Opposition parties in Montenegro have said they are willing to resume dialogue with the ruling party, but a series of meetings with the US State Department director for South Central European affairs Matthew Palmer and the US ambassador to the Adriatic Country Margaret Uyehara failed to persuade them to return to parliament.

The two-day meetings were scheduled a day after the EU delegation to the country also invited opposition leaders to talks, aiming to push them to end a 10-month boycott of the parliament and start a dialogue with the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

According to the leader of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Vladimir Jokic, the boycott can only end when DPS agrees to set a date for early elections.

“A return to the parliament by any political party would give wings only to the DPS,” broadcaster RTCG quoted Jocic as saying in a statement to media.

Similar statements have been made by other political leaders.

On the other hand, some of them indicated during the meetings with the EU representatives that they could resume dialogue, but only if DPS shows willingness to meet some of their requests. Moreover, some said they were given no alternative by the EU but to end the boycott and resume dialogue.

After the October 16 general election, Montenegro’s opposition refused to participate in parliament sessions, claiming the election was far from fair and transparent. Once Prime Minister Dusko Markovic took office, he initiated attempts to persuade the opposition parties to start talks and find a compromise, even offering to share power with them like his predecessor Milo Djukanovic did ahead of the election. However, so far all his offers have been rebuffed. 

In May, Markovic said he will no longer ask the opposition to return to parliament or to start a dialogue on sharing power, as all his attempts have been turned down so far.

Meanwhile, the only party that was not invited by Palmer, the pro-Russian Democratic Front (DF), said that, unless the rest of the opposition finally accepts their proposal to act together, the party will return to parliament at the beginning of October.

The DF has many times asked the other opposition parties to meet up and agree on a joint platform and joint actions aimed at ousting the DPS from power. However, the other parties seem unwilling to unite with the DF due to the party’s nationalistic, anti-Nato and anti-EU propaganda. Moreover, several party leaders are facing trials for their alleged involvement in a coup plot and in money laundering cases.

The DF was established with one main goal — to oust the DPS from the power it has enjoyed since before Montenegro gained its independence. The DF has always used nationalist and extremist rhetoric, calling for protests and a forceful takeover of power from the DPS. The party has also been linked to Russia, whose relationship with Montenegro has deteriorated sharply since the tiny Balkan country was invited to join Nato.