2019 Montenegrin protests

2019 Montenegrin protests
File:Oduprise.jpg Symbol of the protests depicting hashtag "Resist!"
Date	February 2, 2019 - present
Location	Podgorica, Montenegro
Caused by	Government corruption Authoritarianism of Milo Đukanović Accusations of electoral fraud Media censorship Particracy
Goals	Freedom of speech Resignation of Milo Đukanović Technical government Free and fair elections
Methods	Demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance
Parties to the civil conflict
Civic movement Montenegrin opposition Montenegrin government (led by DPS)
Lead figures
Xhemal Peroviq Miloš Krivokapić Milo Đukanović Duško Marković
Units involved
Number
Casualties and losses
Casualties

In February 2019, protests began in the Montenegro against the incumbent President Milo Đukanović and the government led by the Prime Minister Duško Marković from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has been in power since 1991.

Background

Allegations of the corruption

Main articles: Democratic Party of Socialists and Milo Đukanović

In 2015, the investigative journalists' network OCCRP named Montenegro's long-time President and Prime Minister Milo Đukanović "Person of the Year in Organized Crime", fiive years earlier British daily The Independent placed him on a list of the world’s top 20 richest politicians. He denies most of the claims about his wealth. In 2016 Vice-president of Đukanović's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Svetozar Marović was arrested in connection to a long-running corruption case concerning his hometown of Budva, Montenegrin prosecutor's office marked him as "head of Budva criminal group", witch he later admitted at the Court.

"Atlas" and "Envelope" affairs

Main article: Duško Knežević

In mid-January, a video clip from 2016 surfaced in which Đukanović 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. After fled to London, United Kindom, Knežević told the media he had been providing such unreported money to the DPS for the past 25 years. Another video Knežević released in February shown a senior Montenegrin Central bank official asking for a bribe for not sending inspectors into one of Knežević's banks. He's also released documents claiming they prove that he helped finance Đukanović’s lavish travels abroad and covering his personal expenses.

Accusations of electoral fraud

Main article: 2016 Montenegrin parliamentary election

All 39 opposition MPs (out of 81 in total) are boycotting the Parliament since the constitution of its current convocation in december 2016, due to claims of electoral fraud at the 2016 parliamentary elections. The largest opposition subject, Democratic Front (DF), decides to end the boycott and return to parliament in December 2017, as did newly formed, United Montenegro (UCG). The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the DEMOS both decides to end the boycott and return to parliament, after poor results in May 2018 local elections, as did Socialist People's Party (SNP). Leaving Democratic Montenegro (DCG) and United Reform Action (URA), who remaining in a boycott with the same demands.

Anti-corruption protests

Protests have 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 informal group of intellectuals, academics, NGO activists and journalists and supported from Montenegrin parliamentary opposition parties; Democratic Montenegro, United Reform Action, DEMOS, Socialist People's Party, Social Democratic Party , United Montenegro, as well as Democratic Front alliance (all 39 opposition MPs, out of 81 in total) and newly-formed extra-parliamentary parties such as populist True Montenegro, liberal the Montenegrin and the left-wing New Left, demanding that the government resigns for the formation of a technical government, on the grounds that the conditions for free and transparent elections are not in place, but also resignation of president Đukanovic and the chief prosecutor for organized crime, among others. Prominent leaders of the protests have included Xhemal Peroviq, civic activist and former Liberal Alliance of Montenegro MP and Miloš Krivokapić, Law student at University of Montenegro. The political background of protesters and organisers is diverse, with both left-wing, liberal, moderate, and right-wing factions voicing opposition to the government.

Demands

Organizers accuse the President Milo Đukanović who has held power for almost 30 years, of presiding over poverty, a loss of human rights and media freedom, partocracy and systematic corruption. They seek the resignation of Đukanović but also of the State prosecutor, Ivica Stanković, and the chief prosecutor for organized crime Milivoje Katnić. They accuse both senior law officials of ignoring evidence and not prosecuting manifest corruption in the ranks of Đukanović’s inner circle.

See also

• Montenegrin protests, 2015-16