Montenegrin parliamentary election, 2009
Encyclopedia
Pre-term parliamentary elections in Montenegro
were scheduled by President of Montenegro
Filip Vujanović
on 27 January 2009 by the Decree of Scheduling Elections for the Assembly of Montenegro, in accordance with Article 92 point 5 of the Montenegrin Constitution:
..and Article 95:
As well as Article 13 point 1 of the Law on the Election of MPs:
..and Article 15 of the same law, point 1st:
The elections were scheduled, in accordance to the law, after the Parliament of Montenegro decided on 26 January 2009 to shorten its term in accordance to the Proposition of the Government of Montenegro
, although not without a huge dose of controversy. The Constitutional Act that proclaimed the new Constitution in 2007 stipulated that the elections had to be held by the end of 2009:
The application of electoral lists lasted from 16 February to 4 March 2009, and the election silence began on 27 March 2009. The elections for the unicameral
Assembly of Montenegro was held on 29 March 2009, the same time as the local elections in Nikšić
and Budva
and the elections for Municipal Presidents of Herceg Novi
and Tivat
. These were the eighth parliamentary elections since the (re)introduction of multi-party system in 1990, and the second since regaining full independence in 2006.
According to the Ministry for Informational Society, there is a total of 494,289 eligible voters in Montenegro, although it has to be noted that there is a lack of definition of who precisely has the right to vote. The number of MPs being elected on the election was uncertain, because the matter was never solved before scheduling the election. According to calculation (one MP on every six thousand eligible voters), the number of MPs should be 82, while the country's supreme legal act – the Constitution – stipulates 81 (present outgoing session), and the latter was the number of MPs actually elected in March 2009.
The pre-electoral process have been marked by several major incidents, among them the revocation of citizenship of the President of the People's Party Predrag Popović and the violation of the human right to work during the formation of the Coalition Treaty of Prime Minister Milo Đukanović's ruling coalition, according to which party affiliation will be a criterion for employment, all together followed by repeated protests of discontent workers pushed into poverty. All National Councils of the minority communities in Montenegro, who form together the majority of the country's population, have unanimously declared the forthcoming parliamentary elections illegal and contradictory to the Constitutionally-guaranteed rights to ethnic communities in Montenegro. On the national media, only the ruling coalition will be politically presented to the viewers, because of the others' debt.
guaranteed. The Parliament's mandate lasts four years.
Albanian minority parties
on a turnout of 66 per cent. Milo Đukanović secured a sixth term as the Prime Minister
.
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...
were scheduled by President of Montenegro
President of Montenegro
-Presidents of Montenegro:-See also:*President of Serbia and Montenegro*President of Yugoslavia*List of Presidents of Montenegro*Prime Minister of Montenegro-External links:*...
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...
on 27 January 2009 by the Decree of Scheduling Elections for the Assembly of Montenegro, in accordance with Article 92 point 5 of the Montenegrin Constitution:
..and Article 95:
As well as Article 13 point 1 of the Law on the Election of MPs:
..and Article 15 of the same law, point 1st:
The elections were scheduled, in accordance to the law, after the Parliament of Montenegro decided on 26 January 2009 to shorten its term in accordance to the Proposition of the Government of Montenegro
Government of Montenegro
The Government of Montenegro is the executive branch of state authority in Montenegro. It is headed by the prime minister. It comprises the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers as well as ministers....
, although not without a huge dose of controversy. The Constitutional Act that proclaimed the new Constitution in 2007 stipulated that the elections had to be held by the end of 2009:
The application of electoral lists lasted from 16 February to 4 March 2009, and the election silence began on 27 March 2009. The elections for the unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
Assembly of Montenegro was held on 29 March 2009, the same time as the local elections in Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
and Budva
Budva
Budva is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and it is the centre of municipality...
and the elections for Municipal Presidents of Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants...
and Tivat
Tivat
Tivat is a coastal town in southwest Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor...
. These were the eighth parliamentary elections since the (re)introduction of multi-party system in 1990, and the second since regaining full independence in 2006.
According to the Ministry for Informational Society, there is a total of 494,289 eligible voters in Montenegro, although it has to be noted that there is a lack of definition of who precisely has the right to vote. The number of MPs being elected on the election was uncertain, because the matter was never solved before scheduling the election. According to calculation (one MP on every six thousand eligible voters), the number of MPs should be 82, while the country's supreme legal act – the Constitution – stipulates 81 (present outgoing session), and the latter was the number of MPs actually elected in March 2009.
