Podgorica, (MINA) - Members of the Montenegrin Parliament have concluded discussion on the candidates for the elections of Constitutional Court judges, proposed by the Constitutional Committee and President Jakov Milatovic, whose election in the first round of voting requires a two-thirds majority, or 54 votes.

Milatovic previously submitted to the Parliament a proposal to elect Mirjana Vucinic as a Constitutional Court judge, while the Constitutional Committee proposed Mirjana Radovic and Jovan Jovanovic.

If the candidates fail to secure the required majority in the first round, a second round of voting will be organized no sooner than one month later, when, according to the Constitution, three-fifths support is required, or 49 votes.

Vasilije Carapic, MP of the Europe Now Movement, said during the debate that MPs have a very important decision to make, warning that by the end of the year the Constitutional Court might find itself in a situation that it does not have a quorum, if judges are not elected.

He called on the MPs to support the election of Radovic and Jovanovic, the candidates proposed by the Constitutional Committee, adding that there has been little information about Vucinic, put forward by President Milatovic, since he failed to conduct consultations.

Andrija Nikolic, head of the parliamentary club of the Democratic Party of Socialists, assessed that Montenegro is in a constitutional and political crisis.

He argues that the parliamentary majority MPs bear the greatest responsibility for the situation, because they are in charge of the election of Constitutional Court judges.

“The authority of the European Union (EU), which was a guarantee that the Venice Commission recommendations will be implemented, is being tested here. Those recommendations are not being respected”, said Nikolic and pointed out that there has been no dialogue with the parliamentary opposition.

He assessed that the judges will probably not be elected because, as he said, no agreement has been struck within the parliamentary majority.

Head of the New Serbian Democracy parliamentary club, Dejan Djurovic, stated that the election of Constitutional Court judges is the duty of all those who wish Montenegro well.

Social Democrats (SD) MP Nikola Zirojevic said that it seems that “the pressure of the international community to fill the vacancies within the Constitutional Court has borne fruit”.

“How can you expect the parliamentary majority to negotiate with the opposition, when you cannot even agree among each other”, asked Zirojevic.

Milos Konatar, Head of the URA parliamentary club, said that everyone would see why Montenegro has the largest government in the world.

He added that URA will not participate in “this show and simulation of Montenegro’s European path staged by the parliamentary majority”.

Bosniak Party (BS) MP Jasmin Corovic said that his party, above all, demands respect for the Constitution and the Law on the Constitutional Court, as well as the principle of meritocracy.

“Precisely because we believe that the Constitution, the Law, and the principle of meritocracy have not been respected, the BS MPs will not support the two candidates proposed by the Constitutional Committee”, Corovic announced.

Corovic argues that the candidate proposed by BS to the Constitutional Committee had the best references.