The mortification continues: The ruling majority's negotiations on the crisis in Podgorica have been terminated

"Vijesti" has learned that the mayor Olivera Injac and the Minister of Education Anđela Jakšić Stojanović on the one hand, and councilor Nađa Ljiljanić and Finance Secretary Balša Špadijer on the other hand, will try to end the negotiations between the current and former members of PES "as soon as possible".

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Photo: Aljoša Turović
Photo: Aljoša Turović
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Colleagues from the ruling majority in Podgorica allowed the Europe Now Movement (PES) and the Movement for Podgorica to break the deadline for an agreement, one of the participants in yesterday's meeting of representatives of the ruling parties in the capital confirmed to "Vijesta".

The negotiations were interrupted after three hours "due to previously undertaken obligations" of a part of the participants, and it was announced that they will continue today.

"Vijesti" learned that the mayor will try to finish the negotiations between the current and former members of PES "as soon as possible" Olivera Injac and the Minister of Education Anđela Jakšić Stojanović from one, that is, councilors Nađa Ljiljanić and Secretary for Finance of the Capital City Balša Spadijer on the other side.

During the meeting, the councilor of Prava Montenegro (PCG) Stefan Vesovic he told the journalists that the Movement for Podgorica announced that there was no agreement, but that the rest of the parliamentary majority was trying to "help it happen".

Ljiljanić, guest on the show "Reflektor" on TV Vijesti, said that "the mood of PES for an agreement has appeared", but also that "they owe it to the citizens to talk to the last stage".

"There is no agreement, if it doesn't happen, if we can't solve the crisis in a decent way, the fairest thing is to return the mandate to the citizens," added the representative of the Movement for Podgorica.

When asked whether she would support the opposition's initiative to shorten the mandate of the parliament, Ljiljanić replied that "she has not said that yet and that they should get the initiative these days."

However, she said that her party will not vote for the dismissal of Mayor Injac, because they believe that she should not bear all the responsibility.

Ljiljanić said that they are not satisfied with the people who run some companies, but also that they are asking for people who have better references and who they think would lead the capital better to be brought to their positions.

"Vijesti" recently announced that the Movement for Podgorica requires at least two or three directorships, as well as the position of deputy mayor, as well as part of the money belonging to PES from the budget funds for financing the regular work of parties in the local parliament.

Member of the Citizens' Movement (GP) URA Milena Vuković Sekulović in the same show, assessed that yesterday "nothing was said, no agreement was made, nor did that meeting have any purpose in terms of reconciliation" and added that "all that is happening next is the killing of citizens".

She pointed out that her party will not vote for the dismissal of the mayor, but that the decision to shorten the mandate of the Assembly will be made by party bodies.

"We don't have a definite position, I know what the public wants to hear, I have no problem even with the opposition to vote for something like that. The alternative is that no sessions are held, that we cannot adopt the budget, that there are no manifestations", said Vuković Sekulović and added that she is "for a fair approach", and that, if the majority cannot come together, they will go to extraordinary elections whoever submitted the initiative.

The member of the GP URA also said that there was "physical and verbal violence" at the meetings.

Representative of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) Andrija Babović said that they are not in favor of shortening the mandate.

"It seems to me that we who are in power should deny ourselves the right to power, in order to come back to power because of some other projections, that is absurd. Why should we show no confidence in the assembly when it is not necessary", he stated.

During the meeting, the leader of Free Montenegro Vladislav Dajkovic and Vešović told journalists that they are not in favor of early elections.

Dajković pointed out that "some colleagues from the ruling majority have gone crazy for good", but also that "it is better to give the negotiations a chance, no matter how long they last".

Vešović reminded that yesterday's meeting was the third or fourth in a row, but also pointed out that, in his opinion, some come to the meetings with the aim of not reaching an agreement.

"The imam constantly feels that something is being suggested from the side so that no agreement would be reached, which some colleagues also noticed at the meetings," the PCG councilor said and added that "he hopes that an agreement will be reached so that the citizens would not be mortified that constantly they go to the polls".

The crisis in the Podgorica parliament is after the March split at the local level, when PES left the five councilors who created the Movement for Podgorica, and with GP URA and the Movement for Change (PzP) agreed on joint action. Together they have 11 councilors and are the largest group in the city parliament.

During the vote on the Injac report at the Assembly session at the end of May, the opposition did not attend the vote, with the exception of an independent councilor Aleksandra Saša Zeković who voted "for", along with 26 other members of the majority.

At the session at the end of May, the Movement for Podgorica did not support the report on the mayor's work, thus for the first time they publicly opposed the decisions of the authorities, of which they are formally a part.

The statute stipulates that the dismissal of the mayor is decided by secret ballot, with a majority vote of the total number of councilors. This means that the opposition needs at least six votes from the government to dismiss Injac, who was elected mayor on March 13 last year.

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