Right to purchase A2A shares under "exit option" for 250 million refers only to state of Montenegro

Podgorica, Montenegro (12 July 2016) -- "Vijesti" daily published on Monday, 11 July 2016, an article entitled "DPS would offer EPCG at bargain price,” which sets forth a set of false allegations. With a view to providing the public with correct information, we publish the facts that refute the “Vijesti” daily's claims.

The claim from the title that "DPS would offer EPCG at bargain price" is untrue. Democratic Party of Socialists is not owner or even co-owner of the Electrical Power Industry of Montenegro (EPCG) and therefore, they cannot sell what they do not possess.

The claim that any document that has been considered by the Government or any of the Government's commissions contains something that might suggest that the shares of the A2A in the EPCG can be "left to someone the Italian partner chooses for EUR 250 million” is also false. Such a blatant untruth is not possible as the so-called "exit option" refers exclusively to the A2A and state of Montenegro, meaning that the Government of Montenegro is THE ONLY ONE to exercise the right of purchasing the A2A's shares. In other words, the claim stated in the headline and what should be the essence of the article IS NOT POSSIBLE, even if someone from the Government wished to do that.

It is untrue the Cabinet members declared by party affiliation at the Cabinet sessions or sessions of the commission and therefore it could not happen that, as stated in the article, "part of the Government from DPS proposes a cooperation agreement with the Italian company A2A." In addition to the Cabinet members proposed by the opposition, the joint session of the commission held on Sunday, 10 July 2016, was also attended by the Cabinet members from several political parties. No proposal or conclusion was formulated by "part of the Government from the DPS" neither does the Government and commissions work that way.

On the contrary. A number of press releases from the Cabinet sessions shows that both sides were making efforts, whenever possible, to reach a consensus, i.e. to make decisions with as much support as possible, which is in line with basic principles of the Government of electoral trust’s functioning. Finally, today's session of the Cabinet denies the allegations published because, despite the possibility of adopting certain decisions by majority vote, the Prime Minister proposed, and the government unanimously adopted, additional talks between representatives of the Cabinet from the parliamentary majority and those proposed by the opposition with a view to reaching a consensus in order to send a positive message to the international public and project implementers of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja that the entire Government and as large as possible majority in the Parliament stands behind the project.

From the above, it is clear that the claims by Vijesti daily are false, do not contribute to strengthening confidence in the election process and certainly does not reflect the spirit and the environment in which the Government of electoral trust functions.