The fundamental lack of understanding of regulations and authority by the president of the state is concerning, particularly as this ignorance is manifesting in his capacity as the President of the Defense and Security Council, stated Boris Bogdanović, the head of the Democratic Party of Serbia parliamentary group.

Bogdanović’s remarks follow a statement from Montenegro’s President, Jakov Milatović, who questioned the legitimacy of having another individual represent the Defense and Security Council in Parliament instead of Chief of the General Staff, Zoran Lazarević.

Milatović mentioned that, on Wednesday, Lazarević sent a letter to the president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament, stating that Defense Minister Dragan Krapović had issued a written directive that contradicted the Defense and Security Council’s decision from August 28 of the previous year.

“The president’s fundamental lack of knowledge regarding regulations and powers is troubling, especially in his role as President of the Defense and Security Council. Ideally, he should have a grasp of the Law on the Army and Defense of Montenegro, which clearly is not the case. Brigadier General Lazarević is on annual leave at his own request and is not on duty. According to Article 141, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Army of Montenegro, ‘The Minister may interrupt or postpone the use of annual leave for a service member at the recommendation of the Chief of General Staff due to extraordinary service needs,'” Bogdanović explained.

He continued, noting that since the Chief of the General Staff, who enjoys Milatović’s full political support alongside the trust of the DPS, did not provide such a proposal, and the minister has confirmed he did not receive any proposal or prepared materials for the Committee session, the legal conditions to interrupt the leave were not met.

“Thus, any attempt to disrupt annual leave without this clause would be unlawful. Mr. Milatović, either you are unaware of this fact or you simply disregard it,” he emphasized.

Bogdanović added that the issue isn’t just Milatović’s lack of legal knowledge.

“It’s also about the blatant disrespect that the Chief of General Staff has for you. You, as an old-school operative under the command of the DPS, continue to keep him at the head of the Army. You are attempting to uphold the antiquated, politically compromised structures and halt the long-awaited vetting within the Army of Montenegro. But it is all in vain. You will not shield the Army from change; instead, change will safeguard the Army. The laws of this nation will no longer be crafted to appease the personnel you sought to maintain to uphold the old order. That order is now a thing of the past,” Bogdanović concluded.

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