Parliament's decision is a step in the wrong direction, we support the return of mandates to citizens

The United States called into question the cooperation with the Montenegrin government, which would be formed on the basis of controversial amendments to the Law on the President, a day after the Parliament of Montenegro stated that the representative and leader of Demos Miodrag Lekić is the mandate holder for the composition of the new 44th Government.
While reminding that the USA has repeatedly emphasized that it will cooperate with any democratically formed government, which is dedicated to the Euro-Atlantic future of Montenegro, the American Embassy in Podgorica informed the Voice of America that the Venice Commission clearly stated "that the disputed amendments to the Law on the President in contradictions with the Montenegrin Constitution, which is why any government formed on the basis of those provisions would be constitutionally disputed".
"As a result, we question whether such a government would really be democratically formed, and we do not see how the United States could cooperate with a government formed under those conditions," the embassy said in response to a Voice of America request for comment on the parliament's decision on Thursday. .
The embassy assessed that the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro to declare Lekić as a representative is a step in the wrong direction.
"The United States has repeatedly expressed the position that a new government should not be formed based on the disputed amendments to the Law on the President. Made after the parliament's decision to reject the advice of the Venice Commission and adopt the controversial amendments, yesterday's decision was another step in the wrong direction." , stands out in the reaction of the American embassy.
It is also said that restoring the full functionality of the Constitutional Court is the first step towards solving the crisis.
"After the restoration (functionality) of the Constitutional Court and in light of the political crisis, the United States supports the return of mandates to Montenegrin citizens through early parliamentary elections. This is the democratic way forward for Montenegro," the embassy's reaction concludes.
The nomination of Lekić for the mandate was supported by a narrow majority led by the pro-Russian Democratic Front in the 81-member parliament, and the opposition MPs did not attend the session.
President Milo Đukanović previously did not nominate a representative after he signed the controversial amendments to the Law on the President, which transfer part of the president's competence regarding the selection of representatives to deputies.
The President of the Assembly Danijela Đurović announced at the session that "since the President of the State did not propose a representative, the requirements of Article 7f of the Amendments to the Law on the President are met" and stated that Lekić is the representative for the composition of the new Government with the signature of the 41st MP.
The amendments to that law were adopted by the Parliament of Montenegro on November 1, despite the Venice Commission's recommendations not to adopt them, but Đukanović then refused to sign them, explaining that they were not in accordance with the Constitution.
However, the Montenegrin parliament adopted that law again on December 12, after which Đukanović, in accordance with his constitutional obligation, signed it - but he reiterated that he stands by his earlier assessment that the amendments to the Law on the President are unconstitutional, but that he is signing it because he does not want to violate his constitutional powers.
US and EU officials warned earlier that a government should not be elected on the basis of such a law. They both warned that there would be no cooperation with that government, and they underlined from Brussels that its election would lead to the interruption of accession negotiations.
M. J.