The former leader of Montenegro states that, in a society that strives for progress, criticism of the government and critics of the government are an additional force and factor in democratic development.
Former Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović believes that the current government does not tolerate criticism and that, as he states, to our collective misfortune, it is taking on the labels of dictatorship, totalitarianism and repression, the Tanjug agency reports.
“Critical thought makes a responsible and capable government better. This kind of thought today obviously does not tolerate and to our collective misfortune it takes on the labels of dictatorship, totalitarianism and repression. All under the auspices of someone’s fight for justice, by force, in defiance of the law and democratic standards,” wrote Đukanović on Twitter.
He states that, in a society that strives for progress, criticism of the government and critics of the government are an additional force and factor in democratic development.
Free action
“In the past three years, few actors on the public scene of Montenegro preserved their independence and impartiality, sharpened their critical thinking despite the increasingly frequent direct attacks by the authorities, as did some NGOs, journalists, artists, intellectuals.”
Đukanović adds: “We can agree with their assessments or not. We can and it would be desirable to have a dialogue with them about it. But we must, especially if we are holders of state functions, respect their independence and ensure their right to act freely, without intimidation and threats.”
“Only such a Montenegrin society can be part of the European family,” concluded the former President of Montenegro.
Source : AL JAZEERA
