Ten to Eight – Iznogoud (He’s No Good)
You are reading a daily contextual review of the news that marked the previous day.
By Ljubomir Filipović, CdM observer
Iznogoud (He’s no good) is a comic by the famous French author René Goscinny, the creator of Asterix and Obelix. The protagonist with the same name is the Grand Vizier and his main goal is to become a caliph instead of a caliph. You can read here an interesting analysis by my colleague Miraš Dušević on whether DPM Abazović, with the assistance of the DF and the authorities in Serbia, really has ambitions to replace PM Zdravko Krivokapić, who is increasingly losing authority among the ruling majority. DF is increasingly questioning the leadership of PM Krivokapić, aware that with this distribution of forces, in the long run only they lose. The Democrats are heavily getting management positions and might threaten the primacy of the DF. The election in Herceg Novi will be another test. Yesterday, on this topic of the rapprochement between URA and DF, I wrote a fairly well-read column about the latest tandem of Montenegrin politics, Milan and Dritan, and you can read it here.
On citizenship
DPM Abazović and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deny that there will be changes to the Law on Citizenship, although PM Krivokapić and Minister Sekulović announced them. DPM Abazović used the story to make fun of the protesting people again, whom he said in September were “cuckoos”. Playing with citizenship and residence gathered eminent members of the Association of Lawyers, who yesterday organized a round table on the draft law on amendments to the Law on Registers of Residence and Stay. On that occasion, the Association president Branislav Radulović pointed out that the absence of real reasons, i.e. precise facts that indicate the necessity of changes to the Law, was noticeable. What is read between the lines is that the reasons for the change are of a political nature. The lawyers pointed out that the announcement of changes to the law would hit the Montenegrin diaspora hard.
On Prosecutor’s Office
The so-called set of prosecutorial laws is on the agenda. The European Commission (EC) has received the draft laws and is currently considering them, the CdM has received a reaction from Brussels. The non-transparency of the process is noticeable, and we will see the reaction of the EC and find out who is more important to URA – the DF or the EU. The European Parliament continues to issue warnings to the Government, while the rapporteur Tonino Picula also warns about the relations between Montenegro and Serbia. The topic of Montenegro’s debt to China has become a hot topic in Brussels, which is now under constant pressure from the critical European public due to the EU’s negative response to DPM Abazović‘s request.
Police double standards
The police react differently now than during the so-called processions as well as church and campaign protests last year. Numerous fines are issued even for flying a flag. Protests were organized in Nikšić last night because of this, and the Council for Civil Control of Police Work, its former president and activist Aleksandar Saša Zeković, as well as DPS MP Predrag Bošković reacted.
Threats to Minister Borovinić Bojović
Minister Jelena Borovinić Bojović reported a threatening e-mail, after which the Government and especially the Prime Minister stood up for her. The behavior and poor management of the pandemic and one of the worst vaccination results and casualties in the region have made this minister very unpopular in Montenegro. However, anyone who dares to threaten someone, especially women in office, should be aware that they can and should be held criminally responsible for their behavior.
Miscellaneous
Assistant at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Podgorica Nemanja Batrićević said in an interview for portal Analitika that by changing the conditions for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship and suffrage, PM Zdravko Krivokapić‘s Government would achieve its basic goal, which is, as he said, making Montenegrin independence and state independence meaningless, all in order to create an ethnically homogeneous “Serbian world”.
Lies about the expulsion of authors from Montenegrin textbooks and their return, placed by Minister Vesna Bratić, and supported on Belgrade TVs by URA sympathizers and associates of Ms Bečanović and Ms Glušica, such as Ksenija Rakočević, were exposed by Raskrinkavanje.
Dual citizenship and residence seem to be the rule among new Government officials. Here are some DF members who are included in the registers in Serbia.
That’s it for today. See you tomorrow at the same time in the same place.
