minister in Europe at the age of 29 in 1991 -- has continued to rule the country from behind the scenes and to remain at the helm of his Democratic Party of Socialists. He is widely expected to become prime minister again, if his coalition wins Sunday. During campaigning, Djukanovic has played a nationalist card, urging Montenegro's more than half a million voters to let him cement the country's statehood and take it into the EU and NATO. "The stakes are high," he told the voters at a recent rally. "After six years of independence, our statehood is still fragile and we still need to strengthen it. We can't give our country to those who were against its independence." Milos Besic of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights said that "no doubt Djukanovic's popularity and charisma are still at a high level," despite the economic crisis and widespread accusations by opposition and some international groups that he and his family have been involved in corruption and links with organized crime. Djukanovic has repeatedly rejected such allegations, including an investigation by Italian prosecutors who had suspected his government of a multimillion-dollar cigarette smuggling operation during international sanctions imposed on Milosevic-led Yugoslavia in the 1990s' because of the Serbian strongman's warmongering policies. Djukanovic's most serious opponent this weekend is Miodrag Lekic, a former diplomat and an associate turned foe. "By insisting on national and other divisions, Djukanovic has tried to avoid real problems," Lekic said, describing Montenegro as "a country of