Sudden postponement of the session of the Budva parliament, which was urgently scheduled for June 25th by the President of the Municipal Assembly Petar Odžić (SDP), fueled speculation that there are, after all, disagreements within the political group "Budva our city" led by the current mayor of the municipality Nikola Jovanović and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).
Although Odžić, in his explanation for postponing the session, stated that they had not yet received approval from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property for the Program of Temporary Locations for the Territory of the Municipality of Budva for the period 2024-2028, and although that decision was not on the agenda of the emergency session, this was not enough to silence the opposition, which used the political moment to make accusations against the Jovanović administration.
Both Jovanović's group and the Democratic Party of Socialists told "Vijesti" that there was no talk of conflict or disagreement, and that "the situation is normal", meaning that the postponement of the session was agreed upon in advance.
However, "Vijesti" was told by several sources that there is increasing dissatisfaction within the ranks of the DPS, because Jovanović's delay in giving the green light to appoint members of this party to the head of several municipal companies and cultural institutions is causing the party to have less patience.
Although Jovanović has emphasized from the very beginning that DPS is not part of the government and that there is no question of any coalition, nevertheless, behind the "project support" lies a good share of the political pie, which was taken by the party of which he is the honorary president. Milo Đukanović.
DPS allegedly demanded that its personnel be elected as directors in the largest municipal company - the Municipal Enterprise, but also to manage the "Parking Service" and the Public Institution "Grad Teatar".
This has been dragging on for a whole month, and the meetings of the board of directors are not being held. Whether the DPS will be respected will be known on July 1, when the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Public Utility Company is scheduled to decide whether he will sit in the director's chair. Marija Manojlovic Jovicevic, otherwise a DPS councilor, or the candidacy will be accepted Joko Popovic, the former Secretary for Investments, one of the key figures of the political group "Budva our city" in the last elections.
Although there is speculation that relations between Popović and Jovanović's political group have cooled, the decision on who will be entrusted with the directorship will also mean a further unraveling of the political situation in the city.
In February, the DPS provided what it called "project support" and, with its seven councilors, enabled the election of Jovanović as the city's leader, having previously approved a four-year term for Odžić as the head of parliament.
Jovanović's group, Petar Odžić's European Alliance and the Civic Movement URA, which form the backbone of the government, have 12 out of a total of 33 councilors, so the seven DPS councilors are crucial for their dominance in parliament and the functioning of the administration.
Even if the decision of the Board of Directors of the Public Utility Company is not to the liking of the DPS, few believe that the party will dare to deny confidence to Jovanović. He is counting on the fact that the DPS initiative to shorten the mandate would not be supported by any of the opposition parties - New Serbian Democracy, Democratic People's Party, Socialist People's Party, Democrats or the Europe Now Movement (PES).
To launch an initiative, 11 councilors are needed, or a third of the convocation, which means that DPS would be four signatures short.
On the other hand, the outcome of the situation in "Parking Service" is also awaited, because the Board of Directors has failed to meet, and two members from DPS did not attend the meetings on both occasions, explaining that they had previously agreed obligations. In that company, headed by an SNP cadre, his dismissal and the election of an acting director from the ranks of DPS have not yet been put on the agenda, and that rotation has been awaited for a whole month.
Budva in a challenging political and "tourist" moment
In addition to the challenging political moment, Budva is in a much more challenging "tourist" moment, because the season has already begun, but the public and citizens are not thrilled with how the tourism capital has prepared itself.
Construction is still ongoing at some construction sites despite the ban that came into effect for the entire Budva municipality on June 15th, and the delay in adopting the Temporary Facilities Program for the second season means that order cannot be restored in the contact zone of the Old Town and on the promenades from Budva to Petrovac.
Bonus video:
