Nikoliq: Vučić influenced yesterday’s lack of quorum in the Montenegrin Parliament

The head of the parliamentary club of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Andrija Nikoliq, has stated that the lack of quorum at the session of the Parliament of Montenegro is the result of direct interference from Belgrade, as reported by Portal Analitika. In an interview for the “24 Sata” show on Television E, given on Thursday evening, Nikoliq accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of exercising “decisive influence” so that the session would fail to reach quorum.

According to Nikoliq, Vučić — “in agreement with Milan Knežević” — stopped his three deputies from attending and giving quorum. He added that the current Parliament Speaker, Andrija Mandić, “once again confirmed that he is a politician of the past,” stressing that “there is no coexistence between a Chetnik duke who denies the genocide in Srebrenica and glorifies war criminals, and Montenegro’s European path.”

Nikoliq described Mandić as “the first parliament speaker in the history of Montenegrin parliamentarism to flee his own parliament,” aiming, according to him, to hide his fear of a confidence vote. He also claimed that Mandić organized the absence of deputies by “locking up the entire PES deputies’ club,” while deputies Radinka Ćinćur and Tonći Janović were sent on official trips solely to deny the Parliament quorum.

He also criticized the barring of journalists from the session and said the quorum was determined “behind closed doors.” In the end, Nikoliq announced that the DPS will renew its initiative to dismiss Mandić as soon as the procedural opportunity arises.