In Montenegro, even after the removal of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) government on August 30, 2020, the practice of officials not being held accountable for the mistakes and omissions they make has continued, and even if they are removed, they usually receive better positions.
This was assessed by the interlocutors of "Vijesti" commenting on the latest case of "rewarding" officials for omissions, namely the proposal of the Speaker of the Parliament. Andrije Mandić (New Serbian Democracy) to propose as his advisor Biljana Vučurović, the former director of the Podgorica Gymnasium. After several protests by citizens, she was dismissed in January due to, as determined by the Education Inspectorate, failure to act in the case of the professor Radoman Čečović who sexually harassed a former student Sara Vujisic.
Civic activist Dževdet Pepić He said that after August 30, 2020, those who criticized the previous behavior of the DPS practically continued in the same pattern, and in some respects even worse.
Pepić believes that "August 31st" practically never came.
"Everyone criticizes DPS, but in some ways things continue to be worse than they were during the DPS era," said Pepić.
Civic activist Stefan Djukic He assessed that advisory positions in the Assembly serve to fill party positions, and that is a bad message.
"The parties of the new government do not like being told that they are doing something like DPS, but they are constantly doing things like DPS. So we cannot help but criticize that and say that there is nothing illegal here. But then it is absolutely legitimate and correct criticism that the political system has not changed," said Đukić.
Mandić submitted a proposal to appoint Vučurović as his advisor to the President of the Administrative Committee. Jelena Nedovic (Europe Now Movement) this week. In explaining the proposal, he stated that Article 5 of the Decision on Special Advisors in the Assembly stipulates that the Speaker of the Parliament may have up to nine advisors.
The head of parliament currently has a chief of staff and five advisors. The chief of staff is Mirko Miličić who is also the spokesperson for the NSD, and advisors: writer Zelidrag Nikčević, former executive director of the Electricity Exchange Matija Medojević, former Secretary General of the Government Žana Praščević Milačić, former NSD MP Janko Milatović i Gordana Đuračić (media advisor).
Mandić appointed a former Constitutional Court judge as his associate in September last year. Milorad Gogić, after several unsuccessful attempts by the authorities to amend regulations to extend his judicial position, which had ended due to him reaching retirement age.
NEW FUNCTIONS INSTEAD OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Stefan Đukić cites several examples from the previous period where officials, instead of responsibilities, were given new functions.
"Former Minister of Health" Miodrag Radunović (DPS) was responsible for the event in Bijelo Polje, when babies were infected, so he suddenly became an advisor to the then Prime Minister. Milo Đukanović (DPS)'', he said.
Radunović resigned after five babies were infected, one of whom died, at a hospital in Bijelo Polje, suspected of being unhygienic. Radunović resigned as minister in November 2014, only to be appointed as an advisor to then-Prime Minister Milo Đukanović in May 2015.
When Đukanović became president in 2018, he "took care of" the former mayor of Podgorica Slavoljub Stijepović, known for the “Envelope” affair. Special State Prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretic yesterday, in the closing argument in the case, she requested a prison sentence for Stijepović at the Higher Court in Podgorica, Duško Knežević and all other defendants in this proceeding.
The scandal erupted when Knežević released a video in 2016 showing him handing over an envelope to Stijepović, the then mayor of Podgorica. Inside, Knežević claimed, was almost 100.000 euros, which were later used to finance the DPS campaign. The DPS denies any wrongdoing in its campaign financing.
The former director of the Police Directorate also found refuge with Đukanović while he was president. Veselin Veljović and former Minister of Agriculture Petar IvanovicBoth are on trial - Veljović on charges of aiding a criminal organization Aleksandar Mrkić, and Ivanovic in the "Abu Dhabi Fund" affair (the start of the trial was postponed to March 10th.
Đukić also mentions the situation, "so that it wouldn't be all DPS", when the Social Democratic Party (SDP) left power in Podgorica in 2011.
"That was terribly moral and strong, and then their officials were fired from the city administration, only to immediately become advisors to the then speaker of parliament." Ranka Krivokapića'', recalls Đukić.
SDP's former Minister of Transport Andrew Loeven In 2006, after the tragedy at Bioče and the death of 47 passengers, he resigned, but returned to that position after the first subsequent elections.
"IF THEY COULD DO IT, SO CAN WE"
Dževdet Pepić says that some appointments and appointments are very questionable and the question arises as to what is gained by doing so.
He believes that this is not a fight against the system established by the DPS, but rather that it all seems to have come down to "if they could do it, so can we, and in some cases even worse."
"This kind of message, for those who sincerely want to fight for meritocracy, is more than controversial and unwelcome. I think it's a completely wrong system," said Pepić.
He says that we should fight for a system where the party and private connections will not determine who can vote and where, if they do not meet the requirements or have violated some of them.
The ruling PES has repeatedly promised meritocracy in state administration, and this is one of their ten principles that they offered to coalition partners for signature ahead of the formation of the 44th Government in 2023.
The ninth principle of the PES is: "The constituents of the Government undertake to be guided by the principles of openness, meritocracy and equal opportunities in conducting personnel policy, taking into account primarily the professional qualities and personal integrity of candidates, with the aim of discontinuing the partitocratic way of governance, and to strictly adhere to legal regulations and best practices in the appointment of political positions (ministers, state secretaries, 30% of ambassadors, up to 50% of members of management boards, etc.) and the selection of professional positions (general directors of directorates, heads of administrative bodies, management of companies in majority state ownership, other members of management boards, etc.), which will be selected through public and transparent calls, i.e. competitions."
"The parties of the new government do not like being told that they are doing something like DPS, but they are constantly doing things like DPS. So we cannot help but criticize that and say that there is nothing illegal here. But then it is absolutely legitimate and correct criticism that the political system has not changed," said Đukić.
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