Knežević: When the DPS initiative comes up for debate, MPs will not be voting on Mandić’s dismissal, but on whether Mladić is a hero or a war criminal

Democratic People’s Party leader Milan Knežević said that, on the day the initiative of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) to dismiss Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić is debated, MPs will be voting on whether Ratko Mladić is a hero or a war criminal.

- And you are not discussing the initiative to dismiss Mandić. I want the entire Montenegrin public to know this, because we are not playing marbles during a long school break here - Knežević said in Parliament today.

The initiative to dismiss Mandić was submitted by the Democratic Party of Socialists and supported by a majority of opposition MPs, after the Parliament Speaker sent a message of condolence to the family of Ratko Mladić, a convicted war criminal held responsible for the genocide in Srebrenica. The Bosniak Party has announced that it will support the initiative to dismiss him.

However, the Europe Now Movement said it would not support the dismissal of Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, stating that it was „crystal clear“ that it would not vote to allow „our ugly past to ruin our bright future“.

Knežević’s Democratic People's Party announced today that its MPs would not support the DPS initiative.

- Regardless of the fact that our party has been in opposition for seven months, we have never supported, nor will we support, any initiatives launched by the DPS and its coalition partners – they said in a statement.