Actor Moamer Kasumović made the decision to renounce the award on January 3rd.
Earlier, at a session of the Bijelo Polje Municipal Assembly (MA), Democratic Montenegro councilor Marko Đukić requested that Kasumović's award be revoked due to his conviction for the criminal offense of "pedophilia".
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The award has not been revoked in the meantime, although the Municipal Assembly adopted conclusions on the revocation of awards to persons who have been convicted by a final verdict.
Two years after receiving the highest municipal award in 2017, Kasumović committed lewd acts against a fifteen-year-old boy in Sarajevo.
Because of all this, the Democratic Councilors' Club announced a boycott of participation in the January Third Award selection at the last session of the Municipal Assembly.
The Assembly previously, when revoking the "Risto Ratković" award from Radovan Karadžić, issued a resolution instructing the councils of all Bijelo Polje public institutions to review the awards awarded so far and inform the Assembly if it is determined that any of the winners has been convicted by a final verdict of war crimes or other acts that make them unworthy of the award.
In a statement delivered to representatives of the Bijelo Polje Municipal Council, Kasumović stated that he considers it important that the reasons for his decision be communicated clearly and with dignity, with full respect for the institution of the award and everyone who participated in its nomination and award.
"Dear members of the Bijelo Polje Municipal Assembly,
I would like to inform you that I am declining the January 3rd award from the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, for which I was nominated and selected.
I am making this decision solely because I do not want the recognition that should affirm true social and cultural values to be brought into the context of political bickering, division, or any kind of instrumentalization.
At the same time, I want to clearly emphasize that this act in no way diminishes my gratitude, nor the sense of honor that I had - and still have - for the fact that my work was recognized and nominated for one of the most significant municipal awards.
"I am convinced that this decision, under the given circumstances, is the best way to preserve the dignity of the award itself and avoid further, unnecessary controversy," Kasumović said in a statement.
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