Montenegro Elects First Government Without Djukanovic Party

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic in the Montenegrin parliament. Photo: Parliament of Montenegro

The leader of the "For the Future of Montenegro" bloc, Zdravko Krivokapic, was elected Prime Minister by 41 votes in the 81-seat chamber. MPs elected the leader of the Black on White coalition, Dritan Abazovic, as Deputy Prime Minister.

Krivokapic will run a so-called expert government comprising 12 non-party ministers. He promised that economic development, reforms and rule of law would be their focus.

"No individuals or parallel institutions can be stronger than the state. I will try to be the prime minister who will talk less and work more. I would like to make Montenegro similar to Luxembourg in four years," Krivokapic told parliament referencing the small, wealthy EU member state.

In parliamentary elections held on August 30, three opposition blocs won a slender majority of 41 of the 81 seats in parliament, ousting the long-ruling DPS. The pro-Serbian For the Future of Montenegro coalition won 27 seats, Peace is Our Nation won ten and the liberal Black on White bloc won four seats.

The new Prime minister accused the DPS of poor managment of the economy and lack of reforms, saying the new government will review privatization contracts and speed up reforms related to the European Union accession process. Krivokapic also announced changes to the hotly disputed Law on Religious Freedom, which had angered the large Serbian community and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Many MPs from the new majority are angry about the idea of an expert government, saying that citizens voted for political parties in the last election. They called on the new Prime Minister to prosecute DPS officials.

"We don't need reforms but arrests of state...