2019 Montenegrin anti-corruption protests
2019 Montenegrin protests | |||
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Date | 2 February – 7 December 2019 | ||
Location | Mostly in Podgorica, Montenegro | ||
Caused by |
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Goals |
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Methods | |||
Resulted in | Agreement on the Future | ||
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Lead figures | |||
In February 2019, protests began in
The anti-government protests have been organized by the civil sector of the Montenegrin society, concurrently with the
The protests failed in mid-2019. Involved in corruption affairs within the government and the ruling DPS remain in their offices.
Background
Allegations of corruption
In 2015, the
In 2016, Vice President
The "Atlas" and "Envelope" affairs
In mid-January, a video clip from 2016 surfaced in which President Đukanovićs former ally, businessman Duško Knežević, chairman of the Montenegro-based Atlas Group, appeared to hand the Mayor of Podgorica and high-ranked DPS member, Slavoljub Stijepović, an envelope containing what Knežević later said was $97,000, to fund a Democratic Party of Socialists parliamentary election campaign.[6] After fleeing to London, Knežević told the media he had been providing such unreported money to the DPS for the past 25 years.[7]
Another video Knežević released in February showed a senior Montenegrin Central Bank official asking for a
Assault on journalist Olivera Lakić
In early May 2018
Accusations of electoral fraud
All 39 opposition MPs (out of 81 in total) are boycotting Parliament since the constitution of its current convocation in December 2016, due to claims of electoral fraud at the 2016 parliamentary elections.
Opposition started demanding a
Anti-corruption protests
Protests started after the revelation of footage and documents that appear to implicate top officials in obtaining suspicious funds for the Đukanović' party. The demonstrations were organized by newly formed 97,000 – Odupri se! ("97,000 – Resist!") civic group,
The political backgrounds of protesters and organisers are diverse, with both left-wing, liberal, moderate, and right-wing factions voicing opposition to the government. As support to the main protests in Podgorica, political parties Democrats, Demos and the Montenegrin organized a series of separate minor protests led by its leaders Aleksa Bečić, Miodrag Lekić and Vladimir Pavićević in other Montenegrin settlements, under the slogan "He is done, don't be afraid!".[18] On 30 March, all 39 opposition MPs in the 81-seat parliament signed “Agreement for the Future”, proposed by the protest organizers a week before, pledging unity in the fight against the 30-year rule of Đukanović's party.[19] Đukanović, Marković, and other prominent ruling party representatives denied that the country was going through a political crisis, accusing protesters of being financed and organized by the opposition parties and businessman Duško Knežević and that their goal was to destabilize the country. Organizers reject any connection with Knežević, considering him as part of the corrupt Montenegrin system. In mid-April 2019 after he stopped supporting the protests and its organizers, Knežević, in absentia formed his own civic group named "To freedom!", announcing parallel anti-government protests. Protests eventually have failed in mid-2019.
