The Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (Liberalni savez Crne Gore, LSCG) is the strongest opposition party in Montenegro. The LSCG has 13 out of the total of 85 members of the Montenegrin Parliament. Its membership numbers about 22,000. The actual significance of this figure becomes obvious only when one realizes that a mere 620,000 people inhabit Montenegro. The LSCG is a multi-national, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural organization that aims at preserving the centuries-old Montenegrin tradition of peaceful, tolerant and cooperative coexistence of people belonging to various national, religious, and cultural provenances.
The LSCG was established by a group of democratically oriented people, coming mostly from Cetinje, which has been in the spotlight of Montenegrin history for centuries. The very fact that a newly cherished political idea arose in Cetinje, the historical center of Montenegrin independence, strongly irritated both the Montenegrin political establishment of the time and their populist allies of Great-Serbian orientation, who advocate union with Serbia at any cost and to the detriment of Montenegrin self-reliance and self-respect.
Appreciating the values of both European and American varieties of democracy, based on the creed that each individual in a society deserves respect, equal opportunities in life, and recognition of his/her basic human rights, the Montenegrin intellectuals chose the adjective "liberal" to describe the party's philosophy. LSCG is a full voting member of Liberal International. The president of the alliance, Mr. Slavko Perovic, is also vice-president of Liberal International
The Party's political program may be succinctly expressed as: a free individual -- a free nation -- a sovereign and independent Montenegro -- liberal democracy -- unrestricted private property -- a free market. The basic principles of the Party's activities are freedom, responsibility, and tolerant behavior of each individual.
The LSCG wants Montenegro to develop as an independent, internationally recognized, democratic, open, multi-ethnic and demilitarized society and for Montenegro to find its way out of the so-called Federal Yugoslavia. Montenegro entered into this federation a year after a referendum that was boycotted by all the parties. The LSCG desires that after an electoral campaign characterized by debate via a free and open public media, a new referendum be conducted to decide the status of Montenegro. Otherwise, Montenegro is doomed to vanish under the Serbian chauvinism of Federal Yugoslavia.
Montenegro may achieve democracy, prosperity, and an open society very soon. Such a Montenegro can be an influence for peace and stability in the region and establish ties among the former Yugoslav republics and their neighbors.
The authorities in Montenegro were installed by the putsch of January 1989, designed by Slobodan Milosevic. They were the main support to Milosevic's task of dismantling the former Yugoslavia. It was only later that they took the name of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). They had been leading the warmongering campaign in Montenegro and are responsible for involving Montenegro in the war operations against Dubrovnik. At present the ruling party controls the media, police, and judiciary and thus controls the economy. Their power is totalitarian with grave breaches of human rights.
The LSCG does not want Montenegro to become the prisoner of another party's political projects. It wants Montenegro to become an open society integrated with Europe, where it belongs both culturally and historically.
In 1996 the LSCG formed a political association with the other strong Montenegrin opposition group, the People's Party. This association is called People's Unity.
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www.montenegro.org Last updated on 6 May 1997