Preliminary election results show that Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic scored a convincing victory in the Montenegrin presidential runoff, ending Milo Djukanovic’s 30-year rule.

According to the preliminary results of the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CEMI), Milatovic won 60 percent of the vote, while Democratic Party of Socialists Milo Djukanovic received 40 percent.

The state election commission said that 69.33 percent of voters, that is, 375,853 people cast their votes in the presidential runoff.

The first round of presidential elections was held on March 19 with the participation of seven candidates, none of whom won the required majority of votes. Djukanovic was backed by 35.3 percent of voters, and Milanovic by 28.9 percent.

The NGO Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) issued its final projection of the Sunday vote, saying that Milatovic won 58.9 percent and Djukanovic 41.1 percent of votes.

According to CEMI, the turnout was 70.4 percent, while CDT said the turnout stood at 70.7 percent.

Montenegro has some 542,154 eligible voters while the presidential term is five years.

In his first public address following victory in the presidential runoff, Jakov Milatovic said “Tonight is the night we have been waiting for for over 30 years. I wish us a happy victory.”

“Tonight, Montenegro took a decisive step forward and said ‘goodbye’ to the outdated regime of Milo Djukanovic,” he pointed out, promising to lead Montenegro into the European Union within the next five years.

Following his defeat, Democratic Party of Socialists leader Milo Djukanovic congratulated Milatovic on his victory, noting that Montenegro has made its choice and that he respects it.

“I wish Montenegro all the best, and the new president to be worthy of the trust that he received and to contribute to our state’s further democratic and economic prosperity,” said Djukanovic.