LOCAL PRESS

Serbian parliament approves constitutional amendments (Tanjug/RTS)

At a special parliamentary session, Serbian MPs on Wednesday approved constitutional amendments related to the judiciary. They approved the Act on Amendments to the Serbian Constitution and the Constitutional Law on Implementing the Act on Amendments to the Serbian Constitution. Under the amendments, judges and prosecutors will no longer be elected by parliament but by the High Judiciary Council and High Council of Prosecutors. They include the renaming of the High Court of Cassation into the Supreme Court. The session was also attended by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and members of her cabinet, foreign diplomats and judicial officials. “I want to thank once again all those who participated in the huge work of constitutional changes. Serbia has made a big step forward in the area of the rule of law and it is in the deep interest of Serbia and its citizens. I thank the citizens who voted in favor of amendments,” Serbian parliament speaker Ivivca Dacic said. “It will remain as a testament to this convocation of the parliament, that the amendments are a rare example of the authorities giving up part of their powers, especially when it comes to personnel issues, so the value is all the greater,” said Dacic.

EU: Serbia free to sign agreement with China, but needs to cancel it upon entry into EU (Beta)

Serbia is free to enter into trade agreements with other states or organizations before it joins the EU, “provided they weren’t violating the EU-Serbia Stabilization and Association Agreement,” a spokesperson for the European Commission Peter Stano said for Beta on Wednesday. In a comment on reports that Serbia was planning to sign a trade agreement with China, Stano said that “as part of EU accession negotiations, Serbia has the obligation to withdraw from all free-trade bilateral agreements the day it joins the Union.” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that a trade agreement with China should be signed by the end of the year, and expected it to boost trade between the two states and attract foreign investors to Serbia. The Commission’s spokesman recalled that “the European Union is Serbia’s most important trade and investment partner.” According to Stano, “trade with the Union accounted for 61 percent of Serbia’s total trade in 2020, with favorable growth dynamics, while trade with China made up eight percent of the total foreign trade output”.

Stefanovic meets with Russian Ambassador (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Wednesday met with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko to discuss bilateral defense cooperation. Stefanovic thanked the Russian Federation for its continued support for maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, an official statement said. Stefanovic and Botsan-Kharchenko agreed that defense cooperation between the two countries was extremely developed, and the ambassador said the meeting was another opportunity to discuss possibilities to advance it in fields of mutual interest.

Serbian Patriarch says Kosovo dialogue is duty and mission (N1/Politika)

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said on Wednesday that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is viewed by the church as a duty and mission. “We see the dialogue as an evangelical duty and mission because, as Christians, we see every man as a brother, as kindred, and we are always prepared for a dialogue,” the Patriarch told British envoy for the Western Balkans Sir Stuart Peach. A press release said that they discussed the situation in Serbia and the region and expressed support for a dialogue between churches and religious communities as well as between political and social structures. Patriarch Porfirije met with the British envoy a day after Sir Stuart’s meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

Peach: Britain supports Belgrade-Pristina dialogue with EU mediation (RTV/Tanjug)

UK Special Envoy for Western Balkans Stuart Peach stated on Wednesday night, at the end of his visit to Belgrade, that in talks with leaders in Serbia, he emphasized Britain’s support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina with EU mediation. In a video posted on the Twitter account of the British Embassy in Belgrade, Peach said that regional stability was also discussed and that he shared his impressions with his interlocutors in Belgrade after visiting the region, including B&H, stressing the “danger of words and deeds that cause divisions among communities”. He assessed that Serbia and the Western Balkans have a lot of potential and that Great Britain, in cooperation with the broader international community, wants to help build sustainable stability and prosperity, which is necessary and which citizens deserve as esteemed and important members of the wider European family. Peach said that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked him to take office, to work on deepening bilateral relations between Britain and the Western Balkans, and on strengthening political and economic cooperation. “My appointment is a sign of our commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous future for this important region. I came here to listen and learn,” Peach said. According to him, the talks in Belgrade focused on Serbia’s progress in modernization and reform programs, programs that Great Britain supports through the Fund for Good Governance and with the help of the British Council. He added that during the visit, he learned more about bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and the fight against organized crime, as well as that he had the opportunity to discuss how Great Britain can help Serbia’s key transition towards a green economy. “In the run-up to the upcoming elections in Serbia, we discussed the importance of healthy democratic processes and institutions, a diverse, independent media scene, good governance and the rule of law,” Peach said. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” Peach said in Serbian at the end of the video message.

