While the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Democrats are yet to make public the names of their party leaders in the upcoming elections in Nikšić, nor the names of their candidates for councilors, the two civic lists do not calculate, so everything is known about these issues from the start.
Although DPS, as the head of the party's local committee told "Vijesti", Boris Muratovic, has roughly completed the electoral list and knows who will lead it, the public will be informed about it next week. "Vijesti" has learned unofficially that Muratović is the most serious candidate to lead the list of the strongest opposition party in the elections, which will this time run independently.
The Europe Now Movement (PES) is likely to enter the elections in the same way, but tomorrow it should make an official decision about the leader of the list, as well as the names that will be on it. According to information from "Vijesti", the most serious candidate for the leader of their list is a doctor. Zoran Mrkic, director of the General Hospital in Nikšić.
The Democrats unofficially told "Vijesti" that they have not yet decided definitively whether they will run independently or as part of a broader coalition, nor who could be their leader. Recently, the president of the Nikšić branch of the Democrats Marko Mitrovic announced to "Vijesti" that the president of the Nikšić parliament will Nemanja Vuković most likely to be the winner if that party decides to run independently.
The coalition "For the Future of Nikšić", led by the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF), will once again be the largest. It will be led by the current mayor of the municipality Marko Kovacevic, and except for the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) Andrije Mandić, as "Vijesti" unofficially learned, the broad alliance will also include the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević, Socialist People's Party, United Montenegro, Workers' Party, Free Montenegro, True Montenegro, the "For the Life of Nikšić" movement, the Yugoslav Communist Party of Montenegro and probably several other smaller constituents.
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The European Union announced earlier this week that their list would be led by a non-partisan figure, a businessman and long-time cultural activist. Ivan RadojicicHe told "Vijesti" that the program and work plan of their list are being prepared so that the campaign officially begins today, and until March 10th they are "open to all who inherit the ideas of libertarian Nikšić".
"I am primarily thinking of independent intellectuals, non-partisan figures - because our goal is to have as many of them on the list as possible - and not political officials. All research shows that the government in Nikšić will not be able to be formed without the European Union," said Radojičić.
He was the president of the Municipal Board of Pozitivna in Nikšić and a councilor in the local parliament. He was recognized as a critic of the then local and state authorities and all their problems. When he left Pozitivna in October 2014, his party activities ceased, but not his criticism of all the anomalies in society.
"Politics is not a comfort zone where I feel the best, but necessity changes the law. Nikšić needs change, and only we can bring about that change. I believe that it is necessary to engage all available forces to return Nikšić to those to whom it belongs," Radojičić underlined.
At the beginning of the week, according to Dusan Golovic from the Civic Movement URA, the leader of their list will be known, as well as the names of 41 candidates for councilors, and the program "which is ready" will be made official.
"The list will also include several non-partisan figures, as well as members of minorities," Golović, who heads the Nikšić board of the GP URA, told "Vijesti".
The appearance of the "Preokret" movement in the elections in Nikšić is also quite certain, and it will make an official decision about it in the coming days. And the Party of European Progress of the former Prime Minister Duško Marković will perform independently. Signatures of support have been collected, and in the coming days they are expected to publish the list and announce the name of the winner. Yesterday they announced that they will perform under the slogan - "It's time for Nikšić".
Đurišić and Radulović: An opportunity for abstainers and those not looking for work
"Without any pressure or blackmail, we collected many times more signatures than necessary. People even contacted us on their own. The list is already ready, there will be about 30 names and it will include people who are not politically exposed, who are educated, accomplished in their profession and who entered this whole story without any interests, not expecting employment, because they have a job. They just want to bring some good change to Nikšić," the leader of the civic list "Probudimo Nikšić" told "Vijesti". Dragoljub Radulović.
He states that he expects that, just as he "awakened" the Župa Local Community, which he has headed for almost ten years, the list he leads will "awaken" Nikšić.
"I expect the people of Nikšić to recognize that this is a true people's list. We hope for a good result, and for us it is a good result to enter the local parliament. The list will, of course, include a relevant number of women," said Radulović, adding that the second place on the list will be taken by a law graduate Vesna Dragnic.
And from the second civic list, "Work for my city", which will be led by a doctor Borislav Mišo Đurišić, are saying that they are ready for the elections. They claim that they have a sufficient number of signatures, as well as support, a ready list and program.
"In a week, we have collected over 600 signatures of support and we expect to have several hundred more by next week, when we will submit the list. We have also received support from over 40 doctors from the hospital, and doctors from other health institutions in Nikšić have also supported us. The list will have around 15 candidates and they will be politically uninvolved individuals, accomplished people who do not need a job, honest, clean people who have distinguished themselves in the 'Work for my city' campaign, who do not ask for anything for themselves, and are ready to give a lot to the city," Đurišić told "Vijesti".
As he stated, he wanted the civic lists in Nikšić to run together, but he says they were unable to reach an agreement, adding that they are open to negotiations "with all individuals who wish Nikšić well."
"We want to prevent further devastation of the municipality, to prevent Podgorica parties that are not interested in Nikšić and that have made up their minds to participate in the elections - because we have voters who owe them something and who are obliged to vote for them, so these people do not have free will - from deciding about Nikšić. We want to mobilize abstainers, people who are disappointed in all political parties, to come out, because we need people who think for themselves and vote with their own free will," said Đurišić.
Their list, he said, will include more women than the legal minimum, and the second on the list will be an economist. Slobodan Bajovic.
The deadline for submitting electoral lists is March 18, and political entities, coalitions and/or groups of citizens must have the valid support of 459 voters.
According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 57.717 citizens have the right to vote.
The current government in Nikšić consists of a coalition led by New Serbian Democracy, the Democrats and GP URA.
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