Eskobar: Do not try to form a new government on the basis of amendments to the President Act

Special envoy of the United States (USA) for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Eskobar, urged the Assembly not to try to form a new government according to the recently adopted amendments to the President Act.

In an interview with the Mina agency, Eskobar said he did not see that they could now work with a government that would be formed under these conditions.

He said that, in the absence of a completely functional Constitutional Court, the adoption of a controversial measure to limit the president's authority, with the ignoring the clear advice of the Venetian Commission, further disturbed the Montenegrin Democratic institutions.

Montenegro is now on unexplored territory, but I want to be clear and invite the Assembly to not try to form a new government under this law. My message is for Montenegrin leaders: don't do it, ”Eskobar pointed out.

He emphasized that every government formed in this way and without the Constitutional Court would be constitutionally suspicious.

My meetings here showed that there would be serious questions of her legitimacy within Montenegro and in the international community. I usually don't talk about hypothetical things, but I don't see how they could work with a government that would be formed under these conditions - said Eskobar.

He estimated that the first step in resolving the crisis was to re -establish a completely functional Constitutional Court.

The Venetian Commission was clear and the United States were completely bent with it. If you have a sufficient number of qualified candidates for the judges of the Constitutional Court, they should be elected without delay - said the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans.

He pointed out that this concrete step would show the willingness of political leaders to leave political differences aside for the well -being of the state.

Eskobar emphasized that after re -establishing the Constitutional Court, Montenegro should maintain early parliamentary elections.

From August 2020, two governments have fallen, and as far away from the choice these are the mandates of the chosen officials are getting weaker. The new elections would renew the confidence of citizens in the Government and give a clear mandate that needs this country to overcome the crisis and return to the path of the European Union - said Eskobar.

He warned that Montenegro was in a deep institutional crisis, almost in collapse, and that he was approaching the status of the dysfunctional state.

The current crisis is such that the failure to emerge from it will lead to the escalation of restlessness, to threaten the way of Montenegro to access the EU, weaken its relations with the Allies and destabilize its economy - said Eskobar.

According to him, they are now worried because they need a strong, reliable Montenegro as a partner and NATO an ally who can take on an important role in solving critical regional and European issues.

Eskobar said that after meeting with Montenegrin leaders and heard their visions, he felt a certain optimism that Montenegro would find the way forward.

And my message to all Montenegrin leaders is that now is the time to put national interests in front of party interests and to make difficult compromises needed for the country to move and to best serve the interests of the citizens of Montenegro. This is what we expect from the leadership of our NATO allies - he said.

He said that an open Balkan initiative is a question that the citizens of Montenegro should finally decide, either through a referendum or through the chosen official with a clear voter mandate.

Eskobar said they support all regional economic integration initiatives, but that this support exists only if two major conditions are filled.

The first is that the initiative is closer to the Member States of Europe and that it is not in conflict with their European obligations within the Berlin process or any other process that Europe leads. The second condition is that all the Western Balkan countries can approach that initiative as a full member - he specifically specified.

He said that if any of these conditions would not be fulfilled, he would now withdraw his support to the open Balkans.

However, I want to be clear: there is no need to decide on this at this moment. It will be a time for a serious discussion about the matter in the future. Now we have to urgently act on things that lead to Montenegro leads to the crisis - concluded Eskobar.

M.J.