After Montenegro’s fragile coalition government last week lost a vote of confidence, the same group of government and opposition MPs united on Monday to sack the speaker.
Parliament speaker Aleksa Becic (left) at a session in Podgorica. Photo: Parliament of Montenegro
MPs from the smallest ruling bloc in the Montenegrin government, Black on White, together with opposition MPs, on Monday, sacked parliament speaker Aleksa Becic.
Meanwhile, the other two blocs in government announced protests if a new government is formed with the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS.
Becic’s dismissal was supported by 43 MPs from Black on White and the opposition; 36 MPs from his ruling Peace is Our Nation and For the Future of Montenegro voted against the sacking.
Peace is Our Nation MP Boris Bogdanovic accused Black on White of betraying the parliamentary elections results of August 2020, which ousted the DPS, accusing it of preparing a new coalition government with Milo Djukanovic’s DPS.
“If the ruling majority collapses, we will take to the streets. We will not allow Djukanovic’s party to take power by political corruption; the first protests will be on Wednesday,” Bogdanovic said.
According to parliament’s rules of procedure, a new speaker must be supported by at least 41 of the 81 MPs; Strahinja Bulajic from the Democratic Front, the largest bloc in government, will be in charge of parliament until a new speaker is elected.
Black on White MP Milos Konatar said his side was ready for talks, calling on the other blocs to ease political tensions. “If there is a will, we should talk after today. We support every peaceful protest, but don’t call on citizens to blockades and riots due to someone’s dismissal,” Konatar said.
Milan Knezevic, one of the leaders of the Democratic Front, urged the other two ruling blocs to join negotiations on forming a new government.
“Our voters didn’t support us cooperating with the DPS, because we ousted them in the August elections. We don’t have the right to take them back to power with any kind of cooperation, even in a minority government. In that case, you will face protests all over the country,” Knezevic said.
The coalition government collapsed on February 4 after parliament backed a vote of no-confidence called by Black on White and the opposition parties. The same day, Black on White and opposition MPs rejected the government’s proposal to shorten parliament’s mandate as a way of moving towards early elections.
On Monday, President Djukanovic said his DPS might vote for a minority government, but will not be part of a new cabinet under the current Prime Minister.
“The country is now in the process of consolidating power and its greatest interest is to get a responsible government as soon as possible. We will support any government which protects the secular and civic character of Montenegro,” Djukanovic told Deutsche Welle.
Three blocs won a slender majority of 41 of the 81 seats in parliament in August 2020, ousting Djukanovic’s DPS. They elected Becic as a speaker on September 23, 2020. while Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic non-party cabinet was elected on December 4 by 41 votes from the three coalitions – the pro-Serbian For the Future of Montenegro, Peace is Our Nation and Black on White.
The government was under constant pressure from the start from the largest ruling coalition bloc in it, the Democratic Front, over its demands for ministers appointed by the ruling parties to replace non-party experts.
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