DPS: We will support neither the Government’s initial proposal for constitutional amendments nor the new one

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) will support neither the Government’s initial proposal for constitutional amendments nor the new proposal, which envisages amending Article 91 of the Constitution of Montenegro, the opposition party said in a statement.

Protecting the dignity of the state, the constitutional order and the freely expressed will of citizens is a matter of principle, not political bargaining, the party stressed.

- We will not agree to constitutional amendments for the sake of political bargaining, especially when the objectives of the proposed changes can be achieved through appropriate legislative solutions - the party said.

The Democratic Party of Socialists said it was prepared to engage in serious dialogue on improving integrity checks, „which were absent this time around“.

- Our position is that this area can be regulated by law and that integrity checks can be carried out before elections, on the basis of clear criteria and with legal safeguards. They should not be designed to create room for the integrity of candidates and electoral lists, and the political will of voters, to be challenged retrospectively after citizens have already placed their trust in them - the DPS said.

The party added that it did not need to prove its commitment to European integration by agreeing to solutions it considers legally unfounded and democratically questionable.

- The Democratic Party of Socialists remains open to dialogue on the integrity of public officials, but it will not support constitutional experiments that could call Montenegro’s electoral system and the dignity of the state into question - the party said.