The parliamentary factions of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Social Democrats (SD) have initiated proceedings for the removal of the Assembly Speaker, Andrija Mandić.

Andrija Nikolić, the head of the DPS parliamentary group, remarked that the integrity of the legislative body is being systematically compromised, attributing this to Mandić, who has accumulated numerous justifications for his dismissal over his two-year tenure.

He highlighted the case of Danilo Mandić as a significant reason for the dismissal, pointing out that neither the parliament nor Mandić has addressed concerns about a person of security interest (BIL) being responsible for the safety of the Assembly’s leader.

Details of the Initiative

“The Parliament of Montenegro and its President, Andrija Mandić, have created a wall of silence regarding an ‘attempted aggravated murder’ incident, as qualified by the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office. This incident occurred in the early hours of April 20 this year when Danilo Mandić, a resident of Podgorica and a member of Mandić’s security team, was arrested for allegedly using an official Parliament vehicle to injure two citizens,” the initiative states.

“The President of the Parliament has remained silent for days on inquiries about how Danilo Mandić, with a criminal record, was permitted to guard the Parliament’s leader, who requires protection, and to carry firearms. Moreover, Montenegrin citizens have yet to receive clarification on how a close relative of the Parliament’s President was allowed to borrow the official vehicle, which was involved in a serious crime. Instead of clear answers from the Parliament, there seem to be deliberate efforts to obscure the facts and evade political accountability,” it continues.

It also mentions that the parliamentary majority, led by Mandić, opted to suspend the Parliament’s oversight function over government operations by modifying the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure, thereby limiting mandatory control hearings proposed by the opposition or completely obstructing them.

“Since the establishment of the 28th convocation, the Prime Minister’s Hour has not been conducted in accordance with the prescribed Rules of Procedure. Initiatives to hold control hearings have experienced undue delays, undermining the relevance of discussions and depriving the citizens of Montenegro of effective oversight of government actions,” the initiative asserts.

They also accuse Mandić of failing to lift the immunity of Marko Kovačević, a New Serbian Democracy MP and Nikšić’s leader, who faces accusations from the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica for inciting national, racial, and religious hatred.

Furthermore, the initiative claims that Mandić has kept the proposal regarding the participation of Montenegrin soldiers in the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM) unaddressed for over eight months and has blocked the appointment of members to the councils of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU) and Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG).

“The Parliament Speaker has knowingly breached the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure by suspending opposition members who protested against what they perceived as the Constitutional Committee overstepping its jurisdiction following a retirement of a Constitutional Court judge,” the initiative states.

It also highlights that he adopted a new logo for the Parliament contrary to the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure and without consulting parliamentary groups or providing relevant documentation for the logo’s design.

“Mandić’s visit to Banja Luka to support Republika Srpska’s President, Milorad Dodik, shortly after a Bosnian court sentenced Dodik to a year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity, constitutes blatant interference in another nation’s internal affairs. We consider these actions as hindering Montenegro’s European integration, benefiting Milorad Dodik’s international backers. Since assuming office, Mandić has not demonstrated that he legally possesses dual citizenship (Montenegrin and Serbian). Moreover, he encouraged Montenegrin citizens to disregard the law regarding Montenegrin citizenship by not reporting any acquisition of Serbian citizenship after June 2006, which could result in losing their Montenegrin citizenship by law,” the initiative details.

“We believe that all the aforementioned reasons indicate that the irresponsible, illegal, and provocative conduct of the Parliament’s President will persist and escalate, ultimately keeping Montenegro stagnant on the European path. This is the primary concern of the political faction represented by Andrija Mandić. All the necessary conditions for the current President of the Parliament of Montenegro to be dismissed from office have long been established, prompting us to submit this initiative for his removal for the second time in less than two years,” the DPS and SD deputies conclude in their submission.

Nikolić: Anticipating Political Change in Upcoming Elections

When inquired by TV Vijesti about the likelihood of Mandić’s dismissal appearing on the agenda, Andrija Nikolić affirmed that “we are witnessing a time when the integrity of the Parliament has deteriorated rapidly.”

“This presents a pivotal moment to see who truly aligns with certain values. There’s no point in trying to deceive us or the citizens any longer,” he added.

Nikolić expressed his expectation for political changes in the next parliamentary elections.

Boris Mugoša, head of the SD parliamentary group, criticized the current state of the legislative assembly, suggesting it constitutes “facade democracy.”

“The initial action taken by Mandić’s majority was to undermine the Parliament’s oversight function, which follows legislative duties, through procedural changes. We request certain hearings, only to be offered dates three months later,” Mugoša remarked.

He asserted that the actions of the majority reflect “a facade of European integration.”

“We’ve reached a point where the functioning of Parliament is contingent on one individual, though he is not the only one at fault; all the MPs enabling this must also be held accountable.”

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