Montenegro PM Says He Will Not Bow to Protests

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic on Thursday said that his government had full legitimacy and will not quit in the face of opposition protests in the capital, Podgorica.

The protest organisers, an alliance of several opposition parties calling itself the Democratic Front, have promised fresh demonstrations and have said "the whole of Montenegro will come" if Djukanovic's government does not resign by Saturday.

They demand the formation of a transitional government in place of Djukanovic, who has been at the centre of power since the early 1990s.

"After serious consideration, the government rejected the request of the part of the opposition to resign because it has full legitimacy and continues its work," Djukanovic said.

He said Montenegro will not allow growing civil unrest and street protests to stall the country's drive to join the European Union and NATO.

Djukanovic also said that "certain political circles" in Serbia openly supported the protest movement, referring to the Democratic Party of Serbia, a Serbian opposition party once led by former Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica.

"It is a continuation of the policy of the nationalistic circles gathered around Vojislav Kostunica who have done everything to try to prevent Montenegro's independence," Djukanovic told reporters.

He said he was convinced the state leadership of Serbia "had done nothing against Montenegro" and that opposition protests were the "last attempt inside Montenegro and outside Montenegro " to prevent its NATO membership.

In a separate statement, the Deputy Prime Minister, Dusko Markovic, said that "state institutions had obtained evidence" that Russia supports the protests of the Democratic Front.