ZSO must not be deprived of content (Politika, op-ed by Russian Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko)

“We highly appreciate that in Belgrade they share our vision of key international topics. We will continue to cultivate friendship and trust between Russia and Serbia, perfecting all dimensions of the bilateral strategic partnership, whose vector is determined by rhythmic dialogue at the highest level. We will continue close cooperation regarding Kosovo in order to ensure the legitimate interests of Belgrade guaranteed in UN Security Council Resolution 1244. On that basis, without favoring the Kosovo Albanians, negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina should be built, with the EU mediation. Pristina should implement all previous agreements, primarily on the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and stop trying to deprive that model, which ensures the rights of Serbia, of its content. We are convinced that the normalization of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be done within the internal dialogue strictly on the basis of the 1995 Dayton Agreement; the protectorate’s presence, inappropriately in the current circumstances, the Office of the High Representative in B&H, should be closed. In our opinion, this approach fully corresponds to the interests of our countries and peoples, as well as to the tasks of strengthening security and stability in the Balkans and throughout Europe,” Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko said, among other things, in the op-ed  on the occasion of the Diplomatic Worker’s Day that is marked in Russia on 10 February.

US Ambassador releases memory video before leaving Serbia (N1)

US Ambassador Anthony Godfrey said on Wednesday that “representing the United States in Serbia was the greatest honor of his life”. The Ambassador included a video in his Twitter post saying that he wanted to share the memories of his time in Serbia at the end of his term in office.

The YouTube video included photographs of Godfrey’s activities across Serbia. Godfrey will be replaced by Christopher Hill as Ambassador to Serbia.

Diplomacy privatized for destroying of RS (Novosti, by S.Masljenovic) 

The foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) “resembles more and more of a private endeavor of Bakir Izetbegovic and his party (SDA), which is jeopardizing interests of both Serb and Croat people in a very perfidious way”. Novosti reminded that Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Bisera Turkovic met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg while member of the Presidency of B&H Zeljko Komsic announced he would pay a visit to Kosovo, in spite of the fact the Presidency of B&H did not approve the visit. Novosti’s collocutors argued that the goals of these visits are both to marginalize the other two people in B&H and also to divert attention away from refusal to launch a political dialogue in B&H on a new legislative solution on abuse of the term ‘genocide’, which was proposed by Banja Luka. Collocutors of the daily also claimed that “Komsic simply must do everything SDA orders him to do, because he intends to run for the Croat member of the Presidency of B&H again and he will surely not get the new mandate without support of Izetbegovic’s SDA.” The daily went on to say that analysts claimed Turkovic’s behavior came as no surprise because “she is the wartime personnel of Alija and she already became known as a loudspeaker of Izetbegovic family. Ever since she assumed the ministerial post, she has been using her every appearance at the international scene to reprimand the Republika Srpska (RS) and Serbs and label them as the main culprits for the new crisis”. Political analyst Srdjan Perisic said that there is no foreign policy of B&H because it is the foreign policy of SDA and Izetbegovic: “Whenever the West comes down to the RS, Sarajevo’s foreign policy follows it and mobilization of SDA personnel is immediately launched to pay visits worldwide or in region and launch anti-Serb campaigns.”

Momcilo Babic is the new Serbian Ambassador to Russia (Tanjug)

Professor Momcilo Babic has been appointed the new Ambassador of Serbia to the Russian Federation, it has been published in the Official Gazette. The decree on the appointment of Babic to the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia was issued by President Aleksandar Vucic, based on Article 112, paragraph 1, item 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. Babic graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, and received his master’s degree in Moscow on a World Health Organization scholarship. He received his doctorate in Belgrade from the Faculty of Medicine in 1986. He succeeds Miroslav Lazanski, who passed away four months ago, as the ambassador of Serbia in Moscow.

