By the time the general local elections are scheduled for June next year, the four-year terms of several municipal leaders will expire, and local parliaments will have to either re-elect them or fill their positions. However, these processes could be fraught with problems due to disagreements within some local governing coalitions.
One of the two aforementioned tasks awaits the assemblies in Mojkovac, Tivat, Plužine, Žabljak, Bijelo Polje, Bar, Danilovgrad, Pljevlja, Plav and Zeta.
Due to the lack of harmonisation of regulations, the mandate of the leaders of local governments runs independently of the mandate of councillors in parliaments.
In the Royal Capital of Cetinje and the municipalities of Mojkovac and Petnjica, the last local elections were held on December 5, 2021, and the leaders of these self-governments were elected shortly thereafter, which means that their four-year mandate has expired.
Mojkovac without its first man
Mayor of Cetinje Nikola Đurašković (SDP) and the first man of Petnjica Samir Agovic (DPS) were re-elected to office on January 28 and February 2, while the leader of Mojkovac Vesko Delic (NSD) mandate expired on February 1st, but there is still no announcement when the local assembly session could be held to elect the mayor.
"The Mojkovac ruling coalition has not yet considered the possibility of re-electing the mayor," the head of the Mojkovac Municipal Assembly (MA) told "Vijesti" on Tuesday. Marko Janketić (Democrats).
He stated that the Law on Local Self-Government (Article 209a) stipulates that the Municipal Assembly continues to exercise its powers until the mandate of the councilors elected in the general local elections to be held in June 2027 is confirmed, and that "the same article does not stipulate by imperative norm that the mayor must be re-elected."
"This article leaves the possibility for the mayor to be re-elected. The mandate of elected persons lasts no later than 60 days from the date of confirmation of the mandate of councilors elected in the general local elections. Up to this point, at the coalition level, we have not considered the possibility of re-election to the position of mayor. The local government is focused on making decisions and implementing capital projects that will permanently change the appearance of Mojkovac and result in economic and demographic recovery," said Janketić.
Delić was found guilty and sentenced to a suspended sentence of six months in prison, according to a non-final verdict of the Higher Court in Podgorica, for appointing the heads of the Municipal Police and the Protection and Rescue Service in Mojkovac in 2022, even though he knew they did not meet the legal requirements. He is the first mayor of a municipality to receive a non-final prison sentence for illegal employment.
Janketić claims that there were no initiatives from the ruling coalition to consider Delić's position on this issue either, reminding that the verdict is not final.
Where could there be trouble?
At the end of this year and the beginning of 2027, the mandates of the mayors of the municipalities of Tivat, Plužine, Žabljak, Bijelo Polje, Bar, Danilovgrad, Pljevlja, Zeta and Plav will also expire.
To the first man of Danilovgrad Aleksandar Grgurović mandate ends on December 3, Pluzina To Slobodan Delić (SNP) 8. December, Zete To Mihailo Asanović (DNP) on December 16th, and to the leader of Žabljak Creative Žugić (Durmitor Initiative) December 30th.
To the President of the Municipality of Bar Dušan Raičević (DPS) mandate expires on January 11, 2027, the first man of Tivat Željko Komnenović (The People Win) on February 23rd of the following year, and to the leader of Bijelo Polje Petar Smolović (DPS) expires on January 10, 2027.
Bar has been experiencing a long-running government crisis and a dispute within the ruling coalition between the DPS and SD, which has often been the topic of parliamentary sessions there. Although both parties claimed that there was no rift, political tensions culminated in late December during a debate on the municipal budget. Mayor of Bar Branislav Nenezić (SD) rejected eight proposals by the Mayor of the Municipality Raičević, accusing him of violating the Rules of Procedure and disrespecting the Assembly. After the break, Raičević apologized to the councilors and withdrew all the proposals.
When it comes to Tivat, relations between the constituents of the government have been disrupted there for a long time, especially between the civic lists "The People Wins" (NP) and Tivat Action (TA), or the NP and the NSD.
