Ana Novaković Đurović, an MP from the Civic Movement URA, stated that the parliamentary majority is unwilling to engage in dialogue with the opposition, which is essential for advancing electoral reform. She emphasized that the government lacks the political will to carry out these changes.

In an interview with the MINA agency, Novaković Đurović highlighted that the measures implemented to exclude the opposition from plenary sessions have fully revealed the nature of the parliamentary majority, which has merely paid lip service to the idea of dialogue and the intent to resolve the parliamentary crisis through discussions and compromise.

She reiterated that the parliamentary majority is responsible for creating this crisis by overstepping the authority of the Constitutional Court.

“The imposition of such measures has uncovered the authoritarian nature of both the parliamentary majority and the government, which clearly does not seek agreement or dialogue. This is particularly relevant for the Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform, where progress is stalled, and results cannot be achieved without dialogue and consensus,” Novaković Đurović stated.

She noted that despite the clear warning that the opposition would not engage in the Committee’s work, the parliamentary majority, led by Speaker Andrija Mandić, chose to exclude the opposition from parliamentary activities via a suspension measure.

“There is no doubt about where the responsibility lies—it rests with the parliamentary majority. If they truly desired meaningful electoral reform and understood the importance of this process, they would have considered this before imposing measures,” Novaković Đurović pointed out.

She recalled that the opposition came to the Collegium just prior to the imposition of suspension measures with the intention to discuss and resolve the parliamentary crisis through dialogue.

“You saw the government’s response. Their interpretation of democracy is—either accept our agreement in full or be removed from Parliament. That characterizes this government,” said Novaković Đurović.

According to her, the parliamentary majority has failed to address the issue with the opposition and has demonstrated that restrictive measures are their only understanding of democracy.

When asked about the political will to reform electoral legislation, Novaković Đurović reminded that prior to the Committee’s initiation, the GP URA expressed their willingness to participate in the parliamentary body, provided there was genuine political will and room for agreements between the government and opposition.

“We actively participated in the Committee’s work, which cannot be said for all government representatives, as they initially failed to effectively and functionally lead the Committee,” noted Novaković Đurović.

She queried how the majority could discuss their willingness to implement electoral reform while simultaneously excluding the opposition from parliamentary sessions and claiming that the opposition is anti-European.

“You need to negotiate electoral reform with that so-called anti-European opposition,” Novaković Đurović stated.

She asserted that the parliamentary majority is accusing the opposition of obstructing reforms and impeding the European integration process while excluding them from parliamentary sessions, despite claiming a desire for electoral reform—a process that can only be accomplished through consensus and dialogue with the opposition.

“Thus, I do not see the government’s political will to implement electoral reform, but I do see it on the part of the opposition. If there were genuine intent, the parliamentary crisis would have been resolved differently, showing that the government seeks agreement with the opposition,” concluded Novaković Đurović.

She stressed that a two-thirds majority in Parliament is essential to amend numerous laws as part of electoral reform, highlighting the need for compromise between the government and the opposition.

In response to Committee co-chair Vasilije Čarapić’s announcement that the Europe Now Movement (PES) would explore another framework for the Committee’s operations if the opposition did not end its boycott, Novaković Đurović indicated uncertainty about the model Čarapić mentioned.

“The electoral reform process and the Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform cannot be privatized,” Novaković Đurović emphasized.

She asserted that this alternate model must be negotiated with the opposition.

“The Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform comprises all of us—from both the government and the opposition—aiming to implement complete electoral reform adequately; that is the only viable approach,” Novaković Đurović affirmed.

She indicated that any unilateral actions by a single political entity or the parliamentary majority will not result in electoral legislation reform.

When asked about the timeline for ending the boycott of the Electoral Reform Committee, Novaković Đurović mentioned that in the coming days, once the suspension measure expires, the URA will reassess its actions regarding Parliament and the Committee.

She stated that the decision would be made considering the current situation and the parliamentary majority’s previous actions.

“We face a new reality—the majority has proven they do not want dialogue. We are losing a platform to propose new demands and agreements,” added Novaković Đurović.

Regarding how the European Union (EU) and Western partners perceive the Committee’s blockade, she asserted her certainty that European partners advocate for an agreement on this reform through dialogue and consensus between the government and the opposition.

Novaković Đurović mentioned that the progress made on the European path last year would not have been achievable without the opposition’s unwavering commitment to that cause in Parliament.

She pointed out that three chapters were closed instead of four, for which, according to her, the parliamentary majority is solely responsible.

When questioned about the opposition’s intentions to continue blocking Parliament’s work, Novaković Đurović responded that the URA GP would soon decide based on the new circumstances and the government’s previous conduct.

“As for the government, the parliamentary majority, and their actions, this majority simply does not grasp the essence of democracy. For them, democracy is solely a matter of having a numerical advantage in Parliament,” underlined Novaković Đurović.

She expressed her belief that Montenegro currently experiences a form of “tyranny of the majority”.

“Democracy is about hearing diverse voices in Parliament; it is the rule of law, not about seizing the authority of the Constitutional Court as an Assembly Committee,” stated Novaković Đurović.

Speaking on the extraordinary sessions scheduled for February 20th and 21st, she remarked that in recent weeks, the parliamentary majority seemed focused solely on the budget.

Novaković Đurović highlighted that the opposition was willing to agree to a session on the budget while simultaneously resolving the parliamentary crisis, possibly with the Venice Commission’s mediation.

“They were unwilling to entertain that idea and subsequently removed us from the session while adopting the budget without engaging the opposition,” Novaković Đurović pointed out.

New sessions have been scheduled, indicating that the budget was not the sole topic under discussion, she argued.

“However, the desire seems to be to pass other significant laws in the absence of the opposition, including decisions regarding the inquiry committee for investigating politically motivated murders,” stated Novaković Đurović.

She indicated that the parliamentary majority demonstrates its incompetence in fully activating the security sector and other areas required to investigate these murders and instead opts to establish an inquiry committee.

“For the first time, the inquiry committee, typically an opposition tool, is now being formed by the government, which I believe aims to exploit political marketing and parliamentary sessions to create a façade of addressing politically motivated murders,” remarked Novaković Đurović.

She affirmed the importance of this issue, expressing that URA supports investigating all politically motivated murders in Montenegro, with an emphasis on enabling institutions to carry out this work.

“Let’s ensure they are professional and independent, free from political influence like that from the Mandić-Spajić duo. That is the path to solving these murders and addressing issues related to corruption and organized crime, rather than merely creating a parliamentary investigative committee,” Novaković Đurović stated.

When asked if she anticipated continued dialogue between the majority and the opposition regarding the parliamentary situation, she affirmed that it would be the only logical course, but indicated it was a question for Mandić and Spajić.

Novaković Đurović stated that the proposal for the Venice Commission to act as a mediator in resolving the crisis is now “off the table,” as the agreements they were supposed to reach were disregarded by Mandić and the parliamentary majority when the opposition’s suspension measures were enacted.

“It is only logical for the parliamentary majority, if they genuinely desire dialogue and electoral reform, to demonstrate readiness to engage with the opposition,” concluded Novaković Đurović.

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