The Statutory Commission of the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) has dismissed complaints concerning the expulsion of Radisav Nikić from all party roles, the disbanding of the Herceg Novi board, and the selection process for the head of the Danilovgrad branch.

This confirmation was relayed to “Vijesti” by the complainants, including Nikić, former head of the Herceg Novi committee Milan Jančić, and Danilovgrad committee member Jelena Šćepanović.

According to the list, four of the seven commission members voted against the appeals, two voted in favor, and one member was absent from the session.

The SNP Statutory Commission also rejected allegations made by members whose appeals were dismissed during the session.

They stated that their resolutions were passed by a majority vote in line with their authority.

“The Statutory Commission made its decisions per the valid Statute and procedural guidelines. All decisions were legally grounded, achieved by majority vote, and within the Commission’s mandate. Claims of coercion and manipulated processes are baseless and reflect political interpretations devoid of legal support. Naturally, we recognize that the defeated party may express frustration,” they informed “Vijesti”.

Jančić expressed in a media statement that the Statutory Commission operates “under the influence of SNP president Vladimir Joković,” claiming that “his authority” over the commission is “such that it no longer interprets the Statute – rather, it is composing the narrative of a party coup.”

“The party statute is not a political weapon, and the Statutory Commission is not an extension of the party president. Yet, in today’s SNP, the Statute has been transformed into a tool for political violence and vendetta, and the Statutory Commission – rather than safeguarding the party’s integrity – acts as a vehicle for Vladimir Joković. The Statutory Commission members involved in this statutory coup include Milovan Ćulafić, Aleksa Blagojević, Stanojka Kljajević, and Bojan Samardžić. The ignorance exhibited by Aleksa Blagojević regarding the statute is one matter. However, this scenario involves deliberate legal deviations and, even more concerning, passivity, especially in light of statements made by SNP Kotor Local Government member Đorđija Đok Račić, who clearly indicated that he did not cast a vote and described it as a ‘tragedy.’ Furthermore, it is known that no member from Kotor participated in the vote that day, similar to Milan Bulatović from the Kolasin Local Government,” he remarked.

He likened the recent vote to the approval of Vesna Medenica’s third term as head of the Supreme Court, adding that “the Statutory Commission does not provide legal opinions” but instead “carries out political directives.”

Nikić, in an interview with “Vijesti,” declared that the decisions from the Civic Assembly were “legally void and politically manipulated,” referring to the results as “Four votes for dismissal and two for the truth.”

He extended gratitude to the commission members who voted in favor.

“I appreciate Ivan Bulatović and Vladimir Obradović, commission members who stood firm against pressure. Their vote signifies the voice of integrity. Their position illustrates that there are still individuals within the SNP who refuse to partake in orchestrated confrontations and intra-party persecution. Regrettably, the majority of the Commission chose to disregard legal realities, the Statute, and rationality. They did not act in accordance with justice, but were instead swayed by directives. May this be to their detriment,” he emphasized.

“This struggle is far from over. This is just a new chapter, and we shall persist. Not solely for ourselves, but for all SNP members who once viewed this party as a beacon of honesty, dignity, and representation for the people. One day, we shall ‘come to the truth.’ The masks will fall away. It will become clear who remained faithful and who did not, as well as who followed an individual’s will and who possessed conviction,” he argued.

Nikić assessed that the SNP finds itself “at a crossroads.”

“The party can either return to its core values, the people, and its principles, or it may devolve into an individual’s private machinery. We, alongside those who think independently and breathe freely – will continue this battle. Until the end,” he asserted.

Nikić was removed from party positions on June 11 during an electronic session of the Governing Board, following a nomination by SNP president Vladimir Joković, which also initiated the dissolution of the Herceg Novi board.

In his appeal, Nikić mentioned that only the Congress has the authority to terminate his membership, contested the urgency of the electronic session, and highlighted the absence of Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly.

Additionally, Civic Assembly members Đorđije Račić and Milan Bulatović noted that they were included on the voting list without exercising their own rights, which Nikić and Jančić cited in their complaints to the commission.

Officials from the SNP Municipal Board (OO) in Danilovgrad, including Ivana Tomić and Jelena Šćepanović, raised concerns about the election process for the president of that body, Marko Radonjić, whom they argue was chosen “without prior notice, candidacy insights, or adherence to fundamental statutory procedures.”

“The ‘delegates’ were unknown until the conference itself, leading to a situation where the OO effectively self-elected without proper delegation,” they stated in a media release sent the day following his election.

They further asserted the lack of minutes from the session that established the proposed agenda for the electoral conference, as well as decision documentation regarding the list of representatives, candidacy acceptance statements, and other supporting files.

Following the electronic session of the Governing Board, the SNP announced that over 75 percent of its members supported the dissolution of the Herceg Novi committee and the expulsion of Nikić. They contended that the committee’s previous actions “did not align with the party’s policies and values,” which was particularly evident in the most recent local elections, where the SNP did not achieve a census for the first time in that municipality. Regarding Nikić, they claimed he was expelled “for grossly violating the democratic principles upon which the SNP operates.”

Joković refrained from commenting to “Vijesti” concerning claims from certain SNP members that someone voted on their behalf during the electronic session of the Civic Platform.

Nikić’s removal and the dissolution of the Herceg Novi board were the aftermath of a tumultuous Civic Council session in Podgorica on June 6. “Vijesti” later reported, citing a source present at the Civic Council, that the meeting saw arguments and altercations among members, and that it resumed only after some SNP officials intervened to calm the situation.

Another source remarked that the arguments during the session were “inappropriate” but not “terribly dramatic.”

“At the conclusion (of the session), Joković spoke and provoked members who criticized his performance. Discussions arose about not holding the upcoming Congress in Podgorica, making it closed to the public, limiting attendee numbers, and reducing the delegate count,” the source stated.

According to unofficial information from “Vijesti,” Joković confronted Nikić verbally during the meeting.

The SNP leader informed the newspaper after the GO session that there had been a “verbal exchange” during the meeting, but no physical confrontations took place. He claimed the session proceeded smoothly until “someone who writes from fake accounts (on social media)” began commenting, which provoked responses from other GO members and led to an “exchange of words.”

This General Assembly session occurred in anticipation of the forthcoming SNP Congress, scheduled for August. So far, the vice president of the party, Dragoslav Šćekić, has announced his candidacy for the leading post of the SNP. Joković has not ruled out the possibility of running against him, given he received the “green light” from the SNP Statutory Commission in early April for a third term candidacy.

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