Ambassador of Montenegro to China and Indonesia and former leader of Positive Montenegro Darko Pajović is proud that in January 2016, his party voted in favor of the Democratic Party of Socialists and helped the DPS with Milo Đukanović at the head retain power. He said this to "Vijesta", answering questions about whether as an ambassador he is breaking the law by being listed in state registers as an authorized person representing Pozitivna.
"I am very proud of the vote and the decision that Positive Montenegro made in the Assembly on January 27.01.2016, XNUMX. And I will always be, wherever I am and whatever I do in life," he told "Vijesta".
Pajović resigned as president of Pozitivna three years ago. It was not known to the public that he officially left the party, and in the register of political parties he is listed as an authorized person for its representation. According to the Law on Foreign Affairs, a diplomat cannot be a member of a body of a political party.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told "Vijesti" that Pajović assumed the position of ambassador to China on June 15, 2018, and that in October 2016 he resigned "to party functions." They did not comment on the fact that he is an ambassador and authorized person of a political party.
Pajović is one of the founders of Pozitivna and former president of the party. After his party failed to achieve parliamentary status in the elections three years ago, he resigned from that position. Then he said that until the "regular congress" the function of the party's key man will be performed by his deputy Azra Jasavić. The Pozitivna Congress was never held, and Jasavić and Pajović did not officially leave the party membership.
Only yesterday, Pajović told the "News" that in addition to his resignation from the position of party leader, the Main Committee of the party at its session on October 21, 2016 noted his resignation "from all party positions."
The current ambassador of Montenegro to China and Indonesia is also the authorized person to represent Pozitivna, the Ministry of Public Administration (MJU) told "News" when asked about the register and active political parties. According to data from the website of the Tax Administration, Pajović also signed the party's financial reports in March.
According to the data from the register of parties, the authorized persons in other political entities are mostly the leader or high officials of the party.
When asked why he continues to act as the responsible person of the party, he said that "the competent ministry refused the request to register new facts, (another person representing the party) until the party congress".
He also said that the question of why the party congress was not held in the meantime, and whether the shutdown of Pozitivna was considered... he said that these were not questions for him.
Although the party, whose founder is formally presented as opposition, Pajović, together with his party colleagues Azra Jasavić and Goran Tuponja, enabled the DPS to vote confidence in the government of Milo Đukanović on January 27, 2016. Pajović then justified that move by requesting the formation of a transitional government , in which Đukanović publicly invited the opposition, as well as by maintaining stability in anticipation of Montenegro's accession to NATO.
MPs from Pozitivna provided a majority for Đukanović, despite calls from the opposition and the SDP to overthrow the Government first, and then negotiate with the DPS on equal grounds to form a new government. The negotiations on behalf of the DPS were led by the deputy president of the party, current Prime Minister Duško Marković with the then Vice President of Pozitivna Azra Jasavić. Five months after that, by the votes of the deputies of DPS, SD and minority parties, Pajović was elected as the new president of the Assembly instead of the then first man of the SDP, Ranko Krivokapić. Pajović held that position from June to November 2016.
Positive Montenegro supported the coalition "For the benefit of the citizens of Podgorica - Winning coalition Milo Đukanović" in the local elections in Podgorica in May last year. The media then announced that there was no representative of Pozitivna on the list of candidates for councilors, that it had been agreed that that party would support the DPS coalition, and that after the election, there would be discussions about its participation in the government.
After assuming the post of ambassador to China on June 15, 2018, in March of this year, Pajović was also appointed ambassador to Indonesia, on a non-resident basis, by decree of President Đukanović.
After his resignation, Azra Jasavić, who was recently nominated by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) to be the protector of human rights and freedoms, was appointed as social worker in Pozitivna. As she never officially resigned from her position in Pozitivna, the former deputy of that party in the Assembly, according to the Ombudsman Act, would have to be disqualified as a future protector. In a short reply to "Vijesti" the other day, she claimed that she was not an official and that she was no longer a member of Pozitivna, but she did not deny the writing of "Vijesti" nor the allegations of the Institute of Alternatives that three months ago, in July, she "carried out public activities in the name of Pozitivna ".
DPS liked him as an ambassador
The Committee for International Relations and Emigrants unanimously supported Pajović's candidacy for ambassador at its session on May 7 last year. The session, which was closed to the public, was chaired by Andrija Nikolić (DPS), the president of the Board. The session was also attended by members Nada Drobnjak, Halil Duković, Luiđ Škrelja and Dragutin Papović - all from DPS.
Instead of Miloš Nikolić (DPS) and Ervin Ibrahimović (Bosniak Party), MP Sanja Pavićević (DPS) and MP Adrijan Vuksanović (Croatian Civic Initiative) were present at the session. In support of Pajović, the members of the Board stated, as stated in the minutes, that he "showed the greatest degree of responsibility towards national interests, making a significant contribution to preserving the stability of Montenegro and its Euro-Atlantic orientation".
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