The issue of open electoral lists should not be approached in a hasty, exclusive and one-sided manner, but rather it is necessary to form a working group as soon as possible and start a serious discussion on the subject, said the representative of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) in the Parliament of Montenegro, Miodrag Vuković.
In an interview for the PR Center, he said that this and the previous convocations of the Montenegrin Parliament have full legitimacy.
"And the legality, that is, their election based on the Constitution and the law, should not be doubted. It is an elementary fact, which does not need to be proven. It is a different interpretation of the indisputable fact - that the deputies were elected on the basis of the Constitution and the law. For me, there is a dilemma there is none," said Vuković.
He said that there is no perfect electoral system and that in theory it is said that "there is a possibility of choosing the least bad electoral system".
"All three known, typical electoral systems have their flaws and advantages. This type of electoral system is known by many other countries. The largest number of countries practice the proportional system. Among these countries, the largest number practice this classic proportional system," said Vuković.
He said that he is in favor of the introduction of open electoral lists, if it represents a measurable democratic step forward, "when it comes to the institutional structure of Montenegrin democracy".
"Nevertheless, I do not belong to those who believe that open electoral lists represent the question of all questions, that it is a salvation, that it is the final solution, a way out of all real and projected difficulties. I am not euphoric and we should not discuss this in a hasty, fast, exclusive, unilateral way", stated Vuković.
According to him, the issue of open electoral lists is "open" and, as he added, it is among the most dominant in the political discourse in Montenegro.
"It is discussed and different assessments are given to it. And it should be discussed in the Parliament as the factory of laws, as the largest political body in the country. It should be discussed in an organized manner, appropriate for the Parliament and typical of parliamentary democracy," Vuković believes.
Open electoral lists, as he believes, create the possibility of intra-party "arrangement and overreach".
"The owner of the list is an election competitor, the owner of the list is the one who competes for the trust of the citizens. In the proportional system, as a rule, these are parties, groups of citizens. In the party to which I belong, there is a serious intra-party debate about who will represent the party in the Montenegrin Parliament. a serious choice for the present and the future of the country", said Vuković.
He believes that the proportional system with closed lists has a "handicap" in that it places an intermediary between voters and MPs, which, he explained, is the party.
"Nevertheless, in my party, there is a serious discussion about those who can, with a high degree of probability, bear the responsibility of representing the political program in the legislature, which has received the majority of citizens' trust so many times. We do not see an open list, in our to the party as the most serious, the largest, the most organized, did something extraordinary, untimely, something that we supposedly push under the carpet," said Vuković.
Requests for open lists, as he said, come from newly created parties, which "fascinate a part of the voters, get mandates and go out like stars".
"These demands come from their members. Serious traditional parties do not run away from it, but they do not see it as a final solution to the problem," said Vuković.
In the DPS, as he said, Councils are held continuously, and there, as he explained, it is indicated to each other "that something is holding up somewhere, that something is slower than expected, that there is room to indicate that the citizens will lose patience in some area, because we are not convincing".
Vuković believes that the process of stabilizing the political system, or, as he said, making the political scene more serious, is not over.
"We still have very unfinished, unproven, weak political subjects on the political scene of Montenegro, who think they can offer good solutions. And that is their right, but it is also the right of the citizens to say: "Wait, this is not the time," Vuković pointed out. .
He believes that the worst thing is to be an MP under obligation, because when, as he said, there is no voluntary, sincere attitude towards it, other issues arise.
"No one can force anyone to do something if he can't, won't, doesn't know how to do it, or if he thinks he should behave differently. A responsible person, when he gets the right and obligation to be a people's representative, doesn't need any additional obligation ", pointed out Vuković.
He stated that the DPS will hold a regular Congress next year, where, as he said, they will discuss the political, economic system, culture, education, life, the ongoing processes and the results that have been achieved.
Vuković said that with the introduction of open lists in the electoral legislation, those who think that it is "the second descent of God to earth, that there is salvation in it, that there are solutions to all our problems" would be less loud and euphoric.
"Open lists are proposed by the unstable, smallest, newest, unconvincing, political entities that split. For them, open lists would be used for mutual reckoning between the leadership, for the vice president to be the first on the list instead of the president. Those who take 35 mandates from election to election, because citizens want it that way, they welcome all newspapers, if they are thoughtful and timely, but they look at these things differently," said Vuković.
He believes that it is necessary to form a Working Group as soon as possible, so that, as he said, a serious discussion can begin on the issue of electoral legislation and open lists.
"We need to create a space to open the issue of open lists, which is the most talked about. But not with the ambition to end this conversation as soon as possible in the Working Group and to move towards the Parliament as soon as possible, regardless of the quality of the arguments for and against such innovations in electoral legislation. I am in favor of talking about open lists, but in that conversation I will also say what are the shortcomings of such a system," said Vuković.
Open electoral lists, he said, could destroy "appropriate, desired representation in the House of Montenegrin diversity, when it comes to different genders, minority communities, educational levels".
"So, I'm in favor of talking about everything, including open lists as a way to improve electoral democracy, more direct communication between MPs and the one who elected that MP. But those who exclusively and euphorically act with that solution seem unconvincing to me," Vuković said.
Citizens' group "Civil Action" appealed to state institutions, the media and the International Court of Justice in Strasbourg for, as they said, the harmonization of electoral legislation with the Constitution of Montenegro in order to respect the right to vote.
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