Montenegrin leader backs referendum

A slender victory for Djukanovic

PODGORICA, Yugoslavia -- Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic says his goal remains an independent Montenegro, despite growing international pressure to stay in Yugoslavia.

Following his coalition's narrow victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, Djukanovic on Tuesday restated his commitment to a referendum on independence despite international fears of bloodshed.

But Djukanovic gave no timeframe and a senior European Union official said after talks with the president he thought the president would not rush to hold the vote.

The West wants Djukanovic to abandon plans to hold a referendum by the end of June and make a serious effort at dialogue with Montenegro's estranged, and much larger, federation partner, Serbia.

But the Liberal Alliance party, which Djukanovic needs to form a government backed by a pro-independence majority in parliament, is pressing for a referendum on the issue to be held immediately.

The president, who says Montenegro can achieve democracy and prosperity more quickly without its dominant partner, dismissed suggestions that the failure of his coalition to win the overwhelming victory should affect the referendum plan.

He told the Montena television station: "There is no dilemma -- our strategy is not going to change. The election results don't direct us to make any changes. We won."

AUDIO CNN's Robin Oakley: Djukanovic is unlikely to jeopardise international funding for sake of independence 682 Kb/64 secs. AIFF or WAV sound

His "Victory is Montenegro's" coalition took 36 seats in the 77-member parliament against 33 for the "Together for Yugoslavia" bloc, according to provisional final results issued by the electoral commission on Tuesday night.

The Liberals were shown to have won six seats, and pro-independence ethnic Albanian parties two, bringing the number of seat controlled by independence-minded groups to 44 -- although voting is to be repeated at three polling stations due to irregularities.

Swedish diplomat Sven-Olaf Petersson, who led an EU delegation in talks with Montenegrin officials on both sides of the debate, said such a result -- with a margin of victory of less than 5,000 votes -- was not a mandate for change.

Bulatovic: Would call for referendum boycott

"The elections have shown one thing very clearly -- that Montenegrin society is split pretty much down the middle," said Petersson.

"These close results do not provide a green light for those in a hurry to call for a referendum."

He warned against "hasty and unilateral steps" amid international fears that moves towards independence could exacerbate tensions in the Balkans.

The leader of the pro-Yugoslavia faction, Predrag Bulatovic, has warned against putting the question of independence before a divided people, saying: "Pressing on with the referendum could have grave consequences for stability."

Bulatovic said the anti-independence camp would boycott a referendum, making it virtually impossible for the results to be valid because the law requires turnout to be more than 50 percent of eligible voters.

Petersson said he thought Djukanovic had understood the need to act cautiously.

"I don't think that his intention is to rush into a referendum. My impression is that he's very much in agreement that negotiations should resume."

But in a show of defiance, the speaker of parliament, Svetozar Marovic, issued a statement after meeting with the EU delegation saying: "Montenegro and its citizens have the right of their own choice like all other nations."

Djukanovic has said he is ready to continue talks with Belgrade on the basis of his proposal for a new alliance of independent states between Serbia and Montenegro -- but this vision has already been rejected by Serbian and Yugoslav officials.

Serbia has a population of nine million people and Montenegro just 600,000.

The Yugoslav federation was originally made up of six republics -- Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Slovenia -- before the other four seceded in the early 1990s, a process accompanied in most cases by bloody ethnic conflict.

UK Foreign Minister Robin Cook will meet Djukanovic on Wednesday as part of a two-day Balkan trip.

EU urges restraint in Montenegro
April 24, 2001
Montenegro: no strong mandate
April 23, 2001
Slim win for Montenegro president
April 23, 2001
Polls close in Montenegro
April 22, 2001
Montenegro election facts
April 22, 2001
Montenegro warned against secession
April 20, 2001

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