Demands
Organizers accuse President
Electoral Laws Reform Board
In August 2019 the opposition
After the Democratic Montenegro (Democrats) joined the Board, the right-wing Democratic Front alliance decides to quit, accusing the Democrats of betraying opposition interests.[26]
Board eventually failed at the end of December 2019, after the Democrats left the board sessions in the protest to
Aftermath
As of December 2019
In its political rights and civil liberties worldwide report in May 2020, Freedom House marked Montenegro as a hybrid regime rather than a democracy because of declining standards in governance, justice, elections and media freedom. Freedom House stated that years of increasing state capture, abuse of power and strongman tactics employed by long-term Prime Minister and President Milo Đukanović had tipped country over the edge, and for the first time since 2003, Montenegro was no longer categorised as a democracy. The report emphasised the unequal electoral process, cases of political arrests, negative developments related to judicial independence, media freedoms, as well as a series of unresolved cases of corruption within the DPS-led government.[30][31]
To date, no official proceedings have been initiated against corruption within a DPS-led government, involved in corruption scandals remain in their offices. As of announcing the parliamentary election for August 2020, anti-corruption protest organizers, along with some opposition parties, started a campaign for the boycott of the 2020 parliamentary elections, claiming that the elections would not be held under fair conditions.[32]
See also
- Serbian protests (2018–2020)
- 2019–20 Clerical protests in Montenegro
- 2020 Montenegrin parliamentary election
- 2022 Montenegrin crisis
References
- ^ Montenegrins march demanding government resignation Archived 2019-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Abc news
- ^ ""1 od 5 miliona" podržao proteste u Crnoj Gori: Ista matrica režima kao u Srbiji | N1 Srbija". Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ OCCRP announces 2015 Organized Crime and Corruption ‘Person of the Year’ Award Archived 2018-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
- ^ Djukanovic Ranked as ’20th Richest World Leader’ Archived 2019-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, Balkaninsight
- ^ Svetozar Marovic failed to pay the fine Archived 2019-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, CdM
- ^ Objavljen snimak: Knežević uručio kovertu Stijepoviću Archived 2019-08-24 at the Wayback Machine, Antena M
- ^ Knežević protiv Đukanovića i 'otimanja poslova' Archived 2019-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Radio Slobodna Evropa
- ^ Novi snimak Kneževića - transkript razgovora sa Miloševićem Archived 2019-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Ranjena novinarka "Vijesti" Olivera Lakić Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Traže se naručioci ranjavanja novinarke Archived 2019-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ DF prekida bojkot, u Skupštinu se vraća i UCG Archived 2018-02-15 at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera
- ^ Demokrate i URA poručili DF-u: Prihvatićemo inicijativu, ako trajno napustite Skupštinu i Odbor Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ 97,000 – Odupri se!: Sjutra protest ispred VDT Archived 2019-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, In4s
- ^ Akademska mreža podržala proteste: Cilj je smjena režima ogrezlog u korupciji i nasilju Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Opozicija ponudila pomoć oko protesta Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Opozicija jedinstvena na mrežama: Svi na protest ispred Tužilaštva Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Perović: Ulica je jedina institucija Archived 2019-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Monitor
- ^ GOTOV JE – Protestni skup u Zeti – NE BOJ SE Archived 2019-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, demokrate.me
- ^ Potpisan Sporazum o budućnosti, opozicionari traže ostavke zvaničnika Archived 2019-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, Kurir
- ^ Zahtjevi organizatora protesta: Ostavke Đukanovića, Stankovića, Katnića Archived 2020-01-26 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti
- ^ Uprkos orkanskom vetru hiljade ljudi na protestu u Podgorici Archived 2020-01-26 at the Wayback Machine, Danas
- ^ Sa protesta u Podgorici zatražene neopozive ostavke Savjeta i generalnog direktora RTCG Archived 2020-01-26 at the Wayback Machine, CdM
- ^ Plan u interesu građana Crne Gore Archived 2020-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, RTCG
- ^ Han i Kemp: Dobre vijesti iz Crne Gore, oči sada uprte u implementaciju[permanent dead link]
- ^ Nakon posredovanja Orava Demokrate ipak ulaze u Odbor Archived 2020-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, CdM
- ^ DF: Formalno uspostavljena koalicija Demokrata i DPS-a[permanent dead link], Vijesti
- ^ "DEMOKRATE NAPUSTILE ODBOR: Povući iz procedure zakon koji izaziva međunacionalnu mržnju". 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Predsednik Demokrata Aleksa Bečić o "nastavljenom državnom udaru u Budvi": Premijer izdao naredbu za NAPAD NA DECU | Crna Gora | Novosti.rs". Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "DR DUŠKO D. KNEZEVIC UK🇬🇧 on Instagram: "NAROD: NE DAMO SVETINJE!! #nedamosvetinje #milolopove #crnagora #gotovje #montenegro"". Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- Radio Free Europe
- ^ Crna Gora država pokradenih izbora Archived 2020-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, Dan Online
- ^ Perović: Ne izlazite na izbore, najavite opšti bojkot Archived 2020-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, Dan online, 20 May 2020