Nikolić: State authorities are threatening the diaspora, we will file criminal charges if the hysteria does not stop

Member of the Presidency and deputy of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Andrija Nikolić called on the diaspora to vote freely in the elections in Montenegro, stressing that they will file criminal charges if the hysteria of threats does not stop.
Constant pressures on the Montenegrin diaspora, backed by official state bodies, are taking on the contours of scandalous hysteria. Instead of the Assistant Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora, Arben Jakupi, expressing his gratitude to the Diaspora for not missing the opportunity to help his homeland and its citizens, he dared to publicly threaten our people from the Diaspora that they will be disenfranchised, so that in perspective they can be deprived the right to vote - said Nikolić in the announcement.
According to him, there is nothing strange because, as he says, Jakupi works according to the instructions of "the remnants of the apostolic government of Zdravko Krivokapić, in which populists from Europe now sat and which at the beginning of its mandate tried to push through a document that would formally make the diaspora discriminated against and unjustly removed, even under the threat of confiscation of Montenegrin citizenship".
We did not allow them to do that then, and we will not allow any attempt to disenfranchise our citizens who temporarily live and work abroad. Therefore, we are telling Milatović and Jakupi that the ideas they are advocating these days - from investigating the diaspora to revoking the right to vote - are punishable by law and that we will not hesitate to file criminal charges against the initiators if threats, hate speech and attempts at discrimination continue - emphasized Nikolić.
He called on all people in our diaspora to vote freely in this and all future elections.
Let them decide with their vote the fate of their country and the direction of its further development so that we join Montenegro to democratic states, just like the ones in which our diaspora currently lives and works - said Nikolić.
M. J.