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Sunday, 9 February, 2003, 22:09 GMT
Montenegro poll fails
Candidate Filip Vujanovic in front of his campaign poster
Vujanovic had hoped to overcome an opposition boycott
Montenegrins have failed for a second time to elect a president, after observers declared the ballot invalid due to low turnout.

At an estimated 46%, the number of people who participated in this election was even lower than in December, when a first poll had failed on the same grounds.

It can certainly be said that the election has failed

Zlatko Vujovic
Centre for Monitoring Elections
As expected, the governing coalition's candidate Filip Vujanovic won the overwhelming majority of the votes cast.

But bad weather, an opposition boycott of the ballot and widespread voter disillusionment are widely believed to have denied him the 50% turnout he needed to have his assumption of the largely ceremonial post confirmed.

The government now has two options.

Either it can abolish the minimum turnout law and hold the election again later this year, or it can move to indirect elections where the president is chosen by parliament.

'Dirty campaign'

The BBC's Alix Kroeger says the governing party's presidential campaign was dogged by allegations of human trafficking and political pressure on voters.

In December, the deputy state prosecutor and three other officials were arrested on suspicion of trafficking a Moldavian woman into prostitution.

A few days ago, the woman was flown home, the officials were released. The only casualty was the minister of interior who had ordered the arrests.

Montenegrins sit in front of election posters
The opposition told voters to stay at home
Opinion polls show most voters suspect the government of a cover-up.

The government has also been accused of putting pressure on state employees to vote, an allegation which has sparked calls for an official investigation.

Two opposition parties also urged their supporters to boycott the ballot, while heavy snowfall in the mountainous regions is thought is thought to have closed off about 80 polling stations.

Montenegro and its partner Serbia are both now without permanent heads of state in their new union - Serbia and Montenegro - which replaced what remained of Yugoslavia last week.

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The BBC's Alix Kroeger
"The view that all politicians are corrupt is widespread"
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