Milo Djukanovic

The Montenegrin opposition announced new rallies for several major towns on Monday while thousands of anti-government protesters continued demonstrations in the capital, Podgorica, calling for the government to resign.

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".

On the fourth day of opposition protests in Podgorica, Nebojsa Medojevic, one of the opposition leaders, on Wednesday told the director of police, Slavko Stojanovic, to quit following his statements that attacks on police at the meetings are possible.

As Montenegrin opposition parties on Monday continued their protest in front of parliament in Podgorica, Slaven Radunovic, an opposition Democratic Front MP, urged all opposition MPs to boycott parliament until new elections are called.

Thousands of people gathered in front of the parliament building in Podgorica on Sunday at a mass rally against Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's administration, which they accuse of widespread corruption, undemocratic practices and election fraud.

US Vice-President Joseph Biden told Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic by phone on Monday that Washington supports NATO membership for Montenegro, "provided that Montenegro continues pursuing reforms and boosts popular support" for joining.

The 28-member alliance is due to make a decision on Montenegro's membership in December.

Montenegro's opposition Democratic Front is planning rallies across the country aimed at forcing out Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic - who has held power since 1991 - on September 27, it said.

Russia on Thursday said it had added Montenegro to the list of countries from which it was banning food imports in retaliation to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Police on Thursday arrested several leaders and officials in the scandal-hit municipality of Budva on suspicion of abuse of office and of damaging the local budget to the tune of several million euros, local media reported.

The Montenegrin cabinet on Thursday namd the new director of the National Security Agency as Dejan Perunicic.

The move was made as Montenegro faces a deadline from Brussels to make progress in carrying out security reforms before receiving an invitation to join NATO.