The leaders of the Democratic Front (DF) should agree on a joint strategy with the rest of the opposition, if they want to force the ruling coalition to negotiate the formation of a technical government through protests. Without an agreement between the opposition leaders to take to the streets together, the Front's protests could turn into party rallies with little chance of a change of government. Andrija Mandić, a member of the DF presidency, announced protests for the end of the year, which would aim to "overthrow the regime and ensure conditions for fair elections".
The executive director of the Politikon network, Jovana Marović, warns that past experiences with organizing protests in Montenegro have not been positive.
"The reasons should be sought in poorly articulated demands and messages, the inability to motivate citizens in the long run, weak leadership, and the intertwining of civic and political characteristics. That is why it is really difficult to expect different patterns and results from the announced new protests", claims Marović, and points out that there are numerous reasons for taking to the streets.
"Numerous scandals, the extremely poor state of the rule of law, corruption at all levels, and the uncertain perspective of EU membership should be sufficient motives for a larger-scale civil rebellion. However, for any hint of change, the organizers should take into account all the reasons for the previous failures".
After the announcement of the protest, the leaders of the DF started consultations with the presidents of municipal committees, individuals and political organizations, emphasizing that it has not yet been decided whether the protests will be daily or once a week. DF leaders invited the rest of the opposition to join them, while DF presidency member Milan Knežević told his colleagues to leave the Committee for Comprehensive Reform of Electoral and Other Legislation and seek the formation of a technical government from the streets. While Democratic Montenegro said that they can talk when the DF permanently leaves the parliament until the conditions for fair and free elections are created, while the president of the Civic Movement URA Dritan Abazović said that he is open to discussing joint protests, but that he will not support those he leads only DF. The president of the Socialist People's Party (SNP), Vladimir Joković, said that he was ready to discuss the protests, but that the party authorities would make the final decision. DF MP Jovan Vučurović claims that there is a mood to take to the streets because "citizens have not been in a more difficult position for a long time."
"Montenegro is sliding into hopelessness and total chaos. I think that these are sufficient reasons for the protests and that the necessary energy will not be lacking to successfully end them. Protests are the only way to stop the revolution and send this regime into the past. Let's fight for a technical government, make changes in the judiciary, start dealing with crime and corruption. Therefore, whoever is against the protest is consciously or unconsciously supporting the downfall of Montenegro, i.e. the preservation of DPS and its satellites," Vučurović believes.
The opposition took to the streets together for the last time at the beginning of the year, when they joined the protests organized by the civil movement "Resist". Although the signatures of all 39 deputies supported the Agreement on the Future, part of the opposition parties stopped supporting the protests due to disagreements with the leadership of the "Resist" movement regarding joint actions. One of the leaders of the movement, Džemal Perović, accused the opposition of intensifying internal conflicts instead of preparing to take over power, and several hundred citizens gathered at the last protest organized at the end of September in front of the state prosecutor's office. The "Resist" movement told "Vijesti" that they will support all activities aimed at creating pressure on the regime to fulfill the demands defined by the Agreement on the Future.
"We believe that a fruitful action can only be organized together by all opposition parties, and in this regard we will not participate in partial party protest activities. A prerequisite for unity is the re-establishment of broken mutual trust, and the "Resist" movement is ready to make a full contribution to that process. We welcome DF's call for a joint agreement and we think that mutual stipulation does not benefit anyone, and that this game can last indefinitely", said the "Resist" movement.
Vučurović warns that the "Resist" movement cannot dictate the negotiations because the leaders of the movement themselves extinguished the protests they were leading. Recalling the protests in front of the Assembly from October 2015, which were interrupted by the intervention of the police, Vučurović pointed out that DF showed that it can lead citizens from the streets.
"We must state that the "Resist" movement, despite the will of the people and the energy that their protests had at one point, did not show the capacity and determination to reach the end and achieve what was outlined in their demands. I also remind you that they extinguished their own protests, and that the Front's protests were suppressed by the regime with blood, batons, tear gas and chemical weapons. Protests that are extinguished by the organizer can no longer be revived, and those that were suppressed by the regime's violence always can," claims Vučurović.
Vučurović: We are still open to talks
Vučurović warns that a part of the opposition is using calls for protests to attack the Democratic Front. He clarified that the offer for opposition negotiations is still open. "Some opposition parties used our call for protests, instead of a correct exchange of opinions, to attack DF again. It is expected from some. The Democrats are currently cooperating strongly with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and blame the Front for everything. We invite them to calm down, to leave the Committee for Comprehensive Reform of Electoral Legislation, turn to the opposition and join us in protests. We also invite the URA movement, as well as all other opposition entities. Our offer is open, it should be protests that will be organized by the entire opposition, and we appreciate that some colleagues have gone a little far in their views and that they will very quickly realize that cooperation with the DPS only brings evil to Montenegro, and to them the contempt of the citizens." , claims Vučurović.
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