The Socialist People's Party (SNP) does not deserve to be at the census level and is in dire need of reforms, said the party's vice president, Dragoslav Šćekić, adding that he expects to be elected leader of the SNP at the upcoming Congress.
Šćekić, who is also the Minister of Sports and Youth, said that the SNP Congress has not yet been scheduled and that the congress procedure has not been opened, which is a question for party president Vladimir Joković.
He added that he expects the Congress to be held as soon as possible and that the procedure itself should have been started even earlier.
"The SNP desperately needs reforms, a new chapter needs to be opened, and I believe that we have serious potential, but also the capacity of our people who have not been given the chance to show what they can do and how important their knowledge and abilities are for Montenegro," said Šćekić in an interview with the MINA agency.
He assessed that the SNP could make a significant contribution to Montenegro and asked why they would keep that contribution in an environment that is not befitting the SNP.
"As a political party studied at political science faculties, which for so many years was in the full sense a true alternative to the then government of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which made a huge sacrifice on the path of liberating Montenegro from all these bad moments produced by the DPS, we did not deserve to be at the census level," said Šćekić.
According to him, the SNP has potential, quality and stable people, and the combination of youth and experience they possess can bring the party to a much higher level and much greater support from citizens.
Šćekić stressed that he did not doubt this and that, if he did, he would not run for president of the SNP.
"I believe that we can do something good for the SNP. I and the team that should be the bearers of change in the SNP can do a lot to return the SNP to its old paths of glory and its fundamental principles," said Šćekić.
Asked whether he expects to be elected party leader and whether he has support for it within the party, Šćekić replied that he would not run if he did not expect it.
"I fully believe in victory and in the possibility of doing something good together for the SNP, and through the SNP for Montenegro," said Šćekić.
When asked who he expects to be the opponent in the SNP presidential election, he said that he does not want to bid and that everyone has the right to run.
"I will run this congressional race honestly, humanely and decently, respecting all the principles around which the SNP has brought us together, respecting the people," said Šćekić.
He said that he believes that even if Joković is no longer the party president, he will continue to be part of the SNP environment and will provide support to the new leadership.
As Šćekić said, not everything that Joković found in the SNP was ideal, because someone before him left a series of problems and a bad environment, so it wasn't easy.
"With these problems, he did not manage to preserve the continuity of the struggle until the end, and we reached the level where the SNP was simply on the verge of the census," said Šćekić.
He pointed out that Joković had unreserved support from him, as well as from many other colleagues from the SNP, and that they were his sincere support, so that they could achieve better results.
Šćekić added that he expects Joković, as Minister of Agriculture, to be an active part of the SNP in this way as well.
He stated that now is the time for certain reforms, a new party organization, and perhaps some new political action.
Šćekić explained that he was referring to an organization together with certain political entities that make up the current government.
"I believe that those who have the best communication within the current government should be part of a movement for the people, for the progress of Montenegro, a movement to restore the rule of law, which will in the full sense sincerely follow the path towards the European Union (EU), but which will also be sincerely supported by international factors," said Šćekić.
As he said, he would add, in addition to the ruling majority parties that are unequivocally committed to a more socially responsible state, a responsible society and Montenegro's European path, political entities that were not part of the DPS regime, independent intellectuals, citizens who are not politically engaged and NGOs that deal with social issues and citizens' rights.
According to him, the SNP was an example of how a party functions and how the party infrastructure is best organized, and they should not have lost that.
"We must return to our members and supporters and take care of their sacrifice," said Šćekić.
"Appointment of Krivokapić shows lack of sensitivity to citizens' needs"
Asked how serious the disagreements between part of the parliamentary majority and the Bosniak Party over the appointment of Ranko Krivokapić as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) are and how they affect the functioning of the majority, he said that these tensions are significant in terms of the dissatisfaction of certain political entities, but that the government has not been undermined.
"There have been certain tones that are not in the direction of a stable atmosphere, but given that the government is still performing its function, we can conclude that it is functioning and that there are no problems," said Šćekić.
As he said, the government is not disrupted and is functioning, and that level of problems and disagreements will be best perceived by citizens.
Šćekić, speaking about these disagreements between part of the parliamentary majority and the BS, said that it must be understood that the government in Montenegro is heterogeneous.
"Regardless of the fact that we are different in power, we must still take into account the message that was created on August 30, 2020, because the spirit that existed then guided us and citizens expected complete changes," said Šćekić.
He said that changes are urgently needed because DPS and the political entities with which it formed the government left a very bad legacy, and the citizens were very clear and wanted changes, a new majority, stability and progress.
Šćekić said that this is why everyone who is currently in power must be careful about which personnel they nominate for which positions.
According to him, the appointment of Krivokapić as an advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a lack of sensitivity to the needs and desires of the citizens of Montenegro for the country to change in the right direction.
"What marks an era of division, creation and sowing of seeds of hatred, part of that environment is precisely Krivokapić, and BS should have thought in that direction - that we should not, through the new government, return to the institutions of the system people who contributed to Montenegro looking much different, to introducing discord and discord among brothers," said Šćekić.
Asked whether he believes that the government will survive until the end of its term with the current constituents, Šćekić said that perhaps some constituents will step down, because there are some entities that from time to time announce a reconsideration of their participation in the government and the government.
"But I am certain that the Government will fulfill its mandate and that it will achieve significant results in the coming period that will certainly qualify it for the future period and for the next elections," added Šćekić.
He pointed out that a certain period must pass before the problems, which have been created for more than two decades, can be overcome.
"The state was subordinate to the clans"
Speaking about the Parliament session scheduled for May 29, whose agenda includes a discussion on the initiative to dismiss Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, Šćekić said that he believes that the parliamentary majority will not support the DPS initiative to dismiss Mandić, because there is no adequate reason for it.
"If we talk about some of their allegations, we as the public have not received any concrete arguments from the competent authorities - the Police Directorate, the Prosecutor's Office and others, towards clarifying everything on which the accusation and the DPS initiative are based," said Šćekić.
As he said, DPS is not a party that should deal with matters of moral approach to politics and the functioning of Montenegro, and they are the last ones who can talk about the good or bad sides of the government.
Pćekić said that DPS is the party that has brought Montenegro to the worst possible state, especially when it comes to the rule of law.
"Just from what can be read in the Sky correspondences, one can see the environment in which the state functioned and how much the state sank in relation to crime and how much it was subordinated to all these clans," said Šćekić.
He pointed out that this criminal environment ultimately led to many murders and other bad things - putting Montenegro on the map for drug smuggling, cigarettes and all other bad things.
"This is not good and it must be stopped, we see that the fight against crime is rising to an ever higher level every day," said Šćekić, adding that he regrets that the courts are not following this fight.
According to him, one cannot talk about an independent Montenegro and its constitutional order without it being shaken at its basic postulates, "and the DPS has shaken it severely."
Šćekić said that in the future, the government should show that DPS should be at a level below ten percent "and that they cannot think about any strength and initiative that can change the political situation in Montenegro."
Bonus video:
