Centre for Civic Education (CCE), on the eve of the end of the mandate of Zdravko Krivokapic’s Government, summarizes the statistical review of the application of the Prime Minister’s Question Time institute by the MPs of the Parliament of Montenegro in the regular sessions so far.
Overall, parliamentary groups mostly had questions for the Prime Minister, except during the last planned eighth Prime Minister’s Question Time, which was scheduled for 27 December 2021 and cancelled due to MPs’ lack of interest in the Prime Minister’s positions, which even then indicated awareness of the accelerating fall of his government.
During the regular sessions from October 2020 till December 2021, the MPs of the 27th convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro asked 326 questions, of which 54 were addressed to the Prime Minister and 272 to the ministers of Zdravko Krivokapic’s Government.
The Prime Minister got an equal number of questions from the position and the opposition – 27 each, which includes seven questions per six parliamentary groups: Democrats – Demos “Peace is our nation”; “Black on White”; Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and Liberal Party; Social Democrats; Bosniak Party; as well as the Social Democratic Party and the Albanian coalition “Unanimously”. In addition, the parliamentary club DF – Movement for Change asked five questions, and the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) four, while the least questions, only three, asked the parliamentary club Democratic Front (NSD, DNP, UCG, RP). Thematically, the most questions addressed to the Prime Minister are linked to identity and related religious issues, followed by those in the field of economy, European integration, unemployment, the fight against corruption and crime, regional and international relations, etc.
When it comes to the Deputy Prime Minister and ministers, opposition parliamentary entities asked 150 questions, and ruling parties 122. Most questions addressed MPs of DPS and LP – 103, followed by Democrats – Demos “Peace is our nation” with 45, and the Democratic Front (NSD, DNP, UCG, RP) with 25 questions. Coalition “Black on White” asked 21 questions, SDP and Albanian coalition “Unanimously” – 18, MPs without a parliamentary club (Marko Milačić, Genci Nimanbegu) – 15, SD – 13, DF – Movement for Changes (PzP) and SNP – 12 questions each, while the least questions, i.e. eight, addressed Bosniak Party.
Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović got 18 questions. When it comes to ministers, that number varied significantly. Thus, the highest number of questions was addressed to Milojko Spajić, Minister of Finance and Social Welfare – 53, and the least Tamara Srzentić, Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, who got only five questions. The MPs were especially interested in addressing questions to ministers Vesna Bratić and Mladen Bojanić – 32 questions each, followed by Jakov Milatović – 23 questions, Jelena Borovinić Bojović – 22 questions, Sergej Sekulović – 21 questions and Aleksandar Stijović – 20 questions. The least questions were addressed to Olivera Injac, Ratko Mitrović and former Minister Vladimir Leposavić – 12 questions each, as well as Đordje Radulović with 10 questions. Questions from MPs addressed to ministers the most were linked to raising living standards, education, environmental protection, identity and related religious issues, as well as regional and international relations.
Aldina Žudjelović, Programme assistant