The aspirations for a transformed Montenegro articulated by those who pledged change upon assuming power have come to a disappointing end, according to the Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS).

The NGO reported that today “MPs approved the Agreement with the UAE with merely 41 votes in favor, facilitating the sale of Montenegro.”

“The interests of seats, parties, and individuals prevailed, leaving the tycoons from Dubai and local criminals who transferred their money to the Emirates as the real winners. The citizens suffered a loss. They lost faith in the possibility of a different Montenegro, in politicians who are meant to safeguard the public interest, and in a government that exists for the people instead of for political parties, their clandestine financiers, and their own benefit. The MPs who endorsed the Agreement also faced a loss. They lost the strength to withstand pressure, the credibility to advocate against corruption and money laundering, and the right to denounce the previous government that never had the courage to pass a document that would sell out the entirety of Montenegro in this manner,” declares the statement from MANS.

The NGO emphasized the implications of this single vote:

– Citizens are stripped of their land and property under the guise of “public interest”.

– They betray election commitments,

– They extinguish the political resolve to combat corruption,

– They widely open the door to money laundering and high-level corruption,

– They circumvent laws and public tenders,

– They squander millions of euros of taxpayer money on developing infrastructure for private gain,

– They jeopardize and damage the environment for profit,

– They threaten Montenegro’s European prospects.

“Today, the promises for a different Montenegro made by those who vowed to be different upon taking office have perished. Money flows where the drill cannot penetrate. Honor and disgrace remain eternal,” concludes the MANS statement.

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