The Administrative Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro confirmed at its session yesterday the list of candidates for the Council of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), which includes Marijana Camović-Veličković, Nikola Tatar, and Janko Ljumović.
According to Vijesti, the Committee also confirmed the list of candidates for the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AVMU), with Jelena Šušanj, Dragoljub Duško Vuković, and Niko Martinović nominated.
Jelena Kljajević, MP from the Democratic People’s Party (DNP) and Chair of the Working Group of the Administrative Committee tasked with verifying the candidacies, stated that Camović-Veličković was nominated by 29 NGOs from the field of human rights, but noted that four of them failed to submit complete documentation.
She added that the nominations of Tatar and Ljumović were submitted on time and with complete documentation. Tatar was nominated by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Montenegro (SSCG), and Ljumović by Matica crnogorska.
Nedović: Work of Some NGOs Unknown; Ivanović: Nedović Is Misleading the Public
“With no intention of offending anyone or their work, some NGOs… their activities are completely unknown, and some are only formally registered. That is unacceptable,” commented Jelena Nedović, Chair of the Administrative Committee, while reading the names of NGOs that supported Camović-Veličković.
As reported by Antena M, Nedović was publicly addressed by Darko Ivanović, director of the NGO 35mm, who shared their correspondence on Instagram, accusing her of misleading the public.
Among other things, he wrote that 35mm is the founder of the Civic Alliance, has been active since 2007, continuously produces the TV show Robin Hood, employs around ten people, and that he is its director.
Ivanović also pointed out that they are members of negotiation bodies for EU accession and working groups for drafting media laws.
“But if you were simply shooting from the hip, then I salute the political battle against those who criticize you,” Ivanović concluded.
60-Day Deadline for Appointments
Martinović’s nomination, submitted by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), was deemed timely and complete. The same was concluded for Šušanj’s nomination, submitted by the Montenegrin PEN Center.
“Of the 13 NGOs from the media sector, nine submitted timely and complete documentation, while four did not,” said Kljajević.
According to Nedović, the lists will be published in the Official Gazette and on the website of the Parliament of Montenegro.
Under the regulations, Parliament is expected to appoint members to both councils within 60 days of receiving the materials from the Administrative Committee.
Both councils have been operating for some time with incomplete membership, which was noted by the European Commission in June in an informal document (non-paper) on Montenegro’s progress in Chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom, and Security).
The Commission stated that the effective implementation of the new laws on audiovisual media services and on the national public broadcaster in Montenegro is being delayed by slow, non-transparent, and merit-based appointments to the AVMU and RTCG Councils.