Andrija Mandić

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has announced that he is "leaving all state roles," the Beta agency is reporting.

Djukanovic also said that if his DPS party gets a mandate to form a government, he will be replaced at the cabinet's helm by Dusko Markovic, currently the party's deputy president.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said on Tuesday that he felt secure and insisted there was no need to "spread panic among the people" despite the Belgrade authorities' arrest of alleged Serbian plotters against him.

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.

Montenegro can expect to become a full member of NATO by mid-2017, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said in an interview with Russian television Dozhd.

The interview has been rebroadcast by Montenegrin national television late on Wednesday.

Several hundred opposition protesters gathered in front of the parliament in Podgorica, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, who has held power since 1991.

Protesters carrying Serbian and Montenegrin flags shouted "Milo, thief!" and accused the governmnet of corruption, undemocratic practices and election fraud.

The Nova Srbija (New Serbia, NS) party will sign a coalition agreement will this coming weekend with the SNS, in order to go to early elections together.

NS leader and cabinet minister Velimir Ilic announced this on Friday.

In the first attempt to resolve the crisis in Montenegro following the failure of a no-confidence vote in the government, leaders of political parties will meet on Monday to discuss the formation of an interim government and organization of new elections.

A plot to unseat Milo Djukanovic as Prime Minister of Montenegro failed to gain enough votes in parliament on Wednesday night, after 42 of a total of 81 MPs voted against the motion of no-confidence - which Djakanovic himself had called.

Hundreds of protesters rallied in the streets of Podgorica carrying banners "He is done" and shouting "Milo thief!" in reference to Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

The rally was organised by Montenegro's main opposition alliance, the Democratic Front, against the cabinet and its key members before a key parliamentary confidence vote on Monday in the government.

Opposition supporters in Montenegro rallied on Wednesday as leaders pledged fresh protests until their demands are met for the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and the formation of an interim government.