Montenegro poised for independence after referendum

22/05/2006

Results from Sunday's referendum in Montenegro show the independence movement narrowly passing the 55 per cent threshold. That clears the way for the republic to break from its union with Serbia and become an independent state for the first time since 1918.

By Igor Jovanovic and Antonela Arhin for Southeast European Times in Belgrade and Podgorica – 22/05/06

Supporters of Montenegrin independence celebrate in Podgorica on Sunday (21 May). [Getty Images]

Montenegrins have voted to leave the state union with Serbia, ending the final remnant of the former Yugoslavia, according to official results Monday (22 May). In an EU-supervised referendum held the day before, the pro-independence bloc narrowly surpassed the required 55 per cent threshold.

"For the independence of Montenegro, 55.4 per cent voted in favour and 44.6 were against," said Frantishek Lipka, the Slovak diplomat who is heading the Montenegrin Referendum Commission, at a press conference Monday morning. Although approximately 5 per cent of the votes remained to be counted, the outcome was unlikely to be affected, he said.

Final results will be announced at 1900 local time.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, the leader of the pro-independence camp, declared victory Sunday night as estimates showed his side in the lead. "Tonight, with the majority decision by the citizens of Montenegro, the independence of the country has been renewed ...This is the most important event in Montenegro's recent history," Djukanovic said as supporters celebrated in Podgorica, setting off fireworks and waving the red-and-gold flag of the Montenegrin monarchy.

The head of the pro-union bloc, Predrag Bulatovic, reluctantly conceded defeat Monday. Newspapers in Belgrade carried headlines announcing the split, but Serbia has said it will wait for the final tally before making an official response.

However, a statement carried in the official Tanjug news agency said the federal army and the Serbian Defence Ministry would "respect the political decision in agreement with the two leaderships".

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, meanwhile, congratulated the Montenegrin people for the "successful organisation of the referendum".

"We are still waiting for the report of ODIHR/OSCE but it seems that the process was orderly and we want to congratulate everybody for that. Close to 87 per cent turnout confirmed the legitimacy of the process," he said at a press conference Monday in Brussels.

The referendum outcome paves the way for negotiations between Belgrade and Podgorica on their future relations and the division of joint property. According to the Serbia-Montenegro Constitutional Charter, Serbia is to inherit the state union's position in all international institutions. However, ambiguity now exists concerning the status of Kosovo, which was termed part of the state union by UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Montenegro will have to request admission into international institutions. Djukanovic has said that he hopes Montenegro will join the UN by September. It is also not clear when the two states will continue their journey towards the EU, interrupted because of Belgrade's failure to arrest and extradite a top war crimes indictee, Ratko Mladic.

The European Commission will probably need a new mandate for talks with the two states, say analysts, but the results achieved so far will most likely be taken into account for both. Serbia and Montenegro have been holding twin-track negotiations with the EU on economic issues.

Despite Sunday's vote, Serbia and Montenegro will remain united for a few weeks longer in the arena of soccer. Players from both republics will compose one team at the upcoming World Cup in Germany.