Serbian National Council: Monstat to provide census registers in Cyrillic

The Serbian National Council (SNS) asked Monstat to take into account the constitutional guarantee of the equality of the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets and to provide census forms in the Cyrillic alphabet in the preparation of the population census, which should be held from November 1 to 15.

The President of the Council, Momčilo Vuksanović, in a letter addressed to the management of Monstat, said that census forms must be provided in the Cyrillic script so that every citizen of Montenegro has the opportunity to exercise their legitimate and constitutional rights.

Vuksanović reminded that, based on the recommendation of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms and in accordance with the Constitution of Montenegro, all state institutions, within their competences, are obliged to normatively regulate and specify the Constitutional guarantee on the equality of the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets.

He said that SNS, as an umbrella organization of the Serbian people, registered with the Government of Montenegro, legitimately and in accordance with positive legislation represents the identity issues and rights of the relatively majority Serbian people.

"Therefore, I would consider not respecting this request as obvious discrimination, and the future Population Census as invalid and unconstitutional," added Vuksanović.

According to him, SNS would also initiate criminal proceedings against the responsible persons due to non-compliance with the norms guaranteed by the Constitution and the recommendations of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms.

"Because of the obvious discrimination and endangerment of the identity rights of the Serbian people in Montenegro," Vuksanović specified.