Montenegrin Leader Cannot Reject Changes To Law On Freedom Of Religion Twice - Ex-Minister

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) Montenegro's constitution precludes President Milo Djukanovic from rejecting again the amendments to the law on religious associations adopted by parliament, former Minister of Internal Affairs, the leader of the United Montenegro party Goran Danilovac, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the parliament re-approved amendments to the controversial law on Freedom of Religion and Legal Status of Religious Communities by a majority of 41 votes out of 81. The amended text of the law was adopted on December 29, 2020, but the president refused to sign it and returned it to parliament for a second vote, referring to procedural violations.

"After today's approval of the law, he [the president] will not be able to reject its signing by constitutional means for the second time.

The Constitution clearly and unambiguously says about it, and the parliamentarians twice approved the amended text of the law," Danilovac said.

In December 2019, the parliament adopted the law on Freedom of Religion and Legal Status of Religious Communities, which required religious communities to prove ownership of properties from before 1918 in order to prevent them from being handed over to the state. It provoked resistance from the Serbian Orthodox Church and united the opposition that led to the first electoral defeat of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of President Milo Djukanovic in more than 30 years. The legislation also sparked mass protests from 2019-2020.