Resignations Left, Resignations Right

Former justice minister Filip Vujanovic was appointed Montenegrin police minister while his old job went to Miodrag Laktovic, deputy public prosecutor. Miodrag Lekic was replaced as foreign minister by Janko Jeknic, former consul for economic issues in Milan. That is the epilogue of the months of announcements by republican prime minister Milo Djukanovic of a government restructuring which took place amid a strange mood in the republican parliament and was accompanied by Djukanovic's message that "the truth is what is said not what is retold as rumor or written by unprofessional journalists in unprofessional publications". The restructuring boiled down to filling in a vacant post and ousting the police minister which was a screen which has (so far) hidden conflicts within the police and between the police and the authorities.

The prime minister routinely changed his ministers, named new ones thanked everyone (especially ousted police minister Nikola Pejakovic) warmly for their cooperation and so on and so forth. Parliament speaker Svetozar Marovic declared a half hour recess and said later that parliament group chiefs had agreed to hold a rational debate which began amid a deathly silence.

Announcements that parliament would debate the work of the police was obviously a compromise which shut up the opposition and everyone spoke calmly and seriously, mentioning the sins of the former police minister in passing.

The question that remained open is whether this draw will end the debate the authorities fear. Ousted police officials always went on to higher posts and Pejakovic could go on to a diplomatic mission. The next government session will decide whether to accept resignations by three of his aides including the state security chief but there are already rumors that they will stay and that their resignations were intended to prevent the ousting of their minister. The question is whether this pressure has been removed by the top level compromise and efforts to calm the internal strife. Bosko Bojovic, state security chief, told VREME on May 19: "If we were better friends, I could tell you. At the moment I can only say that my resignation is neither here nor there but that everything will be clear soon".

Montenegrin parliament deputies speak of lobbying and pressure not to delve deeper now since the issues are very sensitive. The public was informed through rumors which came from "well informed sources" or parts of the press which Djukanovic said was unprofessional.

It is possible that once the whole thing is cleared up the public will find out why two Serbian newspaper correspondents got Golf cars from the Montenegrin police.