Podgorica protest

Metropolitan Amfilohije, the Serbian Orthodox Church's most senior bishop in Montenegro, has called on citizens not to vote for those who supported the contested Freedom of Religion law in coming elections. 

During a Church-led protest against the law on Sunday, Bishop Amfilohije also again urged the government to withdraw the law which parliament passed late last year.

Mass protests of Serbian Orthodox Church clergy and their supporters continued across Montenegro at the weekend as the government and Church negotiate about the fate of the Freedom of Religion law adopted in December. 

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has told members of his ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, not to participate in the popular protests over the new religion law, led by the Serbian Orthodox Church, saying they are against Montenegro.

Following mass protests by ethnic Serbs in Montenegro against the recently adopted Law on Religious Freedom, which they say targets the assets of the Serbian Orthodox Church, agitation against the law has spread to neighbouring Serbia.

While MPs in parliament in Montenegro debated the controversial religious law, many citizens, opposition supporters and Serbian Orthodox priests took to the streets to express anger over what they call a plan to steal the Serbian Orthodox Church's property in Montenegro.

But, as he says, this is happening in the country where Djukanovic is president, which is why he has no right to interfere.

The Democratic Front and the Serbian National Council, which represent the Serbian community in Montenegro, on Monday said they would launch a petition to annul Montenegro's decision to recognize Kosovo's independence.

Montenegro's main opposition alliance, the Democratic Front, on Monday called on the prosecution to reveal which political structures and politicians collaborated with Russian nationalists in an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said on Tuesday that he felt secure and insisted there was no need to "spread panic among the people" despite the Belgrade authorities' arrest of alleged Serbian plotters against him.

Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic said in an exclusive interview for B92 that by recognizing Kosovo no one in Montenegro had any bad intentions towards Serbia.