{"id":10394,"date":"2021-03-15T13:31:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T13:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dfcme.me\/media-coverage-of-the-election-day-in-niksic-heightening-tensions-and-spreading-narratives\/"},"modified":"2022-10-22T18:27:26","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T16:27:26","slug":"media-coverage-of-the-election-day-in-niksic-heightening-tensions-and-spreading-narratives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dfc.me\/en\/media-coverage-of-the-election-day-in-niksic-heightening-tensions-and-spreading-narratives\/","title":{"rendered":"Media coverage of Election Day in Niksic: Heightening tensions and spreading narratives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Election Day in Niksic passed in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, even though during the weeks prior to March 14, these elections had been evaluated as historic<\/em>. Several (minor) incidents were reported, such as a violent attempt of mail-in voting reported<\/span><\/strong><\/a> by the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, numerous pieces of disinformation and fake news published by the Serbia-based media, and posted on social media, marked the electoral processes. Fortunately, their predictions, from the riots in the streets in case the ruling power loses elections, power outages in the afternoon hours to President Milo Djukanovic\u2019s plans to flee the country through Albania, turned out to be wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, everyone who followed the coverage of Election Day via news portals and social media platforms had an impression that an atmosphere prior to potential conflicts prevailed in the town under the Trebjesa. After the closing of the polling station and the announcement of the election results, the supporters of the coalitions For the Future of Niksic<\/em> and Peace is Our Nation<\/em> gathered in large numbers. Minor incidents occurred then in front of the campaign headquarters of the coalition For the Future of Niksic<\/em> and the COVID-19 measures were breached despite the calls from the leader<\/a><\/span><\/strong> of the coalition For the Future of Niksic<\/em> Marko Kovacevic and President of the Parliament Aleksa Becic on their supporters to celebrate the victory at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As during the parliamentary elections in Montenegro in 2020, the Serbia-based media outlets led in covering the situation in Niksic, with their headlines frequently colored with sensationalism and tendentiousness. The identical narratives and predictions about the results of the Election Day prevailed as during the parliamentary elections. Following the same pattern, the goal was to create an image of Niksic as a place where unrest and chaos rule. While the news portal Glas javnosti<\/em> had led in covering the parliamentary elections, the news portal Nacionalist<\/em> led in covering the local elections.<\/p>\n\n\n

The riots that never happened<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n

The essential topic in the Serbia-based media was the narrative about the riots planned by the DPS. On Election Day, they wrote that the DPS activists are taking photos of the voters<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, threatening them not to vote for another political option, and as well as gathering<\/span><\/strong><\/a> 300 young male persons to organize riots at the polling station to override the political will of the voters. According to those texts, the DPS found support for causing the unrest in Budva. The news portal Nacionalist<\/em> writes<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that Milo Djukanovic realized that it is getting beyond a joke now<\/em>, so he is asking his friend Brano Micunovic to<\/em> send a squadron of Komitas, thugs, and members of the Kavac clan from Budva to spark riots in Niksic<\/em>. A similar narrative marked the parliamentary elections: (BREAKING NEWS) DPS prepared \u201cspecial\u201d scenario for tonight: All citizens should celebrate the victory at their homes!<\/em>, when the news portal IN4S<\/em> wrote<\/span><\/strong><\/a> about the DPS’s plan to organize groups that would set the flags of NATO, the EU, and Montenegro on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The news portal Novosti<\/em> writes<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that the members of the Special Anti-terrorist Unit were seen in the streets of Niksic with the intention to prevent the chaos announced by the DPS because of the alleged beating of its members<\/em>. It also writes that large police forces continue<\/span><\/strong><\/a> to gather in front of the police station in Niksic, and that their colleagues from Zabljak are coming to help them, all with the goal to prevent potential riots. The news portal Informer<\/em> republishes<\/span><\/strong><\/a> the same text with a tendentious headline: NIKCIS REACHING A BOILING POINT, THE NEXT FEW HOURS FILLED WITH DREAD, AS LONG AS THERE IS NO ERUPTION OF…! POLICE FROM ZABLJAK IS HERE, The DPS supporters driving around the headquarters of the coalition \u201cFor the Future of Niksic\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

More from the column #itneverhappened: Power outages, the escape of the President<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n

Apart from the outbreak of riots and police presence on the streets, neither this time did the narratives achieve a level of originality higher than the one seen in the parliamentary elections. The news portal Nacionalist<\/em> finds out<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that the DPS is planning to cut electricity to Niksic. According to their writing, the DPS soldiers, faced with certain defeat, got an assignment to create a diversion, immediately after the closing of the polling station, by disrupting the electric power system in order to prevent the local electoral commission from counting the ballots under normal conditions, which would mark their end<\/em>. On the day of the parliamentary elections, the news portal Glas javnosti<\/em> published<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that the disruption of the Internet and shutting down of opposition news portals including IN4S<\/em> and Borba<\/em> was planned around 6 p.m., which, as well as the power outages, never happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The press statement<\/span><\/strong><\/a> issued by the Police Administration calling on citizens not to go to the streets after the closing of the polling station and to respect the COVID-19 preventive measures was used<\/span><\/strong><\/a> by the news portal Nacionalist<\/em> to spread panic under a headline: IT DOESN’T AUGUR WELL!  Montenegro’s police issued an emergency statement: Stay at home, GATHERINGS ARE PROHIBITED.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Serbia-based media, the closing of the polling station was rounded out by repeating the narrative that Milo Djukanovic was planning a spectacular<\/em> escape from the country. The news portals Objektiv<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/a> and Alo<\/em> write that the chief of Djukanovic\u2019s security was ordered to prepare an inconspicuous middle-class vehicle<\/em> in which he will, in case that the political-security situation in Montenegro doesn\u2019t develop in his favor, head toward Albania and, with the help of confidential people working at the Bozaj crossing border, secretly leave Montenegro\u2019s territory the same night under cover of the darkness<\/em>. During the parliamentary elections in 2020, the news portal Alo<\/em> spread<\/span><\/strong><\/a> the same narrative on President Djukanovic\u2019s leaving the country. The text then reported the lawyer Goran Petronijevic\u2019s statement that Milo Djukanovic had helicopters awaiting him at three locations that are supposed to take him to Albania, should he suffer the defeat in the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n

The persistent narrative about the DPS members leaving the party<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n

The news portal Kurir<\/em> publishes a piece of breaking news<\/span><\/strong><\/a> with a headline: LEFT FOR GOOD: Dusko Markovic left the DPS\u2019 headquarters, A NEW PARTY IN THE CARDS?<\/em> This news portal writes that, according to a well-informed source, the former Prime Minister of Montenegro left the DPS and started forming a new party, predicting that after the elections in Niksic, the first rift<\/em> will open up within that party. Markovic quickly denied<\/span><\/strong><\/a> those allegations on his Twitter account. According to the news portal Nacionalist\u2019s<\/em> writing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, Andrija Nikolic will join the Dusko Markovic\u2019s faction, because he does not want to put up with the mobbing and the pressure from boss Milo any longer<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Ova #La\u017enaVijest<\/a> pu\u0161tena je od onih koji su \u010duli moj politi\u010dki stav i znaju snagu liste Evropski tim za #Nik\u0161i\u0107<\/a> koju predvodi @sdamjano<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/UEnsvV3DeK<\/a><\/p>— Du\u0161ko Markovi\u0107 (@DuskoMarkovicCG) March 14, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>