Non-governmental organizations that supported Dragoljub Duško Vuković for a member of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services and Marijana Camović Veličković for a member of the RTCG Council express serious concern that the majority in the Administrative Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro is preparing a new obstruction of the implementation of media laws with regard to the final confirmation of candidates nominated by NGOs.
“In this context, we particularly point to the scheduling of the so-called consultative hearing for July 24, even though the law does not provide for such a procedure. We emphasize that NGOs active in the field of media and human rights protection do not oppose any procedure that increases transparency. However, a consultative hearing is not part of the procedure prescribed by the Law on the National Public Broadcaster and the Law on AVM Services, because the NGOs have each proposed one of their representatives for both bodies, who should be confirmed given that they clearly meet the prescribed legal conditions (Montenegrin citizenship, residence, level VII educational qualification, five years of work experience in the relevant field, professional recognition, and no conflict of interest),” the statement said.
It is further stated that the legal procedure requires the Administrative Committee to verify the validity of the documentation submitted by organizations authorized to propose candidates for members of the RTCG and AVM Services councils (NGOs in the field of media and human rights protection, CANU, the Montenegrin PEN Center, trade union organizations), which also includes evidence that the proposed candidates meet the legal requirements, as well as statements from the candidates that there are no obstacles to their appointment in terms of conflicts of interest.
They stated that on July 10 the Administrative Committee established the list of complete and timely proposals for members of these two councils and confirmed that Dragoljub Duško Vuković’s candidacy is valid, as he was supported by nine NGOs from the field of media that meet the legal requirements (registered at least three years before the public call for proposals, active in the media field, and with annual budgets for media activities exceeding €3,000), and that he personally meets the legal requirements. Dragoljub Duško Vuković is the only NGO candidate for a member of the Council of the Agency for AVM Services.
They noted that on the same day the Administrative Committee established the list of complete and timely proposals for three members of the RTCG Council and confirmed 25 legally acceptable NGO endorsements for Marijana Camović Veličković from the fields of human rights protection, environmental protection, and consumer protection (registered at least three years before the call for applications, active in these areas, and with annual budgets for these activities exceeding €3,000), and that she personally meets the legal requirements. Furthermore, Camović Veličković is the only NGO candidate from the aforementioned areas for membership in the RTCG Council.
For members of the Council of the Agency for AVM Services, the call was issued for two members—one proposed by NGOs and another proposed jointly or separately by CANU and the Montenegrin PEN Center. For the NGO seat, one application was received, and for the other seat, two applications.
According to the law, the Administrative Committee must establish a list of candidates for the RTCG Council with three proposed candidates and a list of candidates for the AVM Services Council with one representative from NGOs and one representative from CANU or the PEN Center.
In the case of appointing members of the RTCG Council, the law prescribes that only after the proposal list of candidates from authorized nominators is established—which is then confirmed at a plenary session of the Parliament—does the Administrative Committee have the option to publicly present the candidates and publish their biographies. No consultative hearing is envisaged, nor is one foreseen for the selection of members of the AVM Services Council.
The signatories stated that the Administrative Committee has no legal authority to decide on candidates proposed by organizations defined by law, and in the case of selecting members of the AVM Services Council, the complication and delay of a simple procedure through a consultative hearing raises suspicions about the intentions of the majority in this Committee.
“If there is a violation of the law and a refusal to confirm these NGO candidates for the RTCG Council and the AVM Services Council, the responsibility for such an act will rest with the leaders of the majority: Milojko Spajić, Andrija Mandić, Aleksa Bečić, Ervin Ibrahimović, Nik Đelošaj, and Vladimir Joković,” the statement emphasized.
It is added that such an outcome would jeopardize Montenegro’s credibility in the process of European integration and call into question the closure of negotiation chapters, and could even lead to the reopening of Chapter 10. Let us recall that the adoption of media laws and their implementation was one of the conditions for obtaining a positive IBAR, as well as for the provisional closure of Chapter 10 – Information Society and Media.
“The obstruction of the implementation of media laws in the Parliament of Montenegro has been ongoing for half a year, since two public calls for the appointment of two members of the AVM Services Council were unlawfully annulled, while the public call for the appointment of members of the RTCG Council, instead of being announced in February, was published in May. The intention of the parliamentary majority was also to quickly amend the media laws to ensure control over the RTCG and AVM Services councils. They failed in that due to the EU’s prompt reaction,” said the NGOs.
They stated that they expect the Government of Montenegro, particularly the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Ministry of European Affairs, to clearly take a stand on this issue and ensure compliance with the law, the integrity of the integration process, and the independence of key institutions in the media sphere.
“We emphasize that the goal of such obstructions is not transparency, but rather to narrow the space for the operation of independent regulatory bodies and undermine the role of civil society in the democratization of the media system,” the statement concluded.
Signatories of the statement:
Goran Đurović, Media Center
Olivera Nikolić, Institute for Media of Montenegro (IMCG)
Daliborka Uljarević, Center for Civic Education (CGO)
Milka Tadić Mijović, Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG)
Mila Radulović, Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro
Mustafa Canka, NGO “Ul Info”
Zdravko Janjušević, Bijelo Polje Democratic Center
Željko Đukić, NGO Multimedijal Montenegro
Nataša Nelević, NOVA – Center for Feminist Culture
Slavica Striković, NGO Women’s Action
Nevenka Vuksanović, Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
Zlatko Vujović, Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)
Jovan Ulićević, Association SPEKTRA
Musluć Muamera, NGO Đakomo Adriatic
Boris Nedović, NVU Center North
Radomir Petrić, NVU Sua Sponte Bar
Zorana Marković, Center for Development of NGOs (CRNVO)
Marija Kalezić, Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS)
Staša Baštrica, Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association – Queer Montenegro