The situation in the Bijelo Polje municipality is specific, given that the Bosniak Party (BS) has made a series of demands to the DPS for the survival of their ruling coalition there. BS is asking the DPS, among other things, for the position of the first person in Bijelo Polje. The SD and SDP are part of the local government. If the local DPS does not accept their demands, BS will, as they have announced, look for partners among the elements of the state government, of which it is a part.
In April next year, the term of office of the President of the Municipality of Pljevlja expires. Darius Vranes (NSD), unless he is dismissed earlier. As “Vijesti” recently reported, PES requested the dismissal of Vraneš at a meeting of some of the constituents of the government in Pljevlja in late January.
For the government to remove him without the support of the opposition, it would need the support of at least 18 of its councilors out of a total of 23. However, this is uncertain given the internal disagreements within the government.
Mandate for the leader of Plav Nihad Canović (SD) expires on April 24th of next year, but there are no conflicts within the ruling coalition in that municipality.
Who is "calm"?
Unlike the aforementioned local governments, in others the four-year mandates of their leaders do not expire before June 2027. President of the Municipality of Kolašin Petko Bakić (Democrats) was elected to that position on November 3, 2023, and the mandate does not end until the general local elections for the leaders of Tuzi, Šavnik, Podgorica, Nikšić, Herceg Novi, Gusinje, Budva, Andrijevica, Kotor...
For the President of the Municipality of Tuzi Lindon Dzhelaj (Albanian Alternative) was elected on December 1, 2023. The first man of Savnik Jugoslav Jakić He was re-elected to the position by the votes of DPS and SD councilors on February 19 last year. The fact that he was elected by councilors whose mandate had ended (at that point) almost three years ago was not a problem for Jakić because, as he said at the time, councilors' mandates by law last until new ones are elected. The local elections that began in the fall of 2022 have not yet been completed in that municipality.
President of the Municipality of Rožaje Rahman Husovic (BS) was re-elected to the position on December 26, 2023. In Podgorica, after the government crisis and early elections, he was elected mayor on December 29, 2024. Saša Mujović (PES). He was elected as the new/old president of the Municipality of Nikšić on June 3, 2025. Marko Kovacevic (NSD), a Stevan Katic (Democrats) on June 9th of the same year for the first man of Herceg Novi.
BS official Sanel Balić was elected as the leader of Gusinje on November 1, 2024. Although his mandate does not expire before the 2027 elections, there could be changes in the leadership position in that municipality by then. As “Vijesti” reported a few days ago, if BS reorganizes the government in Bijelo Polje in a way that breaks off cooperation with its allies there, some of them could retaliate in the same way in Gusinje. According to unofficial information from the editorial office, SD, which is part of the ruling coalition in that municipality, has already discussed such a scenario within its ranks, but has also had informal contacts with DPS and the Albanian Forum.
Nikola Jovanovic (“Budva our city”) was elected as the President of the Municipality of Budva on February 6, 2025, Djole Lutovac (PES) for the leader of Berane on February 3rd last year, Željko Ćulafić (SNP) for the first man of Andrijevica on September 21, 2024, and Genzi Nimanbeg (Forca) for the Mayor of Ulcinj Municipality on May 30, 2024.
Vladimir Jokic (Democrats) was elected as the mayor of the Municipality of Kotor on March 6, 2025. However, the political situation in Kotor has become complicated due to the inconsistency of two articles of the same law, which shows that both the DPS, which claims that the local parliament, constituted at the end of December, should have elected the mayor of that municipality within a month, are right - and the first man in Kotor who says that none of the conditions have been met for a new vote on the matter.
Lawyers with whom "Vijesti" spoke state that a legal tangle has arisen in Kotor and that it is true that Jokić, who was re-elected to office almost a year ago, has a four-year term, but that it is also true that the mayor is elected no later than 30 days after the constitution of the local parliament.
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