The leader of the Civic Movement URA and a Member of Parliament, Dritan Abazović, declared today that he will not participate in the ongoing session of the Parliament of Montenegro.

During a press briefing, he stated that they were not included in discussions involving the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Europe Now Movement (PES), asserting their position as the opposition to the 44th Government. He also expressed concerns that “something else is happening behind the scenes.”

“We maintain communication with international stakeholders. The Assembly has lost its purpose, they are establishing an Inquiry Committee that revisits issues from the past, while placing the DPS in charge of investigating crimes committed during their governance. They appear to be making everything meaningless,” Abazović remarked.

At the previous day’s session of the Parliament, an Inquiry Committee was initiated to investigate the murders and assaults on journalists, police personnel, politicians, and independent thinkers perpetrated by officers linked to the so-called “black three.”

Andrija Nikolić, representing the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), has been appointed as the committee chair.

Abazović further noted in today’s press conference that it is scandalous for the current Parliament session to not be convened in Cetinje.

“Holding a session in any other city is both sad and tragic. If I must utilize the rostrum to highlight societal anomalies, I will. For the first time, the spring session is not unfolding in Cetinje; this constitutes a legal infringement. They may exercise this power because they hold the majority, but they will face the repercussions. They aim to shift the blame onto the opposition, which was actually constructive—it participated, voted, and proposed amendments,” asserted Abazović.

He emphasized that the boycott would not be indefinite.

“International actors do not desire a crisis in Montenegro, particularly due to regional implications, hence they prefer to divert attention from Montenegro. There will be boycotts, but they will ultimately be broken; it will resemble a circus,” he stated.

When questioned about the party congress, Abazović mentioned that preparations had not yet begun, but he anticipates an influx of candidates and “some changes.”

In response to a reporter’s inquiry regarding the Steelworks purchase conducted during his term, which was deemed illegal following a ruling by the Competition Protection Agency, he remarked that no one in Montenegro is engaged in that issue, asserting, “I am no one’s rival.”

“I view this as a significant achievement—we acquired an asset valued at 60 million for just 20 million. We have returned the property to the state and ensured job security for the workers. One objective was to establish a solar power plant on the rooftop, while no progress has been made in the hangars for three years. There are surely multiple factors—DF, coercion, and others,” Abazović elaborated.

He affirmed that he had not secretly negotiated with Toscelik representatives.

“Whenever I summoned the individual to my office, the media was notified. I remain skeptical regarding the Swiss, yet the specifics evade me. We need to prioritize highway construction—why import materials? To provide jobs in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina? I support building it in Nikšić. When we introduced Beluga, accusations arose that it was Russian, advocating for sanctions; yet today it stands as the largest producer after EPCG. The cement factory in Pljevlja is incapable of meeting demands, hence imports are necessary. Someone misled them into believing this was unfeasible due to a lack of railway,” Abazović explained.

When asked how to resolve the issues concerning beaches, he remarked that the government and Morsko dobro’s current approach constitutes corruption, particularly highlighting the recent one-week extension of the tender for company applications, expedited by Erste Bank’s guarantee process.

“The truth that we lack competent bodies to acknowledge such straightforward issues represents Montenegro’s plight. People faced registration challenges on March 4th, but were only able to register on March 6th and March 7th. We should engage in discussions about developmental plans within a public forum,” remarked Abazović.

He pointed out that it seemed someone had contacted Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, or his chief of staff Branko Krvavac, to indicate that they couldn’t meet the March 4th deadline.

“I believe people are frustrated with the situation they are being dragged into. Genci is attempting something, which appears to be a scam. He calls for individuals to exit the government—why haven’t any of his associates left? Did any of the Albanian ministers resign? I suspect those who have leased will sublet to current tenants since, if existing tenants clear their spaces, how long until new ones can get everything back in order?” questioned the leader of GP URA.

When inquired about the political will to establish a financial police, Abazović acknowledged he supports the idea but emphasized that passing anti-mafia legislation to seize property gained through crime is paramount, lamenting the absence of will to pursue it as the current government is financed by individuals opposed to such laws.

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