Montenegro president faces impeachement of SOFA treaty with America

[Crvena zvezda]

Opposition Parties Demand Dismissal of Montenegro`s President

15 05 2007 Podgorica_A Montenegrin opposition party, the Democratic Serbian Party (DSS), today sought the dismissal of the state's president, Filip Vujanovic, after he signed a military cooperation agreement with the US, a deal it says he was not authorised to make.


The DSS initiative, submitted to parliament, has been backed by other opposition parties – the Movement for Change, the Serbian list, the Socialist People's Party and the People`s Party. Alll argue that, according to Montenegro's constitution, international treaties such as this, the so-called 'SOFA Agreement,' should be signed by the government and ratified by the legislature.

They requested that parliament speaker, Ranko Krivokapic, deal with the impeachment motion immediately and call a parliament session.


Explaining their move, the motion's authors described Vujanovic`s US dealings as a diplomatic scandal and said parliament should scrap the agreement.

President Vujanovic signed the SOFA Agreement with US State Secretary Condoleeza Rice two weeks ago, during his visit to Washington.


According to that agreement, US troops can use Montenegro as a territory for transit and exercises, and obtain numerous privileges when doing so.


“Parliament should promptly terminate and abolish the Agreement”, the opposition deputies proposed.


Rajko Kovacevic, spokesman for the ruling Democratic Socialist Party, told Balkan Insight that President Vujanovic had been given the green light by the government to sign the pact.


“Vujanovic did this for practical reasons. We will surely not abolish an agreement with the most developed country in the world. It is very useful for us”, Kovacevic said.