The candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) will win the presidential elections in Montenegro, said the party's deputy Andrija Nikolić, stating that the party's authorities will decide who it will be in the coming days.
When asked if DPS leader Milo Đukanović will be a candidate, Nikolić said that in the previous presidential elections, Đukanović achieved an absolute majority of votes in the first round and that it was the most convincing victory in some elections since the introduction of multi-party systems.
"Even today, the local and municipal organizations of DPS see Đukanović as one of the most serious candidates for the highest state positions, including the post of president of the state and government," said Nikolić in an interview with the MINA agency.
According to him, such thinking of the DPS party public is not a surprise, especially when it is taken into account that in the previous two and a half years, the institution of the President of Montenegro was the only functional one in the country, from which the constitutional order was defended.
"In the most difficult times of the recent political history of Montenegro, Đukanović showed the highest degree of responsibility towards state affairs, he made decisions that projected the future of the country, he correctly chose the timing and the path that leads to the realization of state interests in the future," said Nikolić.
The public mentions the names of potential candidates for the presidency, among others, Professor Milica Pejanović Đurišić.
Nikolić, answering the question whether it would be acceptable for DPS to have Pejanović Đurišić as a candidate, said that she has been engaged in important state affairs for almost three decades, that she was the first president of DPS.
Nikolić said that Pejanović Đurišić was also the first Montenegrin woman to head the Ministry of Defense, as well as that the reputation she has in the country and abroad always makes her predisposed to perform the highest state functions.
Individual opposition parties have announced that they are advocating for a common candidate, while the Social Democratic Party believes that it should be a non-party person.
Nikolić, answering the question of whether this is acceptable to the DPS, said that their traditional and potential partners and allies were not informed through the media about their thoughts on that or any other important topic, but were directed to first carry out internal consultations, and to then inform the public through the media.
"Everyone whose opinion we hold, including current and some potential allies, will be informed in a timely manner about what our thoughts are, and after that, I'm sure, we will all together inform the interested public about it," Nikolić added.
Asked if this means that he does not rule out the possibility of a single candidate, Nikolić said that even if it is joint, there will be others and DPS.
When asked how he comments on the assessments that it is not good that the presidential elections were announced without prior consultation, Nikolić replied that he agrees with that because, as he stated, the responsible people do not need to prescribe everything.
He said that, unfortunately, there was no consultation of the representatives of the parliamentary political entities regarding the announcement of the presidential elections.
Nikolić assessed that this is not only a matter of non-compliance with some unwritten standards, but also a feature of the deficit of the democratic culture we live in Montenegro.
That move, he added, is not surprising.
"All this looks like a tactic to delay the parliamentary elections so that the political subjects of little power, who control the deposed government, maintain the status quo and continue to abuse the system of government to the limit," said Nikolić.
When asked if among the 26 candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court they see someone whom they would support, he answered in the affirmative.
"We want the judges of the Constitutional Court to be elected. DPS was rebuilding this country, and the stability of the country is reflected in the stability of its institutions. Therefore, we should not be encouraged to make functional one of the most important institutions in Montenegro", said Nikolić.
In the DPS, as he stated, they expect to reach a rational compromise that will lead to the selection of candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court, so that the institution will finally become functional and the country will start the process of European integration, which has been stagnant for a long time.
"It goes without saying, with the insistence on the criteria of professionalism," said Nikolić.
He said that there were no formal party negotiations on the selection of judges and that it is logical that there will be none as long as the procedure of hearing candidates before the Constitutional Committee continues.
"Of course, when that procedure ends, I believe there will be a mood to move in that direction, and until then we certainly maintain informal communication with potential partners on that joint work," said Nikolić.
Asked from whom he expects to start a dialogue on that topic, he said that it is to be expected that the invitation will come from the parliamentary majority, if it is taken into account that the issue of electing judges of the Constitutional Court is the competence of the parliament.
When asked what will happen if the judges of the Constitutional Court are not elected, whether the negotiations with the European Union (EU) will be stopped or if it will remain at the level of a warning, Nikolić said that, based on the regular discussions he has with EU representatives, convinced that they are not joking and that "they are not threatening with an empty gun".
As he stated, these are very serious warnings.
"If you want to become a member of the EU, you must adhere to the standards defined in that club," said Nikolić.
According to him, the EU has the right to demand that Montenegro deliver certain results, especially in a situation where the state government allegedly wants EU membership, but ignores suggestions from European addresses.
"The fact that (Dritan) Abazović is calculating whether the EU's warnings are realistic or not, I would say that this is part of his usual frivolous and immature attitude, and that it is a political game that should prolong his political life, on the platform deceiving the public that nothing terrible is happening on the European road," said Nikolić.
He pointed out that it is clear that the warnings of the EU and other partners are very serious.
"I hope that this time there will be enough intelligence in the parliamentary majority or part of it to finally unblock the Constitutional Court," said Nikolić.
He said that there is no room for assumptions when it comes to the warnings of the international community due to the institutional and political crisis in Montenegro.
As he stated, Montenegro is deep in the process of European integration, and is one of the countries of the Western Balkans that is interested in EU membership.
Nikolić said that those who are natives in that club have the right to suggest and demand that Montenegro fulfill certain tasks and standards.
He said that some from the international community welcomed the political changes that took place in Montenegro in 2020 with interest, and some with sympathy.
However, as he stated, sobriety followed very quickly.
Nikolić added that, also, some from the international community hoped that Vlada Abazović, supported by DPS, would deliver the expected reforms.
He assessed that this government has become a permanent disappointment.
"What is experience and what is lesson? We reap the way we sowed and I believe that we will be smarter in the next elections," added Nikolić.
When asked why the DPS did not submit the initiative to shorten the mandate to the parliament, he replied that they did not register that at this moment there is a mood of the parliamentary political entities to vote for the shortening of the mandate.
DPS, he added, has 30 deputies in the parliament, and in order to shorten the mandate of the parliament, the support of 41 deputies is needed.
"We give priority to the attempt to unblock the Constitutional Court, and then, I'm sure, we will have a rational basis for the others, or part of the others, to shorten the mandate of the Parliament," said Nikolić.
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