The people of the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro are going to the polls in parliamentary elections that will give them a chance to vote - indirectly - for or against the policies of the Yugoslav strongman, President Slobodan Milosevic.

The choice facing Montenegrins is between Mr Milosevic's close associate, Momir Bulatovic; and his most powerful adversary, the pro-Western Milo Djukanovic.

The rift between Mr Bulatovic, Montenegro's former President, and Mr Djukanovic, its current head of state, is the main reason for the elections, which come just 18 months after the previous parliamentary poll.

Challenging the president

During the massive wave of Serbia opposition protests at the beginning of last year Mr Djukanovic - then Montenegro's Prime Minister - turned decisively against President Milosevic.

He then challenged Mr Bulatovic for Montenegro's presidency and defeated him in a narrow vote at the end of the year.

In the process, the governing ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialists split with Mr Djukanovic keeping the majority and Mr Bulatovic establishing a new group, the Socialist People's Party.

Support from this group was crucial in helping Mr Milosevic get - somewhat dubiously - the required majority in the Yugoslav federal parliament last week to appoint Mr Bulatovic Yugoslav Prime Minister.

Montenegro vs. Yugoslavia

A woman selling cigarretes in Podgorica: The headline of her newspaper reads "Power in Yugoslavia"

Opinion polls suggest that Mr Djukanovic's party will secure a wider margin over Mr Bulatovic's supporters than he did in the presidential race.

Besides, he can also count on the support of a pro-independence party and on Montenegro's substantial ethnic Albanian and Slav Muslim minorities.

As President of the tiny Montenegrin republic of just 650,000 people, Mr Djukanovic has stood up to Mr Milosevic.

And his visits to the major Western capitals over the past two months have secured him some financial assistance.

That's a considerable achievement considering that Yugoslavia as a whole remains subject to a so-called "outer wall of sanctions".

Frustration over the economy

Indeed, it was frustration over Yugoslavia's continued self-imposed isolation and the resulting lack of foreign investment and aid that's turned the reformist Mr Djukanovic against the post-communist Mr Milosevic.

But he is unlikely to win a huge victory over the pro-Belgrade side.

After all, personal loyalties, strong ties to Serbia among many Montenegrins and fear over the Yugoslav army's reaction if Montenegro tries to distance itself too far from Belgrade may prompt many voters to go for Mr Bulatovic's party.

Crisis set to drag on

Even a clear victory for Mr Djukanovic is unlikely to mark the end of the crisis in Montenegro's relations with the Yugoslav federation.

On the contrary, the crisis is almost certain to drag on.

For one reason, Mr Bulatovic has already challenged the validity of the vote on the grounds that additional names have been put on the electoral rolls.