PODGORICA, April 7 (Hina) - The incumbent Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) won the presidential elections which were held in that small Adriatic country on Sunday, according to preliminary results released by the election observing organisation called Centre for Democratic Transition.

Vujanovic won 51.4 percent of the vote at the first presidential polls which Montenegro organised since it had gained its independence from the state union with Serbia two years ago.

Nebojsa Medojevic, the leader of the strongest opposition party, called the Movement for Changes (PzP), won 15.7 percent of ballots.

The other two candidates, who are representatives of the pro-Serb bloc: Andrija Mandic of the Serb List (SL), and Srdjan Milic of the Socialist People's Party (SNP), mustered 20.4 percent and 12.2 percent respectively, according to the Centre for Democratic Transition. whose 500 observers monitored yesterday's elections.

About 800 international and domestic observers monitored the polls.

A turnout was 69 percent.

After casting his ballot on Sunday, Filip Vujanovic told reporters that he hoped to be re-elected.

He said that he was certain that Montenegrins would support the current policy pursued by his DPS party.

These elections will show that citizens support the continuation of the current state policy and Montenegro's European aspirations, as well as its efforts to establish itself as a civil state in which minorities can exercise their rights, Vujanovic said on that occasion.