Podgorica, (MINA) – The Constitutional Court does not exist to protect power of ruling parties, but to protect the state, citizens and justice, and its fate is the final test for political parties and Montenegro’s European future, the office of President Jakov Milatovic stated.

They recalled that Milatovic, in line with his constitutional powers, requested the convening of an extraordinary session of the Parliament for September 15 with a single item on the agenda: the election of a Constitutional Court judge.

“This decision is an institutional response to the months-long constitutional crisis and an unequivocal call to MPs to take responsibility for the functioning of the rule of law”, the press release stated.

They added that Milatovic proposed Mirjana Vucinic to the position of a Constitutional Court judge back in May, but the Parliament failed to schedule a session.

Milatovic’s cabinet pointed out that the Constitutional Court is currently functioning with only four out of its seven judges, noting that the mandate of one of the remaining judges expires by the end of the year.

“Thus, Montenegro runs the risk of once again completely blocking the work of the Constitutional Court, as the guarantor and guardian of the Constitution and the law. Such a court will not be able to make decisions, and instead of being the highest legal instance in the country, it will become a court without a voice”, the cabinet stated.

According to them, Parliament’s attitude towards the Constitutional Court not only undermines the trust in the institutions, but also sends a clear message to European partners that the decision-makers in Montenegro are still unwilling to free the institutions and make them truly independent.

The press release adds that the set date is now the point of demarcation between the two policies.

“Either MPs will support independent and functional institutions and Montenegro’s European path, or they will remain aligned with those who have kept Montenegro in the past, insecurity and deception for decades. Their choice will determine whether our country will be a country where the law applies equally to everyone, or yet another field for party control and legal uncertainty”, the press release concluded.