They are making a deal without the "innkeeper" Milatović: The government and the opposition have agreed on the date of local elections, but are arguing about parliamentary elections.

The government and the opposition formalized an agreement in parliament yesterday that all local elections will be held on June 13, 2027, but while the former claim that part of that arrangement is simultaneous voting at the state level, the latter say that the elections will not be held "as a package." None of them mentioned the head of state yesterday. Jakov Milatović, who is the only one asking about the date of the parliamentary elections.

The "new" Law on the Election of Councilors and Representatives, whose amendment agreed upon unified local elections, does not mention the parallel organization of state elections.

Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic (Democrats), announced after the Assembly's decision that "united general local elections will be held together with the regular parliamentary elections", while the Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorcevic (Europe Now Movement) said that "by combining all local elections with parliamentary elections on one day," the stabilization of political conditions is possible.

A source for "Vijesti" from one of the ruling parties claims that the government and the opposition, although there is no provision in the law for this, have agreed to hold local and national elections simultaneously, and that the European Union (EU) "sponsored" this.

Representatives of the two camps discussed electoral reform with the head of the EU Delegation in Podgorica the day before yesterday, Johann Satler.

When asked why parliamentary elections were not mentioned in the law, the interviewee replied that such a norm would be unconstitutional, because the President of Montenegro, according to the highest legal act, calls these elections.

On the other hand, an opposition source denies that the government agreed to merge local and state elections, and that the Union mediated in this. He claims that a provision on parliamentary elections could have been included in the law, but that the opposition is not interested in it because, as he said, it wants an extraordinary vote at the state polls.

The EU delegation did not respond to "Vijesti" about what exactly was agreed at the meeting with its head, whether part of it was that parliamentary and all local elections would be held on June 13, 2027, or that only all local elections would be held on that day, if unification was not agreed - why the government representatives claim this, and how Sattler interprets the fact that they and the opposition see what they voted on in parliament yesterday differently.

Last night, Sattler called it "good news" on the X network that the Assembly adopted "a comprehensive electoral reform package, including holding local elections on one day and 40 percent women on electoral lists."

"Inter-party dialogue and cooperation in the interests of citizens are yielding results and bringing Montenegro closer to the EU," he wrote.

According to the provisions of the Law on the Election of Councilors and Representatives, which have not been amended, parliamentary elections are held no later than 15 days before the expiration of the mandate of the representatives. Considering that the current parliamentary term was constituted on 27 July 2023, this means that elections can be held no later than 11 July (Sunday) 2027. According to the same regulation, no less than 60 or more than 100 days can elapse between the announcement of the elections and their holding.

Although the government expects unified elections, a source from the president's office told "Vijesti" this week, before yesterday's adoption of the amendments to the law, that the head of state "does not think" of calling regular parliamentary elections on the date "determined by law" for local elections.

"Nothing prevents the president from scheduling elections before the local elections, say for May 2027," the source said.

Yesterday, ahead of the Assembly session, Milatović said that he was "concerned about the plan to hold local elections in 2027 during the height of the tourist season," but he did not talk about the national elections.

Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Co-Chair of the Electoral Reform Committee Nikola Rakočević (Democratic Party of Socialists), said yesterday that the electoral reform is "a great victory for the opposition in every society", stating that "parliamentary elections function according to the same principle as now".

"The opposition will do everything to overthrow this parliamentary majority as soon as possible... The Democratic Party of Socialists will do everything to bring about early parliamentary elections... It is important that early parliamentary elections take place before that (June 13, 2027). This law treated general local elections in one day, not parliamentary elections," he said at a session of the highest legislative chamber.

Member of Parliament for the Europe Now Movement and second co-chair of the Committee Vasilije Carapić, stated that all local elections will be held on June 13, 2027, but that this is also the date of the regular parliamentary elections.

"We advocate for general elections at both the local and national levels. I would like to tell the opposition not to get carried away by the idea of calling early parliamentary elections. If they succeed, I take my hat off to them," he said.

Yesterday's decision by the Assembly "postponed" all local elections that were supposed to be held before 2027, that is, the mandate of the authorities in these local governments was extended. By the end of the year, people were supposed to go to the polls in Cetinje, Mojkovac and Petnjica, and next year in Tivat, Plužine, Žabljak, Bijelo Polje, Šavnik, Bar, Danilovgrad, Kolašin, Pljevlja, Zeta, Plav and Rožaje.