If measures taken by the government are effective, if Montenegro has achieved extraordinary results in the fight against the coronavirus and if everybody says that it’s done a great job, then one must stick to them until the very end. It’s not important whether it’s a bishop or a citizen. I repeat once again – Montenegro is an independent country, it has its own laws, decrees and regulations. It’s resolving problems on its own and there’s no need anyone else to teach it how to do it, Mr Čedomir Jovanović, a leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, says in an interview for Pobjeda daily, assessing that certain circles in Belgrade still fight against Montenegro’s independence.
Speaking about the relation between Montenegro and Serbia, as it has always been under tensions, Mr Jovanović said: “Serbia has no closer partner than Montenegro, and as soon as we realize that in this cruel world we have only each other, we’ll be able to resolve all our issues. Serbia has been dealing with difficult problems for 30 years already, they’re still here and we cannot turn the blind eye and pretend there’s no responsibility for certain acts. The more Montenegro wants to be independent, the greater are the efforts of certain circles from Belgrade to undermine them – and that’s the main disagreement of the two countries.”
On the actions of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has been organizing public gatherings across Montenegro in the midst of the pandemic, he noted: “Montenegro, just like every other country, imposed certain measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak. It means bans on certain activities which can bring positive results only by adhering to them, and those who won’t do it should be punished. I’ve always understood the position of the church in a society, I’ve never denied its historical role, and even though today I do not agree on certain issues, I carefully choose words when speaking about it. On the other hand, law is the same for all, and one cannot be tolerated simply because of its influence on the society. And that’s exactly what this is all about in Montenegro.”
Commenting on the current situation in Serbia, their president and his way of running the country, Mr Jovanović said: “We must be realistic in perceiving the way in which Serbia dealt with the coronavirus epidemic. It’s not important whether Serbia achieved good results thanks to my political opponent. We were facing an extremely complex situation, numerous issues and only those who had to solve them know about it, and that’s why I won’t be the one bragging about it and making gains. I show reverence for every doc, nurse, all medical staff and people who sacrificed their health for all of us. You could notice that I wasn’t part of clashes on the political stage, as I’m not ready to participate in any party plotting, especially not during the pandemic. That’s what cowards do, as well as people who are finding ways to promote themselves even amid of something so horrific like the coronavirus outbreak is, as they do not have their own policy like the Liberal Democratic Party has.”
