Montenegro's new parliament elects Aleksa Becic speaker

Becic received the support of 45 out of 71 lawmakers who participated in a conscience vote on his nomination, with 25 blank ballots cast and one vote against, according to a video file posted on the YouTube channel of Montenegro's parliament on Wednesday. 

"Montenegro's parliament will be a true representative house of the citizens. They will be controlling, helping and supporting the recovery and development of our homeland," Becic said in a speech following the vote.

Earlier on Wednesday, social-liberal United Reform Action (URA) party said that Zdravko Krivokapic, leader of opposition coalition For the Future of Montenegro, the runner-up in last month's general election, received the support of 41 of 81 members of parliament to form the country's next government. The nomination of Krivokapic was supported by 27 MPs from For the Future of Montenegro, ten MPs from Peace is Our Nation and four MPs from URA.

"We believe that we should all take responsibility and that we should all work together, that is why our proposal is Aleksa Becic [...] We will not form the government in taverns, mosques, but we will form the government democratically," Milan Knezevic, leader of Democratic People's Party, a member of For the Future of Montenegro coalition, said during the debates prior to the vote.

Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) won the election with a narrow margin ahead of For the Future of Montenegro. Based on 100% of the ballots counted, DPS led with 143,548 votes, or 35.06% of the ballots cast - its weakest election result since 1990, yet strong enough to secure the party's 11th straight victory in vote for parliament.

Under Montenegro's constitution, the president should give a mandate for the forming of the next government to the election winner within 30 days after the inauguration of the new parliament. If the winner fails to form a cabinet, the mandate goes to the next party in terms of the number of MPs.

DPS holds 30 mandates in the new parliament. For the Future of Montenegro coalition that comprises right-wing populist alliance Democratic Front, conservative alliance Popular Movement, and the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, has 27 MPs. Peace is Our Nation has 10 mandates in the new assembly, while URA has 4 MPs. Two other non-ethnic formations passed the threshold for entry into parliament -- the Social Democrats of Montenegrohas3 MPs, and the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro has 2 mandates.

Among ethnic minority parties, the Bosniak Party has 3 MPs, the Albanian List coaliton of New Democratic Force (Forca), the Albanian Alternative (AA), Albanian Coalition Perspective (AKP) and the Democratic League of Albanians, and the Albanian Coalition of the Democratic Party (DP) of former пayor of Ulcinj, Fatmir Gjeka, the Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA) and the Democratic League in Montenegro (DSCG), have one mandate each.