The formation of a government in Herceg Novi without the Democratic Front (DF) would be risky and could complicate relations within the ruling coalition at the state level, according to the director of the Center for Political Education. Dragisa Janjušević.
He says that there is a high probability that someone from the parliamentary majority will end up in the opposition benches in the Novi parliament or be a passive supporter of the government.
"In such a situation, various coalitions can be formed. If the DF in Herceg Novi remains in opposition with the DPS, it may cool relations in the already fragile parliamentary majority. I think that would make it difficult for the government to function at the state level and the work of the parliament, and we would be one step closer to new parliamentary elections," Janjušević told "Vijesti".
The Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in Herceg Novi announced yesterday the preliminary results of the elections that were held in that city on Sunday. Coalition around the Democrats "Neither left, nor right. Pravac Novi" won 10 mandates, the DPS coalition "European Team for Herceg Novi" won eight, the DF coalition "For the future of Herceg Novi and Boka" and Novska lista won seven mandates each, the GP URA list "Crno na white - Može Bokeški" " two mandates, while "Pravi Novi" won one mandate.
The Herzegovinian Democrats told "Vijesta" that the decision about who they will talk to about the formation of the government will be made by the party bodies.
Leader of the DF coalition "For the future of Herceg Novi and Boka" Ivan Otovic, announced in his first address after the election that it was too early to talk about the way of distribution of power, but he still called for a "broad consensus".
Commenting on the result of the Democrats, who increased the number of votes compared to the parliamentary elections - although the turnout was almost ten percent higher - and compared to the previous local elections, Janjušević says that after the August state elections there was a realignment among the main political actors.
"Prime Minister (Zdravko) Krivokapic he supported the list around the Democrats, and it could be said that the Church also gave some support. Unlike the August elections, the Democrats are now in power at the state level, they have the president of the parliament, so that, along with the good effects of the local government in the previous mandate, contributed to their electoral progress," he says.
When it comes to the result of DPS, which in coalition with SD won about 1.400 votes less than in the August elections, and even more than 3.000 less than in the previous local elections, our interlocutor emphasizes that the decline of DPS was expected.
"This was contributed to by the fact that they are no longer the government at the state level. But even when DPS was at its historical maximum at the state level, it could not be the government in Novi. This means that their electorate has started to trickle down a bit more. Whether this decline was realistic or unrealistic is up to them. It should be expected that their electorate will start going to the parties in power," notes Janjušević.
Speaking about the result of the DF, the analyst says that in their case it is difficult to draw a parallel with the parliamentary elections, because at that time Prime Minister Krivokapić and Prava Crna Gora were in a coalition with them, and they were supported by the Church.
"Now, when all that has been spread over several columns, I think it's difficult to make an analysis. If we were to make a comparison with the past local elections, DF slightly improved the result. It could be said that the electorate now 'walks' between the DF, the Democrats and Novska Lista, but it is difficult to measure to what extent," he points out.
Official of the United Montenegro Goran Danilović, congratulated the winners of the election yesterday, saying that "DPS has been punished like never before".
"Without a fictitious enemy and 'occupier,' DPS sinks before it jumps aboard. We believe that our colleagues from the coalition 'For the Future of Herceg Novi' are aware of their own failures and that today they understand that in the future it will not be enough for us to just wrap ourselves in the name of the winning coalition from the state level, so that we win," said Danilović.
The current government in Novi consists of Democrats, DF, Novska lista and SNP.
Novska Lista succeeded because it was a citizen's service, which is the goal of the election
Janjušević explains the success of Novska Lista, which will have seven councilors in the local parliament instead of the previous three, with its insistence on local government as a service to citizens.
"Local self-governments for the last 30 years have been political and party prey, not citizens' services. That institute is best developed through lists like this. "I think that Novska made a leap because in the last mandate it behaved as a citizen's service and insisted that the local government should be that," assesses the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
He says that at the local level it is necessary to have either citizens' associations, or parties, or citizen's lists that will impose themselves on the parties as partners, correctors and someone who will insist on issues of daily need for citizens.
"It would be desirable for such lists to take root in other municipalities as well. These are good examples of how local self-governments should be influenced, because big ideological, state-building, national and identity battles are not fought there, but communal problems are solved," concludes Janjušević.
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