Former member of the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) General Committee, Radisav Nikic, has lodged a complaint with the party’s Statutory Commission. He alleges that his expulsion can only take place during a party congress and accuses his superior, Vladimir Joković, of attempting to secure a third term through an “artificial majority,” as reported by “Vijesti.”

At the suggestion of Joković, Nikic was removed from his party roles during the electronic session of the Civic Council on June 11th.

In his appeal, which “Vijesti” has seen, he disputes the validity of convening an electronic session, claiming such meetings can only be called “for reasons of urgency or rationality,” which he argues were absent.

Nikić contends that the rationale for the meeting was to confront party members with differing opinions to create an artificial majority for Joković’s re-election at the congress.

Furthermore, he asserts that the municipal assembly’s Rules of Procedure, necessary for scheduling an electronic session, have yet to be adopted.

He reminds that the Civic Organization members hail from Kolašin and Kotor. Milan Bulatović and Djordje Račić publicly stated they did not vote, even though they were recorded on the list, which Nikic claims undermines the entire process. He stresses the need for the Statute to outline the method and procedure for determining a party member’s accountability.

He also emphasizes that the body from which he was expelled lacks the authority to dismiss its members.

“The Statute explicitly defines the party’s bodies and their jurisdictions. According to Article 50, only the Congress holds the power to elect or dismiss the General Assembly,” he states in his complaint, likening the situation to the government dismissing its own ministers.

Nikić argues that the provisions cited for his dismissal pertain to party expulsion, a decision that can only be made by the municipal board of which he is a member, namely the Podgorica board.

In an interview with “Vijesti,” he expressed hope that the Statutory Commission would accept his appeal, thus “nullifying the politically motivated decision of the current leadership, which seeks total control before the upcoming Congress by sidelining dissenters.”

“I trust that the commission, as the highest guardian of legality in our party, will resist undue pressure from the current autocratic leadership, which has long favored confrontation over internal dialogue and respect for differing opinions. The SNP must not devolve into a party of compliant followers. It’s time for the Statute to be upheld, not exploited for conflict,” he remarked.

Following the electronic session of the Governing Board, the SNP announced that over 75 percent of members voted to disband the Herceg Novi committee and expel Nikic. They cited that the committee’s activities had diverged from the party’s policies and values, particularly following the disappointing results in local elections where the SNP did not obtain a census for the first time. They claimed that Nikic was expelled for severely breaching the democratic principles underlying the SNP’s operations.

Joković declined to comment to “Vijesti” regarding claims from certain SNP members that there were unauthorized votes cast on their behalf during the Civic Platform’s electronic session.

Nikić’s expulsion and the dissolution of the Herceg Novi committee followed a tumultuous Civic Council meeting in Podgorica on June 6. According to a source present at the session, there were heated exchanges among members, and the meeting resumed only after some SNP officials intervened to ease tensions.

Another source described the arguments as “inappropriate,” yet not “a terrible drama.”

At the session’s conclusion, Joković allegedly provoked members who voiced concerns about his leadership. Discussions ensued about the upcoming Congress, questioning whether it should occur in Podgorica, be publicly accessible, welcome guests, or limit the number of delegates.

Unofficial reports to “Vijesti” indicated a verbal altercation took place between Joković and Nikić during the meeting.

After the GO session, the SNP leader mentioned that tensions escalated due to a “verbal exchange” but denied any physical conflicts, stating the session was proceeding smoothly until contentious remarks made by an individual commenting from fake social media profiles triggered reactions from other members.

This session of the General Assembly was convened as preparations were made for the SNP Congress, slated for August. Vice president Dragoslav Šcekić has announced his candidacy for the party leadership, while Joković, who received the “green light” to run for a third term from the SNP Statutory Commission in early April, has not ruled out a contest.

More Complaints Ahead

In addition to Nikić’s case, the Statutory Commission must also review two earlier appeals.

During the same session that saw Nikić’s dismissal, the Herceg Novi committee faced dissolution, followed by an appeal from its former leader, Milan Jancic, filed 15 days ago.

He referenced claims from Bulatović and Račić as part of his appeal, along with assertions from multiple colleagues who stated they did not agree to the decisions recorded.

The commission will also need to address the election of the Danilovgrad committee head, as two members have formally objected.

SNP Municipal Committee (MC) officials Ivana Tomić and Jelena Šćepanović have raised concerns about how Marko Radonjić was elected president of that body. They claim the election was conducted “without notice, insight into candidacies, or adherence to basic statutory procedures.”

“The ‘delegates’ were not identified until the conference commenced, which allowed the committee to effectively elect itself without wider representation or participation,” they asserted in a statement sent to the media following the election.

They further claimed that there were no minutes recorded for the session establishing the electoral conference agenda or decisions regarding candidate acceptances, nor was there any supporting documentation available.

The SNP informed “Vijesti” that a Statutory Commission meeting would occur early next week to address all three appeals.

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