Montenegrin president "won't run in next election"

Most top officials of Montenegro's ruling DPS party believe that the country's president, Filip Vujanovic, should not run again, a Podgorica daily writes. The Dan newspaper quoted its sources in the party's top echelons to say that the reasons for this stance were "political and legal in nature". Montenegrin president "won't run in next election" Some of Vujanovic's public statements made in the past couple of years, the article continues, "made some in the DPS livid" - and had the same effect on their coalition partners, the SDP party, led by Ranko Krivokapic. At the same time, "the conflict between Vujanovic and Krivokapic has been ongoing for years", said the daily. Krivokapic is also speaker of the Montenegrin parliament. As for the legal obstacles to Vujanovic's possible future reelection bid, the sources said that he "already has two presidential mandates, with the second expiring in the spring, while according to the Montenegrin Constitution, one person can only be elected as president twice". However, considering that Vujanovic was first elected to the office in 2003, before Montenegro gained its independence in the 2006 referendum, his supporters insist that he is legally eligible to run again. Public opinion polls, meanwhile, show Vujanovic to be the country's most popular politician. The Montenegrin president last week spoke for B92, and discussed, among other topics, his country's relations with Serbia. Filip Vujanovic (file) Dan Tanjug

Montenegrin president "won't run in next election"

Some of Vujanović's public statements made in the past couple of years, the article continues, "made some in the DPS livid" - and had the same effect on their coalition partners, the SDP party, led by Ranko Krivokapić.

At the same time, "the conflict between Vujanović and Krivokapić has been ongoing for years", said the daily.

Krivokapić is also speaker of the Montenegrin parliament.

As for the legal obstacles to Vujanović's possible future reelection bid, the sources said that he "already has two presidential mandates, with the second expiring in the spring, while according to the Montenegrin Constitution, one person can only be elected as president twice".

However, considering that Vujanović was first elected to the office in 2003, before Montenegro gained its independence in the 2006 referendum, his supporters insist that he is legally eligible to run again.

Public opinion polls, meanwhile, show Vujanović to be the country's most popular politician.

The Montenegrin president last week spoke for B92, and discussed, among other topics, his country's relations with Serbia.