At today's session of the Assembly of the Municipality of Berana, Vuko Todorović from the Coalition for the Future of Berana was elected as the new President of the Municipality.
Todorović was elected by the votes of 19 councilors of the new coalition majority consisting of the Democratic Front (DF), Democratic Montenegro (Democrats), the Berane Sad Movement, Prava Montenegro and United Montenegro.
Todorović has a degree in mechanical engineering, and until now he was the director of "Waterworks and Sewerage" in Berane.
The session was chaired by the President of the Municipal Assembly Novica Obradović, who was elected on June 7 at the constitutive session of the Municipal Assembly scheduled by the Government of Montenegro.
In a statement to the media, Todorović said that Damjan Ćulafić from the ranks of the Democrats will most likely be the vice president of the municipality, and he did not want to talk about the other names.
He thanked the New Serbian Democracy and the Democratic Front for giving him the honor of carrying the list "For the Future of Beran", and that he will be the president of the citizens regardless of religious and political affiliation.
At the session, the councilors of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Lidija Kljajić, Democratic Front (DF) Vida Ivanović and deputy of the list "Berane sad" Mladen Premović debated.
The former President of the Municipality Tihomir Bogavac (Socialist People's Party) addressed the crowd, and after that the SNP councilors left the hall.
Kljajić asked councilor Ivanovic to inform the citizens about the agreement between the Coalition for the Future of Beran and the Democrats, and how the rotation of the position of president for two years will work.
Ivanovic clarified that she was not a participant in the negotiations, but that the agreement between the two parties was that the president of the Municipality would be Vuko Todorović for the first two years, and Damjan Ćulafić, the councilor of Democratic Montenegro for the next two years.
"Formation of government in Berane - Around the world in 80 days"
Lidija Kljajić believes that the formation of government in Berane resembles the adventure novel of Jules Verne - "Around the World in 80 Days".
"It is exactly 80 days today since the elections in Berane ended on March 27. That's how long the negotiations and mutual blackmail lasted. The negotiating actors were motivated by personal interests, division of functions," said Kljajić.
She pointed out that this club of councilors will do everything to "stop the decline of Beran", and that the economic development of the city will be their priority.
She also wished the SNP "welcome to the opposition benches".
Kljajić believes that "this is a gross abuse of the law and institution", referring to Article 55 of the Law on Local Self-Government.
"The President of the Municipality is the executive body of the municipality, the function is professional, he is elected for a period of four years. Today you violated the law and the Constitution, you continued with the violation that was in the previous period," she said.
She added that everyone who participates in "breaking the law" will have to answer to the state authorities. She also announced that the DSP will not support that initiative and the model of a rotating president, calling it "a blackmail approach that has proven to be bad in practice."
To Kljajić's statements, councilor Ivanovic replied that what they as a coalition will agree on among themselves, "is our problem".
"It is neither unconstitutional, nor illegal. For you as DPS to take over power, you fell from 17 to nine mandates, so I don't see any threat," said Ivanovic.
Bogavac: Do not expect support from the SNP in Berane
The former president of the Municipality, Tihomir Bogavac, addressed the councilors and said that they do not expect the support of the SNP in Berane, and that the citizens "will not forgive political adventurism".
He also invited the President of the Municipality to read the names that will take the positions, and if they still haven't agreed, to explain why they haven't.
"The SNP will not be part of the government, we will see what period it will be. This is a government made up of so many parties, each of which can decide on its fate," he said.
Regarding the exercise of power in other cities with the SNP, Bogavac said that he would have an "adequate answer" in the coming days.
"Democrats in Cetinje do not mind the SDP, in Tuzi they are with Nik Đeljošaj, in Kotor with Milo, and with the SNP they are where they need us. They don't need us in Berane, just to get out of our shadow," Bogavac said.
He told the Democrats that "you can't get out of your parents' shadow, even though we are not satisfied with how you turned out."
"We cooperated correctly with the DF, because of political and personal interests we ended the friendship. Citizens know what the SNP has done for this city in recent years," said Bogavac.
He told the new President of the Municipality Todorović "may God help you with this kind of support". "What would the people say - they fell and killed themselves," he said.
Premović: I will take up some position, the citizens have given me their trust
The holder of the "Berane sad" list, Mladen Premović, responded to Kljajić's allegations that Premović, "as they have heard, is engaged in blackmail these days and is looking for a certain position", that he will occupy some position, and that the citizens have given him confidence.
He argued with the councilor of the DPS, and in response to Bogavac's allegations, he said that the former president of the municipality was elected by the will of the SNP, and not by the will of the citizens.
Premović promised that he would support the future mayor and Todorović and Ćulafić, and that Todorović has a sure comrade in them.
"We will all be united in preserving the electoral will of the citizens. As for your (DPS) leadership of the city, the witness is the pulp factory. Abazović taking pictures in front of the factory, as if he went to Ukraine," said Premović.
According to his words, "it was never freer and more beautiful than in the time of Zdravko Krivokapić", Kljajić saying that "Krivokapić, the enthronement of Metropolitan Joaniki" hurts them, and because of that, "the believing people resented them".
Kljajić also commented on the "Europe Now" program, stressing that "we will have a problem in the coming months to pay salaries."
"We will not influence that program, but we will have to put the state in debt again, because we are already over-indebted, that irresponsible company put us in even more debt," said Kljajić.
To that, Premović asked if "anyone's salary was ever late during Krivokapić's time", and told the DPS councilor that DPS returned to power with "shops".
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