Social Democratic Party of Montenegro

On 14 July 1991, members of the Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia (SRSJ) from four coastal municipalities in the SR Montenegro, Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat and Budva, who were subsequently joined by reformists from Cetinje, formed the first regional Montenegrin party, the Alliance of Reformists of the Montenegrin Coastline, with Miodrag Marović as the president. On 7 July 1992, the SRSJ united with Žarko Rakčević's Party of Socialists desiring to create a major Montenegrin party, forming the Social Democratic Party of Reformists of Montenegro. 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 the policies of Slobodan Milošević's regime during the Yugoslav wars. Eventually, the Yugoslav People's Party and the Old Yugoslav People's Party also merged into SDP in the following years. Notable SDP founders include Žarko Rakčević, Dragiša Burzan, and Ljubiša Stanković.[4]

When the policies of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) turned towards the goal of full independence for Montenegro, DPS and SDP started working closely together to achieve this goal. Allying itself with the DPS and Đukanović ahead of the 1998 Montenegrin parliamentary election allowed the SDP to enter the parliament for the first time in its history. Since the 1998 election, SDP has continued to a minor coalition partner of DPS and a part of every government of Montenegro between 1998 and 2015. The goal of restoration of the Montenegrin independence was achieved following the victory in a referendum held on 21 May 2006. Incumbent president of the SDP and President of the Parliament of Montenegro from 2003 to 2016, Ranko Krivokapić, officially proclaimed the independence of Montenegro on 3 June 2006.

Following the shift of the party towards a more critical and independent political course, the pro-DPS faction of the SDP formed in July 2015 a new party named Social Democrats of Montenegro (SD).[5] On 22 January 2016, SDP officially left the ruling Coalition for a European Montenegro with the DPS and announced its support for a vote of no confidence against the government of Milo Đukanović on 25 January 2016. Dollowing the 2016 Montenegrin parliamentary election SDP ran independently for the first time since 1996, and retained its parliamentary status, winning 5.23% of votes.

At the 2018 Montenegrin presidential election, SDP nominated its MP Draginja Vuksanović, who was the first female presidential candidate in the history of Montenegro. Vuksanović finished third, winning 8.2% of the votes.[6] On 29 June 2019, after Krivokapić resignation, Vuksanović was elected new president of the Party, making her the only female president of a Montenegrin political party, at the time. On this occasion, former President Krivokapic has been named honorary president.

• Official website