IZBORNI SISTEM CRNE GORE
ELECTORAL SYSTEM OF MONTENEGRO

Author(s): Veselin Pavićević
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Government/Political systems, Electoral systems
Published by: CEDET Centar za demokratsku tranziciju
Keywords: proportional method; election census; categorical voting; affirmative action; electoral district geometry; mandate price
Summary/Abstract: In the time when "history rushes" (Dahrendorf), in Montenegro, ups and downs in the maturing of the democratic being of its people alternate permanently, while hope and fear for its future political and state-building destiny constantly alternate. Relations between sharply opposed political groups within this process will be determined by the capacity and strength of institutions to produce and reproduce democratic social relations. Only well-ordered, democratic institutions succeed in suppressing the authoritarian and dysfunctional character of the order, which is characterized by traditional and charismatic power, that is, by a subservient mentality. This is all the more so, bearing in mind the fact that support for proclaimed democratic principles and principles in Montenegro is based on a short-term and incomplete insight into experiences of that kind; as well as that the new, democratic regime has little history and no reservoir of legitimacy (Mishler & Rose) created by the inertia of long-term familiarity and acceptance. In addition, the new regime does not even have a sufficient measure of "negative tolerance" as a consequence of the public rejection of the old, totalitarian regime. If it is true that in the process of building their culture "all nations follow the same historical scheme44" (Duverger), then it is certain that a democratic electoral system and elections will be built in Montenegro as stable institutions. In this regard, the already acquired experience is encouraging that without broad support and acceptance of the basic solutions in the electoral legislation, which at the same time rely on the democratic standards established in the Copenhagen document of the OSCE from 1990, they cannot be organized and implemented elections for representative power.

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