Liberal Alliance of Montenegro
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro Liberalni savez Crne Gore Либерални савез Црне Горе | |
---|---|
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party[1] | |
International affiliation | Liberal International (1994–2005) |
Website | |
www | |
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (
History
The LSCG was the first political party to advocate an independent Montenegro during the Yugoslav Wars period, and remained a strong supporter of the idea of independence throughout its existence.
It was also one of the only two parties, alongside the Social Democratic Party, which openly opposed the Montenegrin involvement in the War in Croatia and the shelling of Dubrovnik in 1991. Despite advocating Montenegrin nationalism and thus pursuing separatist policies, LSCG was a strictly pacifist party, opting for democratic means in its political activity. It also openly supported the restoration of the Montenegrin language and Montenegrin Orthodox Church.
The LSCG was founded on 26 January 1990 by a group of
Foundation and anti-war activism (1990-1995)
During the
The first election the LSCG participated in was the
Popular Unity coalition (1996)
At the
Crisis and leadership change (1997-2000)
At the 1997 presidential election, the LSCG did not table a candidate. However, in the second round the party supported Milo Đukanović over Momir Bulatović, in order to send a message that they were not against the West which had supported Đukanović's candidacy. At the next parliamentary election in 1998, the LSCG won 6,21% of the vote, slightly over than 20,000 votes, and 5 seats in the Montenegrin parliament. The LSCG lost a significant number of voters due to a change of policy by the DPS, which gradually started supporting the independence of Montenegro, attracting a portion of their voters. Due to the poor electoral result, Perović resigned from his post. At the party electoral convention, held on 23 and 24 January 1999, Miodrag Živković officially became the new political leader of the LSCG.[4]
Minority government support and decline (2001-2003)
At the 2001 parliamentary election, the LSCG received a larger number of votes: 7,85% (almost 28.000 votes), winning 6 seats in the Assembly. Due do the political deadlock, in which no party had won an absolute majority, the LSCG made an agreement with DPS to support its minority government. This decision came following a pledge from the DPS that within a year a referendum on independence would have been held.[5] However, the LSCG still retained a resolute attitude of opposition, and withdrew support to the minority government due to the fact that the referendum had not been announced in the promised period. At the 2002 parliamentary election, the LSCG campaign under the slogan Montenegro Can - LSCG, and won 5,77% of votes (just over 20.000 votes), receiving only 4 seats.
Together with other opposition parties, the LSCG boycotted the presidential election held in February 2003, but opted to table a candidate for the presidential election just three months later. LSCG candidate Miodrag Živković won 31,44% of votes, but was defeated in the first round by the ruling coalition candidate Filip Vujanović. These elections would prove be the last election the Liberal Alliance participated in.
The rift and dissolution (2004-2005)
Following the outbreak of the Trsteno Affair (sr), a corruption scandal related to the selling of state-owned Trsteno beach and cove in Kotor municipality,[6] the involved party officials led by incumbent party president Miodrag Živković were expelled from the party on 7 September 2004. The expelled party faction led by Živković went on to form the Liberal Party (LP) in October 2004. Following the expulsion of Živković, Vesna Perović was elected as new leader of LSCG on 23 October 2004. However, following the corruption scandal and general crisis in the party, just a year before the main goal laid out in its program, Montenegrin independence, was to be carried out at the 21 May Referendum, the LSCG passed a decision to infinitely freeze its activity, a move declared to be a response to the constant repressive activity by the Montenegrin Agency of National Security.
Elections
Parliamentary elections
Year | Popular vote | % of popular vote | Overall seats won | Seat change | Coalition | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992
|
35,596 | 12.04% | 13 / 85
|
13 | — | opposition |
1996 | 74,963 | 24.91% | 9 / 71
|
4 | NS | gov't support[a] |
1998 | 21,612 | 6.21% | 5 / 78
|
4 | — | opposition |
2001 | 28,746 | 7.85% | 6 / 77
|
1 | — | gov't support[b] |
2002 | 20,306 | 5.8% | 4 / 75
|
2 | — | opposition |
a Opposition (1996-1997), Minority government support (1997-1998) b Limited minority government support (2001-2002)
Presidential elections
Election year | Candidate | 1st round votes | % | 2nd round votes | % | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Ljubiša Stanković | 2nd | 65,998 | 24.3% | 2nd | 56,990 | 21.8 | SRSJ , supporting
|
1992
|
Slavko Perović | 3rd | 52,736 | 18.3% | — | — | — | |
1997 | Milo Đukanović | 2nd | 145,348 | 46.7% | 1st | 174,745 | 50.8 | DPS , supporting
|
2003 | Miodrag Živković | 2nd | 68,169 | 31.4% | — | — | — |
Party leadership
- Slavko Perović, 1990–1999
- Miroslav Vicković, 1999–2002
- Miodrag Živković, 2002-2004
- Vesna Perović, 2004-2005
References
- ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2006). "Montenegro". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 22 May 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Milo od liberala ukrao ideju, a od naroda državu". Дан online. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Interview with Slavko Perović, 22.9.2011". Slavko Perović personal blog. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ "Miodrag Živković - leader (archive)". LSCG. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Agreement on cooperation in legislative and executive branch". LSCG. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Documentation - Trsteno affair". LSCG. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2016.