Montenegrin government falls over ties with Serbian Church

By PREDRAG MILIC
Associated Press

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — The Montenegrin government has collapsed in a no-confidence vote that followed a rift over relations with the powerful Serbian Orthodox Church. Lawmakers voted 50-1 early Saturday to oust the government of Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic just weeks after he signed an agreement regulating the position of the Serbian church in Montenegro. The issue is sensitive for many in the small Balkan nation, which which split from its much bigger neighbor Serbia in 2006. The Serbian Orthodox Church enjoys the biggest following in Montenegro but the nation is divided over the church’s dominant role and the country’s ties to Serbia. It isn’t not immediately clear whether the fall of the government will lead to snap parliamentary electiona or if the parties will try to form a new govening coalition.