Abazovic government at risk

The harshest response has been from parties participating in Montenegro's government or offering it political support in the Assembly: Social Democrat Party (SDP) and Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Criticism has been conveyed with warnings that the government, elected two months ago, could lose support in the Assembly, where there is a majority of only three votes.

What is sharply opposed to the draft government agreement is the part that recognises the subjectivity of the Serbian Church in Montenegro six centuries earlier than that of the Church in Serbia.

Known as the Constitutional Agreement, it is signed with religious communities to regulate bilateral property and judicial relations.

After nearly a decade of unsuccessful negotiations on previous governments, Montenegro's current prime minister, Dritan Abazovic, has pledged quick signing of the Constitutional Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Following the release of the Constitutional Agreement draft on June 28th, which is said to have had an agreement between the Government and the Serbian Orthodox Church, violent reactions followed.

Draginja Vuksanovic, SDP deputy, the party that has two ministers in Abazovic's Government, said the draft agreement is “farce, treason and occupation”.

From this party said unofficially about the Balkan Radio Europe Free Radio Service that, if the Government accepts this version of the Constitutional Agreement with the Church, “the government will inevitably fall and new parliamentary elections will be announced”.

From DPS they said that the text has “evidently bad intentions against Montenegro and added that the Government is obliged to protect Montenegrin national interests.

“) Otherwise, the consequences are known”, said Milos Nikollic, a spokesman for DPS.

Even Predrag Boskovic, from this party, said the <x0document adapted to the Serbian Orthodox Church” is the “attempt to steal Montenegro's history and cultural treasure” and added that it will not pass.

This country and its greatest invaders have endured. He's going to last these”, he said.

Even though DPS is not in Government, the party gives parliamentary support to the minority government, led by Abazovic, which was voted in late April of this year.

From “Matica crnogorska”, the cultural institution in Montenegro, said that with the signing of such an agreement, the country “would sign the chapter act”.

Besides hearing I'm a traitor, I haven't heard yet that certain provisions are not in order”, Abazovic said.

He said that parties that are dissatisfied with the harmonised text of the Constitutional Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church have been aware of its contents.

The “DPS and SDP representatives have known the text and had no objection to the norm” part, Abazovic said.

But, Defence Minister Rasko Konjevic, from SDP, published a letter to Abazovic's cabinet, which shows that this party has rejected the draft agreement.

The DPS said the prime minister is misleading the opinion and that this party has objections to the agreement.

Abazovic met with the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, on 30 June in Belgrade. The latter said that the adoption of the text of the Constitutional Agreement could impose <x0-currence” on normalising relations between Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Abazovic said after the meeting that it is necessary to conduct all procedures at the level of working groups and other organs in Montenegro's Government and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

For opponents of the version of the Constitutional Agreement, it is controversial that the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro is known as judicial subjectivity from 1219, while in Serbia its legal subjectivity is recognised by 1836.

So, according to the proposal, parts of the Serbian Orthodox Church, four dioceses operating in Montenegro, are nearly six centuries older than the church itself “at” Whose headquarters is in Belgrade.

Furthermore, the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro would be the oldest “ ” than the state of Montenegro itself.

Montenegro, so far, has signed Constitutional Agreements with the Holy See at the Vatican, and has arranged bilateral relations with the Islamic and Jewish community by agreement.

It is the term <x0mortal> ” that is controversial in the agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, because it is not subject to international law and does not have the status of the state church in Montenegro.

The foundation agreement, signed by the Montenegrin government with the Holy See in June 2011, contains that defining one because it is the agreement between the state of Montenegro and the Vatican state, internationally recognised.

When agreements were signed with the Islamic and Jewish community in Montenegro, the term “themorial” has dropped.

Some politicians and experts say signatories of the agreement with the Church would have to be the four dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which are registered in Montenegro, not their headquarters in Belgrade.

Similar experiences have been experienced by Croatia.

In December 2001, Croatia's then prime minister, Ivica Racan, has signed agreements with the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia. On behalf of the Church has signed Zagreb and Ljubljana's Mitrovica, Jovan.

The deal has not been <x0morial”, but “agreement on issues of common interest”, and has not been signed by the then patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Pavle.

Montenegro's negotiations on the Constitutional Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church were launched ten years ago during the DPS government, which fell from power in August 2020. / REL