Political novice confirmed victorious in Montenegro election

By PREDRAG MILIC
Associated Press

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Official results have confirmed a crushing defeat for Montenegro’s long-time leader Milo Djukanovic in a weekend presidential election. That marks his departure from the small Balkan state’s political scene after more than 30 years in power. The state electoral commission said Thursday that economy expert and political novice Jakov Milatovic won the presidential runoff election held on Sunday. Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and to NATO membership in 2017, despite strong opposition from former Slavic ally Russia. Milatovic won around 59% of Sunday’s vote, while Djukanovic had about 41%, according to the final official results.