Request that the holder of the list "For a better Podgorica" Luka Rakcevic will be at the head of the capital, he will not be in the platform that the coalition is preparing for negotiations on the formation of the local government - "Vijesti" unofficially learns.
That was decided at last night's meeting of the constituents of that union, the head of state Jakov Milatović of the close Movement for Podgorica (PzPG) and Citizens' Movement (GP) URA Dritan Abazović.
According to the newspaper's information, GP URA requested that the request for Rakčević to be mayor, which they have been insisting on since the end of the election, be included in the document that they should present to the public tomorrow, while PzPG was against it.
A "Vijesti" source close to Milatović said that Rakčević's name will not be in the platform, but that the newspaper "Za bolja Podgorica" will insist that the URA GP official be the first man of the capital.
On the other hand, an interlocutor close to GP URA claims that 80-90 percent of the platform has been prepared, that it was agreed that there will be no names in it, but that at today's new meeting of the two political entities, they will agree to what extent they will insist that Rakčević be mayor .
The list "For a better Podgorica" won six mandates in the local parliament in the recently held elections, four of which went to PzPG, and two to GP URA.
The interlocutor of the newspaper from PzPG said that they, as a political subject "without which there is no power", think that Rakčević is the best candidate for the first man of Podgorica, but that they do not want the issue to be "blackmailed".
He says that the platform will contain their demands on what should be changed in the capital, that is, "principles" for negotiations.
"These are transparency, mutual respect, prohibition of abuse of power, democracy and inclusiveness, public responsibility, putting citizens first, fulfilling pre-election promises...", said that source.
Yesterday, "Vijesti" tried to contact several GP URA officials regarding the platform, but they did not respond to the newspaper's calls and messages.
A source from that party previously announced that it allegedly discussed that, in addition to the request for Rakčević to be mayor, some other personnel wishes should be included in the platform. According to him, the reason for this is the assessment that without those positions, what they promised to the citizens before the election cannot be achieved.
According to the unofficial information of "Vijesti", PzPG, although it supports Rakčević in principle, wants to leave open space for a compromise on the function of the leader of Podgorica. As an interlocutor close to the President of Montenegro said, they do not rule out cooperation with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), but, he claims, they would be reluctant to engage in such a political marriage.
On the other hand, newspaper sources claim that the top of Abazović's party would accept entering into a coalition with anyone if it were agreed that Rakčević would manage the capital.
Despite this, the sources claim that both parties still do not look favorably on the cooperation with the coalition "For the Future of Podgorica", which can be an obstacle to the formation of the government.
Not at Borovinić Bojović
Neither PzPG, nor GP URA will, as unofficially told "Vijesti" from those entities, attend the negotiations scheduled for today (17 p.m.) to which they, along with representatives of the Europe Now Movement (PES) and Democrats, were invited by the list holder. For the future of Podgorica" Jelena Borovinić Bojović.
Those two political actors, who participated in the elections in Podgorica with the Movement for Changes as the "Za bolja Podgorica" paper, previously announced that they would not start post-election talks until they had developed a platform.
President Milatović said yesterday that the alliance of PzPG and GP URA will soon present a platform and invite other parties to decide on it. Asked if that coalition is not giving up on the demand that Rakčević be mayor, he replied that they are not deviating from the platform "which should encompass everything that means improving the quality of life of the citizens of Podgorica".
"We believed then and now that Mr. "Rakčević is a good candidate for the mayor of Podgorica, who can realize the pre-election platform that will now be rounded off in some way in the document that will be signed," he said.
Arrival at the meeting that should be held at the premises of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević in Podgorica, the leader of the PES-Democrat coalition and the Minister of Energy confirmed to "Vijesta". Saša Mujović (PES), as well as the Democrats.
Mujović, after Borovinić Bojović's invitation, announced to the media that PES "remains determined in its position that only those political entities that have a constructive approach in the formation of a functional city government" can be their partners, and that the mayor, in accordance with democratic principles, should be delegated the list he headed.
The elections in Podgorica were held on September 29, and DPS won 19 mandates, the PES-Democrats coalition won 14, the "For the Future of Podgorica" alliance won 13, the "Za bolja Podgorica" list won six, the European Union three, and the Party of European Progress (SEP ) and the Movement "Urokret" for two mandates.
Bearing in mind that the Assembly of the Capital City has 59 councilors, it is necessary to provide the support of at least 30 of them to constitute the government. The ruling parties from the state level and the opposition DPS can reach that number only through an alliance with the list backed by Milatović.
The ruling parties can establish an administration even without the votes of the GP URA, and with the support of four councilors from the PzPG close to Milatović. In that case, they would have 31 mandates in the Podgorica parliament. On the other hand, DPS and their traditional partners would not be able to come to power if GP URA and Milatović split. In that scenario, they would lack two or four "hands" in the Assembly of the Capital City.
The constitutive session of the parliament is scheduled for November 28, and the deadline for it to be constituted by electing its head expires on January 5, 2024, that is, 60 days after the publication of the final election results in the Official Gazette (the mayor is elected no later than 30 days after the constitution parliament). If this does not happen, the president will have to call for new elections.
The government in Podgorica consisted of PES (from which PzPG emerged), a coalition gathered around the former Democratic Front (current coalition "For the Future of Podgorica"), Democrats and GP URA.
So far, the only meeting on the formation of the authorities in Podgorica was held at the beginning of November, at the initiative of DPS. The meeting was attended by representatives of the European Union and SEP, and DPS announced after it the development of a platform that it has not yet presented. So far, only the European Union has done so.
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Mujović: We would not support Borovinić Bojović for mayor
In political circles in Podgorica, it is speculated that a potential arrangement between the coalition "For a better Podgorica" and the party of the current city government could be realized in such a way that Borovinić Bojović would be the mayor, and someone from the list supported by Milatović - head of the local parliament.
When asked whether the PES-Democrat coalition would accept to support Borovinić Bojović to become the leader of Podgorica, Mujović answered in the negative.
"Of course not. We are clear and there is no philosophizing. I will not take my eyes off the people to whom I promised to be the mayor, if there are conditions. If we were to support Jelena, it would mean that I might have had a preconceived scenario to lure people to vote for me, and then run away. I will not be a liar, at the cost of my life," he said.
The Democrats unofficially told "Vijesti" that the top positions in Podgorica should be divided "according to democratic principles", but that if PES decides that the position of mayor belongs to another actor, they will agree to that.
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