WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS
"To avoid surprising our competitors, we should announce that we will have 40% support in Nikšić," said the honorary president of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Milo Đukanović, at the party’s rally in the Rastoci neighborhood.
"Let them continue to dream that DPS hasn’t reformed and is on the verge of collapse," said the former president.
Đukanović stated from Nikšić that the city is currently "experiencing a great shame."
"Greater Serbian nationalism is rightly afraid of DPS’s return to power. I was born here and lived here for many years. Even after moving my family to Podgorica, I frequently visit Nikšić. I can share with you the memory that this city always had mayors who were exemplary, not only for our city and Montenegro but much broader than that. People in every sense of the word. In contrast to such history, today the city is led by a person who has proven to be unworthy, incompetent, and nationally irresponsible towards Nikšić and Montenegro," said Đukanović.
He added that it is unimaginable for Nikšić to have a mayor "who shows his middle finger to the national anthem, who relativizes the desecration of the memorial to Nikšić’s and Montenegro's icon of anti-fascism – Ljubo Čupić, and who declares he will deal with dissenters – that is, with us Montenegrins – the same way our ancestors dealt with Turkish invaders throughout history."
"This is not acceptable for a free, civilized, and cultured Nikšić, which has always been politically proper," Đukanović said.
"On the contrary, such city management is a great shame for Nikšić. That is why on April 13th we have a chance we cannot miss, because victory is within reach. With this outcome, we will defeat aggressive Greater Serbian nationalism not only in Nikšić but will also deal it a decisive blow in Montenegro and begin the process of returning our country to a state of political normalcy, which was disturbed five years ago," he emphasized.
Đukanović, reflecting on the past five years, said it has been a period of overall decline for the country in all segments of Montenegrin society, stressing that Montenegro remains on its feet solely thanks to the strength of the state-building opposition led by the Democratic Party of Socialists and an empowered front of civil-oriented intellectuals.
"Neither Krivokapić’s, Abazović’s, nor Spajić’s government has protected Montenegro from state and national humiliation and the attempt to package it into the so-called 'Serbian world.' On the contrary, it was the opposition that did so. Our party does not forget, of course, the help from our partners in the European Union and other smaller parties with whom we defend the values of a civic, European, and dignified Montenegro. However, the greatest political achievement of these five years is the preservation of the strength of the core state-building party, despite the efforts of many, both within Montenegro and beyond, to criminalize us, imprison us, ban our work, and reduce us to just ten percent of voter support. Instead, we are constantly growing. Recently in Podgorica, we were by far the strongest, winning 30% of support. Only due to the immense fear of DPS’s return to power has this, I believe, been temporarily delayed through classic blackmail from various entities of Greater Serbian nationalism. And a miserable country is one whose leaders can be blackmailed," he added.
DPS, he said, succeeded in preventing the annexation that nationalists planned after August 30, 2020, and for which they had substantial and multifaceted support from their mentors and patrons in the Belgrade regime.
"That is why they are rightly afraid of DPS’s return to power, because they have no solution for our persistence and strength, alongside which the sinister ideas of finally destroying an independent, civic, and European Montenegro and erasing the Montenegrin national and cultural identity will never succeed. A victory in Nikšić, following a pronounced dominance in Podgorica, is the path to certain and imminent change at the state level," concluded Đukanović.
