Former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić said that his views on Prime Minister Milojko Spajić differed then and now, due to his behavior and decisions, which, he believes, are contrary to what the plan was and what the government he headed advocated for, and one of the key positions is that there should be no sales of state property.
Spajić was the Minister of Finance and Social Welfare in the executive branch headed by Krivokapić.
In an appearance on TVCG, Krivokapić said that it is illogical and unfair to give someone something for 99 years and not allow others to compete.
"Spajić gave us different information through his announcement of the investment cycle, so ask him why that is, not why I am in conflict with my statements about him. He is keeping the cat in a bag, and when that bag is opened, there will be a mouse that will cause damage to Montenegro," said Krivokapić, as reported by the RTCG portal.
He adds that figures of 20 to 30 billion cannot be "handled" so easily.
This government, he says, has not implemented any of the plans of the government of which he was prime minister, and that it has no projects.
"When thinking about the development of Ulcinj, we had a plan to create 10 to 12 exclusive hotels of the highest level through a spatial plan, with the three most famous architects in the world working on it and for them to propose the best solutions, taking into account the key element, which is sustainable development and respect for environmental standards. I would like to see what standards they set in this project from the 44th Government," said Krivokapić.
No one in the government in which he was prime minister, as he emphasized, spoke about a 30- or 90-year lease, because the Privatization Council had clearly analyzed similar problems that arise today with such a contract.
"This is a similar story to the 'Belgrade on the Water' project, that investor invested a billion, but the state of Serbia only received 10 million euros from that project. If that land had been sold to investors from Serbia, it would have received five billion."
As he said, he is not interested in Spajić, but in acting in the interest of the state. He also said that he was not advocating for replacements, but for changes in the state.
He stressed that he did not regret the election of Spajić and Jakov Milatović as ministers, because he made the "best choice", and that what happened after that was not his responsibility and that he did not see why he should feel guilty.
"PES emerged and drove a wedge between DPS and DF, and I thought it would grow, but thanks to the players, a coup occurred. Abazović came to the head of the government through negotiations, DF played like Pilate, 'I wash my hands, I don't want to get involved'," said Krivokapić.
The former prime minister adds that those who criticize DPS for "treading the beaten path" are treading the same paths. Each ministry is a "silo of party profile," and the prime minister, he says, thought it would go much differently, but he was wrong.
The elections in Nikšić did not surprise him, because someone "systematically worked to break up" PES, and PES did not achieve the basic principle of democracy, which is that there should be democracy in the party, which, he says, Milatović advocated for.
It is strange, he said, that someone is in a hurry to pass the law on agreements with the UAE in the Parliament, if the same government has not built a single meter of new highway, and many roads through Montenegro have been announced. "The tender for the continuation of the highway has been withdrawn, because the EBRD does not allow anyone to play with their money, and politicians play with citizens' money."
He believes that in Montenegro, political leaders run everything and that there is no democracy within parties, and he also points out that it is a problem if this happens with new parties as well.
He calls former Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, who was the vice-president in his government, a "manipulator" who uses various means.
"He is a manipulator, of the highest level, who uses all possible means and there is no one he has not deceived, that is why URA is falling, because its leader is so profiled. And in Nikšić, although he was a wonderful candidate, they won less than two percent," said Krivokapić.
Speaking about President Jakov Milatović, who was Minister of Economy and Economic Development in his government, Krivokapić says that he is practical, pragmatic and realistic.
"He doesn't do anything until he thinks it through a few times. Does he sometimes get involved in things that may not be within his jurisdiction out of fear of what will happen to Montenegro? Yes, but doesn't the president of the state have the right to express his opinion? Whatever he says is met with a backlash, because the media scene is divided, it has favorites of PES, DF, URA and DPS," Krivokapić pointed out, adding that the media is creating a polarized and false image, and that we must have media that are free from the influence of editors and owners.
He also addressed economic issues, emphasizing that with the "Europe Now 1" program, no one lost, and the citizen gained. As for "Europe Now 2", he says that Spajić should be asked whether his promise has been fully fulfilled.
"'Europe Now 2' had to be a natural legacy of 'Europe Now 1'. The government did nothing to ensure that prices were in the citizens' best interest. Neither the previous one nor this one did anything, they provided a few items, but the monopolists continue to profit. They do not allow competition, but protectionism is at work, and we see that with this Agreement," said Krivokapić.
Speaking about his experiences in diplomatic meetings during his presidency of the Government, he assessed that European diplomats are "hypocritical" - that they think one thing, do another, and say something else, the RTCG portal reports.
"Lajčak, Bilčik and Picula work for DPS. I insist, let them call me to court, so I can say what they offered me in private. The environment of every embassy is a DPS environment, only the two ambassadors of Britain and France were rarely correct and inclined to help Montenegro. Everyone else wrote negatively about us, and told us differently," said Krivokapić.
He estimates that no reform has taken place in the DPS. He believes that it is the most organized party not only in the Balkans, but also beyond. It used state resources, had its own security service, leverage in the judiciary, in the prosecutor's office, said Krivokapić.
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