We call on Prime Minister Igor Lukšić to apologize for continuing to insult and underestimate Montenegro’s citizens and to dedicate himself instead to using the mechanisms at his disposal for taking concrete actions instead of manipulating the people.
Any serious Prime Minister would – when faced with the largest citizen protest that has ever been organized in the country – immediately roll up their sleeves and begin serious work. Lukšić should have already demanded an immediate meeting of the Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) to discuss a reversal of their decision to raise the electricity price. In fact, the majority owner of the EPCG is still the Government of Montenegro, which should seek to serve the country’s citizens. They have a majority and thus could have blocked the decision to raise electricity price. Therefore, the problematic statements by Lukšić and his cabinet insult our intelligence and represent yet another in a series of attempts to manipulate the public.
When the interests of Mr. Lukšić were in question, as was the case with the ‘Listing Affair’ [Transl. note: during which alleged documents purporting to show telephone communications between the Prime Minister and renowned narco-trafficker Darko Šarić were leaked to the media], he was quick to react. Not only Lukšić, but also the judiciary and police were immediately mobilized to challenge the authenticity of these documents. He should have had the same reaction after Saturday’s mass protest, instead of simply proclaiming that he now realizes there are dissatisfied people in the country who have the right to protest. Lukšić should have immediately called the Supreme State Prosecutor’s office on Sunday and asked that they enter the premises of the EPCG, Montenegrin Telecom, the Nikšić Steelworks, the Podgorica Aluminum Combine (KAP), Jugopetrol and the Government of Montenegro. He should have also asked for the resignations of the leadership of the Regulatory Agency for Energy (RAE).
Instead, the Prime Minister took it upon himself to address citizens who don’t have enough money to pay for their electricity bills over Facebook.
We’re certainly proud that our interning Prime Minister knows how to use modern means of communication, but we also expect concrete actions and a radical break with past practice from him.
Mr. Lukšić has had a year to change the laws and write-up action plans, to adopt strategies and to educate public officials. Now we are waiting for concrete actions.
Electricity is only an entry point, but not the key issue, though even on this front Lukšić needs to clearly demonstrate that he’s ready to move from words to action.
We expect the Prime Minister to immediately find the mechanisms that would enable him to eliminate the announced electricity price hikes. We’re not asking that he artificially freeze prices, but only to ensure that the EPCG monopoly functions as it would have if competition existed. We’d also hope that he’d work to prevent negligence, theft and to finally raise questions concerning the millions of euros that are held in the First Bank (Prva Banka) (thus ensuring that bank’s liquidity instead of being invested in the development of the EPCG as initially planned under the privatization agreement).
The story of a few million euros in subsidies is not the solution since the majority of citizens don’t want to pay bills to subsidize embedded interests, whether or not they are social welfare recipients. The Government of Montenegro always uses the market as an excuse when it plans new levies on citizens, while it immediately runs to the rescue of domestic and foreign tycoons with millions of euros whenever they need help. These are the same millions that we provide to the budget as taxpayers, while taxes are being written off for the rich.
In this way, the Government has helped one tycoon, Oleg Deripaska, with more than 300-million euros, including through debt relief, credit guarantees (which aren’t being returned), etc. And now the government proposes to silence Montenegro’s citizens with a few crumbs?
We invite the Prime Minister to dare to actually do his job, to pursue economic policies that benefit the citizens who elected him. We would like to suggest that the citizens, after more than 20 years of multiparty politics, are able to distinguish between manipulations and concrete actions, that the government can no longer divide us by launching new nationalist controversies. Our joint flag will remain our electricity bill while it is up to our interning Prime Minister to decide whether he wants to retain his seat or not.
Vanja Ćalović
