Slim win for Montenegro president

Djukanovic failed to gain a clear mandate

PODGORICA, Yugoslavia -- The pro-independence movement in Montenegro has won a wafer-thin majority in parliamentary elections, unofficial results show.

With 98 percent of the ballot counted, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic's coalition gained 42 percent, while the anti-independence bloc slipped behind with 40.6 percent, the state electoral commission said.

Djukanovic, whose coalition is called "Victory Belongs to Montenegro," declared success to his supporters early on Monday -- despite failing to gain a clearer mandate.

"We have won," he told supporters. "We have made a huge step toward independent Montenegro."

AUDIO CNN's Alessio Vinci: Djukanovic wins narrow victory 800K/74.secs. AIFF or WAV sound

"We will start as soon as tomorrow on making the necessary arrangements to create a government committed to an independent, democratic and pro-European Montenegro," he told a post-election party.

Officials said the turnout was just over 80 percent of the 450,000 eligible voters -- a record number. Final official results were to be released on Tuesday.

The poll was widely seen as a referendum on whether the country should split from the other Yugoslav republic of Serbia.

The pro-independence faction has campaigned for independence from Yugoslavia on the premise that it could prosper quicker alone than if joined with Serbia, whose 9 million people dominate Montenegro's 600,000.

Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh has warned a push for independence could weaken the fragile Balkans.

"The western Balkans are now facing another crisis," she said.

Anti-independence socialists, with Slobodan Milosevic picture, celebrate the result

A referendum on independence could be held as early as June, but the closeness of the result could still cloud the issue.

The anti-independence "Together for Yugoslavia" bloc were pleased that the pro-independence bloc had failed to gain a two-thirds majority in parliament, which under the constitution would have made it easier to break away from Yugoslavia.

"The result which we accomplished guarantees our remaining in Yugoslavia," said Vuksan Simonovic, a "Together for Yugoslavia" leader, addressing thousands of cheering supporters as guns fired into the air to celebrate.

Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic said the outcome showed the Montenegrin electorate was split "almost right through the middle into two halves," with one favouring independence for the coastal republic and the other a Yugoslav federal state, Reuters news agency reported.

"The elections, therefore, haven't provided an answer to the question whether Montenegro's population wants independence or a joint state with Serbia," said Zivkovic, a leading figure in Serbia's ruling coalition.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called on Serbia and Montenegro to begin talks about their joint future immediately "with the goal of renewing relations based on democratic principles in accordance with the existing constitutional order and heeding regional stability."

"Unilateral steps would run contrary to this goal," he said in a statement.

Yugoslavia once included Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia before those republics broke away in the early 1990s.

Montenegro warned against secession- April 20, 2001
Independence issue dominates poll
April 20, 2001
Montenegro prepares for ballot
April 19, 2001
Montenegro moves towards referendum
January 24, 2001
Montenegro calls for break from Serbia
November 24, 2001

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