Knežević: Montenegro is threatened with extinction, institutional battle for Kosovo begins

The leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP), Milan Knežević, said that the national identity of Montenegro is threatened with disappearance or modification, adding that he wants to send a message that they are here to show that they have not renounced "neither their father, nor God, nor Montenegro."

"When we left Spajić's government, we said that we wouldn't be able to do 10 without positions, that we wouldn't be able to provide jobs for citizens, that only fools die for ideals... This is the largest rally since August 30, 2020, and we have never been stronger," said Knežević at the DNP rally organized at the Music Center in Podgorica.

He stated that he was proud that their people did not get lost in power, and that the biggest "curse" was that in previous years it could be heard that the so-called "liberators" were the same as officials of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

"It is precisely because of the danger that the entire country will become a terminally ill person that we have gathered to give it therapy... That is why today I am asking for your consent to begin an institutional battle for the honor of the country... And the best way to start it is to wash the blackest stain from the face of Montenegro," he stressed.

He said that the Serbian and Montenegrin people in Kosovo are going through a golgotha, and that the least they can do for their "suffering brothers in the holy land" is to begin an institutional struggle for the "recognition" of Kosovo.

Knežević announced that the Zeta Municipal Assembly will adopt a decision on "recognition" of Kosovo on May 12th, and that he expects that after Zeta, the municipalities of Pljevlja, Andrijevica, Herceg Novi, Podgorica, Mojkovac... will also do so because "Serbs in these municipalities predominately exercise power."

The DNP leader added that he will submit a declaration to parliament committing the Milojko Spajić government to withdraw recognition of Kosovo.

"For that, it is enough for those who declare themselves as Serbs in parliament to vote, and then for Serb ministers in the government to repeat the same," he said.

"DPS stole more, these steal faster"

Speaking about the current government, Knežević said that "DPS stole more, and they steal faster."

"We are obliged to preserve the idea of ​​Njegošev's Montenegro and the achievements of August 30th... We rightly wonder whether we are going to Brussels or Zagreb," said Knežević.

"There are no negotiations over Prevlaka - Prevlaka was and will be Montenegrin. There are no negotiations over Morinje, because no crime was committed there, we are not going to pay 17 million... Croats must admit that the most terrible crime was committed in Lora... Glory to the heroes from the Nikšić-Šavnik group... I tell Spajić that when that (Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan) Grlić Radman comes, he should tell him that Croatia is obliged to pay war reparations to Montenegro," he said.

Knežević added that they are against the idea of ​​renaming the swimming pool in Kotor, as well as against handing over the training ship "Jadran" to Croatia.

"We are against giving property to Croatia, and we want compensation to be paid to 300 expelled Serbs from Krajina," said Knežević.

He said that "if you have to enter Brussels through Zagreb, you should never enter it."

Knežević added that he has the privilege of leading a party that has not voted for a single anti-Russian sanction.

"Russia is not an enemy to us, but an age-old friend... If it weren't for Russia, we wouldn't be celebrating Victory Day yesterday, but would be erecting a monument to (Hermann) Goering," he underlined.

Knežević claims that he will oppose fascism whenever necessary.

"We decided to protect the territorial integrity of the United Arab Emirates, because politicians have apartments and houses there... And now we have to wait for an Iranian missile to land on our beach...", said Knežević.

Knežević asked what the difference was between Kosovo and Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk.

"It's not fair, it's not Montenegrin to give three million euros and increase pensions for pensioners by 1,70 euros... Let the pensioners sing, and we'll send Ricky Martin back to where he came from," he said.

He claims that the DNP strongly supports European integration, but that they do not want Montenegro to enter Brussels "with a twist", and that Brussels will never be closer to them than Belgrade and Banja Luka.

Knežević said that he congratulated everyone celebrating May 21st, but that 185.000 citizens voted for a common state, and that he wanted justice for them as well.

"I have the honor of leading a party that includes descendants of both Partisans and Chetniks... We need to reconcile, because there are too few of us to argue and divide," he emphasized.

DNP spokesperson Jovana Todorović said that the DNP rally was not only political, but also a "strong message."

After her opening remarks, a "special film" was shown, as Todorović stated.

The DNP gathering is also attended by the party's vice presidents Maja Vukićević and Milun Zogović, as well as Predrag Bulatović, MPs Jelena Kljajević and Vladislav Bojović, and members of the DNP Presidency.

Councilors of the coalition For the Future of Zeta, consisting of representatives of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) and the DNP, submitted to the local parliament at the end of April a draft declaration "on the annulment and non-recognition of the decision to recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija". However, the document does not contain what is stated in its title, and what was announced by the head of the DNP, Milan Knežević - the annulment and non-recognition of the Government's decision to recognize Kosovo, on the territory of Zeta.

The draft declaration does not explicitly state the “recognition” of Kosovo in Zeta. However, it states that the Zeta parliament “remains committed... to the inviolability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, based on international law and the UN Security Council Resolution...”.

Point one of the proposal states that the Municipal Assembly (MA) of Zeta "notes with particular concern that the position of Montenegrins and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is deteriorating daily under the temporary Pristina institutions."

The second states that the Zeta Municipal Assembly “regrets that all previous governments of Montenegro, since gaining independence (in 2006), have ignored the majority position of the citizens of Montenegro that Kosovo and Metohija are an integral part of the Republic of Serbia.

Point three states that the Zeta Municipal Assembly calls on the government of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement) to pursue a "balanced foreign policy" and not to vote for decisions in international institutions and organizations "that are directed against the interests of the majority Montenegro and the neighboring and brotherly state of Serbia."

"The Zeta Municipal Assembly, in solidarity with the suffering Montenegrin and Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, issues this declaration as a form of support and efforts to resolve the crisis caused by the unilateral declaration of independence peacefully; the Zeta Municipal Assembly remains committed to respecting the UN Charter, the inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, based on international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244," it is stated in points four and five of the proposal, while the sixth is of a technical nature (on the publication of the declaration in the Official Gazette).

After the former Democratic Front (DF) unsuccessfully tried to adopt a declaration on "recognition" of Kosovo in the Zeta parliament three years ago, Knežević announced last week that he would raise the issue - this time in other municipalities where the DNP is part of the government, but also at the state level.

He announced that the declaration in Zeta would be made on the Day of Saint Basil of Ostrog - May 12th.

A legal expert with whom the editorial team recently spoke explained that the decision to "recognize" Kosovo at the local level can only be of a declarative nature, and cannot produce legal effect, because the decision to recognize that state was not made by local governments, but by the Government.

The former DF parliamentary group announced in early May 2023, a month before the parliamentary elections, that a “declaration on the annulment and invalidity of the decision” on the recognition of Kosovo in the territory of that municipality would be adopted at the session of the Zeta assembly. The declaration was announced four days after Montenegro supported the proposal for Kosovo to join the Council of Europe.

The Zeta County Parliament members were supposed to discuss the proposed declaration for the first time on June 11, 2023, on election night. Although the session was supposed to be held after the closing of the polling stations, the proposers did not come because they opposed holding the session on election night. A quorum was not secured for the session on June 30, with the same agenda item. The third and fourth sessions, scheduled for the same occasion, were not held because the initiators again failed to appear, and the last attempt was on August 1 of that year, but the former DF members again failed to appear at the session.

Montenegro recognized Kosovo on October 9, 2008.