DF will block Montenegro today

The protests announced days ago will be held today on 17 connecting roads in Montenegro

The police will not stop the protests called “with a blockade against betrayal” that today organizes in several Democratic Front (DF) municipalities, blocking 17 regional roads.

The warning is that at 18.30, due to the possible coalition of parts of the ruling alliance with the Democratic Party of Socialists, it is expected that in some municipalities – from Podgorica, through Niksic, Budva, Pljevlja, Berana some roads will be blocked.

“10,565 people have given their phone numbers and are waiting for an invitation to go to 17 checkpoints,” one of the DF leaders, Andrija Mandic, told a news conference yesterday.

He said intercity traffic would be blocked. As he announced, there are three roads in Podgorica – in Zeta and Zlatica, while the traffic at the roundabout towards Cetinje and Niksic is expected to be stopped.

As announced, over ten thousand DF supporters will take part in the blockade.

According to unofficial information, no request has been submitted to the police for holding rallies and currently the police do not have exact information on where DF will organize the blockades. According to “Vijesti” sources, DF did not determine all the locations until last night.

DF has announced a blockade since the dismissal of Parliament Speaker Aleksa Becic on February 7, if no agreement is reached between the existing parliamentary majority to overcome the current crisis and form a new government, following a vote of no confidence in the current government. on February 4th.

The final agreement of the parliamentary actors for the formation of the minority government, proposed by the Black and White Coalition (GP URA and CIVIS), has been delayed due to the decision of the Main Board of the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) for possible support.

Mandic told a news conference that they had received bad information that the SNP had delegated negotiators to a PSD-backed minority government, which he said was badly received in the “For Montenegro’s Future” coalition, of which the SNP is also a part.

He said that the roadblocks will last an hour and a half and that “10,565 people have given their numbers and are waiting for a call to go to 17 checkpoints”.

“We have a very serious plan which will not allow the Government of Zdravko Krivokapic to prepare for the elections, nor the minority government of Dritan Abazovic to prepare for those elections. “We are trying to form a government within the parliamentary majority, plus minorities, and if that does not work, we have another plan,” Mandic said.

DF last organized protests in late 2018 in front of the Parliament building due to the arrest of Nebojsa Medojevic and the possibility of arresting Milan Knezevic. The Podgorica High Court then ordered their arrest for refusing to testify in special proceedings.

In May 2016, they also protested against the government of electoral trust, namely the entry of a part of the opposition in Milo Djukukanovi’s cabinet, which they described as betrayal and recognition of political corruption before the parliamentary elections.

Previously, the protests were organized in October 2015, where there were numerous riots and incidents, as well as the arrest of MPs of that alliance. The DF protested in central Podgorica for 20 days, demanding the resignation of the government of then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.