Montenegro Opposition Unites to Contest Presidential Election

Former politician Mladen Bojanic will run as an independent candidate for the April 15 presidential election in Montenegro with the support of almost all opposition parties in parliament.

The development brings together normally divided opposition groups in the country and may increase their chances of winning the election against an unknown ruling party candidate.

Some, however, believe Bojanic was a "forced solution in the last moment" and that  opposition pledges to support him on April 15 are not sincere.  

Bojanic will be supported by the strongest opposition alliance, the pro-Russian Democratic Front, and by possibly four other pro-European parties.

These are the Civic Movement URA, Demokrate [the Democrats] and the Socialist People Party, SNP, and, most likely, by Ujedinjenje [The United].

"After meeting the leaders of political subjects who publicly supported me and receiving messages of support from various associations and individuals, I am informing the public that I will run for the upcoming presidential elections," Bojanic said.

The opposition parties had negotiated on a joint candidate for months, ever since the election was announced in December.

But until now they failed to agree on a name to fight the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, now 27 years in power.

After an unsuccessful joint meeting in February, they said a joint candidate was not an option, and announced that each group would field its own champion.

But last Friday, the news broke that Bojanic's name could unite the divided parties.

The Social Democratic Party, SDP, which was part of the ruling coalition for 18 years until 2016, is the only opposition group that has refused to support Bojanic, announcing its own...