Elections in Montenegro: Silence before the final on Sunday

In Montenegro, there has been an election silence since midnight, and on Sunday, in the second round of the presidential elections, votes will be cast for the current president and candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists, Milo Đukanović, and the leader of the Europe Now Movement! Jakov Milatović.

542.154 voters have the right to vote.

In the first round, Đukanović won 35,37 percent of the vote, i.e. 119.673, and Milatović 28,92 percent, or 97.858 votes.

Since then, Đukanović, apart from the parties that are his traditional partners, has received the support of the Social Democratic Party, and Milatović is supported by the ruling parties - the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian Democratic Front (DF), the Democrats, as well as the parties that make up the Government of Montenegro, the URA movement of Dritan Abazović and the pro-Serbian Socialist People's Party.

And the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Montenegro took his side, urging the faithful not to vote for Đukanović, who, as they stated, "introduces unrest and anxiety among the clergy and believers."

"We are convinced that such a policy has already been overcome, which the citizens will confirm in the upcoming elections," concluded the statement of the SPC Metropolis in Montenegro.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that he does not interfere in the Montenegrin elections.

Đukanović promised that Montenegro would become a member of the European Union during his mandate. His goal is to change the two-and-a-half-year, as he said, "social, economic and institutional collapse," which "will bring the state to bankruptcy by the end of the year."

Đukanović assesses that his opponent is a representative of the politics of Greater Serbian nationalism, which is proven by the fact that Milatović was supported by Vojislav Šešelj.

"We will not assume that Duke Seselj supported a pro-European and pro-NATO candidate for president, but the one he believes can join Montenegro to the Serbian world," said Đukanović.

Milatović distanced himself from Seselj's support.

And Milatović promised to take Montenegro to Europe.

He accused Đukanović of the general deterioration of Montenegro during his thirty-year rule. He labeled him a dictator and creator of policies that, as he said, forced a large number of citizens to leave Montenegro.

"For 30 years, that man has been returning us to some worlds and is constantly creating divisions, first he expelled the Bosniaks from the country, then it was the turn of the discrimination against the liberals, then the Albanians, and finally the Serbs", said Milatović and said that his victory at the Sunday elections "sends a signal" to Europe that "mature people who together defeat crime and restore hope to citizens" have appeared in Montenegro.

Part of the citizens of Montenegro who live abroad and have the right to vote, announced their attendance at the elections, which caused a reaction from the supporters of Jakov Milatović due to the belief that the diaspora is favorable to Milo Đukanović.

The election law of Montenegro does not provide for the possibility for the diaspora to vote in diplomatic and consular offices, which is why they have to come to their home country to vote. According to the estimates of the Diaspora Administration, there are about 150.000 Montenegrins living outside the state with the right to vote.

S.Ć./RFE/Danas

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