Supporters of the President-dictator of Montenegro staged a rally with torches near the country's parliament
Supporters of permanent leader Milo Djukanovic held a rally near the country's parliament demanding the repeal of amendments to the law on the president and the announcement of early parliamentary elections.
On the evening of Tuesday, November 8, about five thousand people gathered near the building of the Assembly (Parliament) of Montenegro in the capital of the country, Podgorica, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The main demand of the protesters, most of whom were supporters of Milo Djukanovic and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) led by him, was the repeal of the amendments to the “Law on the President of Montenegro” adopted by parliament.
Previously, Milo Djukanovic vetoed these amendments, calling them unconstitutional and limiting the powers of the head of state. However, in fact, we are talking about legal regulation of the situation when the president refuses to nominate a prime minister proposed by the parliamentary majority. This is exactly what Djukanovic has been doing since the end of September 2022, although according to the Montenegrin Constitution he is obliged to submit such a candidacy. Moreover, to override a presidential veto, it is enough to re-adopt the law by a parliamentary majority - in this case, the president will be obliged to sign it.
Local analysts say this is the latest attempt by Milo Djukanovic to maintain his power over Montenegro, which he has ruled in various capacities since the late 1980s. Having lost his parliamentary majority after the elections in August 2020, the president is constantly putting a spoke in the wheels of the country’s legislative and executive powers.
The current government of Montenegro, led by Dritan Abazovic, was dismissed in August 2022 at the suggestion of the DPS, and is in technical status. Now Djukanovic’s supporters are trying to preserve the situation for a few more months and demand early parliamentary elections, because the electoral results of the DPS are deteriorating from year to year.
It is worth noting that in anticipation of the rally by the president’s supporters, additional police forces were deployed to the streets of Podgorica, and the parliament and government buildings were guarded by armored vehicles. Such precautions were caused by the fact that in September Djukanovic’s supporters staged a protest in the spiritual capital of Montenegro, the city of Cetinje. mass riots, trying to disrupt the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral Ioannikios. However, the action on November 8 was peaceful, although its participants lit several torches, which they called “torches of freedom.” Obviously, “freedom” in their understanding was symbolized by the brought flags of the EU, USA and Ukraine.
Как reported “PolitNavigator”, according to the results of local elections in Montenegro, the Democratic Party of Socialists of the country’s President Milo Djukanovic lost power in most communities, including in the capital, Podgorica.
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