MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION: LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PODGORICA 000075 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MW SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION: LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR PRO-EUROPEAN RULING COALITION REF: A. A: PODGORICA 74 ¶B. B: PODGORICA 71 ¶C. C: PODGORICA 65 PODGORICA 00000075 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Unofficial results have Montenegro's ruling coalition winning more than 50 percent of the vote in the March 29 parliamentary election. With the exception of the center-left Socialist People's Party, which doubled its seats from the last election, and possibly an additional seat going to an anti-GoM Albanian party, it was a bad day for the opposition. The pro-Serb NOVA party and especially the centrist Movement for Change (PzP) saw their totals shrink, while one small, pro-Serb opposition coalition is on the cusp of the parliamentary threshold. While the OSCE/ODIHR mission has not yet released its assessment, no major irregularities were reported on election day, and turnout was 65 percent. Overall, the March 29 result was a vote for stability and the continuation of Montenegro's Euro-Atlantic course. END SUMMARY. Ruling Coalition Wins in Landslide -------------- ¶2. (U) As expected (Ref A),the "European Montenegro" coalition - the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) in an expanded coalition with junior partner the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and newcomers the Bosniak Party (BP) and the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) - has won an easy victory in the March 29 parliamentary race. While official results have not yet been announced, parallel vote counts conducted by two NGOs - the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) and Center for Monitoring (CEMI) - both give the coalition just under 51 percent of the vote. (Note: CDT has the coalition at 50.5 percent, CEMI at 50.7 percent. Both NGOs have proved accurate in past elections; the CDT effort was funded by NDI.) ¶3. (U) The results assure the coalition a solid majority of approximately 46-49 MPs - the final number depends on how many parties cross the three percent threshold (see below) - in the 81-seat Parliament. The current DPS-SDP coalition, plus one HGI MP who is part of the alliance, now has a slim, 41-MP majority. Bad Day For Opposition -------------- ¶4. (U) The top opposition vote-getter was the Socialist People's Party (SNP),which received 17 percent of the vote. This will likely translate into 16 seats, an increase from eight that the party now holds. Other than the SNP, it was not a good day for opposition parties. The pro-Serb New Serbian Democracy (NOVA) got nine percent of the vote; this should equal eight seats, but is down from 11 seats the party currently holds in a wider coalition of Serb parties. And predictions of the collapse of the formerly leading opposition party - the Movement for Change (PzP) - proved accurate. The PzP, which went through a damaging schism earlier in the year (Ref C),picked up only six percent of the vote, which would net the party only five seats in Parliament (down from 11 currently). NS-DSS On the Fence -------------- ¶5. (U) The number of seats the ruling coalition will receive could change slightly if the People's Party-Democratic Serbian Party (NS-DSS) coalition squeaks back into Parliament. Both the CDT and CEMI counts put the pro-Serb coalition at three percent. Should that figure hold up, the NS-DSS would get two seats (a loss of one seat from their current three-MP total). If not, those two seats would go to the ruling coalition. ¶6. (U) Two parties which pre-election polls predicted could enter Parliament - the Democratic Center-Liberal Party coalition and the Party of Pensioners - appear to have fallen short. The PODGORICA 00000075 002.2 OF 003 vote counts put both at about 2.5 percent. The radical Serbian National List received only 1.3 percent of the vote. Albanian Seats: DPS Loses Ground? -------------- ¶7. (U) The only off note for the ruling coalition in an otherwise bright day could be in the results of the five seats elected from ballots cast in specially designated Albanian-majority polling stations. The ruling coalition currently controls two of these seats, with a third held by the pro-GoM Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA). While the results remain to be confirmed (and the vote is very close),the parallel counts predict that the DPS likely will get only one seat this time around. And while the DUA should retain its mandate, the three other seats will be divided among the opposition Democratic Alliance in Montenegro-Albanian List coalition, the Albanian Coalition-Perspektiva alliance, and the FORCA party. Local Elections Mirror National Level -------------- ¶8. (U) Mayoral elections were held concurrently in Herceg Novi and Tivat and elections for local councils were held in Niskic and Budva. The incumbent mayors (SNP in Herceg Novi and DPS in Tivat) won reelection, while the ruling coalition won easy victories in both of the local council races. Turnout: Lower than 2006 -------------- ¶9. (U) According to the parallel vote counts, turnout was about 65 percent, down from 71 percent in 2006. Turnout may have been affected by steady rain (and some snow in the north) that fell in much of the country throughout election day, and by the lack of drama in the race. Election Day: Few Violations Reported -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Major irregularities were not expected on election day (Ref B),and none were reported. (Note: Although PzP leader Nebojsa Medojevic, who occasionally tends toward the dramatic, claimed he was assaulted by a DPS supporter when casting his vote; video of the incident does indicate an altercation of some sort.) U.S. Embassy observers noted only a handful of very minor infractions. Opposition parties were well represented on polling commissions, and the State Election Commission registered more than 1,200 domestic and international observers. The OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission will announce its evaluation of the campaign and vote this afternoon. What's Next for Parliament, Government? -------------- ¶11. (U) According to the election law, the State Election Commission must certify the official results of the election within 15 days of election day. According to the Constitution, the new Parliament must convene no later than 15 days after the date of publication of the final results. ¶12. (U) According to the Constitution, President Vujanovic must propose a new PM-designate within 30 days of the first seating PODGORICA 00000075 003.2 OF 003 of the new Parliament. The PM-designate presents his program to Parliament, and proposes the composition of the new Government. The Parliament votes simultaneously on the PM's program and government. (Note: The current GoM continues in an acting capacity until the new GoM is elected.) Comment -------------- ¶13. (SBU) In a low-key election which played out almost exactly as predicted, Montenegrins voted overwhelmingly for stability and a continuation of the country's Euro-Atlantic course. (Note: Although with the caveat that public support for NATO still lags far behind the consensus for EU membership.) The ruling coalition rolled the dice - but with the odds stacked heavily in its favor - that it would win another term before the global economic crisis hit Montenegro full-force. Its payoff is a solid majority in Parliament, which will select the next government (which will in turn likely look very much like the current one.) ¶14. (SBU) The SNP was the other big winner in the race, capitalizing on divisions between opposition rivals NOVA and the PzP. Overall, the opposition faired poorly: voters continued to desert the PzP, which has been in free-fall for over a year, and a schism within the Serb parties cost NOVA some votes. Approximately ten percent of the vote went to opposition parties falling short of the three percent parliamentary threshold. The next Parliament therefore will contain fewer parties, but - with a multi-ethnic ruling coalition and some of the more radical Serbs failing to reenter Parliament - will likely be somewhat more moderate. MOORE