Police Chief’s Appointment Raises Ethnic Tensions in Montenegrin Town

Protesters outside the police station in Pljevlja. Photo: Facebook/Printscreen

Media reported that some protesters who gathered near the police station were singing nationalistic songs and chanting: "Serbian Sparta has been waking up, this country will not become Turkey."

The appointment of Djurdjevic came after a series of ethnically-motivated incidents last year in the town, which has a large Bosniak population.

The Democratic Front and Democratic Montenegro said that by appointing Djurdjevic, the government was taking the "unacceptable position" of blaming Serbs for the incidents.

"Is it a reasonable move to oppose alleged Serbian nationalism by appointing to a leading position in the police someone who the whole city recognises for his extreme political and nationalist views?" the parties asked in a joint statement.

They also claimed that Djurdjevic is close to the Democratic Party of Socialists, the party that was ousted from office in elections last year after some three decades in power.

Opposition parties called on the government to intervene, saying that the protest was being held because Djurdjevic is a member of an ethnic minority.

"Is this the democratic step forward [the government] announced? I would rather say that this is a return to the dark 1990s," said Nihad Canovic from the opposition Social Democrats said.

The head of the Islamic Community in Montenegro, Rifat Fejzic, also alleged that ethnic bias was behind the protest against the appointment of a Bosniak to head the local police force.

"If we don't have the right to be appointed, it would be desirable to answer us - do we have the right to air?" Fejzic asked sarcastically in a message on Twitter.

Djurdjevic has made no comment...