Podgorica, (MINA) – The Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Government’s proposal to amend the Constitution, introducing mandatory preliminary integrity checks for candidates for prime minister and members of the government.
After several hours of debate, 56 MPs from the parliamentary majority, part of the opposition, ethnic minority parties and independent MPs voted in favor of the proposal.
The Democratic Party of Socialists and the Democratic People’s Party MPs said during the debate that they would not support the constitutional amendments.
The vote in the Parliament was preceded by a session of the Constitutional Committee, where the amendment submitted by independent MP Nikola Janovic had been accepted, stipulating the integrity checks laws to be adopted by a two-thirds majority.
Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica said during the session that integrity checks of the candidates for prime minister and members of the Government would strengthen the role of the parliament and protect democracy.
Koprivica pointed out that the constitutional amendments were a requirement for closing Chapter 23.
Parliament did not approve the election of Darko Hajdukovic and Klaudija Pejovic as members of the Judicial Council from among distinguished lawyers. A new vote will be held in a month.
