Montenegro will not be able to obtain the final benchmarks in the process of joining the European Union (EU) without adequate results in chapters 23 and 24, said the President of the Assembly Danijela Đurović.
She said that the new government has ambitious plans and that one of the most difficult tasks is the selection of leading people in the judiciary, where a qualified majority is needed.
According to Đurović, the new parliamentary majority was brought together by the resolution of obstacles on the way to the EU.
"Within all parliamentary groups, there is a desire to join the EU. From that side, I see the responsibility of silent actors to contribute in order to solve this issue in the best way", said Đurović at the Civic Alliance conference "Challenges of Montenegro in negotiation chapters 23 and 24".
She assessed that the changes within the Prosecutor's Council as well as the appointment of the Supreme State Prosecutor (VDT) and the Special State Prosecutor, even though they are acting, have shown certain results.
"On the other hand, we have to be concerned if we have people who covered serious positions in the prosecutor's office and the judiciary who are currently being prosecuted," said Đurović.
On the one hand, as she stated, it is a great shame for Montenegro, and on the other hand, it shows the great responsibility of the new authorities that they are ready to tackle the challenges when it comes to the rule of law.
"It is good to show that there are finally no untouchables in Montenegro, that should be the strongest message", said Đurović.
She assessed that the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court is an equally important issue and added that the court is currently functioning on the edge of a quorum.
"And in mid-September, they will lose that quorum as well. It is necessary that we make decisions there as soon as possible", warned Đurović.
She said that the Assembly's responsibility is to elect the VDT in full capacity, reminding that now the VDT is in an acting state.
"I hope that we will have enough political responsibility and willingness to solve these issues," added Đurović.
She said that the position of the media is also an important issue and added that the change in the code improved the position of the media.
If journalists ask for the status of an official person, as Đurović said, it speaks "about ourselves, about our society, at which level of development we are".
She stated that there are many challenges in front of Montenegro that it has to solve in a short period of time.
"We remain with a great desire that in this mandate of the Parliament and the Government, we will succeed in solving the main issues and unblocking the path to the EU and establishing quality foundations for the rule of law in the country," said Đurović.
Minister of Justice Marko Kovač, referring to the International Day of Support for Victims of Torture, which is celebrated today, said that a high-quality system of human rights protection includes the existence of effective mechanisms to control compliance with the law.
"The basis of protection is an independent and efficient judiciary and it is one of the priorities of Montenegro in the EU accession process," Kovač said.
He stated that trust in the judiciary cannot be separated from its efficiency and transparency.
"Numerous advances have been achieved in the area of judicial reform, but in certain spheres there is still significant room for improvement. The main challenges are the backlog of cases and the duration of court proceedings," Kovač said.
In order to further approach European standards, the Ministry, he added, continued to strengthen the policy in the system of execution of criminal sanctions, the main characteristics of which are the improvement of the legislative framework, the promotion of alternative types of sanctions, the reduction of the prison population, and the improvement of conditions in prisons.
"Amendments to the Criminal Code will abolish the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution and execution of punishment for criminal acts of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Penalties will be tightened, especially if the criminal offense was committed by an official. Amendments to the law on free legal aid for victims of torture will make privileged users of this right," Kovač added.
French Ambassador Christian Timonie said that he hopes that, as far as Chapters 23 and 24 are concerned, national interests will be satisfied.
He said that the police had done a lot to prevent abuses and that the OSCE had proven its effectiveness in that field.
Timonius said that chapters 23 and 24 are a reflection of the state of society.
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