Part of Democratic Front (DF), led by the Democratic People’s Party (DNP) conditioned its support to the opposition candidate for the mayor of Herceg Novi with the adoption of a declaration on lifting sanctions to Russia in the Herceg Novi city council, Milan Knezevic’s DNP told Pobjeda.
The declaration on lifting sanctions to Russia that is supposed to be adopted in Montenegrin municipalities where the opposition is in power has been agreed on in Voronezh, Russia. The declaration was conceived and adopted during DF leaders’ Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic visit to Russia in May. The contents of the declaration is known to the high officials of the United Russia party and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A member of the DNP Presidency and Milan Knezevic’s closest associate, Vladislav Bojovic, told Pobjeda that the party would require including the draft declaration in the coalition agreement on forming local government in Herceg Novi.
”We will demand that this initiative is one of the basic principles in the formation of government in Herceg Novi. If all political entities during the election campaign in Herceg Novi were in favour of the best relations with Russia, lifting sanctions and attracting Russian investments, then the draft declaration shall be included in the coalition agreement as one of the main guidelines for governing the town. After all, Herceg Novi residents confirmed this when they supported us,” Bojovic said.
The government in Herceg Novi has not been constituted yet. On 26 May, only Milos Bigovic (PzP) was elected the chairman of the city council. The Democrats representative Stevan Katic was supposed to be elected as president of the municipality on the same day, but his election was postponed for the first week of June, probably 8 June.
According to Pobjeda’s reliable information, the New Serb Democracy (NOVA) supports DNP’s request. Therefore, Katic’s election, as well as opposition’s agreement in the city is in question, since DNP and NOVA have a total of three councillors – enough to block the selection of Herceg Novi mayor.
Bojovic has gone a step further by announcing that the party will initiate a draft declaration in all local governments where the opposition is in power.
“The initiative coming from the Russian-Serbian-Montenegrin association Slovenski Most (Slav Bridge) fully corresponds to the mood of the majority of citizens of Montenegro. As far as DNP is concerned, it is not only acceptable, but will initiate it in all local governments, particularly where we are in power,” said Bojovic. “If the declaration is not adopted, we are ready to review further participation in local governments in Budva, Kotor, and other municipalities where the opposition is in power,” Pobjeda’s source from DNP said.
DF told Pobjeda that the declaration was sent to all parliamentary parties, as well as all potential coalition partners in Herceg Novi.
Among other things, the document says that “the government’s decision to join the EU sanctions against Russia drastically worsened relations with the most important economic partner”.
Sanctions have significantly harmed the economy of Montenegro and our municipalities are suffering significantly. In addition to great political benefit to the overall relations, a positive decision on the abolition of sanctions against Russia in certain cities would be of a great economic importance, both for the cities and Montenegro as a whole. The declaration also states that Russia could freeze or terminate its counter-sanctions (which might be intensified) towards those cities that adopt this or a similar declaration.