REGIONAL PRESS

RS parliament discusses proposal of law on origin of property (RTRS) 

The RS parliament held a heated discussion on the newly proposed law on the origin of property, which defines the monitoring and control of the origin of property for RS officials. The law was proposed by the SNSD Caucus. The RS opposition criticized the law, saying that it will be applied selectively. The RS parliament majority stressed that the law will be the same for everyone and no one will be protected from it. The law defines that if the origin of money cannot be justified or proven, the person who received it will be forced to pay taxes and the property will be sized from those who cannot prove they obtained property legally. The law defines that people who have increased their property by at least BAM 300,000 in three consecutive years will be monitored. If they cannot prove the origin of their property, they will be forced to pay 75% of taxes. The SNSD Caucus stated that the goal of this is to fight corruption more efficiently. SNSD representatives Srdjan Mazalica said that the prosecution will be involved in any transgressions as well. The opposition reminded that they insisted on the adoption of such a law for years and they are not satisfied with the proposal by SNSD. They criticized the fact that the RS officials and MPs will not be the first one monitored by this new law. PDP representative Jelena Trivic said that such a law cannot be generalized as it treats a special issue. SDS representative Nedeljko Glamocak said that the law is defined in a way that the entire procedure is controlled by the authorities. The ruling majority stated that they did not wish to highlight any groups of the population as prone to corruption, including officials. The amendment that requests the retroactive application of this law was adopted. It was determined that this law will be symbolically applied from 9 January 1992. MP of SNSD Dragan Knezevic said that they hope this law will ensure that justice from the past is served. The opposition and authorities agree that the law on origin of property is necessary. It was determined that the law is in accordance with the law on seizing of illegally obtained property. This law will be enforced one year after it is published in the RS Official Gazette.

RS parliament discusses changes to Law on Republic Administration which stipulates establishment of Agency for Medicines and Medicinal Devices of RS (Oslobodjenje) 

The agenda of the 20th regular session of the RS parliament included the Proposal of the Law on Changes and Addenda to the Law on Republic Administration, which stipulates the formation of a new administrative organization of the RS, i.e. the Agency for Medicines and Medicinal Devices of the RS and it also defines tasks of the Agency. RS Minister of Administration and Local Self-Governance Senka Jujic said that this law stipulates that the Agency is an independent republic administrative organization with the status of a legal subject and added that the proposed law harmonizes the Law on the Administration of the RS with the Law on Medicines and Medicinal Devices of the RS, which foresees establishment of this Agency.

RS PDP representative Jelena Trivic said that it was Serb member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik who participated in the establishment of B&H Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices. Trivic reminded that the consent for the establishment of B&H Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices was signed by Dodik who was then Prime Minister of the RS, then Prime Minister of the Federation of B&H Mustafa Mujezinovic and then Chairperson of B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Nikola Spiric. Trivic stated: “The SNSD voted for each transfer of competencies.” Commenting on the authorities’ statement that the RS Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices is being formed to save lives, Trivic reminded that the mortality rate in the RS during the pandemic was four times higher than in the countries of the region. Trivic also argued that the RS authorities decided to form the Agency after the abuse of industrial oxygen in healthcare system was uncovered and she said that the adoption of these legislative documents has nothing to do with restoring of the RS’ competencies.

RS parliament starts discussion on RS HJPC on Wednesday but they interrupt it and schedule it for Thursday; Dodik: I will personally advocate for law on RS HJPC to be implemented within 90 days after its adoption in March (BHT1) 

The RS parliament is expected to hold a debate on the draft law on the formation of the high judicial and prosecutorial council (HJPC) of the RS, at its session in Banja Luka on Wednesday.

RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic announced on Wednesday that after the procedures in the RS parliament the law will be sent to the public debate that will last for 90 days, while Milorad Dodik said that he will personally advocate for the law to be implemented within 90 days after its adoption in March and the procedure of the formation of the RS HJPC will begin within three months. While representatives of the Coalition ‘Together for B&H’ assessed that this draft law is violation of the Constitution of B&H and the RS opposition led by SDS considers that the RS authorities do not have real intention to form the HJPC of the RS, the ruling majority insists on transfer of competences from the state level to the entity level not only in the field of judiciary, but also in indirect taxes and the Armed Forces (AF). The international organizations – including OSCE, the OHR, Transparency International B&H (TI B&H), and the US Embassy to B&H – warned that the law on medicines as well as the draft law on the HJPC of the RS are not in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA). Bosniak political representatives in the RS have warned that the formation of RS HJPC would lead to a kind of legal parallelism, i.e. dualism in B&H which, according to them, would negatively affect the functioning of the state of B&H. Commenting on calls for the international community to react, Dodik said that (High Representative) Christian Schmidt was not appointed in accordance with the prescribed procedure, adding that he does not pay much attention to calls for his reaction. “We have a right to a high judicial and prosecutorial council because it was taken away from us. We have heard that Schmidt – who is a citizen here – who said that the agreement from before is being broken. But, he forgot to say that it is about the fact that even then the Constitution was violated. No agreement was reached there,” Dodik underlined. RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic commented on negative reactions and said that no one can make a move without being criticized by Sarajevo. Cvijanovic said that if those who are against something are right then they need not defend anything. Cvijanovic pointed out that proposed laws in the RS parliament should be motivation to sit down and discuss reforms in all areas in order for B&H to function like a serious constitutional state. RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic stated that it is the job of others to react but it is their job to work. Viskovic added that the others need to accept a dialogue and not just react, and that they cannot communicate like that through media. Viskovic said that they need to sit down and discuss the future of B&H.

HJPC B&H: Latest activities of RS authorities on adoption of draft law on formation of HJPC RS violate constitutional order of B&H (BHT1) 

HJPC B&H President Halil Lagumdzija stated that whatever the RS parliament decides on this issue can be only an initiative to open a debate in B&H parliament, warning that unilateral transfer of competences from the level of B&H to the level of the RS is impossible. He called on High Representative Christian Schmidt to use his Bonn Powers and abolish the law on the formation of the high judicial and prosecutorial council of the RS in case that the RS  parliament adopts it, explaining that there is no mechanism in B&H to abolish the law until it comes in effect in a year. Lagumdzija said that he warned Schmidt of the dangers that the adoption of such a law represent. Lagumdzija said that adoption of the Law on RS HJPC in RS parliament would mean a collapse of this system and going back 20 years, which would mean the discontinuation of B&H’s European path. According to Lagumdzija, it will be too late once the law enters into force. Lagumdzija stated: “According to our constitutional and legal mechanism, there is no possibility of appealing to the Constitutional Court to a possibly adopted law until the moment when that law enters into legal force, i.e. until it becomes applicable.”

Zvizdic: Prosecutor’s Office of B&H and B&H CC can react to unconstitutional action by RS representatives (O Kanal) 

Member of People and Justice (NiP) Denis Zvizdic, member of Our Party (NS) Predrag Kojovic and member of SDP Sasa Magazinovic spoke about the unconstitutional action by RS representatives during a press conference of opposition parties in the B&H parliament on Wednesday. Magazinovic said that Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik’s law on genocide was proposed in order to be rejected. Kojovic believes that the HJPC was formed at B&H level with the aim that all citizens in B&H are tried according to the same standards and that this is now being brought into question. Zvizdic, Kojovic and Magazinovic stressed that they will form legal teams that will consider a possibility to file a motion with the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H for unconstitutional activities of the RS  and the RS government, due to the current developments and the law on property of the RS and the SNSD’s proposal of the law banning the misuse of the ‘genocide’ term sent in the parliamentary procedure. According to Zvizdic, there is no compromise when it comes to the state property as it remains in B&H’s ownership and the state is the only titular. He stressed that there is certainly a possibility to adopt the law on the state property of B&H in order to make possible for lower levels of authority the management and disposal of the property that will not be used by the state of B&H, noting that all the procedures need to be implemented at the level of B&H only. Zvizdic also said that the expressing of concern will not be enough and it is necessary that the international community shows they are scared of these decisions and they need to act accordingly.

SDA officials criticize RS parliament conclusions (AJB) 

AJB reminds that 15 representatives from the B&H House of Representatives have already filed a motion to the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) with regard to the conclusions by which the RSNA committed itself to transfer the competences from the state to the entity level in the field of indirect taxes and the Armed Forces (AF). SDA’s representative in the B&H HoR Alma Colo specified that in this motion the B&H CC is requested to “pass a temporary measure to prevent the RS parliament and the RS government in their activities, which actually represent an attack on constitutional order, certain legal violence and usurpation of the B&H’s state competences.” Bosniak parties in the Federation of B&H have requested sanctions for such activities of the RS authorities, arguing that they violate the DPA. SDA’s Adil Osmanovic called on High Representatives Christian Schmidt to sanction all obstructers of the DPA after Wednesday’s session of the RS parliament.

RS Representation Office in Brussels: RS respects constitutional organization of B&H (RTRS) 

The RS Representation Office in Brussels issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that the RS is respecting the constitutional organization of B&H and it does not plan to secede. They added that Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik advocates and respects the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA). This statement was issued as an answer to the statement of eight MEPs who reacted to the recent events in B&H. The RS Representation said that this statement is the result of misinformation spread by the Sarajevo authorities and their allies in the diplomatic community.

Sarovic: If Komsic visited Kosovo as Presidency member, it would be diplomatic scandal (Nezavisne) 

The daily carries that the claim that Chairman of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic will visit “self-proclaimed” Kosovo has stirred spirits and he has been told, among other things, that such a move would be a diplomatic scandal. Despite numerous attempts, the daily did not find out from Komsic’s associates whether, when and why he allegedly intends to visit Kosovo, but, according to the daily’s unofficial information, the B&H Presidency did not receive any invitation letter from Pristina. “He can go wherever he wants privately, but if he was received by one of the officials in Pristina, it would be a scandal. What he is planning is unknown at this time. But certainly, as an official, he has no business going to Kosovo, which B&H has not recognized,” sources of the daily said. The daily reminded that a statement was issued by B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik, who believes that his colleague Sefik Dzaferovic‘s attack on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic comes at a time when Dzaferovic knows that Komsic is visiting Kosovo despite the B&H Presidency’s decision. “Komsic is going there as if visiting a state, which is a direct finger in the eye of Serbia, RS and the entire Serb people, and it is not in the spirit of good neighborly relations,” Dodik emphasized. SDS leader Mirko Sarovic reminded that B&H has not recognized Kosovo, and that, as he says, is the biggest fact related to that possible visit of Komsic. “If Zeljko Komsic visited Kosovo as a member of the Presidency, it would mean violating the positions of the B&H Presidency. It would be a diplomatic scandal,” Sarovic told the daily, adding that it is completely unacceptable for a member of the Presidency to work against his country’s views. DNS leader Nenad Nesic stressed that Komsic’s visit to Pristina would be the biggest blow to B&H since Dayton. “If he insists on the integrity and territorial integrity of B&H, then he must respect the integrity and territorial integrity of Serbia… B&H has not and will not recognize the so-called Kosovo, and who cares about respecting B&H, must respect that decision as well,” Nesic underlined. Leader of SBB B&H Fahrudin Radoncic reminded that as the Minister of Security of B&H, he never even thought about going on a private visit, respecting the fact that B&H did not recognize Kosovo. “By deciding to visit Kosovo, Zeljko Komsic, as a member of the B&H Presidency, is not helping anyone. The official policy of one state is binding for each of its officials,” Radoncic stated.

Schmidt welcomes willingness to continue negotiation on improving Election Law (Dnevni avaz) 

The OHR issued a statement, posting it on their official Twitter, which reads that the High Representative Christian Schmidt welcomes the willingness of those involved to continue the negotiations on improving the B&H Election Law. “An amended Election Law must improve the transparency and integrity of elections. The representation of the three constituent peoples along with Others in the institutions of the state and the two entities should be accepted by all. It is the responsibility of those involved in B&H itself to reach a consensus for the benefit of all citizens,” reads OHR statement. Meanwhile, DF issued a statement which reads that the announced continuation of the talks on the electoral reform, focused on how to please HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic and HDZ B&H in the moment when the RS parliament is adopting the anti-constitutional law on forming of the parallel HJPC, is nothing but contribution to Covic’s protection of the RS and forming of the RS HJPC. “The question is where has HDZ’s Justice Minister, Josip Grubesa disappeared to, in the moment when authorities of the RS entity are trying to endanger the integrity of the highest judicial institution in the state. Public was not able to hear a single word from Covic’s Justice Minister, when it comes to attacks on the HJPC,” reads DF’s statement. DF statement also called on SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic not to take part in this meeting.

