Posted on 02/28/2003 12:58:43 AM PST by Voronin
Montenegro Drops Law After Elections Fail
Associated Press
PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro - Reeling from two failed elections, Montenegro lawmakers Thursday discarded a 50 percent voter turnout requirement that had invalidated earlier balloting.
The last two presidential elections were discounted in accord with Montenegro law because less that half the registered voters went to the polls. The amended law does not set a minimum turnout.
Montenegro's former prime minister Filip Vujanovic won an overwhelming majority of votes in his first bid for presidency, in December, as well as in the second vote Feb. 9. But both times, turnout fell below the required minimum.
The next attempt to elect a Montenegrin president is expected in early May, but no date has been set.
Vujanovic has said he would run again and is favored to win under the amended law.
The law, however, still requires that for an outright victory a candidate has to win more than half of the votes cast. If this does not happen, a runoff between two top contenders is to be held 2 weeks after the first round.
Montenegro and its much larger partner, Serbia, formed Yugoslavia until last month when the two republics reformed their alliance, creating Serbia-Montenegro as a loose union.
In the new formation, both republics will have their own presidents and governments, but share a small central administration in charge of common defense and foreign affairs.
Last year, two elections for Serbia's president also failed because of low turnout. The larger republic has not changed its election law. Its parliament speaker, Natasa Micic, is serving as acting president until a new vote.
VRN
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