The extraordinary congress of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), where the new leadership will be elected, began at 11 a.m. in Podgorica.
The only candidate for party president is Milo Đukanović, and four vice-presidents will be elected.
DPS President Milo Đukanović opened the 9th Party Congress.
The congress is presided over by Duško Marković, the former deputy president of DPS.
Đukanović reminded in his introductory report and exposition that DPS failed to form a government after the elections, and therefore organized an extraordinary congress.
But, as he added, DPS accepted the election result, which was contributed to by "manipulation of religious sentiments" and open hybrid war.
"There were various other pressures that we failed to resist this time," said Đukanović.
In the new majority, the coalition that serves the interests of other countries, primarily those that own Montenegro and see it as part of the "Serbian world", and globally as part of the "Russian world", says it.
"We are the strength of our country. After 30 years, the DPS should have gone into opposition and the parliamentary minority should have recognized the election results and shown that it respects the electoral will of the citizens," said Đukanović.
He added that he is most worried about those who see the DPS as the last obstacle that needs to be removed from the path of achieving "their retrograde nationalist big-state interests and goals".
"Sincerely respecting the important contribution of all our coalition partners and each individual citizen, today it is clearer than ever that Montenegro, being under permanent offensive from various, powerful nationalist and imperialist anti-European platforms, survived and developed as a multi-ethnic, democratic and European state thanks to to a bold, unshakable vision of civil society, determined to be part of the European value system. It is clear, therefore, that at the achieved level of democratic development there is no defense of the idea of a civil Montenegro without a strong civil party as the pivot of its pro-European political front. For this reason, unfortunately, yet there is always no certain civil and European Montenegro without a strong and progressive Democratic Party of Socialists in it. Not everyone understands this, including some of our political partners, former or current. But politics is a very precise activity. On the political scene, everyone we are worth exactly as much as the support of the citizens we get. We in the DPS must not overlook that either," said Đukanović
He stated that they have the right to feel proud of everything they have achieved so far.
He said that he is proud of everything that DPS has done in 30 years - "it preserved peace, multi-ethnic harmony, brought Montenegro into NATO and brought it closer to the European family, increased the standard of citizens, although it is still far from expected".
"I believe that by recalling historical successes, we will strengthen the front of the political struggle for a society of European values and a better quality of life for citizens," said the president of DPS.
Đukanović said that it is clear "that at the reached level of development, there is no civil and European Montenegro without a strong DPS".
"One mandate was enough for the victory on August 30, there was none. We will have to see why and only then will we trace the path to restoring the trust of the citizens".
He is proud, as he says, of the realized investments, especially those in tourism that turned Montenegro into an attractive tourist destination."
He also referred to the weakness within the party, not excessive lobbying of the municipal leadership, the fading of live contact with the voters, the unkind relationship of the officials with the citizens, insufficient hearing for complaints about corruption.
"If only we had established that it was only a matter of evil tongues, so that we could thereby protect people who were possibly attacked because of their political beliefs".
He also pointed out that there was worrying ignorance and inexperience in important government positions.
Đukanović pointed out that these were "the mistakes of everyone in the DPS, right down to the president and vice president of the party."
He also said that the representatives in the local and national government, the companies they manage "forgot that they have to communicate with citizens politely and helpfully".
"How many times have we talked about complaints about corruption in some parts of the government. Do we remember everything we said about our infrastructure, how much we replaced work with people with work with papers and computers. These are the mistakes of everyone in DPS, right up to the president and vice president parties".
Đukanović also stated that part of the public expects a message "that they are ready to give up their bad habits and practices".
"DPS is not a party with instant political intelligence. We look at all challenges carefully, and only then do we undertake possible solutions. Smart and characterful people are needed for such a policy. We must win over and preserve such people," Đukanović said.
With the changes at the top, he expects, he will meet the expectations of the voters and continue the fight for the values to which they have dedicated their lives.
He also said that Serbia, in defense of endangered Serbia, is very interested in the elections in Nikšić and the census.
"And the representatives of the international community were concerned about religious freedom instead of recognizing the SPC as a tool of malignant influence on European values".
On Saturday, the DPS presidency unanimously proposed that Milo Đukanović be the candidate for party president.
The presidency proposed that the candidates for the vice president of the party should be Ivan Vuković, Nikola Rakočević, Jevto Eraković, Andrija Nikolić, Sanja Damjanović, Abaz Dizdarević, Gordana Rajović and Mirsad Mulić.
Four vice-presidents will be elected.
The Congress of DPS is attended by 591, out of a total of 604 authorized representatives.
Historian Latinka Perović wishes DPS successful work.
She said that DPS has "the knowledge and strength to take stock of your strategy".
"You moved away from the Great Serbian politics symbolized by Slobodan Milošević, restored statehood, but you knew why you needed restoration. You lost a partner in Serbia with the murder of Zoran Đinđić, but your relations with all countries in the region are good, successful, on the same in the wake of the modernization of societies. You set the restoration of statehood as a goal, you entered into the restoration of sovereignty, but with the orientation of preserving the anti-fascist, multinational, multi-religious character of Montenegro, and I think you succeeded to the greatest extent. You turned to Europe, joined NATO.. ", Perovic said.
She added that DPS "is on the exam to show the quality of a democratic society, to show that the government is removable".
The participants of the DPS Congress were greeted by the General Secretary of the Socialist International Luis Ayala, the President of the Party of European Socialists Sergej Stanishev, the President of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia and the President of the Government of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev, the spokesman for foreign affairs of the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, Nils Schmid.
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