They come and they stay: DNP leaves Spajić's government, but announces that it will not give up its functions "in depth"

Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević announced yesterday that she was leaving the Government and the authorities in the capital, but not the positions held by her or her close staff in state and Podgorica-based companies and institutions, saying that her people had come to their positions on merit and that the Head of Government Milojko Spajic they can be "solved".

Officials and members of the DNP, as well as people close to that party and its leader Knežević, hold important positions in large state-owned companies and government departments. Among other things, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the “Regional Water Supply of the Montenegrin Coast” is Zoran Lakušić, at the head of the Board of Directors of "Aerodrom" Jelena Maraš, the first person on the Board of Directors of "Monteput" is Aleksandar Dozic, executive director of "HTP Budvanska rivijera" is Jovica Gregović, executive director of "Railway Transport" is Dragana Lukšić, the same function in “Railway Infrastructure” is covered by Marina Bosković, member of the Board of Directors of the Port of Bar, is Željko Miladinović, the function of State Secretary of the Ministry of Health is performed by Sladjana Perišić...

Yesterday, when asked whether the DNP would leave office "in depth", Knežević said that their officials were appointed to positions "meritocratically" and that Spajić could remove them.

"Considering that the Deputy Prime Minister Milun Zogović and Minister of Transport Maja Vukićević "We announced our resignations, and today (yesterday) we submitted them and sent them to the Parliament, our attitude towards the functions 'in depth' is clear to you," he said.

One of the participants in the discussion on the distribution of functions "by depth" ahead of the elections of Spajić's executive authority at the end of October 2023, explained to "Vijesti" that the coalition For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG), which together with the DNP forms the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), participated in this. Andrije Mandić, and that the two parties then divided the positions between themselves.

The Government did not respond to the editorial team's question yesterday whether the executive branch would replace DNP staff.

The DNP presidency yesterday accepted the resignations of Vukićević and Zogović from their positions in the Government, after the executive branch did not support their identity demands the day before - the introduction of the Serbian language as an official language, amending the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship (in order to introduce dual citizenship with Serbia), and standardizing the tricolor as the "national flag". In addition, the DNP also sought dialogue on the issue of the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Botun.

Significant positions in Podgorica as well

When it comes to DNP personnel in the Podgorica government, Knežević did not mention them yesterday. The positions that belong to that party are the Municipal Police (Chief of the Service Radenko Radenović), Tourist Organization (TO) of Podgorica (director of TO Dragan Grnović), Cultural and Information Center “Budo Tomović” (acting director Marijana Zecevic), and the DNP also “covers” the position of Secretary of the Capital City Assembly. Until recently, he held that position Miloš Giljen, who resigned at the end of last year.

Knežević's party also owns the directorship position in the company "Markets and Markets", which it currently holds. Ivan BojovićAccording to unofficial information from the newspaper, Bojović does not formally belong to any party.

As unofficially explained to "Vijesti", where parties have directors, they also have a majority on the boards of those companies or institutions.

At yesterday's press conference, Knežević did not want to answer questions from "Vijesti" journalists, and the party did not respond to the newspaper's e-mail inquiries - whether it will leave the "deep" positions in Podgorica, whether it will initiate the dismissal of the leader of the Capital City. Saša Mujović or shortening the mandate of the city parliament, and whether they will also leave power in other municipalities where they form it with Spajić's Europe Now Movement (PES).

Responding to the question of whether the DNP staff will be replaced, the top brass of the Podgorica government unofficially told "Vijesti" that "there will be time to talk about it."

The exit of the DNP from the Government will not threaten its survival, because Spajić's cabinet, without the DNP's "hand" in parliament, will have the support of 48 MPs (at least 41 are needed for a majority). However, the exit from the ruling coalition in Podgorica calls into question the survival of the government in the capital. However, this does not mean its automatic fall, even if a "replacement" for the DNP is not found in the Podgorica opposition. In order for the government to be overthrown, the mandate of the local parliament would have to be shortened or Mujović dismissed.

"Knežević knows that the law protects his people"

Coordinator of the Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS) Boris Marić He told "Vijesti" that the phenomenon of 'deep' positions is a consequence of abuse of the system. He explained that all parties were distributing 'deep' positions, which according to the Law on Civil Servants and Employees are professional and should not be distributed by any coalition agreements.

"None of the competent institutions - the prosecutor's office, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Police Directorate - have reacted and initiated certain necessary legal procedures, because the parties are openly violating the law that stipulates that these positions should be professional," he said, adding that political positions are mainly in state administration and bodies, and that they "end" with ministerial positions and functions of state secretaries.

According to him, for everything else, there is a competition and people should be selected based on professional characteristics. The Law on Civil Servants and State Employees stipulates that a civil servant shall perform his duties politically neutrally and impartially, in accordance with the public interest, and that he is obliged to refrain from publicly expressing his political beliefs.

"... And now Knežević says: 'Those were my recommendations, they are now protected by law, you can hardly remove them, I don't want to deal with that, whether they are for me or not, I don't care, I leave that to whoever deals with it'", Marić illustrated.

He noted that "everyone knows" that many job openings were "profaned" by the influence of parties, and that party affiliation was dominant in the selection of personnel, adding that as long as such a practice exists regarding staffing in the state administration, the same situation will always be repeated.

"This is something that is an expected consequence of illegal and bad behavior and the establishment of bad practices when it comes to hiring, appointment and employment in state bodies," the interlocutor emphasized.

Tacit understanding of NSD

Knežević said at a press conference yesterday that the party presidency had tasked him with initiating talks with NSD leader Mandić as soon as possible about the future of the ZBCG coalition. He stated that his relations with Mandić would remain friendly even if the coalition were to break up.

