Podgorica Parliament's Term Shortened, New Elections to Follow

(Patria) - Councillors of the Podgorica Assembly shortened the term of the city parliament at today's session.

In addition to 22 opposition councillors, councillors from part of the ruling coalition also voted for the shortening of the term - five councillors from the Movement for Podgorica, three councillors from the Civic Movement URA, and one from the Movement for Change.

We remind you that councillors from the Democratic Party of Socialists, Social Democrats, Social Democratic Party, and Liberal Party recently submitted two initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis of the Podgorica government.

The initiative to dismiss the mayor Olivera Injac did not receive the necessary support, but by voting for the second initiative to shorten the term of the Assembly of the Capital City, conditions were created for calling early elections.

After the decision is published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro, the President of the country, Jakov Milatović, is obliged to call new elections the very next day.

The deadline for holding elections is between 60 and 100 days, and the opposition believes they could be held as early as the end of September.

The government crisis in Podgorica began in March, after a split within the ruling Europe Now movement. At that time, five councillors close to Milatović left PES after his departure from the party.

They formed a separate councillors' club - the Movement for Podgorica - and entered into a coalition arrangement with GP URA and the Movement for Change. This was the beginning of the end for the Podgorica government, a public culmination of animosity between former party colleagues.

Several meetings were held where the continuation of cooperation was negotiated, but an agreement was not reached. PES has repeatedly accused Milatović of undermining the city government in agreement with DPS.

The mandate of the current government did not last even a year and a half. The last elections in Podgorica were held at the end of October 2022.

According to the initial agreement, the candidate for the position of Mayor of Podgorica was the holder of the PES electoral list, Jakov Milatović.

However, due to his presidential candidacy, he withdrew from that position, and was replaced by the current mayor, Olivera Injac.

Due to complicated negotiations, the handover of power was formalized only after almost half a year from the elections.

(N. Kovačević)