CEMI - Centar za monitoring i istraživanje

The prosecution is competent to solve the problem with the elections in Savnik

29. Nov. 2022. in news

The problem with the elections in Savnik, where the elections were repeated six times at two polling stations, is the responsibility of the prosecution, it was said at the panel discussion "Integrity of the voter list of Montenegro".

The panel discussion was organized by the Center for Monitoring and Research and the MINA agency, as part of a project financially supported by the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro.

Voting at two polling stations in Savnik will be repeated next Sunday, after it was interrupted in the previous six election cycles, on October 23 and 30, as well as on November 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Member of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Predrag Sekulic, said that the local elections in Savnik are a true reflection of the government's work.

According to him, in 2019, the DPS advocated for the elections to be held in one day, but they did not have the support of their colleagues from the opposition at that time.

"Political responsibility is not on DPS, but responsibility for the situation in Savnik lies with the current government. I agree that the prosecutor's office should react, if someone obstructs the election process, they should react", said Sekulic.

He stated that, by amending the Law on the Prosecution, the Government took over the responsibility of the Law on the Prosecution.

"What will happen if we repeat the elections in Savnik several more times? Sekulic asked.

The MP of Democratic Montenegro, Momo Koprivica, said that the problem is the so-called bb addresses (addresses without a number), because they make field verification of residence more difficult.

"I think the bb address is a form of hiding real data. We have a voter's list that is actually the result of stamping and engineering," said Koprivica.

He said that one group of citizens wants to usurp the right to local self-government from the citizens of another city.

"We see a serious problem when it comes to keeping the voter list because some state bodies are not doing their job. The voter list is a picture of the inaction of numerous institutions", Koprivica believes.

Speaking about the intention, as a subjective element for obtaining residence, Koprivica said that its existence is difficult to determine.

"But that is not the only element for obtaining residence, an objective element is also needed, that the person has settled. It is subject to control, because the intention is difficult to control", said Koprivica.

He said that holding the election in one day was something that was emphasized in that party because that solution would be much easier, more productive and in the interest of the citizens.

Political scientist Bojan Bugarin said that the situation in Savnik, from a formal and legal point of view, is in accordance with the regulations, since the Law on Registers of Residence and Stay allows the residence to be applied.

"And it is a procedure that is liberal, without legal and technical procedures. Aside from the day-to-day politics between the parties, which is made possible by the Law on the Register of Residence and Place of Residence," said Bugarin.

He said that the Ministry of Interior has no legal basis to prevent a certain citizen who wants to move from one municipality to another to register his residence.

As he added, the law does not provide a legal basis for the state and its institutions to regulate the issue in a different way.

"Another thing is that citizens can abuse it. In case there is a suspicion of abuses, there is the prosecutor's office," said Bugarin.

He said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has no legal basis to check the veracity of data, adding that granting that right is sensitive, since it is entering the zone of arbitrariness of the police entity.

"If someone wants to abuse residence politically, they will find a way. Laws are written for people, and the fact that we as a society are politically underdeveloped is another matter. We cannot organize our social and political life accordingly", said the Bulgarin.


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