Montenegrin independence movement founded

The leader of a newly founded Montenegrin independence movement on Monday said he believed that this Yugoslav republic would become independent within two years. "We see that as a process, but the sooner the better," said Miodrag Vlahovic, president of the Movement for an Independent Montenegro. He said popular support for either independence or a confederation with Serbia was growing in the wake of the Kosovo conflict. The non-governmental organization, which held its first news conference on Monday, was founded last month by a group of 24 university professors, writers, editors and other intellectuals as well as two former parliamentarians. Vlahovic said Serbian society was ruined - politically, psychologically as well as in terms of material destruction - and pursued totally different policies from those of Montenegro. Vlahovic said he was convinced it was possible to achieve independence in a peaceful and democratic way according to the Montenegrin constitution.

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said last week that Montenegro would hold a referendum on whether to break away from Serbia when the time was right, saying the was now on Belgrade to prove that the much-battered federal structure was still viable. However, Djukanovic has not pushed for independence.

Source: Free Serbia

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