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Condemnation follows Montenegro police tear-gas dispersal

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Montenegro Clashes-3Montenegro's police have been condemned for using teargas to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters outside the parliament building in the capital Podgorica.

The ex-Yugoslav republic's main opposition bloc, the Democratic Front, set up tents in front of the parliament 20 days ago demanding the resignation of veteran Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and the formation of an interim government pending fresh elections.

Milo Djukanovic has been unwilling to relinquish political power since first becoming Prime Minister in 1991.

Currently serving his fourth term as Prime Minister, he first served as prime minister from 1991 to 1998, then as President of Montenegro from 1998 to 2002 and as Prime Minister again from 2003 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2010.

Djukanovic is also the long-term president of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro, originally the Montenegrin branch of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, which has governed Montenegro ever since the introduction of multi-party politics.

On Saturday, the police forcibly removed the tents prompting the Democratic Front to call for the evening protests. Police fired teargas and beat demonstrators, including prominent opposition leader Nebojsa Medojevic.

Nebojsa Medojevic is the leader of the Movement for Change Party (PZP).

He has campaigned for democratic reform in Montenegro in the hope that the country can one day hold its first free and fair elections since independence.

Following the violence, Nebojsa said: “Djukanovic enforced a coup d’etat and has suspended all state institutions. The police have enforced a curfew and banned all peaceful protests. Without any official decisions, or public statements."

“The basis of economic policy for this regime is to plunder resources and the ensure poverty of its citizens, which they keep under control and in despair”.

Nikola Bajcetic, PZP’s Youth Chairman, was arrested during the demonstrations and his car was vandalised by police. He has since been released.

PZP is a member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR), a pan European political grouping.

Montenegro is a candidate for European Union membership and is also expecting an invitation to join NATO later this year.

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