WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
Choose language:
AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
The amendments to the Law on Public Assemblies proposed by the deputies of the parliamentary majority, which essentially aim to prevent citizens from blocking roads in protest, and which in the previous period proved to be the only way for the state to "turn" to their demands, are a step towards turning Montenegro into a police state, said Nikola Zirojević, a deputy of the Social Democrats in the Montenegrin Parliament, for Portal ETV.
Two days ago, deputies of the ruling majority submitted a proposal for amendments to the Law on Public Assemblies and Public Events, which was promptly included in the agenda of the Parliament session today, and which introduce draconian fines for organizers, but also for participants in protests that block traffic on the roads.
The signatories of the proposed amendments to the Law on Public Assemblies, Seid Hodžić (PES), Duško Stjepović (Democrats), Jelena Kljajević (DNP), Dejan Đurović (NSD) and Bogdan Božović (SNP), Amer Smailović (BS) and Artan Čobi (AA), are thus introducing new "rules of the game".
"Motorways, expressways, main, regional and local roads, as well as border crossings, cannot be used for public gatherings, if the gathering is held in a manner that prevents or makes traffic difficult, endangers traffic safety or if such a public gathering would limit, prevent or endanger the movement of persons and citizens", states the new proposed provision of the Law.
The majority MPs are also introducing a novelty in the definition of the organizer of a gathering, and now define the organizer of a gathering as "a natural or legal person who calls for a gathering" or "who, through his actions at the place of gathering, influences the holding and directs the activities of the participants of the gathering".
The intention of defining the organizer in this way becomes clear when looking at the proposed penal provisions. According to the parliamentary majority's proposal, a legal entity that organizes a public gathering "on highways, main, regional and local roads or border crossings in a manner that prevents or hinders the flow of traffic, endangers traffic safety or if such a gathering limits, prevents or endangers the movement of persons and citizens" will be fined 5,000 to 10,000 euros, a responsible person in a legal entity will be fined 3,000 to 5,000 euros, and a natural person as an organizer will be fined up to 2,000 euros.
However, the penal provisions do not end there, so for the first time penalties are also being introduced for participants in the gathering, and the ruling MPs have come up with the idea of punishing them with fines of 500 to 2,000 euros.
Interestingly, in the explanation, the signatories state that the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Gatherings and Public Events has not been harmonized with the directives of the European Union.
"The amendments to the law proposed by, if I am not mistaken, all the parliamentary majority clubs are a step further towards turning Montenegro into a police state. Because the right to protest is one of the basic human rights of all citizens, not only of Montenegro, but of every democratic state. So in that sense, we see this as a huge step backwards, when we talk about basic human rights," Zirojević told the ETV Portal.
On the other hand, he is surprised by the fact that among the signatories to the amendments to the law are some MPs and representatives of parliamentary clubs who, not so long ago, just a few years ago, as he said, roasted a pig in front of the Parliament building and who slept there for months under tents, blocking one of the main roads in the very center of Podgorica.
"The same people who blocked numerous main, regional and local roads and centers of almost every municipality in Montenegro during the march. Now these people are signing a proposal like this, which sets such high fines that the essence is quite clear - to prevent any individual from expressing their protest in this way," said Zirojević.
However, as he said, the important message that needs to be sent to the representatives of the current parliamentary majority is that the political situation in Montenegro is quite turbulent and very changeable.
"So when, and if, they vote for this legal solution, they should definitely keep in mind that in the very, very near future there could come a time when we will apply the solution that they are proposing today and which they will potentially adopt, to them," concluded Zirojević.
