Montenegro parliamentary election 2016

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"CEMI and CDT reported numerous irregularities during the voting at dozens of polling station across the country.

Voting was temporarily stopped at a number of polling stations because devices used to electronically identify voters were not working, and ballot papers were found bearing identical serial numbers.

Additionally, party activists were seen recording voters outside multiple polling stations.

The CDT also reported that in the western town of Niksic, voting was stopped at a polling station due to allegations of "vote buying".

After these allegations arose, a prominent Montenegrin anti-corruption watchdog, the Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector, MANS, said it has filed criminal complaints to the Special Prosecution for Organized Crime over the "violation of freedom of choice in voting".

The watchdog announced it has filed criminal charges against several persons on suspicion of buying ID cards, offereing money or benefits to people in exchange for votes, and against six persons on suspicion of exerting pressure on voters."

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Update:

Montenegro’s four opposition groups have urged the ethnic minority representatives to join an interim government, which should organize new elections within "a year or two".  They claim the polls were organised in the context of a faux coup attempt and marked with numerous irregularities.

They also demand a special commission with international participation to investigate the allegations of the terrorist attack the authorities say was planned on polling day.

Former Serbian gendarmerie commander Bratislav Dikic and 20 paramilitaries were detained by police the day before the elections. The group was allegedly caught trying to enter Montenegro from Serbia with a large quantity of arms and ammunition and were arrested on charges of terrorism. The pro-government media called it a “coup attempt”.

The Prosecutor's Office say there was “reasonable suspicion” that "a criminal organisation had been formed in Serbia and Montenegro at the start of October with a plan to attack citizens and police in front of the parliament once the results of the election were announced, before taking over the assembly and declaring that the pro-Serbian opposition had won" and "deprive Montenegro’s Prime Minister (Djukanovic) of his freedom."

Dikic has pleaded not guilty and started a hunger strike, saying he came to Montenegro over the weekend to visit Ostrog (near Niksic), not to carry out a coup. Others claim Djukanovic hired the Serbs in order to create a state of panic and make voters opt for "the safe choice".

The State Election Commission on Tuesday approved the preliminary election results by 14 votes (government + ethnic minority reps), while the 11 opposition representatives voted against.

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The approved result:

DPS 41.4 (36)
Democratic Front 20.3 (18)
Key Coalition 11.1 (9)
Democratic Montenegro 10.0 (8)
SDP 5.2 (4)
Social Democrats 3.3 (2)
Bosniak Party 3.2 (2)
Albanians Decisively 1.3 (1)
Croatian Civic Initiative 0.5 (1)

DPS + Social Democrats 38
Opposition 39
Ethnic minorities 4

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Djukanovic’s Democratic Party of Socialists have nominated his long-standing protégé Deputy PM Dusko Markovic for PM if the party secures a majority in parliament. They are confident that they can reach a deal with the minority reps.

Markovic is a former head of the Montenegrin intelligence service and has been one of Djukanovic’s closest allies for more than 20 years, and Djukanovic will remain the head of the party.

This is the third time Djukanovic has left the top job to someone else; he had two two-year breaks in 2006-08 and 2010-12, but was widely believed to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes. 

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PM Milo Djukanovic now accuses the Democratic Front of participating in the alleged coup. Hopefully this isn't used as a pretext for banning them.

Meanwhile special prosecutor for organised crime and corruption Milivoje Katnic states that "a powerful organisation comprising as many as 500 people from Russia, Serbia and Montenegro" was behind the alleged coup and assassination attempt. Montenegro has asked Russia to verify the identify of two unidentified Russians participating in the coup - and whether they worked for the Russian government. 

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The full list of participating parties (with numerous confusing names). All in all 17 lists encompassing 32 parties ran (= 1 party per 16,525 voters).

Democratic Party of Socialists
Social Democratic Party
Democrats
Socialdemocrats
Alternative Montenegro
Positive Montenegro

Key Coalition:
Democratic Alliance
Socialist People’s Party
United Reform Action

Serb Party
Party of Pensioners, Invalids and Social Justice
Party of Serb Radicals
Croatian Civic Initiative
Bosniak Democratic Community
Bosniak Party

Democratic Front:
New Serb Democracy
Movement for Changes
Democratic People’s Party
Workers Party
Democratic Serb Party
Movement for Pljevlja
Serb Radical Party
Yugoslav Communist Party
Party of United Pensioners and Invalids
Resistance to Hopelessness

Democratic Alliance of Albanians

Decisive Albanians:
Democratic Union of Albanians
Albanian Alternative
New Democratic Power-Forca

Albanian Coalition:
Democratic Party
Civic Initiative
Democratic Alliance
Civil Movement Perspective

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"Russia plotted to assassinate the prime minister of a European nation and overthrow its government last year, according to senior Whitehall sources. An election-day coup plot to attack Montenegro’s parliament and kill the pro-Western leader was directed by Russian intelligence officers with the support and blessing of Moscow, to sabotage the country’s plan to join Nato."
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/18/russias-deadly-plot-overthrow-montenegros-government-assassinating/