Montenegro Protesters Fired Up by Poverty

Montenegrins who have been protesting for weeks for the resignation of veteran Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's government took to the streets led by an opposition which is calling for fair elections and a tougher fight against corruption and organised crime.

But for most of the protesters, the demonstrations in the capital Podgorica were inspired by poverty and their everyday struggle for survival.

"I don't care about the parties, politicians, and integration [with the EU]. All I want is to have a job from which I can live and take care of my family," said Marko Vlahovic, a 32-year-old protester from Podgorica.

The round-the-clock demonstrations began in September, as the opposition demanded the creation of an interim government to organise what they say would be Montenegro's first ever free and fair elections.

The rallies were marred by violence for the first time on October 17, with police firing tear gas to disperse protesters. 

Police fired teargas for a second successive weekend on Saturday to break up around 7,000 people who marched on parliament to demand Djukanovic's resignation.

The opposition says the tiny Adriatic country is being run as the fiefdom of Djukanovic, who has been in power since 1990, and the political elite surrounding him.

"He has been in power more than 25 years, that was enough. Now it's time for him to go," said Zoran Vujovic, a 48-year-old protester from the town of Herceg Novi.

Montenegro has an unemployment rate of 15 per cent. But the jobless rate in the north of the country is higher, according to estimates. A third of the jobless are university graduates under 30 years of age.

The average monthly salary in the country is around 490 euro, but,...