The pre-electoral process have been marked by several major incidents, among them the revocation of citizenship of the President of the People's Party Predrag Popović and the violation of the human right to work during the formation of the Coalition Treaty of Prime Minister Milo Đukanović's ruling coalition, according to which party affiliation will be a criterion for employment, all together followed by repeated protests of discontent workers pushed into poverty. All National Councils of the minority communities in Montenegro, who form together the majority of the country's population, have unanimously declared the forthcoming parliamentary elections illegal and contradictory to the Constitutionally-guaranteed rights to ethnic communities in Montenegro. On the national media, only the ruling coalition will be politically presented to the viewers, because of the others' debt.
Electoral system
Montenegro has a single national voting district, meaning that all votes cast at individual voting stations across the country are summed up together into one result. The electoral threshold is 3%, meaning that electoral lists (whether individual political parties, coalitions or civic groups) that received under three percent of the total votes cast, are crossed out, and the MPs within the assembly are split amongst the remaining lists. The seats are distributed by D'Hondt's method, which slightly favors leading lists in the election above the smaller ones. Elections in Montenegro are free, with the secret ballotSecret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
guaranteed. The Parliament's mandate lasts four years.
Electoral Lists
- Coalition for a European Montenegro: Milo Đukanović
- Democratic Party of Socialists of MontenegroDemocratic Party of Socialists of MontenegroThe Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
- Social Democratic Party of MontenegroSocial Democratic Party of MontenegroThe Social Democratic Party of Montenegro is a political party in Montenegro....
- Croatian Civic InitiativeCroatian Civic InitiativeThe 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...
- Bosniak Party
- Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
- New Serb DemocracyNew Serb DemocracyNew Serb Democracy is a political party in Montenegro, formed on 24 January 2009 as a merger of the Serbian People's Party and the People's Socialist Party of Montenegro....
: Andrija MandićAndrija MandicAndrija Mandić is a Montenegrin politician. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb political party in Montenegro, the New Serb Democracy... - Socialist People's Party of MontenegroSocialist People's Party of MontenegroThe 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...
: Srđan Milić - Movement for ChangesMovement for ChangesMovement 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...
: Nebojša MedojevićNebojša MedojevicNebojša 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... - National Coalition: Predrag Popović and Ranko Kadić
- People's PartyPeople'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...
- Democratic Serb Party
- People's Party
- For a Different Montenegro: Goran Batričević
- Democratic Centre
- Liberal Party of MontenegroLiberal Party of MontenegroThe Liberal Party of Montenegro is a centre-left liberal political party in Montenegro. The party advocated liberalism and the bringing down of Milo Đukanović's rule, seeing it as authoritarian and undemocratic...
- Serbian People's List: Momčilo Vuksanović
- Party of Serb Populists
- Party of Serb RadicalsParty of Serb RadicalsParty 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....
- Montenegrin Communists
- Pensioners' Party
- Bosniaks and Muslims
- Party of Democratic ProsperityParty of Democratic ProsperityThe Party of Democratic Prosperity is a political party in Montenegro....
- Serbian Homeland Party
Albanian minority parties
- Albanian List: Mehmed Bardhi and Gjergj Camaj
- Democratic League in Montenegro
- Albanian AlternativeAlbanian AlternativeThe 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 – FORCANew Democratic Power – FORCAThe 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...
- Democratic Union of AlbaniansDemocratic Union of AlbaniansThe Democratic Union of Albanians is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro....
- Albanian Coalition – Perspective
Results
The Coalition for a European Montenegro won an absolute majority of seats the Parliament of MontenegroParliament of Montenegro
The Parliament of Montenegro is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, each elected for a four-year term. The current Speaker of the Parliament is Ranko Krivokapić, while the deputy speakers are Željko Šturanović and Rifat Rastoder...
on a turnout of 66 per cent. Milo Đukanović secured a sixth term as the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Montenegro
The Prime Minister of Montenegro , is the head of the Government of Montenegro. The role of the Prime Minister is to direct the work of the Government, and to submit to the Parliament the Government's Program, including a list of proposed ministers...
.
Further reading
- Analysis by the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan studies
- Analysis by the French Robert Schuman Foundation