Centre for Democratic Transition

Presidential candidate and incumbent President Milo Djukanovic at the polling station in Podgorica. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

The longest-serving leader in Europe lost the presidential elections by a large margin to 36-year-old political rookie and Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic.

Montenegrin PM Zdravko Krivokapic at a government session. Photo: Government of Montenegro

"This would cause great tensions and lead to pre-census campaigns and would negatively affect the quality of all the other data. Also, international standards say that population censuses should be avoided in turbulent socio-political periods," said Ivana Vujovic from the NGO Juventas.

Political parties in Montenegro will receive about 6.56 million euro from the state budget this year - almost twice as much as they were allocated in 2012, when the last general elections were held.

Of the funds, 4.63 million euro are intended for the financing of regular party work and 1.93 million for the campaign for the general elections planned this year.

Repeat polls were held in Danilovgrad, Kolasin and Bijelo Polje on Sunday due to reports of significant irregularities but the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, remained the overall victor.

The DPS took the largest amount of seats in all three municipalities but only won an outright majority in Danilovgrad.