The regular four-year mandates of the leaders of several Montenegrin parties have expired, but some of those parties claim that they have extended their functions because of the presidential and parliamentary elections held this spring, and because they are waiting for the population census to be carried out.
However, those parties did not inform the public about their alleged decisions until the response to "Vijesti", although some claim that they extended the leadership's mandate more than two years ago.
They announce that by the end of the year they should organize congresses and assemblies, where they will elect party bodies and people who will lead them.
Among other things, the regular mandates of the constituents of the recent Democratic Front (DF) - the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), the Democratic People's Party (DNP) and the Movement for Change (PzP) have expired.
In NSD, of which he is the head Andrija Mandic, that happened two years ago, because their Assembly (the highest party body), where the leadership is elected, was held back in 2017. However, an official of that party Andrija Babović announced to "Vijesti" that the mandate of all NSD party bodies and organizations has been extended until the end of the population census. He states that on May 12, 2021, the highest body of the NSD decided to hold the regular assembly after the census.
It was originally supposed to be implemented in 2021, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although the NSD, as part of the DF, held the census conditional on support for the then Government, it was not held. The decision of the outgoing executive authority is to take the census in the fall, from November 1 to 15.
Babović announces that "internal party elections at all levels" will be held in NSD, after the end of the census.
"Until then, we will not deal with intra-party elections, because we have extended the mandate of all our municipal committees and their leaders, the Main Committee, the Executive Committee, the Presidency, the party president and his vice-presidents, and they are performing their party functions in full capacity", he pointed out, saying that for the NSD the list is "an activity of the greatest national and political importance".
To the leadership of the DNP, which he leads Milan Knezevic, the mandate expired at the end of last year, that is, at the beginning of this year. Knežević was elected to the position in December 2018, and the vice-presidents of the DNP in January 2019.
From that party, they did not want to answer to "Vijesti" why they have not yet held a congress, whether it is planned, and on what basis Knežević and the vice-presidents cover their functions after the end of their mandate.
However, the newspaper was unofficially told by the DNP that the congress was not held "for technical reasons", that is, due to the holding of local, presidential and parliamentary elections. The interlocutor claims that such a decision was made at the DNP Presidency session, and that the congress is planned to be held by the end of the year.
The mandate of the PzP leadership, which lost its parliamentary status in the state elections, expired at the end of March, considering that in that period four years ago they had a Congress at which Nebojsa Medojevic elected head of the party.
When asked on what basis he is holding office and whether a PzP congress is planned, Medojević replied to "Vijesta" that it was an "internal issue" of his party.
"When we make some decisions, we will announce (them)," he said.
The Democrats, as well as the NSD, claim that they have extended the leadership's mandate, which, according to the provisions of the Statute, should have lasted until the end of May.
Secretary General of the Democrats Boris Bogdanovic he told "Vijesti" that the Statute stipulates that the mandate of party bodies lasts four years as a rule, which, he added, means that there can be exceptions.
"Exactly in accordance with that, and bearing in mind the election campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections that have marked the course of 2023 so far, the Main Committee unanimously decided at its ninth session held a few months ago that the bodies elected at the Second Congress continue to perform their duties and have a full mandate until the third congress is held, and that the decision on convening and the date of the third congress will be made after the holding of the presidential and parliamentary elections," he explained.
Stating that in the coming days the focus of that party will be directed towards the constitution of a new government, Bogdanović announced that it is realistic to expect that after that the Democrats will turn to preparations for the congress.
"Which, it is realistic to expect, would take place at the end of 2023 at the latest", he announced.
Unlike the aforementioned parties, some others are in an acting state because their leaders have left them or they have interim leaders.
One of them is the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which will not be in the new convocation of the parliament, and whose current leader Rasko Konjević retired from politics after the parliamentary elections.
SDP told "Vijesti" that their congress will be held in the fall, but they could not specify its exact date.
Interim Chief, Danijela Živković, has the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which by September 11 should elect the president of the party and other members of the leadership in direct elections, by the votes of the membership, not delegates.
"News" from DPS did not answer when exactly those elections will be held.
GP URA, SNP, BS... in the regular mandate
The leaders of other Montenegrin parties have regular mandates.
The president of the Workers' Party (RP), Maksim Vučinić, was elected to that position at the party's congress at the end of 2019, which means that his mandate expires at the end of this year.
The Civil Movement (GP) URA held a congress in July 2021, at which the current Prime Minister Dritan Abazović was elected as the leader of the party. His term will expire in 2025.
In July 2021, the Socialist People's Party (SNP) also held a congress, at which Vladimir Joković was elected as the head of that party for the second time.
That year, Bosniak Party (BS) president Ervin Ibrahimović, Demos leader Miodrag Lekić, and Force leader Genci Nimanbegu also received four-year mandates.
A year later, in 2022, the head of the United Montenegro (UCG) Goran Danilović, who resigned from that position a few years ago, and the leader of the Social Democrats (SD) Damir Šehović were elected to the positions.
So far in 2023, the Assembly of the Albanian Alternative has been held, where the President of the Municipality of Tuzi, Nik Đeljošaj, was elected as the leader of that party, and the Congress of the Liberal Party (LP), where Vatroslav Belan succeeded Andrija Popović, the long-time leader and deputy of the LP.
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