Social Democratic Party

Local elected officials and political party members been changing their affiliations in recent weeks and joining parties in power in what analysts say is an attempt to ensure they retain their positions after June's polls.

Montenegro's leaders are to meet yet again next week to try to resolve the crisis in the country following the failure of a no-confidence vote in the government in January.

The crisis, Montenegro's worst since it gained independence in 2006, revolves around opposition claims that the government has no legitimacy to organize general elections planned this year.

Camil Durakovic, the mayor of Srebrenica, is thinking about running for a second mandate in October's local elections.

"I will probably officially announce my candidature sometimes next week," Durakovic told BIRN on Thursday.

Croatia's public broadcaster, Croatian Radio-Television, HRT, is continuing to replace editors and journalists in what critics have called a politically inspired purge of alleged leftists.

One anonymous source complained to BIRN that the removals were being done according to purely political criteria.

Heavy police forces were deployed in the centre of Skopje on Tuesday amid fears that violence might break out between the two rival protests.

The first, which began in front of the government building and was due to end in front of the Constitutional Court, was organized by civic organizations and supported by the main opposition Social Democratic Party, SDSM.

The former ruling Democratic Party (DS) and its splinter groups, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDS), failed to agree on a joint electoral list on Monday, meaning they will run against the popular Progressives on their own.

Their failure to agree came two days before the final session of the country's parliament under its current mandate.

Montenegro's parliament could debate the dismissal of the speaker, Ranko Krivokapic, as soon as next week, after the ruling coalition submitted a motion to remove him.

Parliament in Romania has summoned Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos to explain why he replaced several local prefects in what is seen as a move by the main parties to increase pressure on him ahead of local elections.

A leading legal expert welcomed proposals for Croatia to adopt the German method of appointing judges to the constitutional court but said the chances of this reform succeeding in the current atmosphere in Croatia were slim.

Romanian journalists are protesting against a draft law on defamation, which was initiated by the leftist Social Democratic Party, PSD, calling it a device to shield politicians from criticism.

"This law aims to protect the politicians from being criticised for their actions," TV producer Radu Banciu claims.