Head of the DPS caucus, Mr Nikola Rakočević, said in the interview for Pobjeda, that there wouldn’t be working groups, Committees or working bodies for the reform of electoral legislation anymore.
“Citizens are fed up with that. The committee had produced specific results, solutions are on the table, but there’s no maturity of our political alternative”, said Mr Rakočević.
He gave some hints that president of the Committee and members of the governing coalition would soon set out a detailed plan for the period until the end of 2019.
POBJEDA: Work of the Committee on the Electoral Reform has been blocked because there’s no quorum now when Democrats decided to leave the Committee. What is DPS going to do next?
Mr Rakočević: Democrats couldn’t resist political opportunism and they left the Committee primarily because they lack courage to reach agreements with the governing coalition. Agreement would contribute to the democratization of system but it would also damage their political rating. They weren’t ready for such scenario and what they did was quite expected.
POBJEDA: So, they knew they would leave the Committee, but they were just waiting for right excuse?
Mr Rakočević:: The formal reason for their obstruction of agreement is the proof that party opportunism is the primary motive for offering our alternative. They found reason in the law that has nothing to do with the electoral system, suggesting what should and should not be discussed in the Parliament that they have been boycotting for more than three years. Proposal for the law on freedom of religion is useful for maintaining political rivalry with Democratic Front and conveys message to the electorate that they are obviously ready to give up on state interests for the sake of the interests of their party. But the message they conveyed to Montenegrin citizens is even clearer- their commitment to civil concept of the society is just pure rhetoric. They will defend the idea of clerical value system whenever they can. We want different approach. Election laws are priority but state interests and implementation of the program are not something we can bargain with.
POBJEDA: Will the Committee resume its activities and refer solutions to the Parliament or maybe some new body will be formed?
Mr Rakočević: I am pretty sure there won’t be new working groups or Committees. The Committee fulfilled its task and offered certain solutions. This time we have suggestions of one part of the opposition and, therefore, governing coalition can form solutions on the basis of those suggestions and, primarily, on the basis of the recommendations of the international community. President of the Committee will soon set out a concrete plan for the end of the year.
POBJEDA: Do you believe it is possible to find new partners from the opposition to form a two-third majority?
Mr Rakočević: Right now I don’t expect opposition to have motives to improve Montenegro’s system. Two-third majority also means that the opposition can obstruct that part of the system and progress. And, unfortunately, the opposition would take any such opportunity.
I firmly believe that our political competition will take more responsible approach.
Law on Freedom of Religion won’t be scrapped
POBJEDA: Does diplomatic offensive of the Serbian Orthodox Church, pressures from the parties and that scandal with the relics of the saint could make the governing coalition withdraw the law on freedom of religion?
Mr Rakočević: Decision to protect state interest will not be withdrawn. We want civilized behavior of all actors regarding this very important issue. Our intention is to liberalize the society and strengthen the character of a civil state. We want to create the environment where everybody will be equal and free to express their beliefs. That’s the universal priority of democratic societies. If this law was scrapped, that would mean that we gave up on trying to overcome national divisions.
