Nenezic: The organization of the list is purely a political decision, it can cause unnecessary tensions

The decision to hold the population census in Montenegro in November is not in accordance with international principles and has the potential to cause unnecessary tension and increase political polarization in the country, said Ana Nenezić, executive director of the Center for Monitoring and Research.
She told the MINA agency that political stability and a clear political majority are an important prerequisite for compiling the list for several reasons, one of which is the public's trust.
In order for the census to be effective, the public must have confidence in the process of conducting the census and the results obtained, especially when the census includes questions related to national and religious commitment - Nenezic assessed.
On the other hand, as she pointed out, political instability can undermine public trust in institutions, and thus trust in results.
Nenezić said that, when adopting the decision to hold the census in November, Finance Minister Aleksandar Damjanović, referring to the recommendations of the United Nations on the census, which foresees that its implementation does not coincide with the election campaign, failed to mention the continuation of that recommendation.
As she stated, the continuation of the recommendation indicates that one of the most important preconditions is for the population census to be conducted in a stable political environment in the country, in order for the data to be reliable.
Bearing all this in mind, I believe that this is not a politically mature decision, nor in accordance with international principles, and has the potential to cause unnecessary tension and increase political polarization in the country - said Nenezic.
She said that in political practice, a government in a technical mandate that has lost the support of the parliamentary majority is generally expected to limit its activities to essential and non-controversial issues that do not require significant policy changes or additional legislative activity.
The government working in a technical mandate has limited powers and is expected to make only important decisions that cannot wait for the formation of a new government - said Nenezić.
Those decisions, she explained, can include managing the day-to-day work of the state, ensuring the provision of basic public services and solving urgent issues.
However, you will not find an example in comparative political practice that the government implements fundamental political reforms, proposes systemic laws or conducts activities such as the census, because they require the stable support of the parliamentary majority and political stability - Nenezic stated.
She said that determining the date of the census does not necessarily mean that extraordinary parliamentary elections will not be held in Montenegro this year.
The organization of the census, and the excuse that it makes it impossible to hold parliamentary elections, is a purely political decision because the international standard in that area is not explicit - Nenezic pointed out.
She cited examples of European Union countries that conducted the census and parliamentary elections within a few months of each other, such as Portugal in 2011 or Finland in 2019.
Nenezic noted that the governments that implemented these activities were not in a technical mandate.
I believe that it would be difficult to find an example of a country in the world that, in the current circumstances of a deep political and institutional crisis, approaches the organization and implementation of an important systemic activity, such as the population census - she added.
According to Nenezić, a serious approach aimed at the public, rather than narrowly party and political interest, would imply the reverse order of steps.
The holding of parliamentary elections, and then the organization and holding of the census - said Nenezic.
She said that, if the Government decides to conduct the census without prior parliamentary elections, the question is what would happen if the Assembly is dissolved during the census process or during the processing of the results and parliamentary elections are called.
I believe that it is unnecessary to enter gray areas that are not followed by precise legal regulations, and this is certainly not a characteristic of a responsible approach - Nenezic added.
As she said, judging by the statements and announced activities, everything points to the conclusion that the Government of Montenegro is using every opportunity in the technical mandate to extend the mandate.
Bearing in mind the importance of the list for the planning of state policies in the future, I believe that this is one of the ways used for political trading and postponing the dissolution of the Assembly. The interest of all political entities is in which way and under whose control the census will be conducted - said Nenezic.
This situation, as she said, shows the possible consequences of bad laws and legal loopholes.
By not precisely prescribing the manner of functioning and the duration of the Government's technical mandate, space has been given to any political structure that exercises power to carry out activities outside the usual powers of the Government in its technical mandate, at least in the sense that it is understood by good international practice - pointed out Nenezic .
M. J.