When asked if there were any indications that the NSD would follow them in leaving power, the DNP leader replied that that was a question for the NSD and their party bodies.

"We had talks before the (day before yesterday) government session, my colleague Mandić and I, but we didn't talk about that," he said.

At the parliamentary session on the last day of last year, Mandić said that the NSD and DNP were coalition partners, but different political organizations, while in early January, speaking about the DNP's demands, he said that he supported them, but added:

"At 60, I am an advocate of rational choice. Everything in its own time."

When asked how much leaving the Government and authorities in Podgorica would harm the DNP, Boris Marić replied that it was difficult to assess at this point, and that it would largely depend on the character of their relationship with the NSD.

"A lot will depend on that, since, as things stand now, the NSD remains in power, and the DNP is leaving. That does not necessarily mean a bad political position, because these are parties that have been on the political scene for a long time - several electoral processes have been successful or relatively successful together. This does not necessarily mean anything negative in itself," he said.

He assessed that the DNP's move looked more like preparation for an election campaign, recalling that the parliamentary elections will be held in a little over a year, and that this is "a very short time in politics."

According to him, the DNP positioned itself as an opponent, presenting the basis of its political campaign as antagonistic.

"... On the other hand, we have Mandić. We'll see how it all plays out. That whole system, 'good and bad cops' - I don't think it's an agreed strategy. But in any case, there is some tacit understanding. It's certainly not consensus, it's not a coordinated policy and unity of purpose in everything, but there is a tacit understanding and a strong common political interest," the source emphasized.

Yesterday, the NSD did not respond to questions from "Vijesti" about their position on the DNP's move, and whether they think their coalition with that party can exist if one party is in power and the other in opposition.

The NSD announced yesterday that their high-ranking official and the first man in Nikšić Marko Kovacevic At the "Saint Sava Ball" organized by the party in Nikšić, he said that the main task of the NSD is to "help the Serbian people in Montenegro achieve greater political influence and power through that party", saying that this goal cannot be achieved "by reducing our power and influence, but by increasing it".

At the same event, Mandić emphasized that “today’s battles are not won only with the heart, but with the mind,” and that it is necessary to understand the times we live in. He recalled that on the first day he was elected Speaker of the Assembly, he said that “different paths lead to the same goal,” but that he and his associates had decided on the path that was “the smartest, the least risky, and the one that ensures a sure victory.”

Turbulence leads to reconstruction

Asked whether he thought the government would seek new coalition partners or that the current allies would divide the vacant position among themselves, Marić assessed that this was an open question, and that the executive branch realistically did not need new partners "because it has stable support in the Parliament."

"And will they find it appropriate to possibly look for new partners, do they expect some new turbulence... Because we do not know what the outcome of the Knežević-Mandić talks will be. That would be a big surprise (if the NSD leaves the government)... If this situation remains, it is unlikely that they will look for new partners," he said.

Marić emphasized that if there were any announcements of "greater turbulence," the story of a possible more serious reconstruction of the Government would open.

"Because you could have a situation where PES could form a certain majority even without the ZBCG and the Democratic Party of Socialists. It still exists, that majority that is possible. That could be a response if some major upheavals or obstructions of the Government's work are announced," says the interlocutor.

The DNP parliamentary group, as concluded at the session of their presidency, will actively participate in the work of the parliamentary working group "which has not yet been formed, and which is supposed to deal with identity issues". They also announced that on Monday they will submit a proposal for amendments to the Law on State Symbols for parliamentary procedure, which will propose the standardization of the "historical tricolor as a national flag", adding that by the beginning of the regular session they will submit a proposal for amendments to the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship for parliamentary procedure.

Knežević said that by not accepting their demands, Spajić sent a message that he did not want the DNP in the government. It is clear to everyone, he said, that there would never be a consensus on the language issue.

The DNP leader did not mention the only non-identity-related demand to the press - the initiation of a dialogue regarding the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Botun.

After the police in Botun carried out an action on December 30th of last year, which ended a two-month protest by the residents of that Zeta settlement against the plan to build a collector there, Knežević said that he would propose to the DNP presidency that he leave the "bloody government", and that, if that party body does not accept his proposal, he would resign from his parliamentary position and the position of party leader.

Vukićević asked the Parliament to acknowledge her resignation on Monday

DNP Vice President and outgoing Minister of Transport Maja Vukićević told "Vijesti" yesterday that in a letter she sent to the Parliament, she asked that her resignation be confirmed on Monday (February 2), at the first scheduled session, so that the Government could appoint someone to coordinate the work of the Ministry of Transport until a new minister is elected.

Vukićević said in a Facebook post yesterday that Zogović and she had "kept their word" and submitted their resignations.

"It has been an extraordinary honor for me to serve Montenegro and the citizens of Montenegro in this capacity. I am proud of the results that the Ministry of Transport has achieved in the past period," she emphasized.

When it comes to Zogović, the end of his mandate also ends the mandate of his advisors, among whom was long-time DNP MP Predrag Bulatović.

Milatović: Government without responsibility, DNP's decision is principled

Head of State Jakov Milatović said yesterday that DNP's departure from the government is politically principled, assuming that they will continue the fight for certain things they stand for in some other way.

When asked about language, Milatović said that it was a legitimate political issue.

"The government's failure to take a position on important social issues is not good practice and can be interpreted as evading responsibility. According to the Constitution, the government conducts policy and is obliged to take responsibility for the decisions it makes, but also for those it avoids making," he said.