True People's Party

True People's Party Права народна странка Prava narodna stranka
Leader	Jovan Plamenac Mitar Martinović Lazar Mijušković
Founder	Lazar Mijušković
Founded	1907 (1907)
Dissolved	1918 (1918)
Succeeded by	Montenegrin Greens Montenegrin Federalists (not legal successor)
Headquarters	Cetinje
Ideology	Conservatism Royalism Souverainism
Political position	Right-wing
Party flag
Politics of Montenegro Political parties Elections

The True People's Party (Montenegrin: Права народна странка/Prava narodna stranka), known as Pravaši (Rightists), was a political party in the Principality of Montenegro and Kingdom of Montenegro, led by Lazar Mijušković, which represented the government and rule of Prince, and later King Nikola of Montenegro. Notable party members were Jovan S. Plamenac, Marko Đukanović, Ivo Đurović, Sekula Drljević, Filip Jergović, captain Krsto Popović and generals Mitar Martinović and Milutin Vučinić.

Montenegrin politics was divided on the issue of support to Nikola I and retaining the independence of Montenegro, and the unity of Montenegro and Serbia under the Karađorđević dynasty, as advocated by the opposition People's Party.

History

The party was founded in 1907 by Prince Nikola I, as a result of the People's Party boycott on the elections as a mark of protest against bad relations of Montenegrin government with Serbia. The pravaši supported Nikola's rule and proclaimed him the King in 1910.

At the 1913 elections, both Montenegrin parties ran, and the People's Party defeated the True People's Party, winning most of the parliamentary seats. In the wake of the forthcoming Great War, part of True People's Party members rejoined the People's Party and the altered its program to include unification of Montenegro and Serbia. The party was officially dissolved in 1918 after the Podgorica Assembly and unification of the Montenegrin state with Serbia.

Election results

Election	Seats	Change	Control	Notes
1907	76 / 76	76	absolute majority	Rightists + aligned independents
1911	53 / 62	23	absolute majority	Rightists + aligned independents
1914	6 / 62	47	opposition	Party dissolved in 1918

Sources

• Pavlovic, Srdja (2008). Balkan Anschluss: The Annexation of Montenegro and the Creation of the Common South Slavic State. Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-465-1.
• Mihailo Maletić (1976). Crna Gora. Književne novine.