Croatian and Kosovo agriculture ministers meet in Zagreb (Hina) 

Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic met with Kosovo’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci, in Zagreb on Wednesday to discuss ways of intensifying cooperation in agriculture. The meeting took place as part of a three-day visit by a Kosovo delegation, and the ministers agreed to update the 2008 memorandum of understanding in the coming period. Kosovo is actively preparing to obtain the status of an official candidate for European Union membership and would appreciate a further exchange of knowledge and experience with Croatian experts in agriculture and forestry, the Croatian ministry said in a statement, adding that there is a possibility for joint projects through the TAIEX technical assistance program or through twinning programs. Peci invited Vuckovic for an official visit to Kosovo. Kosovo is interested in Croatian companies investing in its agricultural and food sector, and in this context, the possibility of organizing a meeting between business people during the Croatian minister’s visit to Kosovo was mentioned. Peci also showed an interest in Croatian expertise in the use of biomass and the construction of power plants, as well as in heating and electric power production.

Protest in Podgorica: People of Montenegro, get ready for the elections (RTCG) 

Montenegro, which does not tolerate deception and betrayal, gathered at the protest on Wednesday night, said the leader of the Democrats Aleksa Becic during the gathering of citizens at the Church of Christ’s Resurrection in Podgorica. He called for calling early parliamentary elections, stating that no one will be able to escape the people’s court. He also announced a new gathering for next Wednesday at 6 pm, RTCG reported. The gathered citizens, among other things, chanted “Treason, betrayal”, but also “Elections”. After Becic’s address, the citizens went on a protest walk through the streets of Podgorica. According to Becic, they did not gather because of anyone’s seats, but because of the defense of the people’s will of the voters from the last parliamentary elections. “Whoever in history has struck at the will of the people, has always been defeated by the pillar of strength, honesty and steadfastness,” Becic pointed out. He thanked everyone for their support – including Montenegrins, Serbs, Croats, Albanians, Muslims, Bosniaks and Croats. “We have gathered to oppose the return to power of those who divided us, quarreled and did a lot of bad things. So tonight, we are defending what we have gained together in these year and a half,” said Becic. He defends, he says, what they honorably won in the 2020 elections, because everyone in Montenegro received higher salaries and pensions, regardless of religion and nation: “This is Montenegro that we do not give to those who divided us.”

Democrats: Abazovic stands behind arrests; He owes us an apology (CdM) 

Democratic Montenegro has accused Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic of standing behind the arrest of an activist who called for protests. The man who called for protests was detained last night, but was released without delay after the prosecutor stated that there were no elements of a crime in the procedure. Democrats, however, warn that Abazovic is abusing his position, trying to intimidate citizens. “Future DPS prime minister-designate Dritan Abazovic is trying to compensate for the lack of support for the torturous act he is building these days to the detriment of Montenegro. He is already fulfilling his threats that the state will ‘respond’ by arresting peaceful activists,” Democrats said. “We must congratulate him on the amount of expressed fear and insecurity, because neither the DPS did that, nor did they arrest activists calling for protests! Abazovic is doing this because he knows exactly how it stands, and he knows exactly that his plan to betray citizens hangs on a very thin thread,” they pointed out. Democrats inquired if anyone will be held accountable for harassing the arrested activist, as they say. “For example, some of the ‘pro-European’ security sector officials who are dealing with Stalinist methods of stifling the freedoms of Montenegrin citizens might be held accountable. They will, sooner or later,” the Democrats said, adding that “there is no Dritan” who will prevent citizens from going to the peaceful protests tonight.

“Neither Abazovic, nor URA” 

In the meantime, the URA movement also spoke out. “Neither Dritan Abazovic nor URA control the arrest of any individual, as he is being accused by Democratic Montenegro” the party said in a statement. The URA movement said that in recent days, and especially since their leader Aleksa Becic was removed from the position of Speaker of the Assembly, “Democrats are relentlessly trying to overwhelm the Montenegrin public with untruths and conspiracy theories.”

