The Royal Capital of Cetinje announced today that it has reacted to the proposed amendments to the Law on State Property, i.e. the amendment incorporated into that act by the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) with the consent of the Government of Montenegro, and refers to changes in the status of cemeteries, by changing their current property and legal regime and enabling private ownership of graves.
"The behind-the-scenes actions of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) did not surprise us, but they are certainly a red alert for everyone in Montenegro, and primarily for the Government of Montenegro to withdraw this proposal from the agenda, because the consequences of such changes to the Law on State Property would be catastrophic for the state. The Royal Capital of Cetinje is well aware of such and similar attempts by the Serbian Orthodox Church to appropriate even the little state property that remains to us. If other local governments and state authorities had protected state property as the Royal Capital of Cetinje does, we would not be in a situation today where we have to defend the graves of our ancestors from the foolish ideas of Mandić's deputies," the statement states.
The Royal Capital of Cetinje added that the Royal Capital's Property Directorate pointed out the dangerous intentions of the Serbian Orthodox Church and took concrete steps.
"We have initiated a large number of administrative procedures to register village cemeteries owned by Montenegrin saints as state property in accordance with the Law on State Property, with the right of disposal of the Royal Capital of Cetinje. We have also initiated a lawsuit against the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (SPC), requesting that the village cemeteries in Građani in the Rijeka District, which were unfoundedly registered with the MCP, be returned to state ownership, or the disposal of the municipality, and that they cannot be the subject of private property, or church organizations," the Royal Capital said.
They emphasize that they have also challenged the latest attempt by the Serbian Orthodox Church to transfer the churches and cemeteries in the village of Cuci to the Metropolitanate of the Montenegrin Littoral (SPC) and that they will not give up either these Cuci or any graves and churches on the territory of the Royal Capital of Cetinje.
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