Podgorica, (MINA) – Representatives of the government and part of the parliamentary opposition signed an agreement on Tuesday, based on the deal reached with the mediation of the EU Delegation in Podgorica, which, as announced, defines amendments to the laws on internal affairs and the National Security Agency (ANB) and reaching a broad agreement on key appointments in parliament.

 

 

The signing of the agreement, as announced at the press conference by the opposition representatives, created the conditions for launching the procedure for constitutional amendments.

 

Leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists Danijel Zivkovic said that it was now possible to immediately open debate on constitutional amendments, and in the next two months implement everything envisaged by the agreement, primarily before July 31, when the regular session of the Parliament ends.

 

“Today we signed an agreement that is the result of talks based on the platform the opposition presented a little more than a month ago”, said Zivkovic.

 

According to him, the platform was developed as a way to overcome the long-standing lack of trust between the government and the opposition.

 

“It’s good that today we have reached a different position from the initial one, when the government rejected the platform. Today, the government accepted most of the parliamentary opposition’s proposals”, said Zivkovic.

 

According to him, the agreement defines amendments to the laws on internal affairs and the National Security Agency (ANB), as well as a broad agreement on appointments in the Parliament, and above all in the Fiscal and Judicial Council, the Constitutional Court and the RTCG Council.

 

According to Zivkovic, the third part of the agreement concerns the need of agreement on the laws regarding the electoral legislation and establishes that no changes in that area can be made without the consent by the parliamentary opposition.

 

He further said that the fourth part of the agreement provides for the establishment of a working group that will work on establishing mechanisms and supervision in order to build trust in the electoral process.

 

“It regards to the prevention of potential abuses that could occur in the case of misuse of state resources, which is an additional oversight mechanism”, said Zivkovic.

 

According to him, the opposition has demonstrated that there is no successful European path without it, as well as that it is a stability factor in Montenegro.

 

“But also, that without an agreement with the opposition, there can be neither institutional nor political stability in Montenegro”, added Zivkovic.

 

He expressed hope that the government will show full responsibility when it comes to the implementation of the agreement.