During today’s meeting of the Nikšić Municipal Assembly (MA), the mandates of newly elected councilors were confirmed. However, the election for the MA president was postponed as the future coalition partners—comprising the For the Future of Nikšić (ZBNK), Democrats-Plenum 083, and the Europe Now Movement (PES)—did not present a nomination. They plan to submit a proposal after finalizing their coalition agreement.

“While not all agreement details have been settled, key aspects for citizens have been defined. The position of the Municipal Assembly President will be assigned to PES, the Mayor of Nikšić will be from the For the Future of Nikšić coalition, and the Vice President’s role will go to the Democrats-Plenum 083 coalition. We expressed a desire to reach a consensus and complete the process collaboratively. I believe we will work efficiently, finalize negotiations swiftly, and soon proceed to elect the President of the Assembly, followed by other necessary offices within the legal timeframe,” stated Marko Kovačević, leader of the ZBNK list and the expected future Mayor, after calling for a break in the constituent session, which will reconvene on Monday, June 2.

Zoran Mrkić, the PES list leader, mentioned that “it is only logical” for the presidency of the Municipal Assembly to go to him, but he remains open to “some compromise or adjustment.”

When queried about the unity of the Nikšić PES board, Mrkić affirmed, “it absolutely is.”

Nemanja Vuković, leader of the Democrats-Plenum 083 coalition and outgoing MA president, emphasized that their party is “not committed to positions or political seats,” and that decisions regarding their roles will follow the coalition agreement.

“Our priority is to ensure a stable government over the next four years, as we had in the past. Our focus is on establishing a government that operates solely for the benefit of Nikšić citizens. Our campaign was clear: a government can only form with cooperation at the state level between the For the Future of Nikšić coalition and the Europe Now Movement. This reflects the choices made by the electorate, so we will determine the roles for Democratic Montenegro according to party decisions and will appoint the most qualified people,” Vuković stated.

Boris Muratović, leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) list, reiterated that voting for the Democrats and PES signifies a vote for Marko Kovačević’s continuation as mayor, a fact evidenced by their actions.

“They may have misled some voters, but we don’t hold that against them. We haven’t approached these parties, as we don’t view them as potential allies nor capable of contributing to our city and country’s progress. Their past conduct indicates a lack of responsibility and knowledge, and I doubt that anything will change in Nikšić,” remarked Muratović.

He reiterated previous claims that Nikšić has experienced a “difficult government” over the last four years, now expected to continue with PES as their “natural partner.”

“This is solely about the distribution of power; it doesn’t represent the city’s development. They appear to convene just before the constituent session to negotiate roles. The coalition agreement represents sheer partitocracy. They seek to document who gets what, all claiming it will lead to a stable government. We can adopt a calm, observant stance, providing responsible opposition as we have in the past. While we won’t oppose the city, we will certainly oppose any structures damaging our city, resources, and respect for Montenegro’s symbols,” emphasized Muratović, predicting that this government might only last two years pending electoral law changes.

Ivan Radojičić, leader of the European Alliance list, remarked that discussions regarding positions have hit a standstill again.

“We’re stuck again with the same seat allocations; the prospective future coalition can’t settle fundamental aspects even a month post-election. We’ll have to observe how they navigate these function allocations, which will evidently be clear-cut for them. My focus remains on representing Nikšić and the interests of the European Union voters, and I plan to serve positively in future parliamentary work,” Radojičić commented.

The session commenced with the instrumental rendition of the national anthem, presided over by the oldest councilor, Miodrag Dragan Nikolić from DPS.

Eleonora Šturanović, a member of the Municipal Election Commission, delivered a report on the final results of the local elections conducted in Nikšić on April 13. The DPS secured the most seats with 16, followed closely by the Coalition for the Future of Nikšić with 15 seats, while PES captured five seats. The Democrats–Plenum 083 coalition obtained three seats, with the European Union securing one less. The other five lists did not clear the threshold.

Nikolić acknowledged the conclusion of mandates for the current Municipal Assembly President Nemanja Vuković, as well as Deputy President Arsenije Lalatović.

Perović: Who will oversee the Municipality from May 10th?

DPS councilor Rajko Perović questioned who has been in charge of the Nikšić Municipality since May 10th, considering Kovačević’s term has ended.

“Who has been giving orders and managing the Municipality since May 10th? Have any municipal funds been expended, or contracts finalized since then?” queried Perović.

In the break, when asked by a journalist about the municipality’s current administration, Kovačević replied that Perović’s inquiry was unfounded, affirming, “Everything operates within the legal confines, there are no issues, and no actions are taken outside of permitted legal frameworks.”

News