Montenegrins set to escape Serb embrace

Montenegrins set to escape Serb embrace

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article548922.ece

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic in Cetinje, Montenegro
Published: 20 May 2006
Tucked between centuries-old cypress trees, behind a neat green garden,
the sounds of soft piano and violin music waft from a small building.

The musicians - students of the Musical Academy of Montenegro - all
know the grand purpose that the building used to serve some 90 years
ago, when Cetinje was the capital of the independent kingdom of
Montenegro. It was the British embassy. "We hope it will be the embassy
again, once our country becomes independent," said Adrijana Mitrovic, a
young pianist.

Like all her family and friends, she plans to vote "yes" in tomorrow's
long-awaited referendum, when 485,000 voters have the chance to decide
whether they want Montenegro to remain in a loose "state union" with
Serbia or become independent once more. Together with Serbia, this
tiny, spectacularly beautiful mountainous republic, whose population is
only 650,000, is the last remnant of the Yugoslav federation that fell
apart amid much bloodshed in the 1990s. After Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia
and Macedonia declared independence, only Montenegro was left locked in
Serbia's embrace.

But it may not be for much longer. Since the mid-1990s, the clamour to
go it alone has increased, only to be checked in 2003, when the EU
pressured Montenegro to join in a state union with Serbia.

The government agreed, with the proviso that Montenegrins would have a
free say in three years' time. Judgement day has dawned.

Montenegro's vastly bigger partner, Serbia, remains bitter about the
whole affair. But Belgrade's objections are more emotional than serious
and few expect any of the violence of the 1990s to be repeated,
whatever the result of the vote.

The most recent public opinion polls by the analyst Srdjan Darmanovic
suggest the vote will be narrow, with about 56 per cent of voters
expected to ballot in favour of independence.

"We don't expect any problems in the course of voting or after the
results are announced on Sunday evening," Mr Darmanovic said in
Podgorica, which is now the capital.

Under EU auspices, the pro-independence Montenegrin government and the
pro-Serbian opposition have agreed Montenegro will not proclaim itself
an independent state unless at least 55 per cent of voters say "yes"
and unless turnout is at least 50 per cent.

Few worry about a small turnout. Most say it will be as high as 85 per
cent. And the government camp is confident of beating the 55 per cent
threshold, too.

"Montenegro will be the first new state in Europe in the 21st century,"
a prominent economist, Veselin Vukotic, predicted.

What it will do then is a moot point. With its 100km-long Adriatic
coast, tourism and services are the future, Mr Vukotic said. Millions
of euros are already being invested into new roads and a better water
supply and sewage system.

"Podgorica aims to be a busy, bustling Euro-Mediterranean town," the
mayor, Miomir Mugosa, said. "With 183,000 people, roughly one-third of
Montenegro, this town has great potential."

Montenegro lost its independence in 1918 when it became part of Kingdom
of Yugoslavia and its last king Nikola I was forced into exile. His
great-grandson, Prince Nikola II, is now often to be seen back in
Montenegro. A French architect with no pretensions to a royal
restoration, he urged his countrymen to vote "yes" at Thursday's final
rally of pro-independence supporters.

But while ethnic Montenegrins seem likely to heed that call, their
close cousins the Serbs - who make up some 30 per cent of the
population, sharing the same Orthodox religion and language - are
unenthusiastic.

Tucked between centuries-old cypress trees, behind a neat green garden,
the sounds of soft piano and violin music waft from a small building.

The musicians - students of the Musical Academy of Montenegro - all
know the grand purpose that the building used to serve some 90 years
ago, when Cetinje was the capital of the independent kingdom of
Montenegro. It was the British embassy. "We hope it will be the embassy
again, once our country becomes independent," said Adrijana Mitrovic, a
young pianist.

Like all her family and friends, she plans to vote "yes" in tomorrow's
long-awaited referendum, when 485,000 voters have the chance to decide
whether they want Montenegro to remain in a loose "state union" with
Serbia or become independent once more. Together with Serbia, this
tiny, spectacularly beautiful mountainous republic, whose population is
only 650,000, is the last remnant of the Yugoslav federation that fell
apart amid much bloodshed in the 1990s. After Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia
and Macedonia declared independence, only Montenegro was left locked in
Serbia's embrace.

