From the friendly coffee that the holders of the winning electoral lists from the last elections in Nikšić, as the current Mayor of the Municipality Marko Kovačević says, had on Wednesday, to today's announcement of the start of negotiations on forming a government.
"I expect the negotiations to begin next week. I have a full mandate to lead them on behalf of our coalition without influence from the central level," said Kovačević, who was the leader of the "For the Future of Nikšić" list.
Although he spoke cautiously about forming a new government in Nikšić after the local elections on April 13, the leader of the Europe Now Movement list, Zoran Mrkić, says today that the coffee with Kovačević and the leader of the "We Are All Nikšić" list, Nemanja Vuković, was a logical move after the elections, since these parties and coalitions form the government at the state level.
"We met both as a friend and regarding all these developments and possibly an agreement on a post-election coalition."
For more serious talks, Mrkić, unlike Kovačević, says he will wait for decisions from party bodies, which could be made next week.
"My personal position is completely clear. I have stated it. I do not represent PES. There are all the candidates from the list I led, the municipal board, as well as the party headquarters who will give their opinion and I will respect what they say. I have said very clearly that the constituents of the government at the state level can also be partners at the local level," said Mrkić.
In anticipation of official negotiations, Mrkić's opinion is shared by Vuković.
"There cannot be a government without one of those three political entities, so I believe that we will form a government in that spirit, that we will agree on the principles of how the government functions and on the realization of all those pre-election promises made to citizens during the campaign."
Potential actors of the new government enter negotiations with certain principles.
"The principle we had during the previous negotiations, to not say anything until we finally agree, we will maintain now. The atmosphere is good and I think the agreement will benefit the citizens of Nikšić who have given us their trust," says Kovačević.
"I think that by the end of next week, a draft of possible negotiations and agreements could be drawn up on some specific things in PES," said Mrkić.
"We said that we will not blackmail for functions and positions. I believe that the government will be formed on democratic principles, that we will focus on the development of the city, not on taking positions," Vuković said.
And the time for constituting the government is starting to tick, as the final election results are expected to be published in the "Official Gazette" today. The President of the Assembly has 15 days to schedule a constitutive session, which must be held no later than 15 days from the date of convening. If these three coalitions agree, they will have a majority of 41 councilors in the 23-member Assembly.
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