“This is the last in a series that targets Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic for the alleged responsibility for apprehending a civic activist. Since they always lack courage and directness, we didn’t even think that they would at least say that the ‘civic activist’ is in fact their member who, on the orders of Aleksa Becic and Boris Bogdanovic, calls for revolt with a megaphone from the car because Aleksa slipped out of her chair” the statement said. They expect Aleksa Becic to offer an apology for this accusation in a few days. “It is quite clear that neither Dritan Abazovic nor URA control the arrest of any individual,” said the movement. The party states that the Democrats would like the laws to apply to everyone, but not to them. “In that manner, there is also an invitation to gatherings, which are prohibited by the current health measures. But nothing unusual, coming from the party of Aleksa Becic,” it is stated. The URA movement says that the gatherings and protests of the Democrats are not on their minds. “Primarily due to the fact that in the previous days the nature of these gatherings came to light, together with Vesna Bratic and fascist cries. URA and its leader are dealing with more serious state affairs, unlike the Democrats, whose policy is driving cars and shouting in megaphones. There is no Aleksa Becic who will stop us on the path of building a civil and European Montenegro. We regret that he suddenly deviated from that path,” they concluded in the statement.

Djukanovic expects a report on consultations today (Pobjeda) 

President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic has stated that he expects to get the report on consultations carried out by the potential members of the new government today. He also explains that once he receives the information that there’s a parliamentary majority, he’s going to propose a prime minister-designate. A source of Pobjeda daily close to the parties which should set up the minority administration says that unofficial consultations among signatories of the Memorandum on Cooperation – Civic Movement URA, SNP, Bosniak Party, Albanian Alternative, Forca and Democratic Party – have already taken place.

Djukanovic: There’s high level of concurrence, government should be elected quickly (CdM) 

“I’ve got the impression that there is a high level of concurrence on what needs to be done in Montenegro now, and it is essential to quickly form a government within a clear parliamentary majority based on civic and pro-European policies, elect a government that will as soon as possible start the negotiations with the EU in order to create conditions in the near future to achieve the key state political goal – Montenegro’s membership in the EU,” says Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. Asked by reporters whether he had met with Dritan Abazovic before arriving in Athens and whether he was acceptable to him as prime minister designate, Djukanovic said: “As you know, I arrived in Athens on Monday night. It was a day when all parliamentarians were busy discussing the initiative to remove the Speaker of Parliament. I think that the talks between the potential constituents of the new Montenegrin government started yesterday when I was already here. As you know, the role of the President is that after learning about the existence of a parliamentary majority, the representative of that minority is given a mandate to form a new government.” Djukanovic stated that tomorrow is an opportunity to hear the report on the consultations conducted by the potential constituents of the government.

“After that, the President’s initiative would follow. Honestly, I hope that the first round of consultations took place in my absence, I hope that there is understanding. From everything I heard before, through the conversation in the Parliament and through the communications I had, which were always informal communications until the conditions are created for the official communication to start, I’ve got the impression that there is a high level of concurrence of opinions on what should be done now in Montenegro. So, it is essential to form a government quickly, a government that will be within a clear parliamentary majority based on civic and pro-European policies. Therefore, choose a government that will start activities as soon as possible to continue quality negotiations with the EU in order to create conditions in the near and foreseeable future to achieve the key state political goal – Montenegro’s membership in the EU,” concluded the President.

Without the support of SDP, if the goals are Fundamental Agreement, the census, Vucic’s initiatives (RTCG) 

MP Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic stated that the minority government will not have the support of the SDP, if its goals are the Fundamental Agreement, the census during the election year and support for Vucic’s regional initiatives. She stated on Twitter that the party was for European integration, unblocking the judiciary, dialogue, fight against corruption, economic reforms, but NOT for, as she writes, hidden agreements with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Maddocks: Both new government and elections legitimate solutions (RTNK) 

Montenegro is a country heading towards Europe, a friend of the United Kingdom, and it is going through changes and modernization at high speed, British Ambassador Keren Maddocks says in an interview for RTV Niksic. After all the political turbulences and events that led to the fall of the government, the ambassador believes that the solution lies in democratic processes. “The solution should come from the people or from the representatives elected by the people. Montenegrin voters elected their representatives in the 2020 elections, and those MPs can decide how best to promote the interests of their supporters. If these MPs decide to form a new minority government, it could work if the parties manage to find language common enough (or enough will to compromise). New elections would be another possible way forward, if MPs think it is the best way, it is also an alternative. I don’t think one way is better than the other. You just have to follow the democratic process, and if the first option fails, try the second one,” says Maddocks.

