Montenegro Facts Government Guide Series
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Montenegro Facts Government Guide Series Government · Society · World · Economy · People · Nature Fact sheet December 2010 · Government STATE SYSTEM OF MONTENEGRO PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO The Head of State. Represents Montenegro in the country and abroad and commands GOVERNMENT OF the armed forces in MONTENEGRO accordance with the decisions PUBLIC PROSECUTION The executive branch of of the Defence and Security OFFICE An independent authority in the State. It manages the Council. country’s internal and foreign charge of conducting criminal policy and implements prosecution in relation to all regulations. The Prime indictable offences. Public Minister is elected by the prosecutors are appointed by Parliament at the proposal of the Prosecution Council for five-year terms. The Supreme the President of Montenegro. SUPREME COURT The Parliament approves Public Prosecutor is appointed The highest judicial authority by the Parliament. the Prime Minister’s agenda in Montenegro. It ensures and the composition of his/ uniform application of laws by her Cabinet. The current all courts. The president of the government comprises 16 Supreme Court is appointed ministries. and removed from office by the Parliament. The Supreme CENTRAL BANK Court president is also the An independent institution president of the Judicial responsible for monetary and Council. fiscal stability and functioning of the banking system. It is managed by the Governor and controlled by the Council of PARLIAMENT OF LOCAL SELF the Central Bank. MONTENEGRO GOVERNMENTS The Montenegrin Parliament is Municipalities are the a single-chamber legislature. basic forms of local self- JUDICIAL COUNCIL It adopts the Constitution, government in Montenegro. An independent authority that passes laws, approves the They are administered by appoints and removes judges, State budget and elects the mayors/municipal presidents court presidents and lay Prime Minister. There are 81 and municipal assemblies. STATE AUDIT INSTITUTION seats in the Parliament. The The country is divided in 21 judges and safeguards their An independent state body ruling coalition currently holds municipalities, including the independence and autonomy. reviewing the management of 48 seats. capital, Podgorica, and the It comprises four members of the financial affairs of publicly royal capital, Cetinje, and the the Conference of Judges, two financed bodies. two town municipalities of MPs, two reputable lawyers It is managed by the Senate of Podgorica. and the Minister of Justice. the State Audit Institution. The chairman and members of the Senate are appointed by the Parliament. CONSTITUTIONAL COURT Decides on the conformity of laws and other regulations OMBUDSMAN with the Constitution and An independent and ratified international treaties. autonomous authority Rules on constitutional safeguarding human complaints against breaches rights and freedoms. The of the human rights Ombudsman is nominated by enshrined in the Constitution. the President and appointed Constitutional Court judges by the Parliament for a term of are nominated by the six years. President of Montenegro and appointed and removed by the Parliament. THE ELECTORATE Fact sheet December 2010 · Government │ 1 Montenegro in Brief Official name: Montenegro Bosniaks 8% Area: 13,812 km2 Albanians 5% Population: 620,145 (2003 census) Muslims 4% Border length: 614 km Other 8% Land area: 13,812 km2 Coastline: 293 km Main religions: Orthodox Christianity, Climate: Mediterranean Islam, Roman Average number Catholicism of sunny days: 180 Average air NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: temperature: 27.4° C in summer, Independence Day – 21 May 13.4° C in winter Statehood Day – 13 July Capital: Podgorica (population of 173,000) – OTHER PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: administrative and New Year’s Day – 1 January economic centre Labour Day – 1 May Royal capital: Cetinje – historical and cultural centre BASIC ECONOMIC FACTS GDP: EUR 3.003 billion Form of government: Parliamentary republic (2009 est.) Official language: Montenegrin; Serbian, GDP real growth rate: 6.9% (2008); Bosnian, Albanian and 5.3% (2009) Croatian are also in GDP per capita: EUR 4,779 (2009) official use. Unemployment rate: 11.6% (2009) Literacy rate: 97.5% Inflation: 1.5% (2009) Official Currency: Euro ETHNIC COMPOSITION: Major industries: Tourism, aluminium Montenegrins 43% production, steel Serbs 32% production, agriculture 2 │ Fact sheet December 2010 · Government Fact sheet December 2010 · Government President of Montenegro The President is the Head of State on whom the foreign diplomats; Constitution confers the power to: - award medals and honours of Montenegro; - represent Montenegro within the country and - grant amnesty; and abroad; - perform other