The process of Montenegro's accession to the European Union (EU) will directly depend on the success of electoral reform, said Bosniak Party (BS) MP Admir Adrović, assessing that all political entities are guilty and equally responsible for the blockade of the Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform.
In an interview with the MINA agency, Adrović said that he is certain that European partners are not looking at who is to blame for the blockade of the Committee, whether the government or the opposition, but rather that they are observing the Montenegrin system as a whole.
"I'm sure they don't look favorably on what's happening here and are probably wondering why it's not ending," said Adrović.
He pointed out that it was expected that the Law on Financing of Political Parties and Campaigns would be completed within a certain period of time and that the European Union (EU), because that law was also a condition for obtaining IBAR, "turned a blind eye", with Montenegro's obligation to adopt that law within a reasonable period of time.
"I think that our further EU accession process will directly depend on the success of electoral reform," said Adrović.
As he said, Montenegro will not be able to move forward on its European path if it does not complete this work.
"Later, it will be completely irrelevant who is to blame, the government, the opposition, which party, if we stop this process towards the EU," Adrović emphasized.
Asked who, according to BS, was to blame for the blockade of the Electoral Reform Committee, Adrović replied that BS did not take a position on who was to blame and added that, in his opinion, all political entities were to blame for this situation.
"We, as BS, did not advertise, because we believe that this process should not be something to score some small political points, but rather a process that should shape the essence of the electoral process," Adrović added.
As he said, electoral reform must be worked on, not used for any daily political needs.
"As BS, we have not taken a position on who is to blame, but what can I say, I think that all political entities are to blame because, due to various situations, we have come to this situation where we currently have a blockade of the Committee and are standing still," said Adrović.
He stated that he does not see the work of the Electoral Reform Committee being initiated until other matters that are currently burdening the political reality in Montenegro are completed.
Adrović believes that all political entities did not approach the entire electoral reform process in a sufficiently responsible manner and that more responsibility and sensitivity were needed.
"If I had to say who is responsible, I think we are all equally responsible for the fact that this process did not take off in the right way," said Adrović.
Asked whether there is political will for electoral reform, he said that he believes that political will exists.
According to Adrović, due to the nature of the Committee, which is designed so that all final decisions are made by consensus, there are always cases that cause some political entities, at some point, due to their own interests, to make a move that leads to the blockage of the Committee.
As he said, certain political entities resort to these methods of blocking the Committee, not only in this, but also in previous convocations.
"BS has never taken advantage of it, although we could have, we haven't, and we don't plan to do so, because we think it is in our interest to complete this process as soon as possible and as qualitatively as possible," Adrović pointed out.
When asked about the allegations of the co-chair of the Electoral Reform Committee, Vasilije Čarapić, that the Europe Now Movement (PES) will seek another model for the functioning of the Committee if the opposition does not stop boycotting its work, Adrović said that he did not know which model Čarapić was referring to and which model PES was considering.
"The only thing that comes to mind is that the ruling majority votes for these laws alone, but I will remind you that some laws require a two-thirds majority and that the opposition is needed to pass these very important laws," added Adrović.
He emphasized that the spirit of electoral reform is for the opposition to participate, stating that any models that would remove the opposition from the decision-making process are not good.
"If we have a situation where the opposition does not participate in the end, does not accept these changes, then what have we done? If they are going to challenge this process tomorrow, we have been painting for nothing and we should not get into it," said Adrović.
As he said, he would not enter into any models that would destroy the essence.
"I'm not really in favor of the type of adventurers who would solve some things by force. I advocate, and our political entity advocates, for talks and dialogue. I think there is always room for agreement, but we have to enter into agreements honestly," Adrović added.
Speaking about the Law on Financing of Political Parties, he said that they had almost completed the story surrounding that legal solution and that there were still one or two things left to be resolved.
Adrović added that these matters had also been agreed upon in the meantime and that the session of the Electoral Reform Committee should have been held on the same day as the session of the Constitutional Committee, which was followed by the blockade of the Parliament.
"If what happened at the Constitutional Committee had not happened, we would probably have completed that law and it would probably already be in the parliamentary procedure, and that would be a good step towards unblocking the entire process," Adrović pointed out.
He assessed that, if all political entities understand the seriousness of the problem, in the coming period, when the issues that are already burdening them are resolved, they will sit down at the table again and continue working on electoral reform.
Adrović, answering the question of when he expects the opposition to stop blocking the Electoral Reform Committee, said that he does not know when that will happen, but that he assumes that before that, an agreement must be reached between the ruling majority and the opposition for the opposition to begin participating in the work of the plenum.
"That has not happened yet. I expect that it will have to happen soon, because it is not in anyone's interest, neither the government nor the opposition, for the opposition not to participate in parliamentary sessions," Adrović emphasized.
He reminded that recently only members of the ruling majority have been present at plenary sessions, adding that this is not the essence of parliamentary life and that everyone must find a way to overcome the current situation.
"I think we need to find a way to sit down at the table, to agree on what to do next, in order to block the entire political system," concluded Adrović.
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