Podgorica, (MINA) – Support coming from Montenegro for democratic forces in Belgrade is not expected, said leader of the Democratic Party Zoran Lutovac, while coordinator of the Don’t Let Belgrade Drown movement Djordje Pavicevic argues that it cannot be assessed due to the complexity of the Montenegrin political scene.
Lutovac, who is a former Serbian ambassador in Montenegro, says that everything that previous protests missed, the Serbia against Violence rallies have.
He told MINA News Agency that the opposition, as a protest initiator, found the right measure of participation, not undermining the civic character of the protests.
Speaking about the protests results so far, Lutovac said that the citizens had been freed from fear, and that those apathic and uninterested were now awaken.
“The authorities don’t know what to do with the protests, they still haven’t officially rejected the demands, they publicly call to talks, but they don’t want to give in and meet the demands”, Pavicevic told MINA.
Pavicevic said that the opposition must act united and find the path to free and fair elections.
Asked what was the main reason for lack of support from Montenegro for democratic forces in Serbia were, considering that the processions that initiated the fall of the Democratic Part of Socialists’ (DPS) government was supported by the current Serbian government and almost its whole public, Lutovac said that he was not sure that the government in Belgrade supported the processions.
According to Lutovac, it was alleged support of Belgrade, with the goal to discredit the processions.
“As for the support for democratic forces in Belgrade from Montenegro, they are not expected since Aleksandar Vucic would have an allergic rection to it, just like he has in case of any support coming from anywhere in the region”, said Lutovac.
Pavicevic responded that Vucic often succeeded to present himself as a credible partner that can solve huge problems the international community cared for.
Asked if they expected support by URA, and if they talked on this topic with some of URA representatives, Pavicevic said that there had informal contacts and cooperation, but considering political and institutional status of Abazovic and URA, it was difficult to expect stronger support.
He added that the outcome of political situation and fight against organized crime in Montenegro could have significant consequences for the political situation in Serbia.
Asked what radicalization of the protests that was mentioned meant, Lutovac said that if the government would fail to meet the demands, it would face civic disobedience.
Asked if the current protests were different from those from the 1990’s and if the Vucic’s regime was different from the Slobodan Milosevic’s one, Lutovac said that the similarity lied in the fact that successors of the radicals and socialists were leading Serbia right now, while the difference was that they were, at least verbally, in favor of the European integration.
Pavicevic believes that, although the type of Vucic and Milosevic’s regimes don’t differ much, the way of governing, the environment and the position of the opposition are different.
“Today there are no wars, no deep economic crisis, the opposition is exhausted and has no resources, it doesn’t have help from outside, not even the willingness to unequivocally label the regime of Aleksandar Vucic as undemocratic. On the other hand, the regime has learned some lessons from the 1990’s and for now it is not making similar mistakes as Milosevic did”, Pavicevic argues.
Asked if he could draw a parallel between the former government of DPS in Montenegro and the current government of the Serbian Progressive Party in Serbia, Lutovac said that both regimes were stabilocratic, with different sensibilities and different degrees of control of institutions and media.
