When passions calm down, dialogue begins (INFOGRAPHIC)

Negotiations regarding the formation of local authorities in Berane and Ulcinj did not start yesterday, nor did the municipal election commissions announce the results of the elections, but party bickering and guessing from election night about who is really the winner and who is good for a coalition partner continued.

According to preliminary party results, no party or coalition won absolute power, so it will be negotiated in both municipalities.

Yesterday, the parties that expected to be part of the local administration in Ulcinj were more vocal, so the public received messages that the Democratic Party of Socialists could again be in it, in alliance with the coalition of the Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA) and the Democratic Union of Montenegro (DSCG ), and Forcom. This was announced for "Vijesti" by the holder of the DUA-DSCG list Mehmet Zenka.

Beran's parties, as they told "Vijesta", will start discussions about the local alliance only in the coming days, and the only dilemma is whether the Socialist People's Party (SNP), which is now the key holder of power in that municipality, will be in it.

Editor of the Mina agency Milan Žugić says that in the negotiations on the formation of local authorities in Montenegro, unfortunately, there are always important segments of topics that have no points of contact with local problems:

"The parties very often try to use those negotiations for their own interests that they have in some other matters. I am convinced that the talks would go much faster if the main topic was local problems and solving pressing issues. "Unfortunately, this also indicates the necessity of decentralization of local self-government and obtaining greater powers, because municipalities now live on the goodwill of the state government and the Equalization Fund", stated Žugić.

Berans will not be in power for a few more days

According to preliminary data, the coalition led by DPS - nine, then SNP - seven, "For the future of Berane" and the Democrats - six each, "Berane Sad" 4, Prava Crna Gora 2 and United Crna Gora one - won the most mandates in Berane. The local assembly has 35 councilors, so the government needs the support of 18 of them.

The municipal election commission did not announce the results yesterday, but its president did Vladimir Obradovic he said that they have not received any complaints and that he does not expect any.

The only "irregularity" was registered by the police, who interrogated the DPS activist during the election day as a citizen. FD because of the suspicion that he tried to provide support for that party in an illegal way.

However, the Beran police told "Vijesti" yesterday that the prosecutor did not find elements of a criminal offense and that proceedings against him have not been initiated.

In the parties of the current government that won the most mandates, "Vijesti" was told yesterday that discussions about a new one have not yet begun. It is certain that the DPS will not be in it, while the position of the SNP is not known. The parties of the recent coalition at the state level (Democrats, DF, Prava and United), as well as the new political force - "Berane Sad", condition this on the withdrawal of the SNP from the agreement on a minority government at the state level.

Yesterday, that party thanked the citizens for their support and promised not to waste it. In a statement, the SNP reiterates that they will "do everything in their power to make Berane feel better in every sense as soon as possible", which indicates that they do not plan to be in the opposition.

Their electoral list holder and current municipal president Tihomir Bogavac says to wait for the final results.

"In addition, we should wait and let the passions settle down, so we can start negotiations. I don't think it will happen this week," he said when asked by "Vijesti" whether the SNP will initiate talks.

Holder of the list "For the future of Beran" Vuko Todorovic he also says that it is too early to start talking, "We are exhausted from the campaign and all the activities related to the elections. We gave ourselves a day or two of rest. We'll see what happens after that," he replied.

The biggest loser of the elections in both municipalities - DPS, through several announcements and speeches of its representatives, assured the citizens that their strength, as they stated, was confirmed with the single highest number of votes won.

"The fact that we have been in the opposition for a year and a half, permanently exposed to the hybrid war and the campaigns of the orbit of the "Serbian-Russian world", their clero-nationalist executors, as well as attempts at satanization by the political competition, so despite all this, the DPS wins individually the largest percentage of voter votes... We are aware of the need for both Ulcinj and Berane to get responsible local government that will not be formed on the basis of hatred, revanchism on the one hand and personal, party and other privileges on the other. The experience from Kotor, Budva, Tivat testifies that coalitions formed on such a platform, as a rule, lead municipalities and their citizens to the blockage of the work of institutions, complete paralysis of functioning, which ultimately ends with the introduction of forced administrations," the DPS statement states.

