February 8 (SeeNews) - Montenegro's parliament dismissed its speaker Aleksa Becic on January 7, a few days after the coalition government led by prime minister Zdravko Krivokapic lost a no-confidence vote, official data showed.
A total of 43 members of the 81-seat parliament supported a proposal to dismiss Becic, while 37 voted against, a video file posted on the YouTube channel of the parliament showed.
Becic, leader of pro-European coalition Peace is Our Nation, was elected parliament speaker in September 2020 after three political blocs won a slender majority of 41 seats in parliament in the elections held in August 2020, enough to oust from power the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) - the party led by Montenegro's president and former prime minister Milo Djukanovic.
On Friday, the coalition government collapsed after losing a no-confidence vote sought on January 19 by deputy prime minister Dritan Abazovic over the stalled process of Montenegro's EU accession and the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Montenegro's domestic affairs.
According to local media reports, a minority government will be formed in the coming days. The new cabinet is expected to be backed by all opposition parties, including DPS.