Paragraph 43

 

One of the issues explicitly raised in the request from the Parliamentary Assembly concerns the compatibility with applicable international standards of the existing legislation in Montenegro on criteria for the eligibility to vote in the referendum. This request is to be understood in the framework of the discussion on whether Montenegrin citizens resident in Serbia should be entitled to vote in the proposed referendum on independence for Montenegro. Conversely, the issue of citizens of Serbia resident in Montenegro being able to vote also arises. The Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia addressed on 12 July 2005 a letter to the Venice Commission arguing in favour of the right of Montenegrin citizens living in Serbia to vote in the referendum. In June 2005, the Government of Serbia presented a list of more than 260,000 Montenegrin citizens living in Serbia who should be entitled to vote in the referendum. This is an extremely high number with respect to the total size of the electorate of Montenegro. At the last presidential elections, the number of registered voters was indicated as slightly less than 460,000.