Historical independence

History: Montenegro

From the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro through an EU-mediated referendum framework, the May 2006 vote, and independence and UN membership.

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The State Union and the referendum framework

The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was established in 2002 by the "Belgrade Agreement" as successor to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Its Constitutional Charter placed a three-year moratorium on either member holding an independence referendum.[1] Following the moratorium's expiry, and amid deep political polarisation between pro-independence and pro-union parties, the EU High Representative appointed a Special Envoy, Ambassador Miroslav Lajčák, to broker a framework for the referendum; agreement was reached in February 2006 on contentious issues including the majority requirements for the vote to pass and a politically balanced referendum administration led by an independent chairperson.[2]

The 2006 referendum

A special referendum law was adopted on 1 March 2006, setting a turnout requirement of at least 50% of registered voters and a qualified-majority requirement of 55% of valid votes for independence to pass.[2] The referendum was held on 21 May 2006, observed by an International Referendum Observation Mission of 365 short-term observers from 35 OSCE participating States, led by the OSCE/ODIHR.[3]

· Referendum or popular consultation

Montenegro referendum on state-status, 2006

Montenegrins voted on 21 May 2006 on whether to become an independent state; 55.5% of valid votes favoured independence, clearing a threshold negotiated under EU mediation, and international observers assessed the process as in line with democratic standards.

Of 484,718 registered voters, 419,236 (86.49%) voted; 230,711 valid votes (55.50%) favoured independence and 184,954 (44.50%) favoured remaining in the state union, meeting both thresholds.[4] The OSCE/ODIHR assessed the process as conducted in line with OSCE and other international standards for democratic electoral processes.[3]

Independence and United Nations membership

The Montenegrin parliament acknowledged the referendum result and declared Montenegro independent at a special session on 3 June 2006.[5]

· Declaration

Montenegrin parliament declares independence, 2006

Following certification of the referendum result, the Montenegrin parliament acknowledged that Montenegro was an independent state seeking full international and legal personality.

The Security Council recommended Montenegro's UN membership on 22 June 2006, and the General Assembly admitted the Republic of Montenegro as the 192nd member state on 28 June 2006.[6][7]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: The 21 May 2006 referendum addressed whether Montenegro should be an independent state or remain in the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, established in 2002 as successor to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under a "Belgrade Agreement" whose Constitutional Charter placed a three-year moratorium on either member holding an independence referendum; the stipulated referendum question was "Do you want the Republic of Montenegro to be an independent state with full international and legal personality?"

    • OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Republic of Montenegro, Referendum on State-Status, 21 May 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission Final Report (OSCE/ODIHR, 4 August 2006) link, Referendum context, p. 3. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: Facing a lack of political consensus on the conditions for the referendum, the EU High Representative appointed Ambassador Miroslav Lajčák as Special Envoy to lead negotiations; a framework agreed in February 2006 set a turnout requirement of at least 50% of registered voters and a qualified-majority requirement of 55% of valid votes for independence to be considered a valid decision, embodied in the special Law on the Referendum on State Legal Status adopted by the Montenegrin parliament on 1 March 2006; a constitutional challenge asserting a two-thirds parliamentary vote was additionally required was dismissed by the Constitutional Court shortly before the referendum.

    • OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Republic of Montenegro, Referendum on State-Status, 21 May 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission Final Report (OSCE/ODIHR, 4 August 2006) link, Referendum context and Legal Framework, pp. 3-5. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission, joined by delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament to form an International Referendum Observation Mission of 365 short-term observers from 35 OSCE participating States, concluded that "the 21 May 2006 referendum on the state-status of the Republic of Montenegro provided its citizens with a genuine opportunity to determine the future course of Montenegro as an independent state...Overall, the referendum was conducted in line with OSCE and other international standards related to democratic electoral processes." Attributed to OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission

    • OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Republic of Montenegro, Referendum on State-Status, 21 May 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission Final Report (OSCE/ODIHR, 4 August 2006) link, Executive Summary, p. 1. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Of 484,718 registered voters, 419,236 (86.49%) voted in the 21 May 2006 referendum. Of valid votes, 230,711 (55.50%) were cast for independence and 184,954 (44.50%) for remaining in the state union, meeting both the turnout and qualified-majority thresholds; final results were announced by the Republican Referendum Commission on 31 May 2006.

    • OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Republic of Montenegro, Referendum on State-Status, 21 May 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission Final Report (OSCE/ODIHR, 4 August 2006) link, Announcement of Results and Post-Referendum Developments, and Annex A. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: The chairperson of the Republican Referendum Commission formally submitted the official referendum results at a special session of the Montenegrin parliament on 3 June 2006, at which parliament voted to acknowledge that the result meant Montenegro was an independent state that would seek full international and legal personality; representatives of the pro-union bloc did not attend the session.

    • OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Republic of Montenegro, Referendum on State-Status, 21 May 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Referendum Observation Mission Final Report (OSCE/ODIHR, 4 August 2006) link, Announcement of Results and Post-Referendum Developments, p. 19. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: On 22 June 2006 the Security Council, having examined the Republic of Montenegro's application for UN membership (S/2006/409), recommended to the General Assembly that it be admitted.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1691 (2006) (United Nations, 22 June 2006) link, operative paragraph. Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: The UN General Assembly decided to admit the Republic of Montenegro to membership in the United Nations at its 91st plenary meeting on 28 June 2006, following the Security Council's recommendation of 22 June 2006; Montenegro became the 192nd UN member state.

    • United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 60/264: Admission of the Republic of Montenegro to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 28 June 2006) link, operative paragraph and meeting note. Source record

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