BELGRADE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,200 polling stations across Montenegro opened on Sunday for eligible voters to cast ballots in a presidential election to choose a new head of state.

The state electoral commission said in a press release that 532,599 people are eligible to vote at the Montenegrin presidential election, and that the voting stations are open from 7:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. (0500 to 1800 GMT).

There are seven presidential candidates, including former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic of the Democratic Party of Socialists, and Mladen Bojanic, who is backed by a coalition of parties including the Democratic Front.

Results of a survey published by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights on March 29 showed that Djukanovic has the support of more than 50 percent of voters, while Bojanic ranked second at 35 percent.

These have been seven presidential elections since the first multi-party election was held in Montenegro in December 1990, and incumbent President Filip Vujanovic is ineligible for re-election.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round of the current election, a run-off will be held two weeks later.