But it may not be for much longer. Since the mid-1990s, the clamour to
go it alone has increased, only to be checked in 2003, when the EU
pressured Montenegro to join in a state union with Serbia.

The government agreed, with the proviso that Montenegrins would have a
free say in three years' time. Judgement day has dawned.

Montenegro's vastly bigger partner, Serbia, remains bitter about the
whole affair. But Belgrade's objections are more emotional than serious
and few expect any of the violence of the 1990s to be repeated,
whatever the result of the vote.

The most recent public opinion polls by the analyst Srdjan Darmanovic
suggest the vote will be narrow, with about 56 per cent of voters
expected to ballot in favour of independence.
"We don't expect any problems in the course of voting or after the
results are announced on Sunday evening," Mr Darmanovic said in
Podgorica, which is now the capital.

Under EU auspices, the pro-independence Montenegrin government and the
pro-Serbian opposition have agreed Montenegro will not proclaim itself
an independent state unless at least 55 per cent of voters say "yes"
and unless turnout is at least 50 per cent.

Few worry about a small turnout. Most say it will be as high as 85 per
cent. And the government camp is confident of beating the 55 per cent
threshold, too.

"Montenegro will be the first new state in Europe in the 21st century,"
a prominent economist, Veselin Vukotic, predicted.

What it will do then is a moot point. With its 100km-long Adriatic
coast, tourism and services are the future, Mr Vukotic said. Millions
of euros are already being invested into new roads and a better water
supply and sewage system.

"Podgorica aims to be a busy, bustling Euro-Mediterranean town," the
mayor, Miomir Mugosa, said. "With 183,000 people, roughly one-third of
Montenegro, this town has great potential."

Montenegro lost its independence in 1918 when it became part of Kingdom
of Yugoslavia and its last king Nikola I was forced into exile. His
great-grandson, Prince Nikola II, is now often to be seen back in
Montenegro. A French architect with no pretensions to a royal
restoration, he urged his countrymen to vote "yes" at Thursday's final
rally of pro-independence supporters.

But while ethnic Montenegrins seem likely to heed that call, their
close cousins the Serbs - who make up some 30 per cent of the
population, sharing the same Orthodox religion and language - are
unenthusiastic.

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GET A LIFE

"eetinBelgië" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
Montenegrins set to escape Serb embrace

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article548922.ece

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic in Cetinje, Montenegro
Published: 20 May 2006
Tucked between centuries-old cypress trees, behind a neat green garden,
the sounds of soft piano and violin music waft from a small building.

The musicians - students of the Musical Academy of Montenegro - all
know the grand purpose that the building used to serve some 90 years
ago, when Cetinje was the capital of the independent kingdom of
Montenegro. It was the British embassy. "We hope it will be the embassy
again, once our country becomes independent," said Adrijana Mitrovic, a
young pianist.

Like all her family and friends, she plans to vote "yes" in tomorrow's
long-awaited referendum, when 485,000 voters have the chance to decide
whether they want Montenegro to remain in a loose "state union" with
Serbia or become independent once more. Together with Serbia, this
tiny, spectacularly beautiful mountainous republic, whose population is
only 650,000, is the last remnant of the Yugoslav federation that fell
apart amid much bloodshed in the 1990s. After Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia
and Macedonia declared independence, only Montenegro was left locked in
Serbia's embrace.

But it may not be for much longer. Since the mid-1990s, the clamour to
go it alone has increased, only to be checked in 2003, when the EU
pressured Montenegro to join in a state union with Serbia.

The government agreed, with the proviso that Montenegrins would have a
free say in three years' time. Judgement day has dawned.

Montenegro's vastly bigger partner, Serbia, remains bitter about the
whole affair. But Belgrade's objections are more emotional than serious
and few expect any of the violence of the 1990s to be repeated,
whatever the result of the vote.

The most recent public opinion polls by the analyst Srdjan Darmanovic
suggest the vote will be narrow, with about 56 per cent of voters
expected to ballot in favour of independence.

"We don't expect any problems in the course of voting or after the
results are announced on Sunday evening," Mr Darmanovic said in
Podgorica, which is now the capital.

Under EU auspices, the pro-independence Montenegrin government and the
pro-Serbian opposition have agreed Montenegro will not proclaim itself
an independent state unless at least 55 per cent of voters say "yes"
and unless turnout is at least 50 per cent.

