Zenović will not choose between "mathematics and a chance for Budva"

Representatives of Budva's Europe Now Movement (PES) will most likely not come to today's meeting to which they were invited by the leaders of the three lists in the local elections, so it is still uncertain whether it will be possible to form a government in Budva.

"Tomorrow will be difficult," said the PES leader to "Vijesti" yesterday Predrag Zenović answering the question of whether he will attend the meeting called for tonight at 19 p.m. by the leaders of the three lists "Budva our city", "Clean election - SDP, SD, LP and citizens" and "URA - Dr. Dritan Abazović - Different", Nikola Jovanovic, Petar Odžić i Blazo Radjenovic.

"We also within the list must have agreement about that meeting, and we don't have it at the moment, because of the way it was convened, the messages sent these days by some of the actors to the political entity whose list I led, and the lack of vision - what is the topic of the meeting, mathematics or a chance for Budva? The discontinuity of bad government and the European platform are conditions for me to give legitimacy to anything, either as a list holder or as a member of the council, and the Europe Now Movement is of the same opinion," Zenović said.

Ten days after the mandates of 33 councilors in the Budva parliament were verified, no one has yet secured a majority of 17 councilors to constitute the Assembly and elect the president of that chamber and the Municipality of Budva. The deadline is August 6, by which time political parties, groups of citizens, and coalitions must provide a majority, because otherwise the President of Montenegro will Jakov Milatovic call for elections, which would make the citizens of Budva go to the polls for the fourth time in the last four years.

Budva Democrats have confirmed their arrival.

Jovanović told "Vijesta" yesterday that the date for the meeting remains, but that PES neither confirmed nor rejected the invitation.

Yesterday, PES announced that "they are very surprised that SDP and GP URA, who daily accuse PES of various nonsense without any arguments and for the sake of cheap party interest, are sending an invitation to form the government in Budva together with PES".

"So, SDP and URA would one day destroy PES at all levels, and the next day they would form a government with PES in Budva. If the SDP and the URA finally sobered up and decided to distance themselves from the previous destructive actions and daily manipulations, then it is a very significant step forward. If they thought that, according to their measure, PES would form part of the majority in Budva in order for these parties to gain positions at the local level, then they are greatly mistaken," the announcement reads.

They said that this example best shows how unprincipled parties SDP and URA are.

"Everything that they complain about PES at the state level, absolutely does not bother them in the case of Budva. This is the best proof that the only ideology of these parties is the armchair, and not the development of the state or any city in Montenegro", added PES.

"When patriotism is measured by a concrete contribution, instead of worn platitudes, then I can run as a partner of PES. Until then, they will have to explain how overnight former DF functionaries became ideologically close to SDP and URA", PES concluded.

The Democrats, on the other hand, reiterated that they have so far responded to the calls of both Jovanović and the list "For the Future of Budva" led by Mladen Mikijelj, and that they were always constructive and patient.

"Government at any cost and government for the sake of government is not an option for us, and we have shown this many times in the previous five years. I believe that the situation has changed significantly and that by the end of the legal term we can form a government of discontinuity with the current way of running the city", stressed the leader of the list of Democrats Đorđe Zenović in the RTCG statement.

In the invitation to the meeting, Jovanović, Odžić and Rađenović indirectly accused anyone who does not appear at the meeting of undermining the formation of the Budva government. "By possibly avoiding political responsibility towards the citizens who elected us, political entities will take moral and political responsibility for introducing Budva into renewed destabilization and unnecessary election processes."

"We appreciate that precisely these political entities can form a stable government in Budva on a common platform, which would enable adequate management of local administration and local resources in the next four-year term, for the benefit of all citizens of Budva," reads the invitation signed by Jovanović, Odžić and Radjenović.

"We are free, if you accept the invitation, for the meeting to be held on July 18 at 19 p.m. in the offices of 'Budva our city'. If the term doesn't suit you, feel free to suggest changes."

The formation of the government in Budva requires a majority of 17 councilors in the 33-seat parliament. Jovanović's list has nine aldermen, Odžić's and Rađenović's one each, which means that they have 11 aldermen, and they just lack six, four Democrats and two PES.

Mikijelj: Jovanović is preparing the ground for power with DPS

On the other hand, the paper expects Mladen Mikijelj as coalition allies Democrats and PES, with whom they have a total of 15 councilors, and they lack two more to form the government.

Mikijelj told "Vijesta" yesterday that the holder of the "Budva our city" list, Nikola Jovanović, refused to talk from the start, that he did not want an agreement, and that he was preparing the ground for power with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Three days ago, Mikijelj rejected Jovanović's offer that the New Serbian Democracy should give minority support and support Jovanović for the position of Mayor of the Municipality.

"Unlike us, Nikola Jovanović refused to talk from the start, with the desire to find a modality that does not correspond to the electoral will of the citizens of Budva, with the aim of becoming the president of the municipality of Budva", Mikijelj told "Vijesta" and added:

"After realizing that he cannot succeed in his plan, he publicly announces that he is changing his decision and wants to talk to us. However, after yesterday's offer, which appeared in the media even before we sat down to talk, it is clear to us that Nikola Jovanović does not want an agreement with us, but is preparing the ground to form a government with DPS. Now it is more than clear that he overthrew the government in Budva with the DPS and caused extraordinary elections, because an agreement was already made then that he wants to carry out to the end. We are convinced that there are honorable people who belong to the citizens' list "Budva our city", who will not accept any kind of cooperation with the DPS and go down the path Stevan Džaković, unlike Nikola Jovanović", said Mikijelj.