site.btaObservers Expect Hard Bargaining on Montenegro Cabinet Formation

Observers predict difficult negotiations on the formation of Montenegro's 44th government.

Milojko Spajic, a former finance minister and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. credit analyst , was tapped to become prime minister by Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic after his party prevailed in general elections, www.bloomberg.com reported. Spajic is the leader of the Europe Now Movement.

Bloomberg quoted Milatovic as telling reporters that Montenegro needs a stable executive branch to meet many challenges, strengthen the rule of law, raise living standards, and make progress on the path to the European Union.

"Obtaining a mandate and forming an executive power are two different processes, and the success of one does not guarantee the result of the other," Center for Monitoring and Research Executive Director Ana Nenezic commented on www.vijesti.me.

"Although on the face of it the process is going smoothly, with most parties declaring willingness to back Spajic's government, an in-depth analysis shows that there are many complex issues that need to be addressed in order to reach a consensus," Nenezic added. She predicted that the negotiations would be complicated and take a long time.

President Milatovic said that during the consultations Spajic was supported as a candidate by parties that hold 44 seats in Parliament. But some of the force represented in the legislature will vote in favour of that lineup only after an explicit agreement, and others have publicly declared their refusal to do so.

Negotiations on the cabinet-forming mandate unofficially took two months, and the deadline for putting together a government is three months. They will also show how sincere the declared political support is for the EU accession of Montenegro, which is a member of NATO.