Few worry about a small turnout. Most say it will be as high as 85 per
cent. And the government camp is confident of beating the 55 per cent
threshold, too.

"Montenegro will be the first new state in Europe in the 21st century,"
a prominent economist, Veselin Vukotic, predicted.

What it will do then is a moot point. With its 100km-long Adriatic
coast, tourism and services are the future, Mr Vukotic said. Millions
of euros are already being invested into new roads and a better water
supply and sewage system.

"Podgorica aims to be a busy, bustling Euro-Mediterranean town," the
mayor, Miomir Mugosa, said. "With 183,000 people, roughly one-third of
Montenegro, this town has great potential."

Montenegro lost its independence in 1918 when it became part of Kingdom
of Yugoslavia and its last king Nikola I was forced into exile. His
great-grandson, Prince Nikola II, is now often to be seen back in
Montenegro. A French architect with no pretensions to a royal
restoration, he urged his countrymen to vote "yes" at Thursday's final
rally of pro-independence supporters.

But while ethnic Montenegrins seem likely to heed that call, their
close cousins the Serbs - who make up some 30 per cent of the
population, sharing the same Orthodox religion and language - are
unenthusiastic.

Tucked between centuries-old cypress trees, behind a neat green garden,
the sounds of soft piano and violin music waft from a small building.

The musicians - students of the Musical Academy of Montenegro - all
know the grand purpose that the building used to serve some 90 years
ago, when Cetinje was the capital of the independent kingdom of
Montenegro. It was the British embassy. "We hope it will be the embassy
again, once our country becomes independent," said Adrijana Mitrovic, a
young pianist.

Like all her family and friends, she plans to vote "yes" in tomorrow's
long-awaited referendum, when 485,000 voters have the chance to decide
whether they want Montenegro to remain in a loose "state union" with
Serbia or become independent once more. Together with Serbia, this
tiny, spectacularly beautiful mountainous republic, whose population is
only 650,000, is the last remnant of the Yugoslav federation that fell
apart amid much bloodshed in the 1990s. After Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia
and Macedonia declared independence, only Montenegro was left locked in
Serbia's embrace.

But it may not be for much longer. Since the mid-1990s, the clamour to
go it alone has increased, only to be checked in 2003, when the EU
pressured Montenegro to join in a state union with Serbia.

The government agreed, with the proviso that Montenegrins would have a
free say in three years' time. Judgement day has dawned.

Montenegro's vastly bigger partner, Serbia, remains bitter about the
whole affair. But Belgrade's objections are more emotional than serious
and few expect any of the violence of the 1990s to be repeated,
whatever the result of the vote.

The most recent public opinion polls by the analyst Srdjan Darmanovic
suggest the vote will be narrow, with about 56 per cent of voters
expected to ballot in favour of independence.
"We don't expect any problems in the course of voting or after the
results are announced on Sunday evening," Mr Darmanovic said in
Podgorica, which is now the capital.

Under EU auspices, the pro-independence Montenegrin government and the
pro-Serbian opposition have agreed Montenegro will not proclaim itself
an independent state unless at least 55 per cent of voters say "yes"
and unless turnout is at least 50 per cent.

Few worry about a small turnout. Most say it will be as high as 85 per
cent. And the government camp is confident of beating the 55 per cent
threshold, too.

"Montenegro will be the first new state in Europe in the 21st century,"
a prominent economist, Veselin Vukotic, predicted.

What it will do then is a moot point. With its 100km-long Adriatic
coast, tourism and services are the future, Mr Vukotic said. Millions
of euros are already being invested into new roads and a better water
supply and sewage system.

"Podgorica aims to be a busy, bustling Euro-Mediterranean town," the
mayor, Miomir Mugosa, said. "With 183,000 people, roughly one-third of
Montenegro, this town has great potential."

Montenegro lost its independence in 1918 when it became part of Kingdom
of Yugoslavia and its last king Nikola I was forced into exile. His
great-grandson, Prince Nikola II, is now often to be seen back in
Montenegro. A French architect with no pretensions to a royal
restoration, he urged his countrymen to vote "yes" at Thursday's final
rally of pro-independence supporters.

But while ethnic Montenegrins seem likely to heed that call, their
close cousins the Serbs - who make up some 30 per cent of the
population, sharing the same Orthodox religion and language - are
unenthusiastic.