After the removal of the three-decade regime of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the new government did not deal with the bad practices that the party was known for, instead it appropriated them, continuing to put the party's interests ahead of the public's - the interviewees of "Vijesti" assessed.
They said this while commenting on the first anniversary of the parliamentary elections in which the DPS, after thirty-one years of rule, was sent to the opposition.
Citizen activist Dina Bajramspahić states that the matrices, monopolies and privileges of the former government must be broken, but not in such a way that they pass from one hand to another. If there was no such transition, according to her, party politics would be moved to the field of ideas, and common resources - which would be managed on the basis of objective merits and professional standards, and not on the basis of party and religious suitability, and the capacity to is obeyed - they would serve all citizens.
"That alone would be a historical and qualitative change, a fundamental break with the tradition of treating the state administration as the spoils of the winner in the elections. Such an undertaking would mean a conscious renunciation of short-term benefit, which is always a priority for the parties because their interest is in staying in power, not the welfare of society. Yes, it requires sacrifice and that is the price that must be paid. If it didn't cost money - DPS would also implement reforms. Someone, therefore, must. However, the new government is as aware of it as the previous one. Practices that they criticized when they were in the opposition, they have now embraced because they are useful," Bajramspahić pointed out for "Vijesti".
The executive director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Milena Bešić, said that the citizens welcome the anniversary of the election in a more divided country than it was on August 30 last year, in which the actions of the ruling parties are still based on the realization of their interests, instead of on advocating that citizens come first.
"Social and political conditions are very worrying, bearing in mind the escalation of the issue of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro and its influence. The inconsistency of the ruling parties, lack of focus on solving social problems and creating a system for the function of all citizens, additionally contributes to the assessment that the situation in Montenegro has not improved with the change of government", she emphasizes for "Vijesti".
The parties of the three-member ruling coalition, "For the Future of Montenegro" (ZBCG), "Peace is our Nation" and "Black and White", promised in last year's campaign - which was shorter than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic - that they would depoliticize public administration, be transparent, put an end to organized crime and corruption, reform electoral legislation...
However, the interlocutors of "Vijesti" agreed in their assessment that, a year later, most of those promises remained a dead letter.
Of the few fulfilled, the adoption of amendments to the Law on Freedom of Religion stands out, which was the key goal of the ZBCG coalition.
The reason for the unfulfilled promises also lies in the fact that the ruling parties spent more time on mutual conflicts than on reforms. The crisis of power began on the day of the formation of the expert government - against which the Democratic Front (DF) was opposed - and culminated with the departure of the members of that political alliance from the parliament after the dismissal of the Minister of Justice Vladimir Leposavic due to his statement on Srebrenica and the adoption of the Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica...
Speaking about the depoliticization of public administration, Bajramspahić says that instead there is a brutal politicization of institutions and discrimination against those who are not close to the new authorities, or are not engaged in the party.
"The Prime Minister (Zdravko Krivokapić) openly announced that all key positions were filled based on the dictates of the ruling parties and that, unfortunately, did not cause a 'healthy' social reaction. At the same time, the prosecutor's office reluctantly delays procedures for party employment in opposition municipalities (eg Ulcinj), although it is obvious that all parties understand that party employment is their 'right'. In combination with the growth of state indebtedness, the increase in the number of employees is a great irresponsibility that we citizens pay for. We will also pay for mass illegal dismissals, and the saddest thing is that mostly we don't get new value for that, but inexperienced interns who are just learning the job in high positions and beg for our understanding", she notes.
Bešić states that the depoliticization of the system, especially in the field of education and health, and the achievement of equality for all citizens, regardless of their political or national beliefs, did not happen at all.
"On the contrary, DPS cadres are being replaced by ruling party cadres. Therefore, we cannot even talk about reducing costs in the area of public spending", says the director of CEDEM.
Even before the Government was formed on December 4 last year, the parties in power carried out the division of functions "by depth". Thus, key positions in state enterprises and institutions - we are talking about hundreds of positions - went to party people instead of experts. In the "occupation" of the most important state-owned companies, the DF, the main constituent of the ZBCG coalition, stood out, and even announced protests against the government in the fall.
