Samir KajosevicPodgoricaBIRNMarch 31, 202308:09Threatened with likely defeat, the fate of incumbent President Milo Djukanovic may depend on his success in mustering minority voters from Western Europe in Sunday’s presidential election run-off.

Djukanovic Eyes Diaspora Vote as Last Resort to Stay in Power

A woman walks past campaign billboards for Presidential candidates Milo Djukanovic and Jakov Milatovic in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic will try to mobilize national minority voters from the Western European diaspora in Sunday’s presidential elections run-off, in order to prevent likely electoral defeat.

In the first round of the elections on March 19, incumbent President and Democratic Party of Socialists leader Djukanovic and Europe Now movement candidate Milatovic both passed to the second round. Djukanovic won 35.7 per cent and Milatovic won 28.9 per cent of votes cast in round one.

On March 27, Djukanovic and ruling Bosniak Party leader Ervin Ibrahimovic met with diaspora organizations from Germany and Luxemburg in Hanover, calling on them to vote in the second round. Media reported that diaspora voters will come to Sunday’s elections by buses and on organized charter flights, on trips reportedly financed by businessmen close to Djukanovic.

The Montenegrin constitution grants voting rights to all citizens aged 18 or over and who have been residents of Montenegro for at least two years before polling day.

The Law on Residence and Domicile Registers dropped a previous provision that automatically erased those living abroad from the list of eligible voters. Because of this, Montenegrin citizens who live in the EU and US and have state identity documents are on the electoral roll.

According to the State Statistical Office, there are 56,846 more registered voters than actual adults in Montenegro. In some municipalities, the number of voters is greater than the local resident population.

The municipalities of Petnjica, Plav, Gusinje and Ulcinj, where there are more registered voters than actual residents, are known for their large diaspora communities in Western Europe and the United States.

The head of the government’s diaspora office, Arben Jakupi, on March 28 accused the President and his party of pressuring diaspora voters ahead of the second round. According to government data, around 150,000 Montenegrins outside the country have the right to vote in Montenegro.

“Our people in the diaspora are very upset that certain parties want them to create, let’s say, a group that serves one political party that will pay them travel expenses, or pay their votes,” Jakupi told the media.

On March 29, Djukanovic said he expected at least 40,000 more votes in the second round, mostly from diaspora voters.

“National minorities citizens represent the most significant part of Montenegrin diaspora … We considered it irrational to encourage them to come and vote twice, so we said to vote in the second round,” Djukanovic told the public broadcaster.

Meanwhile, other ruling majority candidates support Milatovic in the second round of elections. Ruling pro-Serbian Democratic Front candidate Andrija Mandic, Democratic Montenegro candidate Aleksa Becic and outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic all pledged to support Milatovic with their party infrastructures. In the first round, Mandic won 19.3 per cent and Becic won 11.1 per cent of the votes cast.

Milatovic said on March 26 that he also expects diaspora support in the second round.

“My relationship with the diaspora will not begin and end with the elections. For me, the diaspora is not a reservoir of voters but a valuable human and moral resource,” Milatovic said in the northern town of Bijelo Polje.

Minorities play an important role in Montenegro. According to the last census, in 2011, of Montenegro’s 625,000 people, roughly 45 per cent identified as Montenegrin while 30 per cent identified as Serbian, 8.6 per cent as Bosnian and 4.5 per cent as Albanian.

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