Eurasia Press & News
Svetozar Marovic, a veteran of Montenegrin politics, is replacing Milo Djukanovic as leader of the country’s ruling party now that the latter has again become Prime Minister.In an interview with Montenegro’s public broadcaster, RTCG, on Monday, Marovic said that he would take over leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS.
Djukanovic has informed the executive board and presidency of the DPS of this decision, he added. The move was driven by Djukanovic’s recent reappointment as Prime Minister, he explained.
“Given the obligations awaiting him as Prime Minister, in these special circumstances, there is a need for daily coordination within the party… and I should be in charge of that,” Marovic said.
Djukanovic returned as Prime Minister last week, after parliament endorsed the programme and structure of his new DPS-led government.
He has already served six terms as prime minister but stepped down from frontline politics in December 2010. In the meantime, however, he kept the presidency of the DPS and was re-elected president of the DPS at the last congress held in 2011.
Marovic is currently vice-president of the DPS, which has governed Montenegro non-stop since the country’s transition from Communism. The party came top in the last general election as well, on October 14.
He was also the first – and only – president of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 to 2006, when Montenegro reclaimed its independence, lost after World War 1.
The State Union was a weak successor state to the former Yugoslavia, which was dissolved after Montenegro held a referendum on full independence.
