The ruling coalition MPs' decision to deny a quorum for holding a session of the Committee for European Integration, which was supposed to declare the opposition's request for a control hearing of Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević and Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanovic, is a first-rate scandal.
This was assessed by the chairman of that committee and deputy of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Ivan Vuković at the parliamentary session today. Even the deputies of the Bosniak Party (BS) did not come to the board session.
Vuković reminded that five opposition members of the board requested a control hearing on the topic "Deviation of representatives of the authorities from the official foreign policy of Montenegro and the consequences that this has on the EU integration process". The idea, he says, was to check with the representatives of the government whether "what the government representatives are doing at different levels is aligned with the foreign policy interests of Montenegro".
"For the first time, as far as I know, it happened that the representatives of the ruling majority boycotted the work of a committee, that they denied the quorum for the work of the committee, so that nothing more would be heard about what we were running for as a topic," he stated.
To the remark of the head of the Assembly and the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), Andrije Mandić, that this had already happened, Vuković responded by saying that the right of the opposition was suspended today, i.e. of the Parliament to perform a control function in relation to the Government.
"I think this is a first-rate scandal," he added.
Vuković stated that one of the reasons for the hearing was the recent statement of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, who, after Minister Gorčević's message that Montenegro will support Kosovo's entry into the Council of Europe, said that she was "all nervous".
"If you think that such statements should go without comment and if you do not find it appropriate to stand up for the minister, but for your members not to come (to the session) today - then everything is fine and then I accept those principles. That committee is today set a new standard and I am a bit ashamed of the relationship of our colleagues. There is an obvious difference in the ranks of the ruling coalition in relation to the foreign policy priorities of Montenegro," said the DPS representative.
Vukićević: I have no intention of explaining my move to DPS at the board meeting
Member of Parliament of the Democratic People's Party (DNP), Maja Vukićević, who was attacked on social networks because, as the head of the Montenegrin delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly (PS) of SE, she voted against the admission of Kosovo to the PSSE, said that she has no intention of explaining to the DPS at the committee your move.
"And especially to discuss European integration with a man (Vuković) who abused his position and from the position of mayor begged (former President of the Supreme Court) Vesna Medenica to detain people with whom he had a dispute over certain property. Such a man cannot speak to me about European integrations, to object to me regarding any vote. The Political Committee of the SE and the Assembly of the SE do not make a decision on the admission or exclusion of any country. That is decided by the ministers. The MPs vote according to their conviction. I consider it unnecessary for anyone from the Government to comment on my vote. I have nothing against organizing a hearing, but my colleagues have assessed that this should not happen, because the function of a deputy should not be degraded either," she said.
Vuković responded by saying that she has a legitimate right to vote as she wants and that no one disputed her right, but that the subject of public interest is that the DNP is part of the ruling coalition that was formed on the basis of an agreement in which it is written that the Government will respect Montenegro's international obligations Above.
"I will not stoop to this level, I appreciate you very much as a member of parliament, there is nothing personal about it, but do not abuse something that is an objective problem - you are part of the coalition that supports the Government in implementing the official policy of Montenegro on the foreign policy front. Montenegro recognized Kosovo in 2008. If that bothers you, start an initiative to revise that decision," he said.
Vukićević replied that nowhere in the agreement does it say that she should vote for the admission of any country to any international organization.
"I will not descend to the level of Mr. Vuković, because he is one of the inspirers of what happened on social networks. He tagged some people from Kosovo, who later spread it further, and it started a chain reaction. But those threats did not bother me so far," she claims.
Novaković Đurović: Even if we get IBAR in June, we will not enter the EU if we abandon our foreign policy course
Member of Parliament of the Civic Movement (GP) URA, Ana Novaković Đurović, said that the topic of the hearing initiative was not the Vukićević vote, but the deviation of the Government's policy from the EU's foreign policy. He said that the opposition has the right to hear whether there is an agreement in the parliamentary majority and the government about the foreign policy course of Montenegro.
"Even if we receive the IBAR (Report on the Fulfillment of Interim Benchmarks) in June, we will not enter the EU if we abandon the foreign policy course," she underlined.
Mandić: The opposition cannot call ministers to a hearing for something done by MPs
The head of the parliament, Mandic, announced that the opposition cannot call ministers to a hearing for something done by the MPs. What the MPs did was their decision, he says.
"As for the coalition agreement, that should be the least of the opposition's concerns. Leave it to us from the (ruling) majority to agree on the coalition agreement. I see that some are burning themselves to enter the parliamentary majority..." he said.
Kordić: Today's opposition initiative is problematic
His colleague from NSD, Simonida Kordić, said that the second session of the committee is scheduled for tomorrow, where Minister Gorčević will be heard, and therefore there is room to ask her any question. He claims that today's opposition initiative is problematic, that it goes beyond the committee's jurisdiction, and that it has elements of unconstitutionality.
"Minister Ivanović, for whom we are not the relevant committee, was invited to the session. They say that it was not the intention to control the work of the deputies. On the contrary, not only was it, but it is written so in the invitation and explanation. Minister Gorčević was explicit on the topic (Kosovo ), so I don't see the need to examine the position of the Government and the Minister... The Committee started to go beyond its control procedure in relation to the Government, but instead sets itself up as a body that controls the Parliament and deputies, suggesting that it should be done by the Government The reason for all this is what the DPS has been doing for a long time. Government reconstruction is the main moment of political panic, because when it happens - the political picture of Montenegro changes completely. The DPS, whose coalition capacity has been greatly reduced, at that moment would become non-existent," she assessed.
Vuković replied that the idea of the opposition was to give the ministers a chance to say what they think about the statement of the Russian ambassador (Vladislav Maslenikova - that the expansion of the EU into the Balkans would mean drawing countries in the region into a confrontation with Russia).
