Šarec: On Thursday I Expect a Quorum for Mandić’s Dismissal — ‘Removing One Man Must Not Cause a Government Crisis’

The European Parliament’s rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec, said he expects there to be a quorum on Thursday for the parliamentary session that will consider the DPS’s initiative to dismiss Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić.

Speaking on ETV, Šarec said he does not like it when “the match is given up in advance” — on the contrary, he wants to watch it. According to him, Parliament will vote as it votes and every decision will be respected, but the European Union had to warn and say “enough is enough”.

The backdrop to the reaction is the condolence telegram Mandić sent for the son of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić — a group of MEPs warned on Tuesday evening that such an act does not serve Montenegro’s European path. Šarec stressed that for the EU Mladić is neither a hero nor a general, while Mandić is Parliament Speaker 24 hours a day and represents all citizens. “The same is the story with Hashim Thaçi, with Slobodan Praljak in Croatia. This brings nothing but delays, instead of closing chapters and Montenegro becoming an EU member as soon as possible. We are all committed to this. The momentum in the EU will not last forever. It’s now or never,” Šarec said.

Asked whether Mandić’s possible dismissal could endanger the parliamentary majority, Šarec said one individual cannot be above the system: “Why would removing one man cause a crisis if there is no will for it? If the majority is as we think, this will not happen. How someone votes — that is their right. But I want the procedure to continue, for positions to be expressed, for things to be clarified and to move forward. For us there is no dilemma — Montenegro must enter the EU.”

Asked why the decision was made to go public precisely now, Šarec said the European Parliament is often faster than others in Brussels, not just regarding Montenegro. He praised the Ministry of European Affairs and the chief negotiator and said there is no need to deal with “Balkan histories” — the Balkans are history, it is time to look forward.

Source: Portal Analitika