bne -
Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic named Milo Djukanovic as prime minister-designate on November 9, following consultations with political parties. The move paves the way for the formal return to power of Djukanovic, a pivotal political figure over the past two decades.
Djukanovic's candidacy was proposed by his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). Montenegro's ruling coalition, which consists of the DPS and the Social Democrats Party (SDP), was returned to power in parliamentary elections on October 14, but failed to secure an absolute majority in the 81-seat legislature.
The current coalition government, with 43 seats, was formed with the inclusion of Bosniak, Croatian and Albanian minority parties. Djukanovic's nomination will be presented at the next session of the parliament where its passage is considered a mere formality, Xinhua reports.
In 1991, Djukanovic became the youngest prime minister in Europe at the age of 29. He later held the position of president and was instrumental in Montenegro's independence movement, which ended the country's union with Serbia in 2006 in a referendum.
However, the returning PM faces serious challenges. Montenegro has slid into economic crisis after years of growth buoyed by tourism and a real estate boom, and is also in the midst of progress towards European Union membership.
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