Prime Minister Đukanović: Rule of law prerequisite for country's democratisation, economy growth, accession processes

Podgorica, Montenegro (27 March 2014) – Questions to the Prime Minister session was held yesterday at the Parliament of Montenegro, where MPs asked Prime Minister Milo Đukanović about the Government’s policies and activities. 

The Prime Minister received a question on the activities the Government of Montenegro is undertaking in order to strengthen the rule of law and fight against organised crime and corruption.

PM Đukanović underlined that the rule of law, as one of the Government’s key priorities, is not an imposed requirement within the EU agenda, but a domestic imperative aimed at more dynamic and constructive development of Montenegro’s democracy and economy.

The Government is making efforts to promote the rule of law and the results are apparent, he emphasised, but the country, as any other western democracy, cannot count on reaching the ideal status in this area, Prime Minister underlined.

"An accountable state has no other option in addressing this issue but to raise performance efficiency of the state authorities and to vigorously combat illegal activities, thus sending a clear message that constitutional and legal systems of the country have to be respected," PM Đukanović underlined.

Prime Minister pointed out that new legal initiatives have been launched for the purpose of promoting the system dealing with synchronisation of interagency work in Montenegro's security sector. In that regard, the Government is trying to develop a more competent and efficient integrated security system aimed at greater legal protection of citizens, he noted. 

The rule of law is the most important issue within the overall progress of Montenegro and it’s also a test of accountability and liability of the Montenegrin government and the entire society in assuming the obligations from the EU and NATO agenda, PM Đukanović pointed out. Therefore, he added, the Government is working hard towards advancing the institutions’ competence, efficiency and functionality in order to strengthen the citizens’ trust in the system.

According to PM Đukanović, no state can experience economic growth without making achievements in the rule of law area.

“The only way to spread the message across domestic and international business companies that Montenegro is reliable destination for investment is to assure them it cherishes the rule of law," he explained.

PM Đukanović seized the opportunity to invite the Parliament to appoint supreme state prosecutor as quickly as possible, bearing in mind it is a crucial presumption for the efficient and reliable rule of law implementation.

“The appointment of supreme state prosecutor should not be a product of bad parties' settlements. We need a person completely loyal to the state’s interests, as it is prosecutor's role in any judicial system,“ M Đukanović concluded.