In the depths of our party organization, both at the top and in the depths, there are those who need to give their place to new faces, but there are also those at all levels of the party, especially at its top, without whose efforts we cannot count on restoring trust, member of the Presidency of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and MP, Mr Nikola Rakočević, said in the interview for Dan daily.
- Will you run for the DPS president in the incoming Congress?
Mr Rakočević: The DPS statute does not provide for running for president, but the right to nominate candidates for leadership positions belongs exclusively to party members. By mid-January, we will know who the proposed candidates are, and I am convinced that the members of our party will best assess who has the most knowledge, experience and determination to further strengthen citizens’ trust in the policy of the Democratic Party of Socialists.
This is the time for, without a doubt, the best among us, because the topic of future struggles is not only the strengthening of the DPS, but the preservation of sovereignty and values that all citizens fought for, regardless of when they voted, on 21 May. Multiculturalism, anti-fascism and the European path are the key preconditions for Montenegro’s progress, and since August 30, we have been witnessing their collapse.
- What do you expect from the Congress? Will leading positions be rejuvenated?
Mr Rakočević: The expectations of the citizens, but also of the DPS members, including mine, are, of course, high. I could best answer your question by paraphrasing a wise thought, said a long time ago,, that if we allow external changes to be greater than internal ones, we will be seriously mistaken. And I am sure we will make the changes that are necessary. The citizens, denying us confidence, said that we must correct our approach, which, perhaps precisely from continuous political power, has become arrogant. Every approach and anomaly in the approach is created by people. So, I will be able to change a very precise approach if we change the people who are responsible for creating a negative perception, which led us to electoral failure.
No serious party should be guided by quotas of youth or old age. As not every gray head is at the same time a wise head, so not every youth is at the same time a recommendation for new ideas and guaranteed success.
Our most powerful weapon is knowledge and a state approach to politics. That this is so is witnessed by the numerous achievements of our policy in the past more than twenty years. We will do what the citizens need, but not necessarily what the entire public is asking for, because we can easily fall into the trap of our political competition, they chose the loudest, the most visible, and now they show worrying inability to conduct state policy. We will be guided by the need for quality, which means, of course, that we will have young people at the top of the party, I am sure.
- Your assessment of the work of the Government?
Mr Rakočević: If the morning shows the day, these will be dark and rainy days for Montenegro. I am one of those who wish the Government to be successful, believe it or not. The success of the Government, whoever created it politically, means a better life for the people we care about, the citizens of our country. However, I am afraid that there is no experience or knowledge in conducting state policy, and part of the Government has seriously destructive intentions towards some of the vital national interests of Montenegro, while a smaller part of the Government, which belongs to the sovereign political idea, silently assists in violating Montenegro’s secularism and endangering the multiethnic character of our society. It is early to evaluate the work of the Government, but there is only one more minus left to the unit.
- Do you think that the top of DPS should assume responsibility for the defeat of 30 August?
Mr Rakočević: First of all, let me disagree with the assessment that the DPS suffered an electoral defeat. The DPS has won 30 seats in the last elections, and the first following party has won nine seats. So, the DPS was not defeated, but it did record a weaker result than expected, which, after more than twenty years, moved us into the opposition.
I am sure that your readers will agree that there are those at the top of the DPS who are the greatest strength of the party and the state, without whose life and role there would be no renewed statehood, so I can already put an end to it. However, the top of our party has many people, so it is natural to have those who should help Montenegro to be better from the background, and the precondition for a better Montenegro is a strong civic and European bloc, which is now in opposition.
So, if we hope for success in the continuation of political action, we must uncompromisingly locate the neuralgic points of our staff and find better solutions. We are determined that there will be no authorized solutions, nor party officials exempted from public evaluation. The vote of a party member will be the vote of Congress.
- In your opinion, what should be the key program commitments of DPS in the future?
Mr Rakočević: After numerous program achievements of the DPS, such as peacekeeping, multiethnic harmony, economic sustainability, which were prerequisites for the restoration of Montenegrin independence and NATO membership, as well as a decisive move on the European path of Montenegro, our party can claim with full credibility that is capable of realizing all its program principles.
The priority of the DPS program in the coming period should be the strengthening social policies that will lead Montenegro to membership in the European Union as soon as possible. We will also focus our efforts on socially responsible policies that should reduce the gap between rich and poor. The knowledge society and the modern, innovative social community is the perspective of ecological and European Montenegro.
The DPS has always produced superior ideas, which have served as inspiration to other political parties, and we are happy about that. Precisely because of this, I do not think that program policies, nor their implementation, should be made the main subject of changes in Congress. No, the ideology, program and vision of the DPS have made Montenegro a stable, peaceful multiethnic democracy, sufficiently organized to become part of NATO and to be at the door of a united Europe.
Nevertheless, the coming period will serve us to look at where we have sometimes erred in implementing these policies; when we determine that, then we will be ready to have the opportunity to work even better in the interest of the citizens of Montenegro.
