- Government of Montenegro
PM Marković: Proposed law on freedom of religion i...
Please note: The page below represents the archived content relating to the previous Government of Montenegro. Some of the information might be inaccurate or outdated.
Archive
PM Marković: Proposed law on freedom of religion is not revolutionary law that confiscates property but commitment of Government that we will resolutely bring to an end
Published on: Dec 16, 2019 • 9:42 PM Author: PR Service
Prime Minister Duško Marković said today that allegations that the Holy See, during his official visit the day before yesterday, raised the issue of the proposed law on freedom of religion or belief and the legal position of religious communities are manipulation calculated to block further democratisation of Montenegro, adding that the Government is determined to fulfill the commitment assumed following the independence and prescribed by the Constitution.
"What emerged from that conversation is that both Montenegro and the Holy See want the highest degree of consensus on the law. And as you know, we have worked for these five years to reach that consensus. There can be no consensus if one does not want it," the Prime Minister answered a question from a journalist of the daily Vijesti during his visit to Tivat.
The Prime Minister said that there is no opposition either from the Catholic Church in Montenegro, the Islamic Community in Montenegro or the Jewish community.
"We have opposition from of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral for known reasons that are irrational. There were inquiries from the Delegation of the European Union and some embassies about the timing of this law as it was speculated that we were pushing this law to stop the dialogue on election conditions. I asked them: has the law on freedom of religion or belief and the legal status of religious communities ever been subject to electoral legislation? Never! Was this law brought into the context of negotiations on the original terms by any party in Montenegro, including opposition parties? It wasn't! Was this law kept in a drawer and suddenly put into parliamentary procedure to create political obstruction? It wasn't not, because we have been working on this law for 4-5 years, that law has been the subject of wide consultation and debate, both nationally and internationally. Finally, the law was endorsed by the Venice Commission as the undisputed advisory authority in Europe. We have accepted all the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and in accordance with the Government's agenda, we have submitted it to the Parliament," PM Marković stressed.
The Prime Minister reminded that the drafting of this law was in the Government's programme and that, therefore, everyone knew that the Government was working on the law and that the proposed law would be submitted to the Parliament.
"I want to send a message: This is not a revolutionary law, this is not a law involving the seizure of property from the religious communities, neither from any community nor the Serbian Orthodox Church. This is the law by which we, by the highest European standards, regulate this area like every regulated society and like every other democratic state. This is a law that will define what belongs to the church and what belongs to the state, regardless of who officiates religious ceremonies in those churches. Therefore, by this law we will not expel the clergy from the existing facilities of the Serbian Orthodox Church, nor will we impose the new one. It is a simple manipulation to stop the process of democratisation of Montenegro and the process of bringing this important issue to an end. The Government remains resolute in this regard," Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded.
PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO
PHOTO AND VIDEO: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmK42sV7
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/cD-8Sy6DpWk
Related articles:
Prime Minister Spajić presents Barometer 26 Nov 21, 2024
Is this page useful?