November 19, 2020 - A longtime high-ranking official of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Milutin Simovic, is likely to become the new president of the Municipality of Nikšić from tomorrow.
A session of the Nikšić Municipal Assembly is scheduled for tomorrow. Counselors should decide on the proposal of the ruling DPS-Social Democrat coalition "Consistently for Nikšić" that Simovic be the head of the local government until the spring when local elections will be held. A DPS spokesperson, in conversation with "Vijesti", said that it is not impossible that he will remain in that position as the party believes he will win the elections, when they are held.
The proposal states that he "with his long-term work and behavior has shown expertise, competencies, and managerial abilities, and has gained a reputation and authority that give every reason to believe he will perform his duties responsibly."
"In addition to all that, performing the most responsible functions in the country, he showed a high degree of tolerance and empathy towards all events and phenomena in the political life of Montenegro," the proposal reads.
Having been given the consent of the DPS Presidency on Monday to be a candidate for the president of the Municipality, and then having been confirmed by the Nikšić Municipal Board, Simovic has now officially been a Nikšić citizen since October 15 this year. He is a native of Nikšić but lives in Podgorica.
A statement by the Presidency of the DPS states that "his results so far, as well as his experience in the most responsible positions, guarantee that this is the best solution when it comes to further management of Nikšić."
Simovic is also a member of the Presidency. The official position does not state whether he participated in the body's decision-making process regarding his election.
He is the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in the current technical government. He recently resigned as the head of the National Coordination Body.
He has been a member of the Parliament of Montenegro, Vice President of the Parliament, and previously also Minister of Agriculture.
For several years, he was the DPS coordinator for Nikšić, which won fewer votes than the opposition in the last parliamentary elections on October 30. The function of the acting president of the Municipality of Nikšić has been performed by its vice president Dragan Perović since October 26, after the mandate of the previous president Veselin Grbović ended under legislative conditions, as he became eligible for old-age pension.
