Montenegro president votes in parliament elections

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic cast his vote Sunday in a tense election that is pitting the long-ruling pro-Western party against an opposition seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.

 Voters in Montenegro on Sunday cast ballots in a tense election that is pitting the long-ruling pro-Western party against an opposition seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.

The parliamentary vote is marked by a dispute over a law on religious rights that is staunchly opposed by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church.

The issue has fueled divisions in the nation of 620,000 people that has defied its traditional Slavic allies to become independent in 2006 and join NATO in 2017.

Indicating high interest in the election, the turnout in the first hours of balloting was about 14% higher than the same time four years ago.

Months of church-led protests against the property bill have raised tensions and fears of potential incidents during and after the election on Sunday.