Do Milatović have reduced powers compared to Đukanović: Law before the Constitutional Court

After May 20, when the newly elected President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović takes the oath, he will also have reduced presidential powers due to the fact that the parliamentary majority adopted changes to the Law on the President, which are before the Constitutional Court.

His powers may be further reduced if the majority in the meantime, as announced, also adopts changes to the Law on the Central Bank, with the aim of removing the current governor, Radoj Žugić.

Although the presidential candidates, including the newly banned president Jakov Milatović, made numerous promises during the campaign, many consider the presidential function to be a protocol one.

Additionally, when Milatović takes over from the outgoing head of state Milo Đukanović at the end of May, he will be greeted with reduced powers, compared to those prescribed by the Constitution.

This is due to the amendments to the Law on the President, which was adopted by the parliamentary majority at the end of last year, so now it is not only the president who determines the mandate for the composition of the Government, but also the Assembly if the president does not do so.

That's how Miodrag Lekić got a mandate to form the Government, and all of that is now before the Constitutional Court.

In addition to the possibility of returning the adopted laws to the Assembly for re-decision and the calling of parliamentary elections, the president of the state also has powers regarding some personal decisions.

"Regarding the ambassador, the recall and appointment of the ambassador, the nomination of two judges of the Constitutional Court, which will be very important in the mandate of the future president Milatović, the nomination of the ombudsman," said lawyer and jurist Siniša Gazivoda.

However, the parliamentary majority, which supported Milatović in the elections, limited the powers of the president in the matter of appointing ambassadors, so now the head of state must appoint an ambassador proposed by the Government and supported by the parliamentary committee, although this is not prescribed by the Constitution.

They did all this to reduce the power of Đukanović, which is given to him by the Constitution, but now Milatović's power could be reduced in this way, unless the Constitutional Court overturns the controversial Law on the President.

In addition to this, the parliamentary majority intends to abolish the right of the president to nominate the governor of the Central Bank. That proposal to amend the Law on the Central Bank, which previously originated from the Democratic Front (DF), was supported yesterday by the Parliamentary Committee for the Economy. If the law is adopted, the governor will be proposed to the Assembly in the future, instead of the president, by the Economy Committee.

"Probably some of our political dissidents thought that a new president of Montenegro would be elected. If we were to withdraw this law, that is now in principle our president and we should allow it. If we are a democratic society and democratic practice shows this, then We will of course adhere to this and elect a governor in the interest of the state and in the interest of everyone," said Dejan Đurović (DF), president of the Committee for the Economy of the Parliament of Montenegro.

The arrival of Milatović as head of state should mark the end of the crisis in the relationship between the president on the one hand and the Government and the Assembly on the other.

Although the importance of cohabitation was often pointed out, the cases of appointing ambassadors showed that it has not worked in practice so far.

However, MANS director Vanja Ćalović Marković believes that it will depend on the outcome of the parliamentary elections.

"I think a lot of challenges await him, because I'm sure that many political structures that reluctantly supported him in the second round, because they simply had no excuse, could not explain to their voters to do anything else," she said.

In the meantime, the Constitutional Court may consider the constitutionality of the contested amendments to the President's Law by May 20.

Today, the Alternative Institute called him to the urgency of the decision.