Montenegrin presidential election, 2008
Encyclopedia
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
on 6 April 2008; it was the country's first since independence
Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006
The Montenegrin independence referendum was a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro that was held on 21 May 2006.The total turnout of the referendum was 86.5%...
. According to a compromise with the opposition, local elections in Herceg-Novi and Tivat
Tivat
Tivat is a coastal town in southwest Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor...
were held at the same time. The law on presidential elections was passed on 27 December 2007. Candidates needed to collect the signatures of 1.5% of registered voters. The OSCE oversaw the election. There were 490,412 eligible voters, which was around four thousand more than the parliamentary election in late 2006
Montenegrin parliamentary election, 2006
The election for the Constitutional Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro in the newly independent Republic of Montenegro took place on September 10, 2006, with Prime Minister Milo Đukanović claiming absolute victory for his centre-left, pro-European Union party the next day...
.
The ruling Democratic Party of Socialists
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
nominated the current president of Montenegro, Filip Vujanović
Filip Vujanovic
Filip Vujanović is a Montenegrin politician who, since 2003, has served as the President of Montenegro. He is the first President of Montenegro since it split ties with Serbia and became an independent nation in June 2006...
. He was supported by DPS' coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro
Social Democratic Party of Montenegro
The Social Democratic Party of Montenegro is a political party in Montenegro....
, as well as the Croatian Civic Initiative
Croatian Civic Initiative
The Croatian Civic Initiative is a Croat minority political party in Montenegro. The party was formed in 2002. It first participated in elections in the Tivat municipality that year, and is still based in the town...
After proposals for a common candidate of the opposition failed, all opposition currents nominated their own Presidents as candidates.
Andrija Mandić
Andrija Mandic
Andrija Mandić is a Montenegrin politician. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb political party in Montenegro, the New Serb Democracy...
, the leader of the Serb People's Party, was nominated as a common candidate of the Serb List
Serb List
Serb List was a political alliance in Montenegro. In contrast to other political coalitions, the Serb List was not simply a coalition of parties, but an entity on its own; for instance, the MPs elected on its list are not considered to represent the party they originally come from, but the Serb List...
political alliance. He held demonstrations in the nation's capital of Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
on 24 February 2008 against Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
's recent unilateral declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
.
The Movement for Changes
Movement for Changes
Movement for Changes is a political party in Montenegro which has a proclaimed goal to integrate their country into the European Union and to support political and economic reforms to bring it into line with European norms...
nominated its leader Nebojša Medojević
Nebojša Medojevic
Nebojša Medojević is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes , a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO Group for Changes...
, and the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election...
chose Srđan Milić, leader of the party, as their candidate. . Medojević was also supported by the Albanian Alternative
Albanian Alternative
The Albanian Alternative is a political party in Montenegro.AA is led by Gjergj Camaj. At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, AA won 1 out of 81 seats....
and the New Democratic Power – FORCA
New Democratic Power – FORCA
The New Democratic Power – FORCA - is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro.The Party was founded on October 22, 2005 as a local minoririty party representing the Albanian population in Ulcinj...
.
The Bosniak Party decided, like two Albanian minority parties, to abstain from endorsing any candidate. The Albanian Alternative
Albanian Alternative
The Albanian Alternative is a political party in Montenegro.AA is led by Gjergj Camaj. At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, AA won 1 out of 81 seats....
supports Medojević, accusing Milo's regime of terror and disrespect of ethnic Albanians. The People's Party
People's Party (Montenegro)
The People's Party is an opposition populist political party in Montenegro. It is the main conservative party in Montenegro, as opposed to ruling party and its main opposition, both of which are socialist orientated.At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, NS formed a...
decided unanimously on 3 February 2008 that it would not participate in the election, but it supported the two opposition candidates that represent parties of the former pro-Serbian bloc.
Professor Blagota Mitrić of the Faculty of Law of University of Montenegro
University of Montenegro
The University of Montenegro is a university located in Podgorica, Montenegro. It was founded in 1974 and is organized in 20 Faculties.-History:...
had announced that he would run for president, yet he did not manage to collect enough signatures to become an official candidate. This is also the case with Dragan Hajduković, an ecologist who has been a regular participant in the past presidential runs.
Vasilije Miličković, President of the Association of Minority Shareholders of the Montenegrin Electric Enterprise, had announced that he would run for president as an independent candidate only if former president and premier Milo Đukanović ran for that position.
Polls and analysts claimed Vujanović would most surely win the largest number of votes and face-off with Medojevic in the second round. Since Vujanovic won over 50 percent of the vote in the first round there was no need for a runoff.