The new government, in addition to taking action "in depth", was also criticized for lack of transparency. Bajramspahić says that the government is becoming more and more deaf to public criticism, and that, after the parties did not dare to overthrow it, it breaks the laws without much harassment.
"The government appointed the heads of two key bodies of the security sector - the Police Directorate and the National Security Agency - bypassing the Assembly, i.e. without following the procedures explicitly prescribed by law. A government that does not hesitate to break the law cannot claim for itself that it is committed to the rule of law. The Prime Minister and ministers go to the Assembly only when they feel like it. The National Security Council does not invite a legitimate member from the ranks of the parliamentary minority to the sessions, which completely delegitimizes the work of the Council".
In addition to the above examples, the authorities are particularly reproached for not yet fully presenting all the details of the debt of 750 million euros, which was realized in a few days at the choice of the Government, as well as for the fact that it recently declared secret the information regarding the hedging arrangement for the loan for the construction of the auto stock - road Smokovac - Mateševo.
Bešić says that the policy of continuity - which is reflected in the non-transparency of institutions, the politicization of public institutions and companies, as well as the failure to implement reforms necessary for progress on the EU path - could not have resulted in the strengthening of integrity and the growth of trust in institutions, as well as the democratization of society and the strengthening of the rule of law. .
The rule of law and the fight against organized crime and corruption were the promises insisted on by all the then opposition and now ruling parties. However, due to the permanent political crisis caused by disagreements between the ruling parties and the fact that key positions in the judiciary are still occupied by people close to the former regime, the new government's hands are practically tied in dealing with corruption.
Amendments to the Law on the State Prosecutor's Office - the DF conditioned the adoption of the budget on the approval of the mentioned law - came into force in June. The Venice Commission gave a negative opinion on the original proposal of the law, while praising the progress in the new proposal, although it also then, like the first time, warned about the possible politicization of the Prosecutorial Council (PS).
The amendments to the aforementioned law created the conditions for the election of a new TS, which can carry out the dismissal of the heads of the Supreme and Special State Prosecutor's Offices. However, due to the impossibility of an agreement between the DF and the Democrats on the selection of members of the TS from among distinguished lawyers, the work of that body will be blocked until further notice, which means that changes in the prosecution organization will also be blocked.
The parties in power promised before the election to pass laws on the origin of property and lustration, but so far these acts are not in the parliamentary procedure. The Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare is working on the draft law on lustration, and it will be ready by the first autumn session of the parliament, as Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović told "Vijesta" earlier.
When it comes to the law on lustration, that act, apparently, will not be adopted, because the international community is against its adoption.
Although the fight against organized crime mainly served the authorities for marketing purposes, because they do not have the help of the judiciary, on Thursday a commendable result was achieved - the police seized 1.400 kilograms of cocaine in Podgorica, which is a record seizure of that drug in Montenegro...
Bešić believes that ad hoc decisions in the area of judicial reform do not contribute to the fight against crime and corruption, despite the attempts of government representatives.
Bajramspahić says that the new government, like the previous one, is selective in its choice of criminal cases, so tycoons and officials close to it are protected from prosecution and criminal charges by the police. He adds that not all criminals are under the same attention of the prosecuting authorities.
"We have yet to see whether the reforms of the prosecution will be a 'liberation' from political influence or a new political takeover and political dictation. The activities so far have taken place with numerous mistakes in the steps and objections of international partners".
A year after the election, the new government did not even fulfill its promise to improve the electoral legislation, although the DF is threatening its colleagues from the ruling majority with new elections by the end of the year. The parliamentary committee responsible for election issues was blocked after the opposition left it in mid-June. It was originally planned to finish its work by the end of that month.
Bešić warns that there is no activity yet in the field of electoral legislation reform, although local elections will soon be held in some municipalities.
Local elections in Nikšić and Herceg Novi (held in March and May) opened, for the umpteenth time, the issue of "double" voters and vote buying. The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated changes to the law on residence and residency registers, but they are on hold due to fierce opposition and diaspora protests against the said act...
