexed Montenegro," Knežević added.
Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MP Nela Savković Vukčević said that omitting the word "violent" would mean offending the victims for the umpteenth time, who have not even been counted yet, because piles of folders are still in the State Archives.
"It wasn't talked about, only the occasional document, only the occasional comment in the closest family circle, because when a new time came for the idea of brotherhood and unity, this topic was also a topic of division," said Savković Vukčević, stating that this was a mistake and that the divisions arose in 1918 when a deep gap was created that cannot be overcome.
She said that at that time, through abuse, under the insidious name of "fraternal unification", Montenegro was left without a dynasty, without a name, language, nation, culture, or its own church.
"She then disappeared, she no longer existed as a subject, for the first time in her history she found herself in that position," Savković Vukčević stated.
She believes that violent annexation is too mild a term.
"If you ask me, that's too mild a term, because this was about the extermination of everything that presented itself as Montenegrin. That's also written in the obituary of the Mijušković family, which says that in the process of Serbification, no account is taken of where the work of all these crimes is," Savković Vukčević pointed out.
She told Stojović that she stood with the whites and the Chetniks.
"You are on the same side. That's why the President of the Assembly here is a Chetnik voivode, that's why the emblem is a symbol of occupied Montenegro, and you are on the other side of that history," said Savković Vukčević.
PES MP Vasilije Čarapić said that Stojović managed to shake up everything that DPS's policy had been in previous decades.
"He managed to shake things up by targeting the truth that you are trying to hide with your dirty work. You are painting over certain segments of your party's history, and Stojović is here to say what is the essence and to expose it," Čarapić said, adding that DPS is threatened by Stojović's actions.
He pointed out that the essence of the law is to accommodate the Petrovic family, because the DPS deceived them.
"DPS promised the Petrović dynasty compensation and a green castle in Cetinje and did not fulfill it, and now we have a situation where we want to repay the Petrović dynasty and right the wrong, because they were deceived by Milo Đukanović and the DPS, because what was promised to them by this law was not realized," said Čarapić, emphasizing that PES, if it receives support, will compensate the dynasty and right what was wronged against them.
Democratic MP Boris Bogdanović said that today the Parliament is correcting the injustice against the Petrović dynasty.
"Today, we are also correcting the injustice towards a state that, in a dark hour, we separated from our sanctities and handed over to those who turned it into their armchair, function, place of crime and corruption," Bogdanović said.
He emphasized that it is time for Montenegro to return to its people, itself, and the glorious Petrović Njegoš dynasty.
DPS MP Jevto Eraković said that today's topic was initiated by PES, whose idea was to create a historical discussion by removing one word from the previous Law.
"If it weren't for that, if someone had offered to provide the Petrović dynasty with these competencies as prescribed by law, rest assured, this law would have been adopted today and DPS representatives would have voted for this law," said Eraković.
As he stated, no one has the right to say that the proposal being discussed today corrects any historical injustice against the Petrovic family.
"Anyone who knows Montenegrin history knows the connection between Eraković and Petrović, so I don't want to hear you defending the Petrovićs anymore, because this is not defending Petrović, but an attempt to change Montenegrin history," Eraković emphasized.
Socialist People's Party MP Bogdan Božović said that there are certain articles in the Law that have served as a point of contention and division for a long time.
"Perhaps a dialogue should have been initiated in order to try to reach a compromise regarding some historical events that have been the subject of dispute for a long time," said Božović, emphasizing that the Petrović Njegoš dynasty deserves deep respect.
He stated that the historical role of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty is complementary to the historical truth about the national character of Montenegro.
"This was particularly pronounced at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. As for King Nikola's policy, it was based, as was said at the time, on the primacy of Serbdom," added Božović.
Social Democrat MP Nikola Zirojević said that the proposed amendments are not that bad in essence and that he would support them if there were no changes to Article 1 and the deletion of the word "forcible" annexation.
"We cannot and will not vote for this proposal, it is clear to everyone because of Article 1. Our position is clear that the forcible annexation of Montenegro took place in 1918," said Zirojević.
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