Social Democratic Party of Montenegro

Infobox Montenegrin Political Party
party_name = Social Democratic Party of Montenegro
party_name_lat = Socijaldemokratska stranka Crne Gore
party_name_cyr = Социјалдемократска странка Црне Горе
party_
leader = Ranko Krivokapić
foundation = 1993
ideology = Social democracy
Left-wing nationalism
position = Centre-left
international = Socialist International
headquarters = Podgorica
colours = Red, Blue, White (Montenegrin tricolor)
website = http://www.sdp.co.meThe Social Democratic Party of Montenegro (Serbian: Социјалдемократска партија Црне Горе, "Socijaldemokratska Partija Crne Gore") is a political party in Montenegro.

A minor party, according to all polls, with minuscule popular support in Montenegro, SDP has nevertheless managed to play a notable part on the republic's political scene during the last decade. The party's prominence stems from its close relations with the most powerful party in Montenegro - DPS and its leader Milo Đukanović. Allying itself with DPS and Đukanović ahead of the 1998 parliamentary elections allowed SDP to get into the parliament for the very first time in its history - something it wasn't able to do by itself in three previous tries. Ever since the 1998 election, SDP continued to be a part of every Đukanović-led pre-election coalition (three more elections since then) and as a result SDP has also been a part of every Montenegrin government.

At the last legislative elections in Montenegro in October 2006, the party was alloted 8 seats as part of the DPS-SDP list that managed to win 41 seats (Montenegrin parliament has a total of 81 seats).

History

On 14 July 1991 reformists from four coastal municipalities of SR Montenegro, Herceg-Novi, Kotor, Tivat and Budva, who were subsequently joined by reformists from Cetinje, formed the first regional Montenegrin political party - the Alliance of Reformists of the Montenegrin Coastline with Miodrag Marović as President. On 7 July 1992 the League united with Žarko Rakčević's Party of Socialists desiring to create a major Montenegrin party, forming the Social Democratic Party of Reformists of Montenegro. Finally, on 12 June 1993 the Independent Organization of Communists of Bar, the Alliance of Reform forces of Yugoslavia for Montenegro and the Party of National Tolerance merged into it, forming the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro and uniting the forces that opposed then's reigning policies in the Yugoslav wars. Finally, over the years the Yugoslavian People's Party and the old Yugoslavian People's Party joined into SDP CG.

Notable SDP founders were Žarko Rakčević, Ljubiša Stanković and Dušan Simonović. It is the only party in Montenegro to have full membership in Socialist International.

Since the turn in the policies oft Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro towards full independence of Montenegro, DPS and SDP had been working together to achieve this goal. They eventually succeeded, with independence movement achieving victory on a referendum held on May 21, 2006. Current president of SDP and speaker of Montenegrin Parliament, Ranko Krivokapić, had the honor to officially proclaim independence of Montenegro on June 3, 2006.

External links

* [http://www.sdp.cg.yu/ Official site]