The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) invited the Prevention Agency (ASK) to investigate all potential cases of abuse for the purposes of the campaign for local elections in Podgorica.
From that non-governmental organization, they stated that a large number of public officials and employees in the public administration participate in the campaign and use public resources.
CDT program director Milica Kovačević said that the campaign for the Podgorica elections continues through the abuse of public resources and functions and the wanton abuse of all institutional capacities for the promotion of electoral lists.
"Unlike the previous weeks, now we have the first officially identified usurpers of state resources for the sake of gaining an advantage in the elections, that is the capital and its current mayor," Kovačević said.
She stated that the citizens of Podgorica, as well as the whole of Montenegro, "live a dream week, in which all their problems are solved".
"The official campaign, by definition, consists of events and quasi-events that did not have to happen in the pre-election period, but happened precisely because public functions and public resources are subordinated to the election result," Kovačević said.
She said that the dilemma about whether something is a regular activity or an official campaign is eliminated through several control questions.
"Like that, was it necessary for that activity to take place right now, could the same be done after the election, would that activity even be relevant in a few months, could that activity be carried out even without the presence of a public official who has interest in the elections," Kovačević said.
She stated that by sheer coincidence, just in the week before the elections, ministers are visiting the charge d'affaires who promise huge investments, open laboratories in schools, and solemnly mark the enrollment of students.
"Suddenly and without notice, after a completely non-transparent preparation process, intergovernmental agreements announcing new hydropower plants are signed," Kovačević added.
She stated that the Government is not only concerned about energy resources, but also about energy efficiency.
"Well, before the elections, a contract was signed for the reconstruction of the Clinical Hospital Center and hospitals in Cetinje and Bijelo Polje, with the aim of improving the energy efficiency of these facilities," Kovačević said.
She said that the week before the elections was also used for the promotion of the Reform Agenda of Montenegro, which is a condition for granting financial support within the European Union Growth Plan.
That Reform Agenda, as she added, according to the already standard practice of the current Government, did not go through the process of public consultation and public discussion.
"The peak of the genre was reached through the fiction about the construction of an entire city on Velje brdo, with promises that contradict valid plans, regulations, but also geography, mathematics and basic logic," said Kovačević.
According to her, the promise that the first citizens will move to the new city in 2026 will remain recorded as "the peak of the Government's political hypocrisy" in this election campaign.
Kovačević said that even the president was not immune to this euphoria.
"After he invested the most valuable public resource he manages - the position of president - on behalf of one list, he decided to cede less valuable resources, so he recorded a promo video in all the cabinets, owned by all the citizens of this country," Kovačević said.
She said that there should be no confusion about whether he appeared as the president of the citizens or the holder of a list, because the video was not published on the official YouTube channel of the president, but on the YouTube channel of the Za bolja Podgorica list, and as paid political marketing under the name and lists.
Kovačević reminded that the Law on the Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns prohibits the use of the premises of state bodies, state administration bodies, local self-government bodies and local government bodies, public institutions, state funds and companies whose founder and/or majority or partial owner is the state or unit. local governments for the preparation and implementation of campaign activities, if the same conditions are not provided to all participants in the election process.
She stated that the Law on the Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament stipulates that the property of state bodies, public companies, public institutions and funds, local self-government units, or companies in which the state has an ownership stake cannot be used for the presentation of election lists.
Kovačević called on the KAS to investigate all potential cases of abuse for the purposes of the campaign since, as she stated, a large number of public officials and employees in the public administration participate in the campaign and use public resources.
"In this campaign, it is more than obvious that a large number of officials and employees in the public administration work for parties during working hours," Kovačević said.
She pointed out that the Law on the Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns stipulates that it is prohibited to engage, during working hours, in election campaign activities for public officials, with the exception of deputies and councilors, and employees of state bodies, state administration bodies, local self-government bodies, local government bodies, public companies, public institutions and state funds.
Kovačević stated that numerous state and local public officials participated in campaign activities during working hours, which are from 15 a.m. to XNUMX p.m.
Many of these activities, as she stated, were recorded by cameras, and one of the illustrative examples is the face-off between newspaper holders on the Radio-television of Montenegro, which was recorded during working hours.
"We also hope that the KAS sees these obvious and easily proven phenomena and we call on them to react urgently and sanction violators of the law," Kovačević said.
She said that even this campaign could not pass without allegations of pressure on voters, adding that the Party of European Progress (SEP) informed the public that their members and sympathizers are under pressure to change their political affiliation.
"The CDT strongly condemns any attempts to exert illegal influence on voters," Kovačević stated.
She called on the SEP to refer the case with the relevant evidence to the prosecutor's office, which should urgently initiate appropriate procedures and check whether there are elements of violation of the freedom of choice when voting in these actions, as defined by Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro.
"It stipulates that anyone who forces another by force or threat, or in another illegal way influences him to exercise or not exercise the right to vote in elections, or to vote for or against a certain candidate, electoral list or proposal, shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment up to three years," reminded Kovačević.
She said that it is of crucial importance that state institutions defend the right of citizens to vote freely.
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