The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) will decide on its candidate for next year's presidential elections by the end of the year, although the leader of that party, Milo Đukanović, previously announced that this work could be completed by November.
DPS told Televizija Vijesti that the candidate nomination process is underway and, as Televizija Vijesti unofficially learns, the majority of local boards would still prefer to see Đukanović as a candidate.
In the last three decades, there have been only three people in the position of president - all three DPS candidates.
Momir Bulatović led Montenegro for two terms, until 1998, when he was defeated in the presidential race by his party colleague Milo Đukanović.
The presidential reign of Đukanović ended in one mandate.
In 2003, he was replaced in that position by another party colleague, Filip Vujanović, who is already in his third term, or 15 years, in the chair of the head of state.
Montenegro is electing a new president next year, and the public's greatest interest is the question - who will represent the DPS in the seventh presidential election since the introduction of the multiparty system.
Will Djukanovic enter his second presidential race?
The DPS has not yet made a decision, although Đukanović himself said at the beginning of November that the presidency would make a statement about it in the second half of November. At that time, he did not rule out the possibility of running for office.
"We have enough time to start working sometime in the second half of this month on defining who could be the candidate who would have the most chances to enter the election race, because we have an imperative to win," Đukanović pointed out on November 3 of this year.
From the decision until today, nothing.
The DPS replied that the procedure for proposing the name of the candidate is underway, which includes a whole series of steps, from local committees to municipal organizations.
From the received proposals, the party presidency will make a short selection, and the final decision will be made by the Main Committee.
DPS expects that work to be completed by the end of the year.
As Televizija Vijesti unofficially learns, boards still prefer to see Đukanović in the number one position. The current president promoted him as his deputy at the beginning of the year.
"When he talks to me, I will of course recommend him to be a DPS candidate," said the current President of Montenegro, Filip Vujanović, on March 7, 2017.
Even in the smaller coalition partner, the Social Democrats, they believe that Milo Đukanović is the best candidate that DPS could propose.
This was said ten days ago by the president of the party, Ivan Brajović.
The attitude of Bosniak Party leader Rafet Husović, who said that it would be healing to propose a non-party person as the candidate who will win, could be called a surprise.
"If it is estimated that there is no such person, then Đukanović's candidacy is possible," explained Husović.
The President of the Assembly, Ivan Brajović, announced that the presidential elections will be announced by December 22, so that they will be held in the spring of the following year.
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