Milatović cannot sign the laws because the deadlines have expired

The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, informed the Assembly of Montenegro that he could not sign the previously adopted laws, as his predecessor, Milo Đukanović, had not promulgated those acts within the time frame stipulated by the Constitution.
As stated in the press release of Milatović's cabinet, the provision of Article 94 of the Constitution of Montenegro establishes the obligation of the President of the State to promulgate laws and defines the deadlines for the execution of this obligation.
Thus, as stated, it is prescribed that the President of Montenegro is obliged to promulgate the law within seven days from the day of its adoption, or within three days if the law was adopted under an urgent procedure, or to return the law to the Assembly for re-decision. Paragraph 2 of the same article establishes the duty of the President to announce the re-voted law.
"On inspection of the documentation after taking over the duties of the President of Montenegro, it was established that the former President did not promulgate submitted laws within the prescribed time limits nor did he return them to the Assembly for re-decision, and in the case of the law on amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government - he did not promulgate the re-voted law. In addition to the above, the former President did not officially inform the Parliament of Montenegro about the reasons for not acting on the submitted legal texts", the press release of Milatović's cabinet states.
As they explain, bearing in mind that the inaction of the former President led to the expiration of the deadlines provided for by the Constitution of Montenegro, but also the fact that the Constitution does not specify the powers that the Assembly can exercise, after its dissolution, President Milatović notes that acting in the way that the Assembly requires would be legally unfounded and additionally burdensome for the legitimacy of the legislative process that followed the adoption of the laws in question.
"Aware of the exceptional importance and emphasized social component of some relevant laws, such as the Law on Amendments to the Law on Veterans and Disability Protection, the Law on Amendments to the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance, etc. The President considers it necessary that their adoption and promulgation, in its entirety and unambiguously, be harmonized with the Constitution, without giving reasons that could later call into question their viability in the legal system of Montenegro", said the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro.
As they say, the President will invest his authority so that the new convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro, which will be constituted after the upcoming parliamentary elections, would have the opportunity to decide on the laws in question as soon as possible, after which the conditions would be met to act in accordance with the duties that is in the process of promulgating the law.
"For the President of Montenegro, the protection of the constitutional order is an inviolable principle in the performance of his duties, especially since in the past period, on several occasions, we have witnessed attempts to endanger it," concludes the announcement of the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro.
M. J.