Montenegro to hold snap polls on June 11

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic Friday announced that early parliamentary elections will take place on Jun. 11.

The decision comes a day after Djukanovic issued a decree to dissolve parliament. President Djukanovic took the decision after the current parliamentary majority was unable to form a new government or reshuffle the current government led by Dritan Abazovic, which lost a confidence vote in August last year.

Mr Djukanovic said during a press conference that "everyone is aware of the deep crisis caused by the current majority's irresponsibility".

The parliamentary majority is comprised of the pro-Serbian Democratic Front, Democrats and Citizens Movement, which in the 2020 August elections sent the Democratic Party of Socialists led by Djukanovic in opposition after more than three decades in power.

However, parliamentary majority MPs have contested the president's decision to dissolve parliament by asking the country's Constitutional Court to examine its constitutionality and come up with a verdict. Until then, majority MPs have asked the court to suspend all activities that stem from the dissolution decree.

According to the parliamentary majority, Djukanovic decision represents "a classic form of individual arbitrariness".

Both decisions have been taken by Mr Djukanovic two days before Sunday's presidential elections, in which he's running as a candidate for the Democratic Party of Socialists.

After the current government lost the confidence vote, the Democratic Front, the largest party of the coalition government, known for its pro-Russian and pro-Russian views, proposed Miograd Lekic for the position of prime minister, but president Djukanovic opposed this candidature and requested fresh elections.

This encouraged parliament to amend the law on the President by curbing some of his powers and enabling parliament to elect the prime minister, without the need for presidential approval. The Venice Commission criticized the law and considered it to be in violation of the Constitution.

The international community has often voiced its concern over the long political crisis in the country and the fact that authorities are unable to find a solution to the crisis.