Montenegro Opposition Plans New Wave of Protests

The opposition Democratic Front is planning a new round of demonstrations from December aimed at forcing out the party of outgoing Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, which has held power since 1991.

The pro-Russian alliance said the protests would be organized if one or more ethnic minority party accepted the offer of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, and Prime Minister-Designate Dusko Markovic, to form a new government.

According to final results of the election held on October 16, the DPS won 36 of the 81 seats in parliament. The party still needs the support of ethnic Bosniak, Croat and Albanian parties to secure a majority and form a government.

The DPS has so far failed to form a new coalition government, however, as some of the smaller parties are demanding top ministerial posts in exchange of their participation.

Defeated opposition parties have meanwhile rejected the result of the general election, once again claiming it was rigged.

The Front's leaders, Andrija Mandic and Nebojsa Medojevic, on Thursday said the entry of minority parties into a new government under the DPS would escalate the crisis, bankrupt the state and result in a parliamentary boycott and protests.

"Let's take the streets again but this time altogether," Mandic told a meeting of the party leadership in the town of Niksic.

The Democratic Front, along with the civic coalition Key, the Democrats and the Social Democratic Party all refuse to recognize the results of the election, claiming the polls were organised in the context of a murky coup attempt and marked by numerous irregularities.

They have called for the formation of the special commission, which should include representatives of the international...