Milo Djukanovic

Tandem

As tensions continue to rage within Montenegro between the Government and supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has voiced only moderate criticism of what is going on in the neighbouring country. Strange, for a man who seeks to position himself as the champion of Serbs in the region.

Since December last year, when Montenegro adopted its controversial law regulating freedom of religion, the country has been caught up in an ongoing crisis that has sparked street protests and caused serious tensions between the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro and its supporters on one side and the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists led by President Milo Djukanovic on the other.

He appealed to Djukanovic to "consider his actions."
The Patriarch said that even during the Ottoman Empire and during communism, the authorities had much more respect for the Serbian Orthodox Church, "compared to today."

Police patrol in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo:BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

"A criminal complaint has been filed against Cabarkapa and the state prosecutor has stated that he offended Montenegro's reputation in a published post," the police directorate said.

The virtual summit, organized by the EU Presidency of Croatia and chaired by European Council President Charles Michel, will be held from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

Freedom House's latest 'Nations in Transit' report, published on Wednesday, strongly criticises Serbia, Montenegro and Hungary for falling democratic standards and classifies all three countries for the first time as 'hybrid regimes'.

Police patrol in Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

On Thursday, authorities put Radovan Rakocevic from the town of Bijelo Polje in custody for 72 hours for the offence of spreading panic. Rakocevic had shared an article on Facebook from a Belgrade tabloid, Alo, which claimed that Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic had been infected with the coronavirus.

War damage in Dubrovnik in 1991. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Bracodbk.

"Around 75 per cent of citizens have heard about the attacks on Dubrovnik, but half of them refuse to answer [when asked] who was to blame for the attacks," said Milos Vukanovic from the Centre for Civic Education.

It is about declaring the Presidency's conclusion and decision of 19 February very damaging to the vital interests of Republika Srpska.
The statements were supported by all 56 MPs present, none were against or abstaining. Opposition MPs did not attend the vote, Avaz.ba reports.

At a special session on ended early on Thursday, the assembly of Bosnia's mainly Serb entity, Republika Srpska, backed vetoes proposed by Milorad Dodik on the visit of the President of Montenegro and on cooperation with the EU border agency Frontex.