“The opposition is satisfied with the results of the elections because the opposition has defeated DPS.“ “The opposition does not accept the election results because of the reported arrest of the group planning a coup.“ “The opposition will form a government with minority parties.” “The opposition ready to support a minority government minority parties.“
We accept the results in Budva, but do not accept the ones in Montenegro and vice versa. I do not envy the citizens, and I envy the least opposition voters who can hardly find their way in a sea of contradictory statements coming from the opposition ranks.
Vlado Dedović is not to be blamed, it is you, opositioners. You are guilty because you have remained silent on the polling stations, in the municipal election committees and the State Election Commission, till Monday, first day after the election week. You played the election game for entire ninety minutes. When a judge played the end, you were generally satisfied with the results of your parties and coalitions (except from the debacle of “Coalition Key“) on the election day you talked about irregularities significantly less than observers of CEMI and CDT, and said nothing about irregularities on the election night.
And when the spectators had left, spotlights were turned off, the opposition leaders remembered that the elections were irregular and unacceptable. After all, it was alleged and sudden opposition unity. I understand that now, after the elections, the opposition must somehow “keep an active political position.” Nevertheless, this looks like deja vu, it’s not logical, there is no legal basis, there is no international support and there is no action strategy.
At the same time, I acknowledge the opposition’s approach in many things. The concept of a transitional government proved insufficient to prevent the misuse of state resources. DPS bought votes in these elections, the prosecution did not conduct proportionate, public and visible action against the organizers, financiers and perpetrators of such crimes. DPS continued with blackmail, threats, offers and promises to employees in the public sector and private tycoon companies. DPS has continued to abuse citizens of other countries (and our law forbids dual citizenship) who are enrolled in the electoral poll of Montenegro, as well as those who do not have a residence in Montenegro for more than two years. DPS has obviously conducted electoral engineering, where it has cheaply bought one and a decisive mandate (HGI). Finally, I believe that the case of an alleged coup is a shady business, and while being processed by the regime through police and media, it could have affected a number of citizens not to go out and vote or to decide differently than they would otherwise have done.
Yet again, there is no reason (unfortunately) for the vote count that was done undisputedly and the determined result to be questioned. It is what the municipal electoral commissions (made of oppositional permanent members as well as oppositional observers) confirmed in all (besides three) polling places, municipal electoral commission and finally SEC. The principle of legality must be defended at the national level, as well as in Budva and in Kotor where the opposition (even though Milo thinks otherwise) won the elections big time!
Naturally, I do not approve of the technical bureaucratic statement of the EU duo that there is no cause for concern, I do not have the stomach for “article on elections“ prepared by the OSCE election observation mission. After all, could have an experienced person expected more?
What I am bothered with the most is the atmosphere of murky waters after elections. It is only in the post-electoral murky waters that Azra Jasavić could have an image of an opositionary worthy of a front page and of moral rehabilitation.
At the end and despite it all, if I would think that there is even a slightest chance that the opositionaries indeed do not accept the results, which undoubtedly brings along the rejections of their own mandates won at such elections, I would have had the respect and the support for their current attitude – the denial of the election results.
However, knowing that it is simply a short-term encouragement tactics of the defeated opposition voters and an artificial creation of the post-electoral dramatization topic, I refuse to show any expression of respect and support.
Nonetheless, I am more concerned with the post-electoral analysis, than with the opposition, by which even other parties of the opposition (except for DF) are getting “invited“ in the government of DPS and minorities. The starting point of these analyses is the statement that the government of DPS, SD and minorities would be less “unstable“ so it should be “stabilised“ by an additional opposition party (SNP, DEMOS, URA and/or SDP).
It is only DPS and the Democratic Front that can benefit from the possible positive feedback from one or more moderate oppositions parties to the DPS offer. Why DPS? Because the goal of the DPS is that DPS and DF coexist in this country. Why DF? Because their goal is that the DF represents the ultimate opposition. By promoting an “expanded government“ as a legitimate, justified and useful governance model for Montenegro, the basic statement of DF is confirmed, “that the transitional government was just an entry ticket for expanded government and a treason on the part of opposition in favour of Đukanović and DPS“. In other words, go forth and join them so that DF can say “well, this is what we have been warning you about for months now“.
I refuse to believe that four opposition parties are really on the waiting list and that one call changes everything. I refuse to believe that the leaders and MPs of these parties are ready to completely dismiss what has been repeat a hundred times, “not with DPS“, immediately after the elections.
The argumentation according to which it is claimed that the participation of other parties in the government would reduce the “blackmailing capacity“ of minority parties are even less convicing, rather it leads to a conclusion that the opposition parties (one or some of them) would ask for “LESS“ from DPS than minority parties. So much respect for minority parties after all these years of their silence within the government, and so little faith in the determination of moderate opposition parties and their managements.
Finally, if it does occur that the angry oposition, aka “never with DPS“, enters the government with DPS (with or without Milo Đukanović), why bother with elections?
Stevo MUK
President of the Managing Board
