How Mandić, Đukanović, and the SIA „united“ the NSD in Pljevlja

From the announcement of forced administration in Pljevlja due to the boycott by part of the New Serbian Democracy councilors, to the sudden unity within the NSD and the adoption of the city budget.

The turnaround that occurred in just seven days, from March 9 to March 13, was driven, besides party leader Andrija Mandić, by senior party official Milutin Đukanović, who is also the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Company of Montenegro. However, the decisive pressure on the four rebellious NSD councilors was carried out, according to ETV sources, with mediation from the Serbian Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) and directly on orders from the office of Aleksandar Vučić.

LAST-MINUTE OPERATION

It is well known that the President of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, has close ties with the authorities in Belgrade, which have on several occasions saved him from dismissal, especially after he entered into an open conflict in 2024 with party colleague Milan Lekić, a protégé of NSD leader Andrija Mandić. This time, the Serbian intelligence service and its local collaborators faced a much more serious task, which is to find a way for Vraneš to remain in office while preventing the local NSD board from falling apart.

It was an operation completed at the last moment, as everything that had been happening threatened an inevitable formal split within Mandić’s party councilors’ club.

MONTHS-LONG BOYCOTT BY NSD COUNCILORS

Four New Serbian Democracy councilors - Marko Potparić, Slobodan Radović, Boriša Kankaraš and Vujo Grbović - did not appear in the assembly hall on March 9, nor later that day at 4 p.m., even though a meeting organized 11 days earlier by Mandić with them and Vraneš had resulted in an agreement that they would support the budget. Amendments to the budget had been secured by the Democrats, who conditioned their support for the mayor on those changes.

The removal of Dario Vraneš was insisted upon by Milojko Spajić’s Europe Now Movement, which attempted to exploit his conflict with Lekić. The four councilors aligned with Lekić were offered positions in the municipal government once forced administration was introduced, since by law the government appoints the head of local administration in such cases.

„CALMING“ THE REBELS

When it seemed on March 9 that the problem within the NSD would not be resolved, Božidar Jelovac, a councilor loyal to Vraneš and well connected in Belgrade, announced that a resolution was coming.

I kada je 9. marta djelovalo da se neće razriješiti problem unutar NSD-a, Božidar Jelovac, odbornik lojalan Vranešu, ali I sa odličnim vezama u Beogradu, najavio je rasplet.

- Our caucus requests that the session be postponed until Friday, given that our party clearly stated a few days ago that we would act in unity today. It is obvious that this is not happening, and in the coming days we will inform the public about everything - Jelovac demanded during the parliamentary session.

This was a move to buy time needed for the final pressure on Lekić and his four councilors. The operation to pacify the rebels was carefully planned, with actors at multiple levels, coordinated by the SIA.

MILUTIN ĐUKANOVIĆ’S TASK

According to information from E Television, Milutin Đukanović, through intermediaries from the Serbian service, sent important messages to the four rebellious councilors.

Đukanović was compelled, despite facing significant issues within the Electric Power Company, to deal with the local party board in Pljevlja. He had to comply with instructions from the SIA due to compromising information the Serbian service allegedly possesses about him. 

According to ETV’s intelligence sources from Belgrade, Milutin Đukanović’s mission was carried out under direct instructions from Belgrade, specifically the SIA, which allegedly possesses extensive compromising material regarding Đukanović’s use of official premises in Belgrade, as well as a recording of a conversation involving the head of the Electric Power Company that could serve as evidence that certain deals were not concluded in the interest of EPC.

HOW THE COUNCILORS „CHANGED THEIR MINDS“

The final act of the „friendly persuasion“ operation was carried out personally by Andrija Mandić. According to E Television, the NSD councilors – Marko Potparić, Slobodan Radović, Boriša Kankaraš and Vujo Grbović - met with the party leader in Podgorica on March 12.

Mandić emphasized to the four councilors that they must support Dario Vraneš and must not allow Spajić’s Europe Now Movement to take control of the city. He also issued a threat: if they failed to ensure a quorum and support Vraneš, they would be expelled from the party.

Mandić’s „final warning“ proved effective. After months of operating under a temporary financing regime, the majority councilors in the local parliament adopted the Municipality of Pljevlja’s budget for this year on March 13.

VICTORY FOR VRANEŠ, CONCERNS FOR SPAJIĆ

Milan Lekić and Andrija Mandić lost another battle with Dario Vraneš. Thus, at least for a certain period and with the help of Belgrade, the conflicts within the Pljevlja NSD have been resolved, which could have otherwise caused problems in the functioning of the entire party.

Now, according to ETV interlocutors, the maneuvering space of Milojko Spajić’s Europe Now Movement has been significantly reduced. The movement had intended to take control of the municipal government through the introduction of forced administration. Since February, the Europe Now Movement had officially demanded that New Serbian Democracy propose another party member, instead of Dario Vraneš, for the position of mayor.