Montenegrin Leaders Pushing For Their Republic's Independence

The Montenegrin government is determined to carry on with its policy toward gaining independence for the republic, since there is "no reason to change the once approved strategy of achieving this goal." The statement was made Wednesday by President Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro on local television. According to him, the results of the Sunday elections and the current political situation in Montenegro "prompt the necessity of achieving statehood and independence." The Montenegrin president stressed that last Sunday, for the first time in the past 83 years, his government presented the electors with the choice between the federal Yugoslavia and the revival of Montenegrin statehood and sovereignty. A majority of the Montenegrins (55 percent) opted for independence, he emphasised. The head of the republic announced that the formation of a coalition government would soon be negotiated with the Liberal Union. He does not think it will be hard to reach an accord with the Liberals, as they, too, are pushing for a referendum on Montenegro's independence.