Polls
Center for Democracy and Human Rights conducted a poll, according to which 72.2% will vote:- Filip Vujanović - 49.5%
- Nebojša Medojević - 21.2%
- Andrija Mandić - 14.8%
- Srđan Milić - 9.9%
- others - 4.6%
According to another poll made by IPRES:
- Filip Vujanović - 30.59%
- Andrija Mandić - 30.18%
- Nebojša Medojević - 20.62%
- Srđan Milić - 18.61%
CEDEM conducted a final poll, just before the election:
- Filip Vujanović - 52.8%
- Andrija Mandić - 19.1%
- Nebojša Medojević - 18.3%
- Srđan Milić - 9.8%
Preliminary
CEMI published on 22:30 preliminary results, after 95.5% counted votes:Turnout - 332,800 (67.9%)
- Filip Vujanovic - 171,500 (52.3%)
- Andrija Mandic - 63,200 (19.3%)
- Nebojsa Medojevic - 56,700 (17.3%)
- Srdjan Milic - 36,500 (11.1%)
- invalid - 4,700 (1.4%)
CDT published the next day their final results of the election:
Turnout - 68.7%:
- Filip Vujanovic - 51.4%
- Andrija Mandic - 20.4%
- Nebojsa Medojevic - 15.6%
- Srdjan Milic - 12.6%
The State Electoral Commission published final official results on 10 April:
Turnout - 68.2%, invalid - 1.4%
- Filip Vujanovic - 171,118 (51.89%)
- Andrija Mandic - 64,473 (19.55%)
- Nebojsa Medojevic - 54,874 (16.64%)
- Srdjan Milic - 39,316 (11.92%)
Candidates
| Candidates | |
|---|---|
Nebojša Medojević of PzP Movement for Changes Movement for Changes is a political party in Montenegro which has a proclaimed goal to integrate their country into the European Union and to support political and economic reforms to bring it into line with European norms... |
 Movement for Changes Movement for Changes is a political party in Montenegro which has a proclaimed goal to integrate their country into the European Union and to support political and economic reforms to bring it into line with European norms... , has nominated Nebojša Medojević Nebojša Medojevic Nebojša Medojević is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes , a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO Group for Changes... Supported by: Albanian Alternative Albanian Alternative The Albanian Alternative is a political party in Montenegro.AA is led by Gjergj Camaj. At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, AA won 1 out of 81 seats.... , New Democratic Power – FORCA New Democratic Power – FORCA The New Democratic Power – FORCA - is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro.The Party was founded on October 22, 2005 as a local minoririty party representing the Albanian population in Ulcinj... , Bosniak Party Bosniak Party of Montenegro The Bosniak Party is a Bosniak minority political party in Montenegro.... Slogan: Da nam služi na čast (To Serve Us in Honor), Svi za jednog, jedan za sve! (All for One, One for All! Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno is a Latin phrase that means "One for all, all for one" in English. It is known as being the motto of Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers and is also the traditional motto of Switzerland.... ) |
Andrija Mandić of SL Serb List Serb List was a political alliance in Montenegro. In contrast to other political coalitions, the Serb List was not simply a coalition of parties, but an entity on its own; for instance, the MPs elected on its list are not considered to represent the party they originally come from, but the Serb List... |
 Serb List Serb List was a political alliance in Montenegro. In contrast to other political coalitions, the Serb List was not simply a coalition of parties, but an entity on its own; for instance, the MPs elected on its list are not considered to represent the party they originally come from, but the Serb List... , has nominated Andrija Mandić Andrija Mandic Andrija Mandić is a Montenegrin politician. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb political party in Montenegro, the New Serb Democracy... of the Serb People's Party (+Democratic Party of Unity Democratic Party of Unity Democratic Party of Unity is a political party in the Montenegro, it was a member of the Serbian List alliance. Its president is Zoran Žižić.... , People's Socialist Party of Montenegro People's Socialist Party of Montenegro People Socialist Party of Montenegro was an opposition political party in Montenegro within the Serbian List due to its support of political union of Montenegro with Serbia, holding 1 seat in the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro... and Party of Serb Radicals Party of Serb Radicals Party of Serb Radicals is a political party in Montenegro. It is the Montenegrin branch of the Serbian Radical Party. The SSR is led by Duško Sekulić. The SSR was part of the Serb List.... and NGOs Serbian National Council of Montenegro and Academic Alternative) Slogan: Samo najbolji smije (Only the Best Can), Za sve nas (For Us All) |
Srđan Milić of SNP CG Socialist People's Party of Montenegro The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election... |
 Socialist People's Party of Montenegro The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election... , has nominated Srđan Milić Slogan: Vrijeme je za pravdu (It is Time for Justice) |
 Filip Vujanović of DPS CG Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro.... |
 Filip Vujanovic Filip Vujanović is a Montenegrin politician who, since 2003, has served as the President of Montenegro. He is the first President of Montenegro since it split ties with Serbia and became an independent nation in June 2006... Supported by: Social Democratic Party of Montenegro Social Democratic Party of Montenegro The Social Democratic Party of Montenegro is a political party in Montenegro.... , Croatian Civic Initiative Croatian Civic Initiative The Croatian Civic Initiative is a Croat minority political party in Montenegro. The party was formed in 2002. It first participated in elections in the Tivat municipality that year, and is still based in the town... , Democratic Union of Albanians Democratic Union of Albanians The Democratic Union of Albanians is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro.... , Democratic Community of Muslims Bosniacs in Montenegro Slogan: Bez dileme (Without Dilemma) |