Although it criticized the previous government for the shortcomings of the electoral system, the current one did not take any concrete steps for almost five years, but rather used the legal loopholes left to it, until this summer, when amendments to the law scheduled local elections in all municipalities for June 2027 and the formation of the Central Election Commission began.
This is how the executive director of "Alfa Center" and political scientist comments for "Vijesti" on the anniversary of the unfinished Kotor elections. Miloš Perović.
Local elections were held in Kotor on September 29th of last year, but due to complaints regarding two polling stations (Mirac and the Prčanj Cultural Center), the final results have not yet been announced, and the new government has not been established.
The first man of the Municipality Vladimir Jokić was re-elected by the old convocation of the local Assembly in early March. On October 11, Jokić filed two complaints with the Constitutional Court due to the deadlock that existed in the Kotor election commission. However, the Constitutional Court did not rule on Jokić's complaints on October 24, as the voting result was 3:3. The Constitutional Court explained in a statement that three judges took the position that they had the authority to examine the election dispute in substance, while three of them considered that the election procedure was strictly formal and that they should examine only procedural irregularities in the work of the competent election commission. At the end of October last year, Jokić withdrew the constitutional complaints in order to complete the election process.
The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) also appealed to the Constitutional Court in November last year against the decision of the State Election Commission (SEC) to reject their complaint regarding the elections at two polling stations in Kotor. The Constitutional Court has not yet decided on this...
Perović points out that the unfinished Kotor, as well as Šavnik, elections are an indicator of the dysfunctionality of the Montenegrin electoral system, which cannot guarantee the completion of the electoral process.
"This situation is the result of the shortcomings of the Montenegrin electoral system, for which the former regime was criticized, and the new one has not taken any concrete steps until this summer, so in accordance with their political and party interests, political parties are using these legal loopholes," Perović told "Vijesti", adding that until the electoral legislation is fully reformed and the functioning of institutions is regulated, situations like those in Kotor and Šavnik will continue to occur.
As he points out, this will not happen without political will, so citizens can only hope that "politicians will be a little more aware of their responsibility and, by agreement, make moves that will create a functional system - not only for the sake of the path to the EU, but also for Montenegrin society as a whole."
Perović adds that he would not be surprised if the issue of local elections in Kotor is resolved only in 2027.
"Although the problem in Kotor will definitely be resolved at the general local elections in June 2027, there is a possibility for an earlier resolution. The key lies in the Parliament of Montenegro and its readiness to elect the missing judges of the Constitutional Court. The speed of this process directly depends on when Kotor will receive local government in full and formal-legal capacity."
Jokić: The crisis was planned by the defeated side
Jokić believes that the Kotor crisis was planned.
"From the moment the court failed to make a lawful decision and from the moment the three judges decided to decide according to the DPS party dictates, instead of according to the law and previous practice, I have been warning that everything was planned to cause an institutional and political crisis, at the expense of the defeated party," he believes.
As he points out, he does not expect the strongest opposition party to withdraw the appeal, so, he adds, the only solution is the election of the missing Constitutional Court judges.
"I expect this to happen as soon as possible, in the hope that judges will be elected without political pressure to judge freely and according to the law, so that this situation will never happen again. I would like to point out once again that after the constitution of the new parliamentary convocation, we will form a new parliamentary majority as soon as possible," said the first man of Kotor.
Moškov: There is no will for a solution
President of the Kotor DPS and leader of that party's list in the September elections Neđeljko Moskov believes that the political will to complete the elections does not exist.
As he points out, a year after the elections began, "we are experiencing exactly what DPS warned about during the election campaign - complete political chaos and institutional blockade."
"The parliamentary majority, which has no legitimacy, continues to work. The same majority, contrary to the opinion of the Ministry of Public Administration, re-elected Jokić as the President of the Municipality. As a reminder, it was the illegally elected Jokić who withdrew his lawsuit before the Constitutional Court in order to, allegedly, repeat the elections. After that, his representatives in the MEC voted against and blocked the completion of the process," Moškov recalls.
In his opinion, a year later, "the general impression is that everything comes down to trade and party and family employment," while "the city is sinking in every sense, regardless of the fact that the PR service of the Municipality of Kotor convinces the contrary every day with its cheap advertising."
"The fact is that there is no political will to bring the elections to a close by repeating the elections at two polling stations, because we are all aware of who is losing the most - the current rulers who, solely and exclusively for the sake of their seats, have captured local self-government. I do not expect anything more from the Constitutional Court, because it does not have a majority to decide and the question is when it will have one, because the current parliamentary majority at the state level has no political interest in making the Constitutional Court functional," he told "Vijesti".
Moškov is pessimistic that the Kotor crisis will be resolved before June 2027, when general local elections are scheduled in all municipalities, and he also points out that they were scheduled "thanks to the engagement of the state opposition." However, he expects that by then "Kotor will be freed from the actions of irresponsible and arrogant individuals."
"Based on everything we witness, it is clear that responsibility is not a characteristic of the people who run the city today, so instead of stability and development, Kotor has been blockaded and fought for the private interests of individuals. The only 'progress' felt in this city relates to the employment of party soldiers and blood relatives of the current government, while the city stagnates and remains hostage to an insatiable government," he adds.
They will respect the will of the court.
In a speech after being elected, Jokić asked who could guarantee that, if the elections were repeated, there would be no new appeals, and that the decisions of the Constitutional Court would be unquestioningly respected, whatever they might be.
On that occasion, he said that he was certain that, after the court's decision, he would form a majority, but also that, if by some chance a "Copernican political turnaround" occurred, he and his party "would not be a barrier to it."
Jokić was the mayor for the first time from 2017 to 2019, and held the same position from 2020 to 2024. His previous term expired on October 30 last year.
Ahead of the session at which Jokić was re-elected, the Ministry of Public Administration expressed “serious concern” about holding a session of the Kotor Municipal Assembly, whose mandate has expired. They warned that making such decisions represents “a direct undermining of the democratic order and the principles of the lawful functioning of local self-government.”
Jokić previously pointed out that there are three options for getting out of the crisis, the first of which - and the least likely - is for DPS to withdraw the constitutional appeal and then announce the election results.
The second option, as he said at the time, is to elect a judge of the Constitutional Court, for the court to sit, make a decision, announce the election results, and form the government again.
The Constitutional Court was unable to reach a decision on the DPS appeal in two sessions, and after the retirement of two judges, the session to decide whether the appeals are well-founded cannot be held until the election of new judges, which is underway.
The third option, Jokić said earlier, is for the old Assembly to convene, elect a mayor, adopt a decision on temporary financing, and continue to function until the election results are announced.
According to preliminary results of the Kotor elections, held on September 29, the DPS and the PES-Democrats coalition won ten seats each, the "For the Future of Kotor" alliance, the Grbljanska Lista and the Democratic Alternative won three each, the European Alliance two, and the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) and the Kotor Movement one seat each. By repeating the elections at two polling stations, the DPS could "take back" the mandate from the PES and the Democrats...
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