responsibilities stipulated by the - command the military on the basis of the Constitution or the law. decisions of the Defence and Security Council; The President is elected for a five-year term in - proclaim laws by ordinance; direct, general elections, by secret ballot. - call parliamentary elections; Every citizen of Montenegro residing in the country - propose to the Parliament: the candidate for for no less than 10 years in the past 15 years is eligible to prime minister, after consultations with the run for President. The President may serve а maximum representatives of the political parties represented of two Presidential terms. in the Parliament; the Constitutional Court The President is also a member of the Supreme President and judges; and the Ombudsman; Defence Council. - appoint and revoke Montenegrin ambassadors The current President of Montenegro, Mr Filip and heads of diplomatic missions abroad, at the Vujanovic, was elected on 6 April 2008 and formally proposal of the Government and after obtaining inaugurated on 20 May 2008. the opinion of the Parliamentary Committee The official residence of the President is located in responsible for international relations; the royal capital of Cetinje. - accept letters of accreditation and recall of Plavi dvorac (The Blue Palace), the presidential residence Fact sheet December 2010 · Government Fact sheet December 2010 · Government │ 3 Parliament of Montenegro The Montenegrin Parliament is a single-chamber As for the opposition, the Socialist People’s Party – legislature. MPs are elected by universal suffrage, SNP holds 16, New Serbian Democracy – NOVA 8 and through a direct and secret ballot, for a period of 4 Movement for Changes – PzP 5 seats. years. Four ethnic Albanian parties/coalitions: UDSH The Parliament adopts the Constitution, passes laws – DUA, FORCA, The Albanian List – Democratic and secondary legislation, approves the State budget, Alliance in Montenegro and Albanian Coalition – appoints and removes the Prime Minister and cabinet Perspective (AKP) hold one seat each. members and ratifies international treaties. The current speaker of the Parliament is Mr. Ranko In the March 2009 elections, the ‘European Krivokapic, leader of the Social Democratic Party, Montenegro’ coalition (Democratic Party of Socialists and deputy speakers are Mr. Zeljko Sturanovic, Vice- – DPS, Social Democratic Party – SDP, Bosniak Party – President of the DPS, and Mr. Rifat Rastoder of the BS and Croatian Civic Initiative - HGI) won 48 seats in SDP. the 81-seat Parliament. DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS SDP SDP SDP DPS HGI DPS DPS DPS DPS SDP SDP SDP DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS DPS SDP DPS DPS DPS DPS PzP AKP DPS BS DPS A DPS C DPS PzP R BS DPS FO DPS DPS PzP AL BS DPS DPS DPS PzP UDSH DPS NOVA PzP NOVA NOVA NOVA NOVA SNP SNP NOVA NOVA SNP SNP SNP SNP NOVA SNP SNP SNP SNP SNP SECRE- SPEAKER DEPUTY DEPUTY SNP SNP SNP SNP SNP TARY SPEAKER SPEAKER GENERAL SDP DPS SDP COMPOSITION OF THE PARLIAMENT 4 │ Fact sheet December 2010 · Government Fact sheet December 2010 · Government Government of Montenegro The current Montenegrin Government under Prime - manage the internal and foreign policy of Montenegro; Minister Igor Luksic was voted in on 29 December - enforce laws, other regulations and general acts; 2010, following the retirement of Milo Djukanovic’s - adopt decrees, decisions and other regulations for the Government which was formed after the 29 March 2009 enforcement of laws; parliamentary elections. - sign international agreements; The new Prime Minister performed a substantial - propose the Development Plan and Spatial Plan of reshuffle of his predecessor’s Cabinet. Five new ministers Montenegro; have been introduced into the Cabinet, the Ministry - propose the Budget and the Final Statement of the for European Integration has been merged with the Budget; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a new Ministry of - propose the National Security Strategy and Defence Science established to advance Montenegro’s research and Strategy; development capabilities. - decide on the recognition of states and establishment The Government is backed by 48 out of 81 MPs. It is a of diplomatic and consular relations with other states; coalition government consisting of five political parties: the - nominate ambassadors and heads of diplomatic Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Social Democratic missions abroad; and Party (SDP), Bosniak Party (BS), Croatian Civic Initiative - perform other responsibilities stipulated by the (HGI) and Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA). constitution or the law. According to the Constitution, the Government of The Cabinet is proposed by the Prime Minister Montenegro, as the executive branch of the State, has the Designate, who is nominated by the President, and is voted power to: in by a simple majority