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Montenegro election: Djukanovic declares ruling party victory | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Montenegro Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has declared victory in elections and pledged to push for closer ties to Nato and the EU. | |
But his pro-Western party is set to win 41% of the votes, short of the majority he wanted to ensure a push to join Nato and the EU. | |
Mr Djukanovic had presented the vote as a choice between the West or becoming a "Russian colony". | |
Earlier, authorities said 20 Serbian paramilitaries had been arrested. | |
Prosecutors said the group may have been planning to kidnap Mr Djukanovic, who has been in charge for a quarter of a century. | Prosecutors said the group may have been planning to kidnap Mr Djukanovic, who has been in charge for a quarter of a century. |
The development, hours before voting took place, was described by opposition Democratic Front leader Andrija Mandic as "gross propaganda" and Serbia's prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, said the timing was strange. | |
Serbia's former special forces commander, Bratislav Dikic, who was removed from the post in 2013 because of alleged criminal activities, was reported to be among those arrested. | Serbia's former special forces commander, Bratislav Dikic, who was removed from the post in 2013 because of alleged criminal activities, was reported to be among those arrested. |
The men had been charged with terror offences and one Serb was still on the run, Montenegro's police chief said. | The men had been charged with terror offences and one Serb was still on the run, Montenegro's police chief said. |
Montenegro: Nato's newest and last member? | |
Montenegro country profile | |
Mr Djukanovic will now try to form a majority with smaller parties, and told supporters as the results came through that "tonight we can say that Montenegro will continue its path towards a secure place in Europe". | |
Montenegro would formally join Nato in months and step up talks on joining the EU, he said. | |
The Democratic Front Alliance, made up of largely pro-Serbian and pro-Russian groups, is forecast to win just over 20% of the votes. It also hopes to form a coalition among other opposition parties. Another, more moderate, opposition grouping stands at about 11%. | |
Many Montenegrins are unhappy that Mr Djukanovic is taking the country into Nato. | Many Montenegrins are unhappy that Mr Djukanovic is taking the country into Nato. |
They remain angry that Nato bombed Serbia and Montenegro in 1999 as part of a strategy to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's then southern province of Kosovo. | They remain angry that Nato bombed Serbia and Montenegro in 1999 as part of a strategy to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's then southern province of Kosovo. |
The opposition accuses Mr Djukanovic of corruption and cronyism, which he denies. He accuses them of receiving funding from Moscow, which they deny. | The opposition accuses Mr Djukanovic of corruption and cronyism, which he denies. He accuses them of receiving funding from Moscow, which they deny. |
Montenegro, which has a population of some 630,000, has in recent years seen an influx of Russian money, homebuyers and tourists since splitting from Serbia in 2006. |