Montenegro went to the polls
Montenegrins go to the polls today. In order to enter the national parliament in the Balkan country, it is necessary to pass the 3 percent electoral threshold.
The political crisis that started last August when the government failed to get a vote of confidence has been going on for almost a year. The crisis to form a government in the Balkan country of Montenegro brought early elections.
According to Ihlas News Agency, people are going to the polls in early general elections in the Balkan country of Montenegro.
In Montenegro, voting started for the early general elections organized after the government headed by Dritan Abazovic failed to receive a vote of confidence on August 20.
The 542,468 registered voters in the country will be able to vote between 07:00 AM to 08:00 PM local time.
In the 6th general election held in independent Montenegro, 15 coalitions and political parties are competing to enter the 81-seat parliament in the country.
The pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), one of the strongest parties in Montenegro, is participating in the general election for the first time without former President Milo Djukonavic, who led the party for many years and resigned as party leader on April 6, while the DPS is entering this election with its traditional partners, the Liberal Party of Montenegro (LP), the Albanian Alliance and the Social Democrats (SD).
The European Now Movement (PES), led by Jakov Milatovic, who won the second round of the presidential election held on April 2, is participating in the general elections for the first time.
The other lists competing in the election are as follows:
Bosniak Party (BS), Croatian People's Initiative (HGI), Justice for All, Socialist People's Party and DEMOS Coalition, People's Coalition, Union of Albanians, Return Coalition for a Safe Montenegro, Coalition for Change, We Can for Montenegro, Together Coalition, Social Democratic Party, Democratic Party and URA People's Movement Coalition and Albanian Forum.
IT IS NECESSARY TO PASS THE 3 PERCENT ELECTORAL THRESHOLD
According to the electoral law in Montenegro, where general elections are held every 4 years, it is necessary to pass the 3 percent election threshold to enter the national parliament.
On the other hand, according to the last census conducted in Montenegro in 2011, 72.07 percent of the country's population is Orthodox, 19.11 percent is Muslim and 3.44 percent is Catholic.
The largest ethnic groups in the country are Montenegrins and Serbs, followed by Bosniaks, Albanians, Roma, Croats and other small ethnic groups.
THE PROCESS LEADING MONTENEGRO TO EARLY ELECTIONS
The process of forming a new government in Montenegro, which started after the government headed by Dritan Abazovic failed to receive a vote of confidence on August 20, turned into a political crisis.
The government led by Abazovic, who caused controversy with the "basic agreement" he signed with Patriarch Porfiriye of the Serbian Orthodox Church to grant "official status" to the Serbian Church in the country, fell as a result of the vote in the Montenegrin Parliament.
While the pro-Serbian parties in the country conveyed the name of Serbian politician Miodrag Lekic to former President Milo Djukanovic to form the new government, Djukanovic refused to give the government formation task to Lekic on the grounds that he did not fulfill the necessary conditions.
Djukanovic signed the law, which was voted twice in the Montenegrin Parliament and restricted the president's powers in the government formation process, and Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Danijela Djurovic announced that Lekic was assigned to form the government.
Lekic failed to get the support of the majority and the deadline for the formation of a new government expired. Following this process, Djukanovic announced on March 16 that he dissolved the parliament.
Source: Ihlas News Agency
