Montenegro: President dissolves parliament ahead of snap election

President of MontenegroMilo Djukanovic on Thursday dissolved the parliament of the small Balkan country, a member of NATO, in the grip of a political crisis from 2020 legislative elections.

The pro-European head of state, defeated by the Democratic Party of Socialists (TPS) in the last legislative election, announced his decision by decree after a three-month term given by parliament to ex-diplomat Miodrak Legic. Try to form a government.

Miodrak Legic’s candidacy was supported by parties led by the pro-Russian Democratic Front. The current government is still in control despite being toppled by a no-confidence motion last August. According to the constitution, Milo Djukanovic must call early elections on Friday, which should take place in May or June.

From crisis to crisis

After the 2020 assembly elections, no camp has been able to form a stable majority and the country is moving from crisis to crisis. The decision comes three days before the first round of Sunday’s presidential election, in which Milo Djukanovic, 62, a veteran of the local political scene, will face several candidates, including Democratic Front’s Andrija Mandic, 59.

In the small country of 620,000 people, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the office of president is largely ceremonial and the prime minister holds the main levers of power.

For three decades

Nevertheless, Milo Djukanovic remains an important figure who has led Montenegro for three decades. A former close friend of Belgrade strongman Slobodan Milosevic, he rallied to the Western camp and secured his country’s divorce from Serbia in 2006.

The results of the presidential election look very tight. According to polls, the new president will be elected only in the second round scheduled for April 2. Milo Djukanovic’s potential defeat could change course for a country whose European prospects have been clouded by corruption charges and the slow pace of reform.

(AFP)Show comments