"The government kept quiet about that. A note of protest from Sarajevo also arrived. And what is happening with Kosovo... All this is burdening Montenegro," he added.
Subotic: I didn't appear on the board as a deputy because I didn't want to
Movement MP Jovan Subotic (PES) said that he did not appear at the committee as a deputy - because he did not want to.
"Tomorrow we will have the hearing of Minister Gorčević and it will be the sixth session of the committee. In advance and according to an urgent procedure, schedule the sixth session before the seventh, and that with topics like these that we tried to avoid, which is putting daily politics in the framework of the work of the committee... ", he said.
He added that commenting on the ambassador's statements from a few weeks ago is not the subject of the committee. He states that they have heard from all international partners at meetings in the last two, three months that this is "the right convocation of the parliament, that they are on the right track, that IBAR is certain, that financial assistance is certain".
"This is just one misunderstanding in the work of the Committee and we will get back on the right side tomorrow," he said.
BS leader and MP Ervin Ibrahimović said that the party operates autonomously and that it does not need "neither tutors nor mentors".
"When you understand that, you will have a reliable partner... Besides PES, only BS has achieved outstanding results. The citizens told us that we are running the right policy. Stop worrying about what we are doing. When BS works, it is good for Montenegro. BS is made a key contribution to Montenegro becoming a full member of NATO. Our goal is also full membership in the EU, and we will not be part of the behind-the-scenes actions of anyone who intends to stop the European path," he said.
Mugoša: Let's not collapse the control function of the parliament
Boris Mugoša, head of the parliamentary club of the Social Democrats (SD), said that he is an opponent of the thesis that someone made a "key contribution" to something.
"We all made an equal contribution because we were partners in the process - both when Montenegrin independence was restored and when we joined NATO. You didn't vote for my interest, but yours, because this is both your country and mine. That is, you too and I voted for our interest," he stated.
Mugoša said that it did not happen that the ruling majority boycotted the committee sessions where decisions on control hearings were to be made at the request of the opposition.
"If you look at the request for a control hearing, five MPs clearly referred to Article 75 paragraph 7 of the Rules of Procedure, which is a control hearing twice during the regular session. This is another violation of the Rules of Procedure, because we are once again collapsing the control function of the Assembly, which occupies a significant part of the report of the European Commission. Now you are collapsing it in another way - the first is when you come to the session and do not vote for the initiative of five members, and now you have invented another model to not come at all. That is a classic collapsing... Let's not collapse the control function of the parliament. It is not the essence is that you choose the topics of the opposition, but the Rules of Procedure gave the opposition a right that you must accept," he underlined.
Bojović: Vuković grossly abused the position of chairman of the board
Vladislav Bojović (DNP) said that the Assembly should determine itself according to the fact that Vuković "grossly abused the position of the chairman of the board" by holding a meeting even though there was no quorum.
"We have to react to this kind of desperate political provocation and the latest slip-up by (Prime Minister) Milojko Spajić... Someone who, with his message, which was published in the media, begged Vesna Medenica from the position of mayor of Podgorica to keep certain people in custody and called them ' to slimy Neanderthals' is one of the factors that we haven't got IBAR yet... Milojko Spajić won't like you, you're running into him, but it's obvious that Spajić understands that by entering the government, you would protect those who are the bearers of organized crime and corruption and prevent further struggle and meeting the criteria in chapters 23 and 24," said Bojović.
Vuković reacted on the spot, warning Mandić to take action. Mandić asked him if that wasn't a message that the entire Montenegrin public had read. Vuković said that "five of them sat there today" and he could not determine what the Public Service would broadcast.
"You are problematizing the fact that the Committee tried to work on a very important topic. When the Russian ambassador tells you that you are entering into a confrontation with his country, and it is not just any country, but a nuclear power that is currently aggressing against another independent country, I guess it is normal for someone from the Government to speak out in relation to that... It's not a daily policy, there was more to it," Vuković said.
He added that at every meeting of the Committee until now, they spoke affirmatively about what the Government is doing in the process of EU integration.
"Until today, we have functioned at a level above daily politics, this today is a shame," he said.
Miloš Pižurica (PES) reproached Vuković for not condemning hate speech against MP Maja Vukićević and minister Maida Gorčević.
Nikolić: A new type of destruction and making it impossible for the opposition to exercise a controlling role in the parliament
Andrija Nikolić (DPS) said that the boycott of the committee session is "a new form of destruction and the impossibility of the opposition to exercise a controlling role in the parliament".
"I know that the destruction was arranged by you, with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić. You are the coordinator of the parliamentary majority, you stopped that majority from appearing at the committee today, and things are clear," said Nikolić, addressing Mandić.
The MP of DPS said that they have justified reasons that those who do not respect the foreign policy orientation of Montenegro will enter the government.
"The fact that you are deviating from the strategic guidelines of foreign policy is not a surprise to us, we have no problem with that, but these forces will move into the Government of Montenegro under the slogan of European politics. So, no surprises for us, Mr. Mandić went on a hunger strike for the recognition of Kosovo's independence, and today he remains silent when the Minister of European Affairs tells him that she will support Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe. It's clear why you don't like it being discussed at the European Integration Committee," said Nikolić.
Mandić told the DPS MPs not to attack Spajić, but him.
"Because you are destroying the policy of getting closer to Spajić that you have been leading for a year. Now when you start attacking it, it deals damage to you. These are well-intentioned advice - don't attack Spajić, attack me," said Mandić.
He added that the opposition has not appeared at the sessions of the Committee for Human Rights for two years, and now it once happened that the majority did not come to the committee chaired by them and they made "noise and shouting".
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