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Montenegro Set to Elect President in Third Attempt |
PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro (Reuters) - Montenegro is expected to elect an independence-minded president Sunday, having failed twice in the last six months to choose a new leader because of voter apathy and an opposition boycott.
Opinion polls give Filip Vujanovic, candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists led by Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, a clear lead ahead of two opponents.
He was front-runner in presidential elections in December and in February that were both declared void when the voter turnout failed to reach the minimum of 50 percent.
Parliament later dropped the rule following a recommendation by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Vujanovic's victory in the May 11 election now looks likely.
'The candidate of the ruling coalition ... is the only favorite,' said political analyst Veselin Pavicevic. 'The opposition is in disarray.'
Vujanovic would be Montenegro's first president since the Yugoslav federation was transformed in February under European Union pressure into a loose union of its two remaining constituent republics, Serbia and Montenegro.
Djukanovic, who had agreed to shelve plans for independence, stepped down as president to become prime minister after leading his party to victory in parliamentary elections last October.
Vujanovic has made clear that he continues to favor breaking away from much larger Serbia but that his party will give the new union a chance. Each side has the right to hold an independence referendum after three years.
A recent opinion poll estimated his voter support at 35.8 percent, far ahead of Miodrag Zivkovic of the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro with 8.9 percent and independent Dragan Hajdukovic, backed by only three percent.
Montenegro's main opposition bloc, led by the pro-Belgrade Socialist People's Party, could not agree on a joint candidate after boycotting the two previous elections.
Serbia also failed twice to elect a new president last year because of low turnout. Parliamentary speaker Natasa Micic says new elections will not be held until a new Serbian constitution has been adopted, expected later this year.
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Source: Reuters, By Ljubinka Cagorovic |
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