BELGRADE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the ruling party of Montenegro, declared victory of their leader Milo Djukanovic in the presidential elections on Sunday, who promised to continue to pursue country's future membership in the European Union (EU).
The victory of Djukanovic was celebrated at the headquarters of DPS.
According to the preliminary results of the State Electoral Commission based on 54.8 percent of counted votes, Djukanovic won 55.57 votes at the presidential elections.
Mladen Bojanic, the second ranked candidate supported by larger part of opposition parties, won 32 percent, while Draginja Vuksanovic from the Social-Democratic Party of Montenegro won 8 percent.
Turnout at the presidential elections, according to the electoral commission, was 64 percent, meaning that 327,865 people voted.
Djukanovic who has served as the prime minister of Montenegro for six terms, and one term as president, told a press conference Sunday night at his party headquarters that "another valuable victory was achieved for the benefit of the European future of Montenegro."
He said that the fact that such large percent of voters opted for him is a strong confirmation that Montenegro should continue along the path towards the EU.
"I am convinced that we will not let citizens down and that in next five years we will be also able to make that step (towards full EU membership)," Djukanovic said at the headquarters of DPS in front of several hundred supporters.
Bojanic, the second ranked candidate asked his voters not to understand the result as a defeat, but as a basis for future struggle against the ruling party and refused to congratulate Djukanovic on the victory.
The final results will be announced in following weeks after the State Electoral Commission decides on complaints on irregularities.
Djukanovic is set to replace incumbent President Filip Vujanovic, whose mandate expires in May.
