Six parties will most likely participate in the local elections in Andrijevica - the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the Europe Now Movement (PES), the coalition consisting of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), the Democratic People's Party (DNP), Prava Montenegro (PCG) and Slobodna Montenegro, as well as two independent lists - "For the future of our children" and "Vasojević's unification movement" which are gathered around the former official of the SNP in that municipality Ivan Radojević, that is, the former former vice-president of the municipality from the ranks of the NSD Vesko Raketić.
The coalition of the Democrats and the Socialist People's Party (SNP) is being negotiated with an uncertain outcome, and "Vijesti" has unofficially learned that the SNP is also in negotiations with the NSD, that is, the coalition gathered around them. President of the SNP municipal board Željko Jelić he confirmed to "Vijesti" media reports that they reached an "agreement in principle with the Democrats, but that remains to be verified by the authorities of the two parties". The top Democrats told the paper that "it is not over yet".
However, most newspapers reported that negotiations are still ongoing, and that it is therefore possible to form even broader coalitions
PES did not answer how they will participate in the elections in this municipality, but said that they would "inform in a timely manner". The presidency of that party announced last week that they are ready for an independent performance in the municipalities where local elections will be held.
The leader of the "Vasojević unification movement" Vesko Raketić told "Vijesta" that they are open to a coalition with everyone except DPS and SNP, but also that there is a possibility that the number of lists in these elections will be smaller, because he believes that there may be to new pre-election coalitions.
President of DNP Milan Knezevic said this week that at the "recently held meeting, they sent an invitation to all lists except DPS to create a joint list".
"Since some citizens' lists are now being formed in Andrijevica, I invite the list and Mr. (Ivan) Radojević who leads it to join us. There are no longer any obstacles for him to make one big list together with our coalition, and I think that is the expectation of the citizens of Andrijevica. There is no longer any reason that they previously cited to obstruct the formation of that broad coalition," said the DNP leader at the press conference where the agreement on cooperation with SCG, which will be his coalition partner in this municipality, was presented.
He added that "the people who voted for the dismissal of certain officials with the DPS are not on the list", thus alluding to the independent councilor Mijodrag Dragović who, together with the opposition councilors, demanded the dismissal of the mayor Željko Ćulafić.
After that, Dragović was expelled from the NSD, and he confirmed to "Vijesta" that he will be on the list of the "Vasojević Movement for Unification" in the upcoming elections.
Knežević did not want to comment on this list and added that "when it is formed, he will have a clear position on it".
DPS confirmed to "Vijesti" that they are going to the elections independently, and they rejected the unofficial allegations that they are divided.
Radojević, the leader of the independent list "For the future of our children", confirmed that he is ready to talk with all political entities that exist in Andrijevica, but that he expects an answer from the parties that made up the government at some point, "in what way will politics differ from the previous ".
Independent councilors Bogdan Mijović i Milan Mirkovic, who entered the municipal parliament from the list of the Democrats, that is, the SNP, told "Vijesta" that they will not run in the upcoming elections, but that they will not participate in the campaign either.
In the 2020 local elections, the government was formed by a coalition of NSD, Democrats and SNP with a narrow majority of 16 councilors, while the opposition DPS and SD won 15 mandates. He was elected as the president of the municipality Željko Ćulafić from the SNP, for the head of the local parliament Mladen Djukic from the Democrats, while the vice-presidential position was entrusted to Raketić from the NSD.
Raketić was removed from that position in December 2022 by the votes of the opposition DPS and SD and the then councilor Demokrat Mijović, from whom the local committee of his party distanced itself at the time. Mijović did not come to the sessions for a period of time as a sign of protest that he was not elected as the President of the Assembly. Raketić's replacement was initiated by the mayor of the municipality, but SNP councilors abstained because they "didn't want to vote with DPS".
Nevertheless, the crisis of power in this municipality began in June of last year when opposition councilors and NSD councilor at the time Mijomir Dragović submitted a request for the dismissal of Ćulafić and Đukić, but attempts to hold that meeting were thwarted because the gathered citizens did not allow it to be held.
Due to the impossibility of holding sessions, the budget was not adopted in this municipality, so the Ministry of Public Administration introduced forced administration in that municipality in March of this year, and the President Jakov Milatovic announced new elections for June 2. The deadline for paper submission is May 7 at midnight.
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