Popović: I think the diaspora will come in large numbers; Milović: I can bring a few hundred voters

Guests of Reflektor were Milica Kovačević - program director of CDT, Andrej Milović - member of the Presidency of the Europe Now Movement, Vladimir Čađenović - member of the Presidency of Democratic Montenegro and Andrija Popović - member of the Liberal Party.

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Photo: Slađan Fatić
Photo: Slađan Fatić
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.
Ažurirano: 21.03.2023. 22:01h
Finished
21h55PM

Kovačević said that "citizens are numbers, votes in elections".

"The citizens were forgotten in numerous promises... I see that the citizens were promised more justice and less crime, less corruption and more security and some better international connection and image in the world and that they are not getting it. We see in this campaign that the citizens they vote to defend the very conservative concepts of protecting the state, the church, the family, honor and everything else. What liberal democracies are based on is individualism. We will be a happy society when citizens vote for themselves and for them to be better off," Kovačević said.

21h51PM

"I believe that this will be another contribution to Montenegrin democratization. Đukanović has 22.000 more votes than his opponent in the first half. We will see how the second half unfolds. I call on the citizens to participate in the second round of the presidential elections fairly, correctly and peacefully and round up whoever they think is needed, taking into account primarily the future state course of Montenegro in the next five years," said Popović.

21h49PM

Milović said that in the Movement Europe they are now advocating for elections and that they are the best way to respect the citizens.

"It would be best if we had elections every two years at least, to test all political parties and actors in the most colorful way...", Milović said.

21h47PM

Čađenović said that the citizen "should, by his own will, confirm his desire for changes also in the position of the president of the state".

"And he will do that on April 2," Ćađenović believes

20h59PM

Milović said that he thinks it is good for Montenegro to hold parliamentary elections on June 11.

"Because the DPS will then lose absolutely. Then the majority from August 30 with the Europe Movement will now have a two-thirds majority and I hope for a stable and solid government that will succeed in electing the supreme state prosecutor and implementing all the necessary reforms in the judiciary...", stated Milović.

20h56PM

Popoviće said that Đukanović's decision to call for extraordinary parliamentary elections was constitutional.

"This is an individual legal act, apparently the Constitutional Court will not even rule on it..." said Popović.

20h52PM

Kovačević said that Montenegro needs parliamentary elections.

"But they could be reached in a legal procedure. In a way that the MPs would say - that this cannot be done like this anymore because we have lost legitimacy, we have tried different combinations, we cannot come to an agreement. And then they would make a decision to shorten the mandate of the parliament and went to normal elections...", assessed Kovačević.

20h44PM

Čađenović said that after April 2, Democratic Montenegro will analyze the result achieved by party leader Aleksa Bečić in the first round of presidential elections.

20h35PM

Kovačević said that no one has information on how many Montenegrin citizens abroad have the right to vote.

"This issue is taken completely casually in the circumstances of bringing and taking away... It is important to say that Montenegro has a large number of citizens who have not registered their residence and live in the countries of Western Europe, North America, but also live in neighboring countries. All the different policies are until now, citizens have been treated in this way - as a useful mass for mobilization in case of elections..." said Kovačević.

20h32PM

Milović said that Đukanović "can't achieve a convincing victory even in his Rastoci".

"120.000 votes is proof that he lost 57.000 votes compared to 2018. And the fact that the diaspora did not respond to him is also proof that he has no pockets. He can only offer money through a couple of businessmen in the diaspora who are trying to make a certain mobilization diaspora. They are trying to pay travel expenses and organize lists... This is what the DPS is trying through its businessmen and people in the diaspora. This is verified information. They did not come in the first, they will not come in the second. They can bring a few hundred voters. The diaspora to them they will not forget that it is their fault that they are out there...", said Milović, among other things.

20h27PM

Popović assessed that it will be a close race for the president of the country.

"A statesman must be someone who is experienced, wise, patient, who is of mature age, that's how it is in all democratic countries. I assume that they will understand it that way here too...".

Popović also assumes that the turnout in the second round of the presidential elections will "fall" compared to the first round.

"These reservoirs of votes are mainly in cities where minority peoples live who have always been on the pro-Montenegro side in the most difficult moments. Along with Cetinje, the biggest support in the referendum was in Rožaje and Ulcinj, over 90 percent then circled 'yes'... This is in a way a referendum... I think that the Montenegrin diaspora will come in large numbers because they recognize in some way a difficult moment for Montenegro. I believe that Đukanović can achieve a convincing victory... The ruling party will not support Milatović. That will it would be political suicide to support Milatović, who is from a non-parliamentary party, because parliamentary elections await them in two months," Popović stated, among other things.

20h25PM

Commenting on Đukanović's statement that the "reservoirs of votes" were not activated in the first round, Kovačević said, among other things, that it is clear that it is counted that a lot of people abstained in certain cities where Đukanović won significantly fewer votes than DPS in 2020.

20h20PM

Čađenović repeated that Milatović has the unequivocal support of Democratic Montenegro.

He also said that Milatović "is almost certain to be the president of Montenegro after April 2".

Commenting on Popović's words about the 1997 elections, Čađenović said that he did not agree "that this is neither '97 nor 2006."

"Nor is anything like that. '97 is similar only in that we have a second round of elections, but not in making the electoral process irregular as new voters were registered then... 2006 cannot be repeated because neither for Milatović nor for For me, the state status of Montenegro is not in question even for any voter who will support Milatović..." said the Democratic official.

20h18PM

Milović said that "believing that Đukanović can bring reconciliation to Montenegro is the same as believing that an arsonist will protect our forest and not destroy the environment".

"He divided the citizens of Montenegro, he incited hatred, the messages from the tribunes are chauvinistic... What we could hear from Đukanović and his representatives is the worst thing we have in Montenegro on the political scene..." Milović said.

He called on citizens to "vote against Đukanović" and "Montenegro will solve the biggest problem in its history."

20h14PM

Popović assessed that the second round of presidential elections will be similar to the 1997 elections.

"When Đukanović won dominantly with the help of liberals in the second round of the presidential elections. In the first round, the late (Momir) Bulatović had 5.000 more votes. It will be similar to the referendum day in 2006 when 231.000 of us said 'yes' and when we got an independent and sovereign state. Then Đukanović was the leader of that movement and he was supported then by the same people as today..." said Popović.

Asked what he sees as "anti-Montenegro" Milatović, he replied:

"With all due respect, I know that he is part of that government that was created in 2020. In that year, two great evils befell us - the coronavirus and a change of government. Milatović represents and received the support of the current government, and for us he is a representative of the opposite camp, according to to my opinion, which does not wish anything good for the state of Montenegro. It supports the 'Open Balkans'," said Popović

20h09PM

Popović said that two calm weeks are expected when it comes to the campaign for the second round of the presidential elections.

"I don't think there is any need for any unrest in the next 14 days and during election day," Popović said.

20h05PM

The campaign for the presidential elections was short, and it was not possible to hear about the offer of candidates, assessed Kovačević.

"I don't even believe that the next two weeks will be different," Kovačević said.

20h00PM

Guests of Reflektor are Milica Kovačević - program director of CDT, Andrej Milović - member of the Presidency of the Europe Now Movement, Vladimir Čađenović - member of the Presidency of Democratic Montenegro and Andrija Popović - member of the Liberal Party.

Bonus video: