Montenegro to Hold Elections on October 14

As the tiny Adriatic country faces tough EU accession talks, its president has called early parliamentary elections.

Filip Vujanovic, Montenegro's president, has called early parliamentary election for October 14, some six months ahead of schedule.

This comes following a vote by lawmakers last week to dissolve parliament and head to early polls after the EU opened accession talks in June.

The parliament's session was shortened at the initiative of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, which wanted a fresh mandate for the country's EU accession talks. Montenegro started membership talks with the EU at the end of June.

The opposition, however, said the DPS is rushing to elections for fear of what lies in store for the struggling economy next year.

This will be the 9th elections since the introduction of a multiparty system in Montenegro and the third one since Montenegro's declared independence from Serbia in 2006.

BIRN