Živković: The slogan "New Serbian Response" was created by Marović; Đurović: No, he created the statute and the party name for you

The slogan "New Serbian Response", recently used by the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), led by the Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić, was created by Svetozar Marović, announced today by the leader and MP of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Danijel Živković.

He made this statement at today's session of the Parliament of Montenegro, where MPs discussed and adopted a Proposal for amending the Constitution that would abolish the immunity of members of the Government for corruption-related crimes.

The controversy in the Parliament began with a story about the results of the ruling majority, or rather the opposition, in several local elections.

"Where does a party lose power and after such revanchism, become the strongest party in Montenegro, and your party, which is in power, ministers in the government, the speaker of the parliament - today has fewer percentages according to surveys than the Democratic People's Party of Milan Knežević, which is in opposition. Surveys come to both your and our desks. Don't tell me who came up with the slogan 'New Serbian Answer'. The same one you said belonged to the DPS in Budva - Svetozar Marović. He came up with the slogan for you," he said.

NSD MP Dejan Đurović asked whether Marović was in DPS and denied Živković's claims.

"Marović did not come up with a slogan for us, but rather the statute and the name of the party for you. You were prisoners of Svetozar Marović. He was your spiritus movens," said Đurović.

Živković pointed out that the NSD no longer has power in Budva, which is "the most important thing".

"The most important thing is that you have no power and that you can no longer implement deals, agreements and combinations through the issuance of urban planning and technical conditions, etc. The new Serbian answer is an armchair and money," said the DPS leader.

Marović is the convicted head of the Budva crime group and a former high-ranking DPS official.

Marović was arrested in December 2015. He was released from custody after admitting to being the head of an organized crime group that caused tens of millions of euros in damage to Budva. He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, and ordered to pay 1,1 million euros in restitution and 100 euros for humanitarian purposes.

Marović then went to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, where he still lives with his family today.

In the past ten years, Montenegro has sent seven letters of request, but Aleksandar Vučić's government in Serbia has not extradited the fugitive, despite the fact that there is a final judgment from the Higher Court in Podgorica, as well as an Interpol arrest warrant.

Marović's sentence will expire on October 10th, after which he could return to Montenegro as a free man.

For the past year and a half, after nine years, Marović's former party - DPS - has been in power in Budva again.