Crisis in Montenegro due to denial of Srebrenica genocide

Krivokapiq announced on April 5th that he has requested Leposaviqi's departure because of his stance on the genocide in Srebrenica.

On March 26th, Leposaviq declared before the Montenegrin Parliament that he is willing to admit that in Srebrenica there has been genocide “when such a matter is proven without doubt”.

With this statement, he also challenged The Hague tribunal's legitimacy of the former Yugoslavia, which has concluded that genocide has occurred in Srebrenica.

Leposaviq was elected justice minister on December 4th of last year, along with 11 other ministers of the Krivokapic government.

The government, which ousted the Democratic Party of Socialists after 30 years in power, was voted in by a majority of 41 MPs led by the pro-Serbian Democratic Front, Democrats and the civic movement URA.

The Democratic Front and Democrats said this week they would not support the minister's dismissal because of his statements regarding Srebrenica.

So far, the most difficult exam for the Krivokapiqi Government

The government has fallen into the most serious crisis so far, due to the genocide in Srebrenica ? an event that occurred 26 years ago tells Radio Free Europe Daliborka Ularevic, director of the Centre for Citizen Education (CGO).

“So far, this is the strongest indicator of basic misunderstandings between the prime minister and representatives of the ruling coalition, as well as mutual differences on a number of issues. It is also an indication that this government is not as expert and does not follow the European agenda”, Ularevic says.

As an example, it mentions exactly Leposaviqi and his views on Srebrenica.

“Leposaviq did not show any visible expertise during his own mandate and did not promote the system of values and standards in the field of human rights, which were inherited from the most progressive members of the European Union”, Ularevq says.

The lawyer and former minister of justice in Montenegro, Dragan Shoq, says there is no result from the dismissal of Leposaviqi if it happens at all, which would be favourable to the prime minister and his government.

It is clear that the prime minister does not support the group supporting the Government for the removal of Leposaviqi. On the other hand, if you pull that proposal, it would undermine its legitimacy as prime minister”.

Whatever option is not good and this is not a pleasant political situation for Government”, Shoq says.

Is it the European road, new elections, or the continuation of the riots?
In response to Leposavisic's statement on Srebrenica, the European Union said on March 29th that it rejects and condemns any denial, relativisation or misinterpretation of the genocide in Srebrenica.

For the same case, the United States Embassy in Podgorica expressed its concern and hope that the Montenegro government will unequivocally condemn the massacre, and will call it the same as genocide” has been.

Since the Democratic Front and Democrats, like the two largest groups in power, have already said they will not vote for the removal of Leposaviqi, the question is what might be the epilogue of the conflict between the prime minister and parties that have elected him as head of government? On March 5, Prime Minister Krivokapiq had no dilemma:

I say, based on the information I have, that this is an attempt to overthrow Government from within. Numerous representatives of certain ruling parties and the Democratic Party of Socialists” work for this.

Despite the situation, Daliborka Ularevich says he does not expect a change in the Montenegrin government's “European programme”.

I don't expect any change, because we've been on that road for a long time... This new government has done nothing to move things forward, mainly because of the fundamental ignorance of the integration process”, Ularevic says.

She also does not believe the new elections would be a real epilogue of the current government crisis.

I don't believe this conflict can cause early parliamentary elections immediately. I think this painful overthrow of political actors will intensify, which will not be in favour of public interest and topics that now have priority: health, economy, rule of law”, says Ularevic.

Krivokapiq warned that he would submit to Montenegro's Parliament the request for the dismissal of Leposaviqi, but there is no legal deadline, within which this point should be on the agenda.

Dragan Shoq tells Radio Free Europe that the speaker of the Parliament decides when this point will be in order of the day.

For me, it's logical that this should be handled as priority, because it's about Government, but there's no time limit”, he says.

If Minister Leposaviq is removed and parliament does not support the election of a new candidate, Shoq says that in that case, free position would be filled by one of the ministers or prime minister.

The Democratic Front and Democrats said they would not support the minister's dismissal, which means 37 MPs from the current parliamentary majority are opposed.

As an excuse, the Democratic Front said Leposaviqi's views are shared by all Serbs in Montenegro.

Until there are deputies of the Democratic Front, Leposaviq will not be dismissed because of the positions each Serb shares in Montenegro”, Slaven Radunovic said of this political subject.

For the Democrats, the vote on the removal of Leposavic is a problem, “aside from whether it is the parliamentary majority agreement”. And, obviously, the agreement does not exist, due to opposition from the Democratic Front.

Darken Only The URA, with four deputies, thinks those who “do not understand that genocide occurred in Srebrenica, have no place in the functions of the state”.

Of the 40 opposition deputies, Leposaviqi's removal has already been declared: The Social Democratic Party, the Social Democrats, Bosniaks and the Liberal Party - a total of 9 deputies.

Such an attitude is expected by the 29 deputies of the Democratic Party of Socialists, who have sought the removal of Leposaviqi, as well as by the two representatives of Albanian parties.

Parliamentary arithmetic shows that the only option for dismissal could be the opposition's votes, along with the ruling party's votes, URA.

Leposavic himself has not been declared regarding the request for his dismissal.

Krivokapiq said Leposaviq will stay in the minister's position until the election of a youth, because “wants to continue performing this” function.

This is his right until “is downloaded, Krivokapic said.

“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia”
Hundreds of citizens in Podgorica, Niksic, Tivar, Berane and other cities of Montenegro protested following the prime minister's decision to initiate the dismissal of Leposaviqi.

Meeting in front of the Government building in Podgorica, they cheered: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia”, “Tradti, treason”, “We will not give the holy”, “You betrayed us”

Podgorica: People with Serbia's flags protest the possible dismissal of Montenegrin Justice Minister Vadicmir Leposaviq.
They denied genocide in Srebrenica with the banner: “due to Srebrenica, a Serb is being removed from the office, remember that there was no genocide”.

The rally also offends Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Alexa Beciq, saying he has committed treason after wishing Glauk Konjufca the choice at the head of the Kosovo Assembly and has said Pristina can account for the help of Podgorica.

The congratulations was published on the Kosovo Parliament's site on April 2nd, while the Montenegrin public arrived through Serbian media, which they deemed as “-tradition” and “turp”. /rel/