Institute Alternative (IA), Centre for Civic Education (CCE), Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG) and Media Centre yesterday urged the institutions to do everything in their power to resolve the situation in Budva within the legal framework and without political interference, and appealed to the EU to warn the top officials about the inappropriate interference of the Government and the police into political issues and local self-government affairs.
The facts in the case of Budva are not in favour of the Government, and it is worth reflecting on them as that is exactly what the Government is trying to camouflage. Namely, the Administrative Inspection within its illegal conduct beyond the scope of its competencies ordered actions and then conducted them with the assistance of a large number of police officers. The entire Montenegro, but also the general interested public, saw what that assistance looked like. The Council for Civic Control of the Police Operations has already identified abuses and excessive police force in this situation.
Briefly, what is decided by the courts in developed democratic states, here has been tried to be handled by incompetent bodies headed by persons with an obvious party interest in the entire case.
We will not comment on other aspects of the Government’s frivolous but threatening reaction because it represents the best confirmation of all our allegations, as well as the concern that the public interest is marginalised by selective law enforcement, strong party influence and deliberate raising of tensions in the already heated socio-political environment in Montenegro. Moreover, the reaction of the ambassadors of the UK and the USA to Montenegro, as well as of the European Commission spokesperson, represent a strong warning about these issues in a diplomatic manner, and we urge the Government of Montenegro not to respond to them in the manner it did to us, to respect the law and to stop blocking our path towards EU.
Milka Tadic Mijovic, President, CIN-CG
Goran Djurovic, director, Media centre
Daliborka Uljarevic, Executive Director, CCE
Stevo Muk, President of the Managing Board, IA
