Zeljko Sturanovic

Prime Minister of Montenegro

(Balkan Insight - 16/11/06; AP, DPA, AKI, BBC, Kyodo - 10/11/06; Official Montenegrin Government Web Site, Wikipedia)

Zeljko Sturanovic. [Getty Images]

Zeljko Sturanovic was sworn in as Montenegro's prime minister on November 10th, 2006, two months after a coalition, led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), won the September 10th parliamentary elections. Replacing DPS leader Milo Djukanovic in the post, he headed Montenegro's first elected cabinet since the Adriatic republic formally declared its independence from Serbia on June 3rd.

Sturanovic was born on January 31st, 1960, in the town of Niksic. He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Podgorica in 1983, and then joined the Niksic Steel Factory, heading its legal department.

In January 1993, Sturanovic was elected as a member of the House of Citizens of the Federal Parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro. After winning a second mandate in elections in November 1996, he headed the DPS caucus.

In Montenegro's April 2001 pre-term parliamentary elections, Sturanovic was elected as a member of the republic's assembly. In July of that year he was appointed minister of justice.

A member of the DPS presidency, he was still serving as justice minister in early October 2006, when Djukanovic announced his decision to resign as prime minister after leading his country to independence in June and then his party to victory in the September elections. The DPS nominated Sturanovic as the new prime minister.

Presenting his programme to parliament, Sturanovic said one of his key tasks would be to build good neighbourly relations with all countries in the region, particularly with Serbia. He also cited Euro-Atlantic integration, improving the living standards of Montenegrins and fighting corruption as top priorities.

"The goals of this new government will be to continue Montenegro's path to European integration and have our citizens feel safer and live better in our country, and be able to work honestly to provide a good life for themselves and their families," Sturanovic said on November 10th, after lawmakers voted in his government at the end of a three-day debate.

Sturanovic is married and has two children.