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The Legislative Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro declared today that removing references to nationality, religion, and language from the Census is legally unacceptable.

This amendment was proposed by the Social Democrats (SD).

Vladimir Martinović, an MP from the Democrats, stated that no one requested the removal of these items from the census.

“These items are crucial for recognizing citizens’ rights. I wouldn’t react to create a sense of catastrophe. It’s as if an atomic bomb is dropping just because we are taking statistics. I don’t understand why such an atmosphere is being created if citizens wish to express their national and religious identities as they see fit,” Martinović said.

He blamed President Milo Djukanovic of DPS for creating an unsettling atmosphere surrounding previous censuses.

“It’s high time that no political party leaders, MPs, or ministers should influence how citizens identify themselves. It seems they want to deepen these divisions,” Martinović added.

SD MP Boris Mugosa asserted that the census is not the only method for citizens to assert their national identity.

“That’s the crux of my amendment. Questions of nationality, language, and faith will weigh on us, whether we want them to or not. There will be issues with mixing nationalities, as seen in previous censuses. There are far more significant metrics than the 87 data points we use to develop public policies,” Mugosa emphasized.

Democrat Memo Coprivica stated that this amendment contradicts the legal framework and would lead to confusion and issues in implementing the law.

The Committee also approved an SD amendment to specify the date of the Census in the law, asserting that the Government should not have the authority to determine when the Census occurs, according to the RTCG portal.