Over 98 per cent of the vote, that's all Albanians have won in Montenegro

Based on 98.55 per cent of the elaborate rule of election material, Montenegro's State Election Commission announced the preliminary election results Monday, under which President Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists, has won 35.12 per cent of the vote, while the opposition coalition “for the future of Montenegro” 32,54 per cent of the vote.

Parliamentary elections in Montenegro were held Sunday, with a turnout of more than 75% of citizens.

According to the results of the KSHZ, the “peace coalition is our nation” has secured 12.55 per cent of the vote, “White in black”, 5,57, Social Democrats 4.09, Bosniaks' Party 3.81, Social Democratic Party 3.14, Albanian list 1.61 and the Albanian coalition “a zox5> 1.

The Croatian Civic Initiative and the Croatian Reform Party have not passed the threshold.

After nearly three decades in power, Montenegro's Democratic Party of Socialists, which is led by the country's pro-Western president, Milo Djukanovic, faces the possibility of losing in elections.

The chances of gaining power have opposition parties linking Serbian nationalism and pro-rus orientation.

Parliamentary elections in Montenegro were held Sunday, with a turnout of more than 75% of citizens.

About four hours after the polls closed, Djukanovic addressed supporters in Podgorica, saying his party would accept the election results, but that it would expect the State Election Commission's final outcome.

The gap between the two forces that have taken the first seats in the election is so small that a vote in the future parliamentary composition could bring the necessary majority to form the government.

“We will expect to see who will get that 41st vote, said Djukanovic, to add that his party will remain a staunch fighter for Montenegro's European future.

Three opposition coalitions in Montenegro: “For the future of Montenegro”, led by the Democratic Front party, “Peace is our nation”, led by the Democrats of Allexa Bechiqi, and the black “White”, led by Dritan Abazovic, have jointly won 41 MPs' mandates in the Montenegrin Parliament, out of 81.

All other parties and coalitions that have participated in the elections have won a total of 40 seats.

Among them are the Democratic Party of Socialists and Milo Djukanovic, the parties of Albanian and Bosniak minorities, the Social Democrats and the Social Democratic Party.

The final result of the elections and the final number of parliamentary seats remain uncertain, because, according to CEMI (The Monitor Centre), Zlatko Vujovq, all votes have not been counted, and specific changes are possible.

Parliamentary elections have been held under high political tensions and at the risk of the coronary pandemic.

For 81 parliamentary seats, six coalitions and five parties have competed.

These are the 11th elections since the introduction of the multiparty system in Montenegro, while the fifth since this country declared independence, in 2006.

Local elections have also been held in three coastal municipalities: Budva, Kotor and Tivat, and in two smaller municipalities in the north: Andrijevica and Gucci. Voter rights have had 540526 citizens.

The elections have been monitored by 2,089 observers, of whom 265 have been foreigners.

In Montenegro is the European Network of Election Observation Organisations (ENEMO) with a total of 23 teams.

The chief of the ENEMO mission in Montenegro, Gianluca Passarelli, has said parliamentary elections in Montenegro are held at a crucial time for this country and that political and social unrest, economic crisis and pandemic pose a major challenge for the entire system.

Institute of Public Health in Montenegro Director Boban Mugosa has said the election process will not pose epidemiology risks if all measures are respected.

According to him, the epidemiological situation in Montenegro has deteriorated due to mass rallies, but by elections themselves there will be no danger.

“People can go freely to vote and wear masks, distances and hygiene. Thus, the voting space can be fully secure”, Mugosa said.

Montenegro's largest subject, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), led by State President Milo Djukanovic, has been competing independently, while the election list owner is the current prime minister, Dusko Markovic.

DPS has been in power for 30 years, in coalition with smaller civic parties and national minority parties.

Of the parties of the current power, there were also the Social Democrats, the Bosniaks' Party, then two coalitions of Albanian parties -- “Albanian list” and “Basce one za”, as well as two Croatian minority parties.

The opposition, meanwhile, has competed with three coalitions and one party.

The Democratic Front, Montenegro's largest opposition party -- at once pro-Serbian and pro-Russian -- has competed within the coalition “for Montenegro's future”, which is led by Professor Zdravko Krivokafic a non-party figure.

Top on the election list was Marko Milacciq, who has led a campaign against him in recent years NATO, publicly burning the military alliance flags.

The “Peace coalition is our nation”, led by Allexa Becicin, makes up Montenegro Democratic and Demos.

The list “black in white” is run by the civic movement Dritan Abazovich Bridge, which is Albanian with the support of a considerable number of intellectuals of different professions, nations and ideology.

The opposition Social Democratic Party, which has been competing independently, has been in power with the DPS until five years ago.

It has left power because, as it has said, widespread corruption in state structures.

Campaign

Because of the coronary pandemic, the pre-election campaign has been developed mainly in online media and social networks.

In line with orders from the National Co-ordination Body, up to 100 people abroad and 50 inside party gatherings have been able to gather.

The campaign's dominant theme has been the Law on Freedom of Religion, for which the state and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro have fierce disagreements.

The law, which was adopted in Montenegro's Parliament on December 27th, 2019, and with incidents of Democratic Front deputies for the Serbian Orthodox Church, presents efforts to seize its property.

The law stipulates that all Church property, established before 1918 in Montenegro, for which the Serbian Orthodox Church has no proof of origin, is transferred to the state.

In addition to organising protests for months across Montenegro, the Serbian Orthodox Church has called on citizens to go to the polls and vote against the current government, which has adopted the law.

In church liturgies, held during the election campaign despite the ban on gatherings because of the pandemic, the Serb national symbols and political messages against Djukanovic and the current government have dominated the national symbols, writes REL.

For part of the opposition, mainly the Democratic Front, the support of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been a pillar of campaign.

The government has focused its campaign on the Serbian Orthodox Church and the opposition, which supports it, saying they make efforts to overturn Montenegro's citizenship from the Serb-great position.

The rest of the opposition has mainly dealt with the topics of crime, corruption and rule of law.

Representatives of minority peoples, meanwhile, have focused on national identity protection themes and on the right to greater representation of minorities in government institutions and public administration.

Without specifying the threats, police chiefs have said institutions will not allow the state to destabilise during the elections and that they will protect the peace and security of citizens.

Early Choices

The last parliamentary elections in Montenegro were held on 16 October 2016, with a high turnout of over 73 percent of registered voters. Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists has won most of the seats.

These elections have characterised the precipice “Garden”, as several Serbian citizens were arrested on election day, under suspicion that they have prepared the violent overthrow of the Montenegrin government and, according to the State Special Prosecutor, even liquidation of then Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

During the two-year trial, two Russian nationals, who have been tried in absentia, two leaders of the Democratic Front and a group of Serbian citizens, have been sentenced to the first degree.

None of them have pleaded guilty.

The case is in the Court of Appeals where the final decision should be made.

The leaders of the Democratic Front, Andrija Majta persecuted and Milan Knezevic, who have the first degree penalty of five years in prison, are on Montenegro's “election list for the future of Montenegro”.