Serb People's Party (Montenegro)
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| Serbian People's Party of Montenegro | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Leader | Andrija Mandić |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Podgorica |
| Political ideology | Cultural conservativism, center-right |
| International affiliation | |
| Website | http://www.sns.cg.yu |
The Serb People's Party of Montenegro (Serbian: Српска народна странка Црне Горе/Srpska narodna stranka Crne Gore or SNS) is the opposition party with the most representatives in the Parliament of Montenegro.
The SNS is led by Andrija Mandić. At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, on September 10, 2006, The Serbian List led by the SNS won 12 out of 81 seats. It is now the leader of the opposition with the second largest political group in the Parliament of Montenegro with 11 of 76 seats after the ruling DPS-SDP coalition. SNS is the strongest ethnic Serb party as well as the leading in the pro-Serbian opposition bloc.
[edit] Overview
The SNS is an ethnic Serb party that promotes the rights of the Serb ethnic group against what it sees as state-sponsored discrimination. Unlike the pro-federalist SNP which is a social-democratic, it focused solely on representing the interests of Serb people in Montenegro.
It's platform consists of supporting a restoration to tighter relations between Serbia and Montenegro and the protection of the ethnic Serb community in the smaller republic against what it sees as the apartheid-like policies of the government of Milo Đukanović whom it has vehemently opposed since its creation in 1997 following a split from the original NS of Novak Kilibarda regarding policies on the ethno-national question and plans by Kilibarda to form a coalition with the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro. The leader of the fraction, Božidar Bojović, was elected the SNS' first leader.
After Montenegrin independence referendum and proclamation of Montenegro's independence, SNS has openly refused to recognize the results of the referendum, and has started a petition to make gaining of Serbian citizenship possible for Serbs from Montenegro. However, a couple of months later, they have accepted the independence of Montenegro, and adapted their goals to new political environment.
