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- Thomas Mackintosh
- BBC news
Montenegro’s longtime leader Milo Dzukanovic suffered a crushing defeat in the presidential election.
The 36-year-old centrist former Economy Minister Jakov Milatovic declared victory Sunday night after the presidential runoff.
He will succeed Čukanovic, who has been in power as president or prime minister in Montenegro for more than 30 years.
A general election for the House of Representatives is scheduled for this summer.
“Tonight is the night we’ve been waiting for for over 30 years. I wish you a happy victory,” Milatovic told the Europe Now Movement cheering crowd in the capital Podgorica.
He promised to bring the small Balkans country into the EU within the next five years.
Official results are expected later in the week, but two respected election watchdogs expect Milatovic to win.
A polling group at the Center for Surveillance Research said Milatovic secured 60% of the vote.
Čukanovic was Europe’s youngest prime minister when he came to power in 1991 at the age of 29. This was the beginning of the collapse of Yugoslavia. He made Montenegro independent from Serbia in his 2006.
When the magnitude of Milatovic’s victory became clear on Sunday night, Djukanovic conceded defeat and wished Milatovic the best of luck as president.
“Montenegro has made a choice and I respect that choice,” he told his supporters.
Montenegro’s presidency is largely ceremonial, but an election victory could increase the odds of the winning party winning parliamentary elections on June 11.
During his election campaign, Mr Milatovic pledged to curb corruption, improve living standards and strengthen ties with the European Union and neighboring Serbia.
The 37-year-old received support from Serbia, Russia and pro-Orthodox parties.
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