The majority MPs proposed amendments to the parliamentary Rules of Procedure that would allow the head of state, the prime minister, and ministers to participate in parliamentary sessions and have the right to reply, regardless of whether issues within their jurisdiction are being discussed, and also envisage the formation of a Youth Committee as a permanent working body of parliament.
The proposal was submitted to the President of the Assembly on December 10th. Andrija Mandić (New Serbian Democracy) submitted by government representatives Anđela Vojinović (Democrats), Tonći Janović (Europe Now Movement), Bojana Pican (New Serbian Democracy), Jelena Kljajević (Democratic People's Party), Edina Dešić (Bosniak Party), Bogdan Božović (Socialist People's Party) i Artan Chobi (Albanian Forum).
This proposal was included in the agenda of the seventh session of the Second Regular Session.
It is envisaged that a new Article 49a will be added after Article 49, which would read:
"The Youth Committee is a permanent working body of the Parliament of Montenegro. The Committee considers issues of importance to youth, monitors and analyzes the impact of laws, other regulations and public policies on youth, considers strategic documents in the field of youth policy, initiates consultations, hearings and public debates with young people and youth policy subjects, and performs other tasks in accordance with the Rules of Procedure," it states.
It was also proposed to amend Article 87, paragraph 2 - "the President of Montenegro, the Prime Minister and members of the Government, who have been notified of the convening of the Assembly and the proposed agenda, may participate in the work of the session. Other persons invited to the session may also participate in the work of the session."
It is also stated that the head of state, the president, and members of the Government who attend the session should also have the right to reply, regardless of whether an act within their jurisdiction is being considered.
The explanation of the proposal emphasizes that the initiative to establish the Youth Committee stemmed from "the need to strengthen the institutional framework that ensures continuous, systematic and coordinated monitoring of the position of youth and the effects of public policies on this social group."
It is added that in the state and institutional system of Montenegro there is no special parliamentary body that would have a mandate to comprehensively consider youth issues, including areas that are not traditionally related to youth policy, but which have a significant impact on the socio-economic position of young people - employment, housing, health, digital security, spatial planning, mobility, European integration...
"Existing practice shows that youth issues are considered sporadically in the Parliament, without systematic monitoring and an analytical approach, which makes it difficult to form a comprehensive picture of the position of young people, the quality and effects of public policies," the document states.
They also said that, at the same time, according to research by relevant organizations, young people express a low level of trust in institutions and the belief that their interests are not adequately represented in decision-making processes.
"The Youth Law establishes public interests in the field of youth policy, which include the obligation of state bodies to provide mechanisms for the active participation of young people in the creation and implementation of public policies. In accordance with Article 5 of this law, the state has the obligation to create institutional conditions for the realization of the interests of young people," it states.
It was explained that the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament (Article 38) prescribes a list of permanent working bodies, and that the establishment of the Youth Committee complements the existing structure of working bodies and provides "a normative basis for comprehensive and continuous parliamentary oversight of issues and policies affecting youth."
They also noted that in the work of the Assembly so far, there has been a need to regulate the issue of the possibility of participation in the work of the session by the head of state, the president and members of the Government in a special way, in relation to other persons invited to the session.
"... As well as the right to reply, in terms of the provisions of Article 101, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, for the President of Montenegro, the Prime Minister and members of the Government attending the session, is established regardless of whether an act within their jurisdiction is being considered," it was explained.
The Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, in the absence of a law on parliament, regulate the constitution, organization and working methods of the Parliament as the highest legislative body. It defines the rules for convening sessions, the election of the President and Vice-President, the work of committees, decision-making procedures, and the rights and duties of deputies.
Although it has been announced several times, Montenegro still does not have a law on the Assembly.
Two years ago, in the previous convocation of the Assembly, a working group was formed to work on drafting the law, but the draft was never presented.
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