Montenegro Minister Accuses Police of 'Coup Attempt'

Montenegro's Interior Minister, Goran Danilovic, on Tuesday accused the Police Administration of a coup attempt after police clashed with former employees of the aluminum smelter KAP, who have been protesting for days in front of parliament.

Danilovic said that he was not informed about the police operation in the main street of the capital, Podgorica, on Tuesday, when the police used force and tear gas to stop them from entering parliament. Several protesters were injured.

Danilovic, who took an office in April as an opposition representative under a pre-election agreement, requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and demanded "sharp sanctions" against police director Slavko Stojanovic.  

Former employees of KAP launched their protest last week, supported by some opposition parties, blocking traffic in Podgorica and demanding 5.4 million euros in severance pay under a law that parliament adopted last year.  

Daniovic told reporters he will initiate a disciplinary procedure against Stojanovic because the police had concealed information that the KAP workers' attempted intrusion into parliament was prepared.

"This is the straw that broke the camel's back because I have already noticed a number of Stojanovic's mistakes," he said.

"If there is something that the minister and the government do not know, there is a police coup," Danilovic said.

Later on Tuesday, police denied Danilovic's accusation, saying that he had been informed about the attempted forced entry and the police operation when they occurred. Police said that it was not a coup but a regular and legal police action.

'The [police] director was unable to inform the minister about the event before it occurred...