Albanian parties are starting negotiations in Ulcinj

In Ulcinj, the coalition "For a new beginning" (GP URA, DP, SD and SDP) won 14 mandates, the DPS-BS coalition six, Forca five, and the Democrats, who entered the local parliament for the first time, two. The biggest surprise was the result of the coalition Democratic Union of Albanians - Democratic Alliance, which won six mandates. The local parliament has 33 councilors, so 17 are also needed for a majority.

The Ulcinj MEC did not make official the data presented by the parties, and according to "Vijesti" information, irregularities were found at two polling stations and voting will be repeated. The reason is that in one place the same person voted twice, and in another place one ballot is missing.

Although the leader of GP URA Dritan Abazovic has already declared the holder of the list as the mayor of the municipality, the potential coalition partner - DUA hinted at a different development of the situation yesterday.

"We will talk to Force first. We said that before the election. We behave in accordance with our words," said Zenka.

He claims that he will first talk to those who love Ulcinj, because, as he says, he will preserve the interest of the city, he will work for its welfare. "It is our priority because we have all played with the trust of the citizens. All of us who are involved in local politics", said Zenka.

Asked how it can be DPS that has not done anything for the development of the municipality even at the state level, Zenka said that it will be seen how it works for Ulcinj when they participate in the local government.

The statements of the DPS, of which he is a member of parliament and party spokesperson, are in the same direction Milos Nikolic said that the government in Ulcinj will depend on that party, DUA and Force. He announced that the URA suffered a defeat in Ulcinj, because the five-member coalition "For a new beginning" failed to take absolute power, "and that's the only reason it was formed."

Holder of the list and president of the Municipal Board of GP URA Omer Bajraktari told "Vijesti" that the coalition led by his party won 43 percent of the votes. "That's enough for those who want to read. We have to form a coalition with someone, but it's not exactly as they say," said Barjaktari, commenting on the statements from the DPS.

He believes that they are close to the 15th mandate due to the possibility of repeating the election in two polling stations.

Since the MEC has not yet announced the results, Barjaktari says it is too early to start a dialogue. However, even before that, there were unpleasant words in the alliance because SDP and SD officials publicly criticized Abazović, accusing him of appropriating the election result.

Vice President of SDP Bojan Zekovic he reacted to Abazović's statement that they won 14 mandates, and that in 2018 they had two.

"It's not nice Abazovic to tell the truth. You know how to count to 14, and you also know the contribution of others," Zeković wrote on Twitter.

SD spokesman Nikola Zirojevic announced on the same platform that "for the sake of accuracy" the URA received five mandates, as did the Democratic Party. The SD won two, the SDP and the Albanian Alternative one mandate each, Zirojević reminds.

Voter fatigue and disappointment brought fewer citizens to the polls

In the local elections in Berane and Ulcinj, fewer citizens turned out compared to previous years in 2018, which, according to analysts, indicates voter fatigue and disappointment with the results of the government at the state level.

According to the data of the local election commissions, 64,02 percent of voters voted in Berane on Sunday, while in 2018, 73,7 percent of those registered in the voter list came out in the local elections in that city.

In Ulcinj, 55 percent of voters went to the polls on Sunday, and in 2018, 62,74 percent. In the parliamentary elections in August 2020, 66,2 percent of those enrolled in the voter list went to the polls in Ucinje, and 77,7 percent in Berane.

The editor of the Mina agency, Milan Žugić, says that one could say that the people have had enough of elections and political manipulation. "Montenegro is constantly in some election processes in recent years and we are constantly waiting for something to end. And now we have been waiting for the elections in Berane and Ulcinj to finish, so that we can see what will happen with the minority government", said Žugić for "Vijesti".

He adds that the lower turnout was also influenced by the fact that a large number of citizens, especially from the north, live in Podgorica and on the coast, so they were not interested in coming to vote. "There was also no organized arrival of voters organized by the parties like in previous years," said Žugić.

He believes that the option of holding all elections in one day should be seriously considered.

Program Director of the Center for Political Education Dragiša Janjušević told TV Vijesti on Sunday evening that the low turnout was a combination of circumstances - the formation and manner of forming the government, as well as its performance in the past year and a half, the vote of no confidence in the government, and the process of forming a minority government. ..

"Perhaps a general dissatisfaction of citizens who had higher expectations from the Government after the parliamentary elections. It's all a combination of circumstances that can affect the low level of turnout," said Janjušević.