Montenegro holds Presidential elections (ANSA)
By Stefan J. Bos
Mar 21 2023
Montenegro’s long-serving incumbent will face a political newcomer in a runoff presidential election next month amid political turmoil. No one won in the first round of voting on Sunday at a time of uncertainty over the future direction of the small Balkan nation.
First projections show that Montenegro’s President Milo Đjukanovic, who is 61, won around 35 percent of the votes in Sunday’s presidential election.
His 37-year-old main rival, economist Jakov Milatovic received about 29 percent, not enough to win outright.
Both men will now meet each other in the April 2 runoff vote after another pro-Russian opponent did not receive enough ballots.
“I am the best to represent the multi-ethnic and European Montenegro,” Djukanovic said after an exit poll gave him more than a third of the votes. “And I believe I can reach that goal,” he added.
While the presidency is mainly ceremonial, the vote for the head of state indicates the country’s future direction.
Djukanovic called the outcome a “wind in the back” for his Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections set for June 11.
However, his rival Milatovic, the increasingly popular Europe Now Movement, is also seen as pro-Western. He wants to send Djukanovic into retirement as he served as president or prime minister for 33 years.
Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join the NATO military alliance in 2017.
An alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted his DPS from power in 2020, accusing the party of corruption and links to organized crime.
