Montenegro Govt Dismisses Pressure to Quit

The Montenegrin government on Thursday said it would not resign as a result of opposition had protests in front of parliament demanding early elections.

The government said the opposition demands were "unconstitutional and undemocratic" and urged opposition MPs to return to parliament and try to "challenge the legitimacy of the government in parliamentary procedure".

The opposition Democratic Front launched 24-hour protests in Podgorica on Sunday, calling on the government to resign and call early elections.

Protesters said they would block the capital's streets until their demands are met. They accuse Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic of corruption, undemocratic practices and election fraud.

Djukanovic's ruling Democratic Party of Socialists on Thursday said the opposition should unblock the central street of Podgorica.

It also said that the protesters should give up their "populist rhetoric" and consider the welfare of Podgorica's inhabitants since the main boulevard has been blocked for days.

The Democratic Front said in response that it would organize protests outside the capital starting from Monday.

One of the opposition leaders, Andrija Mandic, said the protests would start in the municipalities led by Djukanovic's own party. "We will start the protests in the cities where election fraud was organized," Mandic said.

The Podgorica authorities previously gave permission for the opposition to erect a stage on the main street until October 4.

Djukanovic has been in power since 1991 while the current coalition government was formed after the 2012 elections.

It comprises Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists, the Social Democratic Party, and three ethnic minority parties. The next general election...