Podgorica, (MINA) – The Parliament of Montenegro readopted on Thursday amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency (ANB).

The Parliament adopted these laws after President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic returned them for reconsideration, citing shortcomings indicated by himself, the opposition and the NGO sector.

Amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs were adopted with 47 votes in favor and 22 voted against, with no abstentions.

The adoption of the Law on ANB was also supported by 47 MPs, 21 voted against, while there were no abstentions.

Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MPs resigned from their positions as Deputy Parliament Speaker, co-chair of the Comprehensive Electoral Reform Committee and chairs of the European Integration and Anti-Corruption committees, due to the adoption of those laws on March 6.

Head of DPS parliamentary club Andrija Nikolic said that if the parliamentary majority persists in its intention and supports the in a repeated vote, it would be clear that the government is undermining the Constitution and formally introducing repression as a model of state management.

He stated that in such circumstances DPS, as the leading opposition party, considers that further parliamentary cooperation with the Government is not acceptable.

“In the future, we will not vote for any proposal of the Government, because we do not want to give legitimacy to the policies that institutionalizes the police state in Montenegro. We are telling citizens that this is a moment when freedom is being defended, any silence today means consenting to tomorrow’s repression”, said Nikolic.

Social Democrat MP Boris Mugosa said that laws in the field of security violate the fundamental principles of the EU, as well as the Constitution and the legal order of Montenegro.

“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes our obligation and duty”, Mugosa concluded.