Opposition

Liberals worldwide are rallying behind Dr. Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Bulgarian Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), with a wave of supportive letters from prominent figures within the liberal movement.

An opposition bloc led by the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, which was swept from power in 2020 after three decades of uninterrupted rule, came second with 23.8 per cent of votes.

• More than 542,000 Montenegrin citizens are eligible to vote at 1,038 polling stations.
• The last parliamentary elections in August 2020 saw Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists ousted from power after almost three decades.

Electoral campaign billboards in Montenegrin capital Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

Since then the small Adriatic country has endured almost constant political turbulence and two governments have been ousted.

Podgorica-based University professor Predrag Zenovic said there are expectations that the elections could herald an end to the turmoil.

BELGRADE  - In response to an opposition leader, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said in the parliament on Friday there would be no caretaker government or violent shutdowns of media outlets.

It is the first definitive electoral personal defeat of Djukanovi since his entry into state politics in February 1991.
Djukanovi was defeated in the first round of the presidential elections in 1997, but emerged as winner in the second.
Djukanovi received the unanimous support of the DPS Main Board for this new candidacy at the session held on February 24.

Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic casts his ballot during the first round of presidential elections in Podgorica. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Montenegrin parliament session in Podgorica. Photo: Parliament of Montenegro

In their appeal to the Constitutional Court, the ruling majority of 41 MPs in the 81-seat parliament claimed that Djukanovic had violated the constitution.

Presidential candidates Andrija Mandic and Milo Djukanovic billboards in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

Croatia's prime minister says he sees no prospect of cooperation with the country's president. The president says the PM has not shown "even the slightest interest" in resolving a raft of issues where their jurisdictions overlap.

That Andrej Plenkovic, the premier, and Zoran Milanovic, the president, do not see eye to eye has long been apparent.