The Minister of Science, Education, Culture and Sports, Vesna Bratić, did not come to today's session of the Parliament of Montenegro, where the topic of interpellation for the review of the Government's policy in the field of education is.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) submitted an interpellation to the President of the Assembly, Aleksa Bečić, for a review of the Government's policy in the field of education.
"Can you inform us why Bratić is not present," asked SDP MP Raško Konjević.
The Vice-President of the Assembly Strahinja Bulajić pointed out that they received a letter informing them that Bratić could not be present and that she had authorized it to be State Secretary Damjan Ćulafić.
He clarified that this is in accordance with the rules of procedure, i.e. that Bratić is not obliged to attend.
Konjević pointed out that the session was scheduled more than twenty days ago, so it was possible to plan the time.
Deputy of the Socialist People's Party Vladimir Joković pointed out that he thinks that when it comes to such things, those who are concerned should come and look them in the eye.
"Just as Minister Stijović could be, if I were a minister, I would come, even if it cost me my position."
The SDP proposed that the Minister of Science, Education, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić, as the person most responsible for the current state of education, be replaced as soon as possible.
SDP MP Draginja Vuksanović pointed out that they want Bratić to be present in the hall and that they want to be told since when Ćulafić has been in office.
Her colleague Damir Šehović said that his information indicates that Ćulafić is a professional, but it is not correct that he, who took office a little more than a month ago, is answering the questions of deputies.
Bulajić pointed out that at the collegium, which was held during the break of the Assembly, and when it was learned that Bratić would not come to the session, it was agreed to continue the session.
However, there is a break again, because DPS deputy Andrija Nikolić requested it so that he and his colleagues could agree on what to do next.
"Minister to respect MPs"
SDP MP Vuksanović Stanković said that the opposition MPs, 40 of them, requested that the request to Minister Bratić be re-sent to respect the MPs.
"According to her answer, we will further decide on this point of the agenda", Vuksanović Stanković said.
She pointed out that she respects Secretary Ćulafić, but that she believes that, given her previous experience and the fact that she has been in the MPNKS for about twenty days, she cannot answer the questions that the deputies have prepared.
Democrat MP Danilo Šaranaović pointed out that the representative of the Government may or may not come.
"We agreed on one thing during the break, it's a different story when the cameras turn on. We agreed on two hours for this point, we spent the hour, and the Rules of Procedure are clear," he said.
MP Nimanbegu said that if Minister Bratić does not come to the Assembly tomorrow, he will consider it as the Government's response to the opposition's initiatives.
Chairman Strahinja Bulajić pointed out that he is "being asked to violate the rules of procedure".
Nimanbegu replied that "in the previous parliamentary convocation, the sessions were stopped until the minister came".
Vuksanović Stanković says that "she who escaped from the battlefield (Bratić) can escape until her immunity is lifted".
"When the immunity is removed, she will be responsible for everything she did to education, science, culture and sports".
"How long are we going to tolerate the scumbags from the Government making fun of us", asked the SDP MP.
Vuksanović Stanković said that if the opposition accepts that the opening statements regarding the questioning of Minister Bratić be heard, this excludes the request for the minister to come and face the deputies.
Bulajić said that it is obvious that there is no further work related to that agenda item tonight.
MP Andrija Nikolić pointed out that due to the importance of the topic and the citizens, the opposition asked the parliament to invite the minister to come to the parliament tomorrow.
"Even the representative of the authorities, Mr. Joković pointed out that it is very important that we hear from the minister about the work of the department," said Nikolić.
"Previously she took on responsibilities, so she authorized me"
State Secretary Ćulafić said that it is not a matter of the minister not wanting to come to the assembly, but that she "assumed obligations earlier, so she authorized me".
Vuksanović said that they insist on knowing what the previously undertaken obligations are.
The members of the opposition left the hall.
"Given that the request of 40 members of the opposition was not respected, we will no longer participate in this, and you continue," said Stanković Vuksanović, whose party proposed the interpellation of Bratić.
Ćulafić: Personnel appointed based on results and competencies
After the session continued, Ćulafić pointed out that it was incorrect that the minister made appointments based on party affiliation.
He said that personnel were appointed based on results and competencies. She is respected for her political revanchism because she dismissed hundreds of directors of institutions.
"It is not true that everyone was dismissed, but those who did not have good results. This does not speak about the minister, but about the negligent work of the former directors," Ćulafić pointed out.
The fact that even today there are directors who have not been replaced who worked conscientiously, so, claims Ćulafić, it is not about political revanchism.
He emphasized that the Ministry is always in favor of reviewing its steps and correcting if something was not done properly.
Dejan Đurović from DF said that the desolation left by the former government had the greatest impact on education.
"Everything was more important than the education of our children. That is why the engagement of the new Ministry is to raise the level of education," he said.
He believes that the Ministry has begun the recovery of the socio-economic position of educators.
"I will not agree that it is enough and they cannot be allowed to do physical work for someone else on weekends." We have to restore their reputation", stressed Đurović.
He also pointed out that "Montenegro was the only country where students remained silent for 30 years, but so did their professors."
Milosava Paunović from the Socialist People's Party (SNP) believes that when the topic is so important, it was the "basic order" that Minister Bratić should be with them in the Assembly today and "finally discuss some things that we think were or were not right in the work of her ministry during this time"
"When the minister came to that position, as a party and citizens, we were satisfied. However, after the end of the deadline for enrollment in primary and secondary schools, that started to change. I wanted to express my opinion when the problem started, but from some collegial feeling towards her and respect, also at the persuasion of my party president, because the SNP was the one that protected this lady from the beginning of her work until today, which was not reciprocated in the same way," said Paunović.
She said that she will talk about the specific problem of the place she comes from - the Secondary Medical School "Dr Branko Zogović" in Berane and the Vocational Secondary School "Vukadin Vukadinović".
As she said, several professors from those schools tried to "reach" the minister, to talk with her and to present perennial problems.
Democrat MP Vladimir Martinović said that they "begged and begged" the current opposition for thirty years not to destroy the state, and that Bulajić did the right thing when he insisted that the rules of procedure be respected and the session be held.
He said that "those who left the session cannot help anyone, and we have seen how they helped for 30 years".
"I know for sure that Mr. Ćulafić is a professional and that he could answer all the questions that were put to him. I'm sorry that the citizens had to be present at these scenes, but it is a reflection of their nervousness," Martinović pointed out.
The MPs ended the debate on the interpellation for Bratić, without the opposition's final words, because they left the hall, and the session continues on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
Vice President Bulajić said that the agenda will include an interview for Foreign Affairs Minister Đorđe Radulović, who announced that he will be present at the session.
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