2019 Montenegrin protests | |||
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![]() Symbol of the protests depicting hashtag "Resist!" | |||
Date | February 2, 2019 - present | ||
Location | |||
Caused by | |||
Goals | |||
Methods | Demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance | ||
Parties to the civil conflict | |||
Lead figures | |||
In February 2019, protests began in the Montenegro against the incumbent President Milo Đukanović and the government led by the Prime Minister Duško Marković from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has been in power since 1991.[3]
Contents
Background
Allegations of the corruption
In 2015, the investigative journalists' network OCCRP named Montenegro's long-time President and Prime Minister Milo Đukanović "Person of the Year in Organized Crime"[4], five years earlier British daily The Independent placed him on a list of the world's top 20 richest politicians.[5] He denies most of the claims about his wealth. In 2016, Vice-president of Đukanović's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Svetozar Marović was arrested in connection to a long-running corruption case concerning his hometown of Budva, Montenegrin prosecutor's office marked him as "head of Budva criminal group", which he later admitted at the Court.[6]
"Atlas" and "Envelope" affairs
In mid-January, a video clip from 2016 surfaced in which Đukanović former ally, businessman Duško Knežević, chairman of the Montenegro-based Atlas Group, appeared to hand the Mayor of Podgorica and high-ranked DPS member, Slavoljub Stijepović, an envelope containing what Knežević later said was $97,000, to fund a Democratic Party of Socialists parliamentary election campaign.[7] After fled to London, United Kingdom, Knežević told the media he had been providing such unreported money to the DPS for the past 25 years.[8] Another video Knežević released in February shown a senior Montenegrin Central bank official asking for a bribe for not sending inspectors into one of Knežević's banks.[9] He's also released documents claiming they prove that he helped finance Đukanović's lavish travels abroad and covering his personal expenses.
Assault on journalists
In early May 2018 Olivera Lakić, investigative journalist from the Montenegrin daily newspaper Vijesti, was shot and wounded in front of her house in Podgorica, after she had published a series of articles about alleged murky businesses involving top state officials and their families.[10] As of now, the identity of the person who fired Lakić is still unknown.[11]
Accusations of electoral fraud
All 39 opposition MPs (out of 81 in total) are boycotting the Parliament since the constitution of its current convocation in December 2016, due to claims of electoral fraud at the 2016 parliamentary elections, demanding snap elections and reform of electoral laws. The largest opposition subject, Democratic Front (DF), decides to end the boycott and return to parliament in December 2017, as did newly formed, United Montenegro (UCG).[12] The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the DEMOS both decides to end the boycott and return to parliament, after poor results in May 2018 local elections, as did Socialist People's Party (SNP). Leaving Democratic Montenegro (DCG) and United Reform Action (URA), who remaining in a boycott with the same demands.[13]
Anti-corruption protests
Protests have started after the revelation of footage and documents that appear to implicate top officials in obtaining suspicious funds for the Đukanović' party. The demonstrations were organized by newly-formed "97,000 - Odupri se!" (97,000 - Resist!) civic group[14], the informal group of intellectuals, academics, NGO activists and journalists[15] and supported from Montenegrin parliamentary opposition parties; Democratic Montenegro, United Reform Action, DEMOS, Socialist People's Party, Social Democratic Party, United Montenegro, as well as Democratic Front alliance (all 39 opposition MPs, out of 81 in total)[16][17] and newly-formed extra-parliamentary parties such as populist True Montenegro, liberal the Montenegrin and the left-wing New Left, demanding that the government resigns for the formation of a technical government, on the grounds that the conditions for free and transparent elections are not in place, but also resignation of president Đukanovic and the chief prosecutor for organized crime, among others. Prominent leaders of the protests have included Džemal Perović, civic activist and former vice president of the Montenegrin parliament and Miloš Krivokapić, law student at University of Montenegro. The political background of protesters and organisers is diverse, with both left-wing, liberal, moderate, and right-wing factions voicing opposition to the government. Đukanović, Marković and other ruling party prominent representatives denied that the country was going through the political crisis, accusing protesters of being financed and organized by the opposition parties and businessman Duško Knežević, and that their goal is to destabilize the Country. Organizers reject any connection with Knežević, considering him as part of Montenegrin corrupt system.
Demands
Organizers accuse the President Milo Đukanović who has held power for almost 30 years, of presiding over poverty, a loss of human rights and media freedom, partocracy and systematic corruption. Organizers main demands are the resignations of president Đukanović, but also of Prime minister Duško Marković and his cabinet, to form an technical government that would prepare the conditions for free and transparent elections. They seek the resignation of the State prosecutor, Ivica Stanković, and the chief prosecutor for organized crime Milivoje Katnić. They accuse both senior law officials of ignoring evidence and not prosecuting manifest corruption in the ranks of Đukanović's inner circle.[18] Protesters later demanded irrevocable resignations of Montenegrin state-owned broadcaster, RTCG Council and the Director general, accusing them of partiality and ruling Party propaganda.[19][20]
See also
References
- ^ Perović: Ulica je jedina institucija, Monitor
- ^ Krivokapić: Vidimo se u subotu na ulici - jedinoj slobodnoj instituciji, Vijesti
- ^ Montenegrins march demanding government resignation, Abc news
- ^ OCCRP announces 2015 Organized Crime and Corruption ‘Person of the Year’ Award, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
- ^ Djukanovic Ranked as ’20th Richest World Leader’, Balkaninsight
- ^ Svetozar Marovic failed to pay the fine, CdM
- ^ Objavljen snimak: Knežević uručio kovertu Stijepoviću, Antena M
- ^ Knežević protiv Đukanovića i 'otimanja poslova', Radio Slobodna Evropa
- ^ Novi snimak Kneževića - transkript razgovora sa Miloševićem, Vijesti
- ^ Ranjena novinarka "Vijesti" Olivera Lakić, Vijesti
- ^ Traže se naručioci ranjavanja novinarke, Vijesti
- ^ DF prekida bojkot, u Skupštinu se vraća i UCG, Al Jazeera
- ^ Demokrate i URA poručili DF-u: Prihvatićemo inicijativu, ako trajno napustite Skupštinu i Odbor, Vijesti
- ^ 97,000 - Odupri se!: Sjutra protest ispred VDT, In4s
- ^ Akademska mreža podržala proteste: Cilj je smjena režima ogrezlog u korupciji i nasilju, Vijesti
- ^ Opozicija ponudila pomoć oko protesta, Vijesti
- ^ Opozicija jedinstvena na mrežama: Svi na protest ispred Tužilaštva, Vijesti
- ^ Zahtjevi organizatora protesta: Ostavke Đukanovića, Stankovića, Katnića, Vijesti
- ^ Uprkos orkanskom vetru hiljade ljudi na protestu u Podgorici, Danas
- ^ Sa protesta u Podgorici zatražene neopozive ostavke Savjeta i generalnog direktora RTCG, CdM