The Serbian National Council in Montenegro has never established the standard for the flag of the Serbian people in Montenegro, nor has the Government's consent been obtained for that flag, so displaying the so-called Serbian tricolor on public institutions in Montenegro is illegal, said the president of the Political Council of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), historian Dragutin Papović.
The public display of symbols of members of minority nations and other minority communities is regulated by the Law on the Selection, Use and Public Display of Such Symbols. These symbols are determined by the councils of minority nations, and the government approves this decision, Papović reminds in an author's text that DPS submitted to the media.
"According to Article 7 of this Law, it is determined that the flag of a national community may be displayed: on buildings and premises where councils, associations and political parties are located, during political, scientific, cultural, artistic and sports gatherings organized by councils, associations, political parties or individuals, and during family celebrations organized by individuals. According to Article 11, in local self-government units in which members of a minority people or another minority national community make up the majority population, according to the results of the last census, the flag of that minority people or other minority national community shall be permanently flown on the buildings of local self-government bodies and public institutions founded by the municipality or the state," Papović writes.
Article 12, it points out, stipulates that in local self-government units in which members of a minority people or other minority national community make up more than five percent of the population, according to the results of the last census, on the national holiday of that minority people or other minority national community, the flag of that minority people or other minority national community shall be flown on the buildings of local self-government bodies.
Article 19, he adds, states that when national symbols are used, or displayed alongside state symbols, the state symbol takes the place of honor.
"According to Article 15, the flag may not be used as a sign of a political party, business company, institution or other legal entity or organization. Article 10 prohibits the use of national symbols: on buildings and premises of the Parliament of Montenegro, except for the premises of parliamentary clubs, the President of Montenegro, the Government of Montenegro, ministries and other administrative bodies, the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, courts, the State Prosecutor's Office, the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, the Army of Montenegro, the University of Montenegro, the Central Bank of Montenegro and the State Audit Institution, and during international meetings, political, scientific, cultural and artistic, sports and other gatherings organized by state bodies, as well as other gatherings at which Montenegro is represented," adds Papović.
He said that all Serbian tricolors displayed by representatives of Serbian parties as public officials, from local government buildings to ministries and the office of the Speaker of the Parliament, were displayed illegally and are subject to punishment.
"The Serbian National Council in Montenegro has never established the standard for the flag of the Serbian people in Montenegro, nor has the Government's consent been obtained for that flag, so the display of the so-called Serbian tricolor on public institutions in Montenegro is illegal. That tricolor is, in fact, the national flag of the Republic of Serbia and the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska. All Serbian tricolors that representatives of Serbian parties have displayed as public officials, from local government buildings to ministries and the office of the President of the Parliament, have been displayed illegally and are subject to punishment. Thus, Article 21 of the Law stipulates that a legal entity will be fined from 500 to 20.000 euros if, among other things, it uses national symbols on the premises of the Parliament of Montenegro, except in the premises of parliamentary clubs. This violation is punishable by a fine of 30 to 2.000 euros for the responsible person in the legal entity," Papović wrote.
Based on this, it is clear, as he said, that the "Bjelaško-Chetnik duke" Andrija Mandić "illegally displayed the Serbian tricolor in the office of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro."
"Even if the Serbian tricolor was legally established as the flag of the Serbian people in Montenegro, Mandić would not have the right to display it in the office of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, but only in the premises of the parliamentary club. Mandić additionally violates the law, because it is prohibited to display a flag other than the national one during international meetings of the President of the Parliament, and he receives foreign delegations in his office with the Serbian tricolor displayed. If the tricolor were legally established as the national symbol of the Serbs in Montenegro, Mandić's Old Bjelaško-Chetnik Dictatorship (NSD) should not have used it as a party symbol. Serbian tricolors have also been illegally displayed on the buildings of local government bodies and public institutions in Berane, Andrijevica, Pljevlja, Žabljak and Zeta. The latest example of this violence is the legally null and void decision of the Žabljak Municipal Council to display the tricolor on the local government's bracket. Even if the tricolors were legally displayed, they could not be flown level with the state flag because, according to the Law, the state flag must "to be hung in a place of honor," adds Papović.
He says that Serbian political parties and the Serbian National Council did not want to choose the tricolor as the Serbian national symbol in Montenegro in accordance with the Law, "because that would acknowledge that Serbs are a minority people."
"Their goal is to make the Serbs the dominant people by Serbizing Montenegro and to impose the Serbian tricolor as the state flag. However, despite the huge attacks and denial of Montenegrin identity, Montenegrins are the majority people, Montenegro is a civil state, and the state flag is protected by the Constitution, and its change requires two-thirds of the votes of deputies in the Parliament and three-fifths of the total number of voters in a referendum. Given that Mandić's cronies and other haters of civil Montenegro and Montenegrins do not want to legally declare the tricolor as the flag of the Serbian people in Montenegro, which would be legitimate, and they cannot declare it as the state flag in accordance with the Constitution, then they have decided on violence, which is in line with the tyrannical character of their white-Chetnik ideology," said Papović.
That, he says, is a minor part of the problem, because "they do this because the competent state inspection allows them to do so."
"The problem will be solved when the inspection punishes legal and responsible persons in local governments and state bodies for illegally displaying the Serbian tricolor and prevents the repetition of these violations, and the state prosecutor's office begins to prosecute those who encroach on the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Montenegro. Until then, Mandić and his gang will illegally and with impunity display the national flag of the Republic of Serbia and the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska, while falsifying history with ideological propaganda that it was the state flag of Montenegro," said Papović.
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