Podgorica, (MINA) – The Social Democrats (SD) will not give up the only chairman position they have in the parliamentary committees, in the Economy, Finance and Budget Committee, said SD MP Nikola Zirojevic, adding that such positions are the opposition’s strongest oversight tool in the parliament.

Zirojevic said that in the current situation, it is more useful to retain that position and continue oversight over part of the system, than to hand it over to someone from the parliamentary majority.

“The fact that we are all in the opposition does not mean that we have to make the same moves and always act in the same way”, said Zirojevic in an interview with Pobjeda.

Asked how the new political crisis will affect Montenegro’s further European path, he said that it would certainly have a negative impact, especially when issues requiring a qualified two-thirds or three-fifths majority are on the agenda.

“Even though representatives of the Government and the parliamentary majority are currently acting as if the views of the opposition are not important, I believe that the harsh reality will catch up with them very soon”, added Zirojevic.

Commenting on the statement issued by the EU Delegation that it did not call for the withdrawal of the law from the parliamentary procedure, but that it must be harmonized before closing the negotiations, Zirojevic said that he tries to be diplomatic when answering questions of this type, but that it is not always easy.

“This kind of hypocritical policy by our international partners has brought the region, and Europe as a whole, to its current state, which is far from enviable. It has contributed, among other things, to Montenegro now being governed by anti-European forces ready to trample on everything, just to remain in power, and for whom European integration is an excuse, rather than a genuine commitment”, stated Zirojevic.

When asked about the proposal of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) for the introduction of open lists, especially after that party left the chairmanship of the Electoral Reform Committee, he replied that that committee no longer exists in the Montenegrin Parliament and that at the moment there are no conditions for it to be reestablished.

“Considering that the initiative is new, we have not yet had the opportunity to analyze it in detail and as a party, that is, as the European Alliance, take a position on it. Certainly, the introduction of open lists is one of our program principles, so in principle I can say that we view the initiative by our colleagues from the DPS positively”, said Zirojevic.