Podgorica, (MINA) – President Jakov Milatovic has submitted to the Constitutional Court an initiative requesting a review of the constitutionality of the parts of the Law on the Armed Forces of Montenegro (VCG), which grant the Minister of Defense the authority to decide on the use of the VCG troops and to appoint, dismiss and promote officers.

The press release from Milatovic’s office stated that it is important to assess the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Law, which derogate from the constitutional competences of the National Security Council and the President of the State.

They emphasized that all the disputed norms show that the Law on VCG, in the contested part, derogates from the Constitution by introducing parallel institutes that bypass the constitutional competence of the Council and create systemic constitutional inconsistencies.

“This calls into question the constitutional architecture of command and civilian control of the Army, which is based on the Council as a body that has a supreme and inviolable role in the defense system”, Milatovic’s cabinet said.

They added that such legal solutions threaten the professional character of the Armed Forces, undermine its independence from political influence and lead to the subordinate role of the Chief of General Staff to the Minister of Defense, when it comes to the system of military decision-making and staffing.

They said that Milatovic proposed that the Constitutional Court make a decision that will establish that the provisions of the Law on the VCG are not in accordance with the Constitution.