The Assembly dismissed the President of the State Election Commission on June 17, but his successor was not elected despite calls from the OSCE Mission to do so by the end of the first regular session of Parliament. And not only that - the election of the head of the SEC, as "Vijesti" already reported, also remains in the shadow of the political trade of the ruling parties.
In the pre-election campaign, there was also talk of improving the media environment, but the new government cannot boast of results in that area either. "Vijesti" interlocutors indicate that there are more and more attacks on journalists.
"During the mandate of the new Government, intense attacks on journalists continued - during the first eight months of 2021, there were 14 cases of attacks and threats against journalists. The quality of public dialogue is at a low level, with radicalization on both sides. Hate speech and abusive speech are widespread. The government's rhetoric towards critics of its controversial policies is that DPS members are criminals, losers of privileges, and it does not shy away from labeling dissidents and media they don't like from a position of power," Bajramspahić points out.
Bešić says that, due to the increasingly frequent attacks on journalists, more than essential efforts are needed to change the legal regulations in the area of freedom of speech and the media, especially the Criminal Code.
In the campaign and after the election, the ruling parties put the "liberation" of the Public Service - which they accused of serving the DPS - at the top of their priorities, but personnel changes in that media house only started at the beginning of this month, with the election of a new general director.
Partially fulfilled promises on the minimum wage and benefits for mothers
The new government partially fulfilled some pre-election promises in the field of economy. In the campaign, the Democrats promised to increase the minimum wage from 222 to 300 euros. The amendments to the Labor Law - which were adopted at the end of May - increased the amount of the minimum wage from 222 to 250 euros. The new amount of the minimum wage will apply from October 1.
The promise to return benefits for mothers of three or more children has also been partially fulfilled. At the beginning of July, with the opposition of the Government, the Assembly adopted an amendment to the budget providing 25 million euros for compensation.
However, in order for mothers to have income again, changes to the Social and Child Protection Act are needed, as well as a special act that would represent a direct legal basis for the payment of benefits.
Bajramspahić: The experts failed, every new government will be political
Bajramspahić believes that the expert government is a model that will certainly not be repeated soon in Montenegro.
"Every subsequent government will be 'political'. Unfortunately, so far, the opportunity to extract from the expert model what is its advantage compared to others has been missed. This experiment only made sense if the 'experts' had the guts and knowledge to set a precedent and make difficult, long-term, strategic decisions in the interest of all citizens, not just the particular interests of the rulers. They should have crossed paths with bad practices - especially partitocratic, clientelistic, nepotistic, revanchist - and set the system on completely new foundations".
She says that all public policies have been reduced to "ours against theirs" and that ministers-experts have failed here.
"They showed that they are mostly susceptible to influences, that they are too sensitive to populist criticism, that they are not consistent, that they court public opinion and that they are slaves to their vanities and personal agendas, instead of professional principles. Most of them make unprincipled compromises with politicians, 'buy' peace and keep at least the high professional standards (including European ones) of which they had to be the backbone. Without that, they do not have a comparative advantage in relation to minister-politicians, who, unlike them, would provide at least a more stable relationship with the Parliament and the passability of legislative initiatives, which is now at the lowest level".
The Expert Government was a pre-election promise of the "Black on White" list and Prime Minister Krivokapić. However, many question its expert character due to the fact that it also includes a politician - Deputy Prime Minister Abazović, who was the holder of the "Black on White" list.
Bešić: Ideological differences do not promise stability
Bešić says that the formation of any post-election coalition could not guarantee the stability of the current government. Even then, according to her, it was obvious that ideologically different parties, which have constant disagreements on key social issues, do not promise political and institutional stability.
She states that the current political situation is not surprising, but it is worrying, and that there are three possible scenarios for the unfolding of the crisis.
"The first is the survival of the ruling coalition with constant political instability as before, without concrete results at any level. The second is the reconstruction of the Government, which may result in the realization of prerequisites for the implementation of reforms and progress towards the EU or the absence of support from international partners due to the greater participation of DF representatives. The third is the holding of extraordinary parliamentary elections that will not drastically affect the current constellation of political forces in the country".
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