PODGORICA -- Jakov Milatovic, a 36-year-old former economy minister, claimed victory in Montenegro's runoff presidential election, having defeated longtime leader Milo Djukanovic, who conceded defeat.
"Montenegro has made its choice. I respect that choice, and I congratulate Jakov Milatovic," Djukanovic told supporters at his party headquarters in the capital, Podgorica, late on April 2.
SEE ALSO: Jakov Milatovic, The Man Who Unseated Montenegro's Longtime LeaderFollowing Djukanovic's remarks, Milatovic told supporters that "tonight is the night we have been waiting for over 30 years. This is a victory of a reconciled Montenegro."
"Within the next five years, we will lead Montenegro into the European Union," he said.
During the victory speech, he was joined by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, and leaders of the pro-Russia Democratic Front.
The reliable Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI) said Milatovic had 60 percent of the vote to the 61-year-old Djukanovic’s 40 percent, citing vote samples.
Another polling company, Democratic Transition (CDT), put Milatovic at nearly 57 percent, according to its calculations, with turnout estimated at about 70 percent.
Official results are scheduled to be released on April 3.
With Milatovic’s apparent victory, his supporters took to the streets of Podgorica waving banners and shooting off fireworks.
Neither candidate was able to secure a majority in the first round of presidential elections held in the ex-Yugoslav republic two weeks ago.
If confirmed by the official results, a victory by Milatovic could allow the former Yugoslav republic to escape two years of political stalemate and return to the path of reform.
Djukanovic will remain in office until May 21, when he would be scheduled to hand over the mostly ceremonial positon to Milatovic for a five-year term.
Djukanovic topped the first round of voting with 35.3 percent, edging out Milatovic, who received 29.2 percent. Analysts said the small margin of victory likely mean the runoff would be a very close race.
WATCH: Candidates in Montenegro's presidential runoff cast their ballots in the capital, Podgorica, on April 2.
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Montenegrins Elect New President
Djukanovic, the head of the Democratic Party of Socialists, has effectively led Montenegro as president or prime minister since 1991. He ran on the slogan "Our President," but his three decades in power have been dogged by perceptions of rampant organized crime and corruption.
"I'm absolutely convinced that I will become a new president of the country, that today the citizens of Montenegro will send the current president to the political past," said Milatovic before casting his ballot.
Milatovic is a leading member of the Europe Now movement. He served as economics minister in a government cobbled together by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church, a point Djukanovic said made his opponent a "representative of the politics of Greater Serbian nationalism."
Milatovic campaigned on boosting prosperity in a country that averaged nearly 3 percent growth for two decades before huge volatility over the past three years caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine that drove energy prices to record highs.
SEE ALSO: On Europe And The West, Montenegro's Presidential Challenger Talks A Good Game. But Is He The Real Deal?
Europe Now shot into the national spotlight with a strong showing in last year's local elections in the capital, Podgorica, within months of being formed.
Endorsements from other challengers and parties of the Western-educated economist since that first-round vote suggest he could ride anti-Djukanovic sentiment to victory in the runoff and bring about a new era in Montenegro's political life.
As a candidate, he has played up his economic experience and support for Montenegro's EU membership bid, but he has also consistently argued for closer relations with Serbia.
In an interview with RFE/RL shortly before the first-round vote, Kenneth Morrison, a specialist in modern Southeastern European history and politics at De Montfort University in the United Kingdom, said few presidential elections in Montenegro have been as important as this one.
The last comparable national choice came in 1997, he suggested, when, as prime minister, Djukanovic unseated a staunch ally of Slobodan Milosevic for the presidency to put Montenegro on the path toward independence in 2006.
"This election could be equally pivotal in that the outcome could determine the country's future trajectory," Morrison said.