Internationals increase pressure on MPs to extend vetting bodies’ mandate (Tirana Times) 

The EU Delegation to Albania and the US Embassy have issued a joint statement calling on Albanian MPs to support the extension of the mandate of the vetting institutions that are part of the country’s justice reform. The statement comes as parliament is set to vote on Thursday on the proposal of the ruling Socialist Party to change the constitution, again, to allow for an extension of the mandate of the Independent Qualification Commission and public commissioners to be postponed until the end of 2024. The deadline for these two institutions expires in June 2022, and it is estimated that at least 30 percent of judges and prosecutors will not have undergone the re-evaluation process by that deadline.

Justice reform ‘showing results’ 

The joint statement notes that Albania’s EU accession reforms are progressing and the implementation of the justice reform is among “the most difficult but essential steps”. “We are at an important moment, as justice reform is showing results,” the statement notes, adding that the vetting of judges and prosecutors is a fundamental element of justice reform. “In order to allow the vetting institutions to complete their mission, it is necessary to amend the constitution to extend their mandate for a limited period. The Venice Commission confirmed that the proposed extension is in line with European standards, and is necessary to ensure the equality in law and legal certainty,” the joint US-EU statement notes. It adds: “The proposed vetting extension is strongly supported by Albania’s friends who wish to see Albania in the EU as soon as possible. This is not a partisan issue. We hope that all Members of Parliament — regardless of party affiliation — will see this as a matter of national interest and vote accordingly, just as they have always supported Albania’s European path.  A vote for the vetting extension is a vote for the future of Albania in the EU.” Similar statements of support for the extension were also made by the British Embassy and the OSCE Presence in Albania.

Call aimed at pressuring opposition 

As the ruling Socialist Party has declared it is in favor of the extension, the internationals’ call this week is clearly set to put pressure on opposition MPs who have yet to state which way they will vote on the matter. Some opposition representatives have expressed grave concerns that the ruling Socialist Party is using the justice reform to capture the new justice bodies with appointees that are friendly to the ruling party. The slow progress of the justice reform – now nearly six years after its approval with full political consensus – has caused frustrations in Albania as the vetting process paralyzed justice institutions for years, including the Constitutional Court, giving the ruling Socialist Party unchecked powers, critics say. But in recent months, the Constitutional Court has finally gained a quorum to look at cases and some of the new justice reform bodies are finally moving to investigate hundreds of files related to high-level corruption. Last week, a former interior minister received a 3.3-year prison sentence for abuse of power due to ties with an organized crime group. Another former minister was arrested last month in relation to a large corruption affair tied to the construction of trash incinerators after charges were filed by the opposition.

Meta: My mandate ends on 24 July, there will be no dismissal (Radio Tirana) 

Albanian President Ilir Meta announced that he has signed a criminal report against the Socialist-dominated assembly for forging documents. “I have signed the criminal report as President of the Republic against the structures of officials responsible in the Albanian parliament for the criminal offenses committed in cooperation forgery of documents,” said Meta in a press release on Wednesday. “This act of falsification that seeks to ostensibly legalize the procedure within the deadlines, a mafia procedure, is nothing but an attempt to finalize a coup against the head of state,” the President said. The head of state categorically ruled out the possibility of his dismissal and early removal from office. He said that 24 July is the date when the constitutional term of office as president of the country ends. Asked whether he will respect the decision of the Constitutional Court if he dismisses him, Meta said that there will be no additional locks in the institution of the Presidency.

Rama meets Kim prior to his visit to Washington DC (Radio Tirana) 

Prime Minister Edi Rama met on Wednesday with US Ambassador Yuri Kim while next week he is expected to visit Washington. “Ambassador Kim met with Prime Minister Rama before his visit to Washington DC. She hailed Albania’s strong and principled support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, both as a NATO ally and in the UN Security Council, where the US is proud to work with Albania as a “co-host”. “for the Council on Ukraine” the US embassy said. “Ambassador Kim underlined that the fight against corruption is a top priority for the United States, noting that the burden of responsibility is naturally greater on those who govern. They also discussed the importance of strengthening democratic institutions, historic progress in strengthening our relationship. in defense, and further steps to increase trade and investment between the US and Albania,” the statement said.