Milo Djukanovic

Metropolitan Amfilohije, the Serbian Orthodox Church's most senior bishop in Montenegro, has called on citizens not to vote for those who supported the contested Freedom of Religion law in coming elections. 

During a Church-led protest against the law on Sunday, Bishop Amfilohije also again urged the government to withdraw the law which parliament passed late last year.

Namely, according to Govedarica, Milo Djukanovic warned a Serb member of the BiH Presidency that all members of his party and him personally would banned from entering Montenegro if the Republika Srpska Parliament adopts the Declaration on the Position of Serbs in Montenegro.

Montenegro Army Chief General Dragutin Dakic has told television Vijesti that any soldiers or officers taking part in recent protests against the new law on religion risked being forced out, as there was no place in the military for those who want to defend the Church from the law.

Mass protests of Serbian Orthodox Church clergy and their supporters continued across Montenegro at the weekend as the government and Church negotiate about the fate of the Freedom of Religion law adopted in December. 

In the first such meeting since the country's parliament adopted a new law on religion in December, Metropolitan Amfilohije, the Serbian Orthodox Church's top bishop in Montenegro, has met the Prime Minister, Dusko Markovic, and submitted a list of proposed changes.

Djukanovic, who has been running the country for three decades, spoke about the controversial law on religious freedom, which triggered mass protests of the tens of thousands of believers who regularly take to the streets, a few months before the parliamentary elections in Montenegro.

"This law de facto and de jure forms the legal framework for the nationalization of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the territory of Montenegro", Pilsel said in Ljubljana at a lecture entitled "Relations between the state and churches/religious communities in the Western Balkans", he held in the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies - IFIMES.

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has told members of his ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, not to participate in the popular protests over the new religion law, led by the Serbian Orthodox Church, saying they are against Montenegro.

He said that these are regarded as "painful messages", such as the assessment of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic that the protests were "insane" and, for example, that there would be "some Orthodox church" set up in Montenegro.

According to him, President of the European Council Charles Michel announced the gathering of Western Balkans leaders in February.
"I expect Michel to soon organize some kind of rally in February that will bring together all the leaders in the Western Balkans, so that we can continue dialogue", Vucic told Television Pink.