Djukanovic initially without a government majority – Wiener Zeitung Online



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Podgorica. Sunday’s parliamentary elections brought heavy losses for Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. According to the forecasts of election researchers, his ruling party, the DPS, won only 35 percent of the vote and between 29 and 30 seats. Monday night’s forecast was based on an 89 percent count.

In the last elections four years ago, the DPS won 41 percent of the votes and 36 of 81 parliamentary seats. The pro Western DPS was again the relatively more powerful force this time around. However, the opposition alliance around the pro-Russian Democratic Front (DF) follows in his footsteps with 33 percent of the vote and between 27 and 28 terms. With its potential allies, two smaller Social Democratic parties and lists of the Albanian and Bosnian minorities, the presidential party would have, at best, 40 seats in the new parliament and thus the governmental majority would have been lost.

Vote participation according to extrapolation.  - © APAweb
Vote participation according to extrapolation. – © APAweb

The DF alliance would have one of these along with two pro-European alliances led by the Liberal Democrats and the citizen party URA. In many positions, however, these party blocs differ greatly from each other. It remains to be seen whether, in the case of a majority, they will be able to agree on a common government program.

“The fight for the majority continues”

Djukanovic did not give up on claiming his DPS leadership on election night. “We currently have 40 terms with our traditional partners,” he told his supporters in Podgorica. “So the fight for a majority in parliament continues.” In addition, the official results of the State Elections Commission should be awaited.

The 58-year-old has ruled the former Yugoslav republic in the Adriatic in various capacities for nearly 30 years. Critics accuse him of corruption, persecution of independent media and electoral manipulation. In his time there has never been a democratic change of power in any parliamentary or presidential election.

Negotiations for EU accession

The population of the small Balkan country is divided on many fundamental issues, such as the relationship with Serbia and the West. Djukanovic today represents a pro-Western course. In 2006 he led the country to independence from Serbia and in 2017 to NATO. Montenegro has been negotiating accession to the EU since 2012.

More recently, however, Djukanovic fueled tensions when, late last year, he passed a law threatening the Belgrade-controlled Serbian Orthodox Church with the expropriation of its properties. The law drew massive protests, which only subsided in the spring as a result of the corona pandemic.

The Djukanovic government also faces allegations of manipulation of the electoral process. Studies by investigative journalists have already shown strong indications of falsified electoral rolls, vote buying and voter blackmail in previous elections.

Should the State Electoral Commission present a final result that deviates significantly from the forecasts made on election night to the detriment of the opposition, this could lead to massive protests by opposition supporters. Election day was calm and peaceful. (apa / dpa)

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