Montenegro: Face-to-face race in parliamentary elections | tagesschau.de

A head-to-head race is emerging in the Montenegrin parliamentary elections. According to initial forecasts, President Djukanovic’s Socialists are only slightly ahead of the pro-Russian opposition alliance.

In the parliamentary elections in Montenegro, the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists under President Milo Djukanovic apparently has to accept heavy losses. According to initial forecasts by the electoral research institute Cemi, the pro-Western party remains the relatively strongest force with just under 35 percent of the vote and 29 seats. However, the opposition alliance around the pro-Russian Democratic Front is following suit with around 33 percent of the vote and 28 terms. The forecast is based on an 82 percent vote count.

In view of the forecasts, the opposition declared itself the winner of the vote. Djukanovic stressed that he wanted to wait for the final result of the elections first. However, your party will respect this.

Does the Djukanovic party depend on the allies?

Djukanovic has ruled the former Yugoslav republic in the Adriatic in various capacities for almost 30 years. Critics accuse him of corruption, persecution of independent media and electoral manipulation. In his time there was no democratic change of power in any parliamentary or presidential election. In the last elections four years ago, the DPS won 41 percent of the votes and 36 of 81 parliamentary seats.

According to Cemi’s forecast, this time, along with smaller coalition partners and minority representatives, he would no longer have an absolute majority. On the other hand, the alliance around the DF along with two other pro-Western opposition alliances would result in one. But it is questionable whether the three-party blocs can agree on a common government.

The church is involved

The electoral campaign in the country that aspires to join the EU was dominated by a dispute with the Serbian Orthodox Church. Specifically, it was a law passed late last year that could lead to the nationalization of hundreds of Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Montenegro. The result was huge protests from the Serbian part of the population. These represent around a third of the 620,000 inhabitants of Montenegro and were deliberately targeted by the pro-Serb opposition during the election campaign.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, voters had to wear masks on Sunday, maintain safe distances, and disinfect their hands before filling out the ballot papers. The pandemic also hit the tourism-dependent country hard economically. The worst crisis in more than a decade is looming.