The administrative committee of the Assembly started the procedure for the election of the new Council of the State Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), but in the civil sector, whose representatives have a place in that body, they have conflicting views on whether they should participate in its work.
The mandate of the current members expires in June, and Milan Radović, coordinator of the human rights program at the NGO "Civil Alliance" and member of the current convocation, believes that it is very important that representatives of civil society be members of the Council and be part of the process, even in a situation where those who want democratic progress they do not have a majority to decide.
"Many things can be pointed out and kept under control, after all, just like in the media sector, if we are part of the process, because that way many things cannot remain hidden," claims Radović.
However, the director of the Media Center, Goran Đurović, says that NGOs and their representatives should think carefully about whether it makes sense to participate "in an already prearranged process of appointing members of the RTCG Council, with a known outcome."
Đurović"The Assembly and the Administrative Board have long since lost their credibility for the implementation of the procedure for appointing members of the RTCG Council. Back in 2014, thanks to a misinterpretation of the law by MPs Azra Jasavić and Marta Šćepanović, the administrative board changed the will of non-governmental organizations and allowed a candidate with less support from qualified NGOs to take a seat in the RTCG Council. MPs Jasavić and Šćepanović were guided by political reasons instead of the law in carrying out the procedure for assessing the fulfillment of criteria by the candidates, which resulted in the illegal election of one member of the Council. That, illegally elected member of the Council, did not speak out publicly even when the previous members of this body were dismissed, and he is also silent on the brutal violation of all professional principles and standards that today, without any shame, is manifested by TVCG in Dnevnik2", Đurović believes.
At the end of 2017, the administrative board dismissed Đurović and director Nikola Vukčević from their seats in the Council, due to an alleged conflict of interest, which, according to the opinion of some of the public, was done in order for the ruling DPS to regain control over the Public Service through the parliamentary committee.
The changes in TVCG come about after certain members of the Council supported Andrijana Kadija during the election of the general director, who, according to experts, opened the Public Service to all parties, and caused a revolt of the Government and DPS.
Kadija and the director of TVCG, Vladan Mićunović, were removed from their positions in the middle of last year by the Council, which is why they filed a lawsuit, considering that this was done illegally. After that, Božidar Šundić was elected acting director of the RTCG, who was then entrusted with a four-year mandate by the Council at the end of last year to lead the Public Service.
Đurović reminded that at the end of 2017, the Administrative Board and the Assembly passed decisions on the dismissal of two members of the RTCG Council, in violation of the Law on RTCG.
"One member of this body was dismissed due to a 'possible conflict of interest' and the other, because for a short period of time he was the head of his own company engaged in agricultural production. After that, the Administrative Board and the Assembly, contrary to the law, appointed the former councilor of the DPS, Slobo Pajović, as a member of the RTCG Council. Also, Goran Sekulović, known to the public as the biographer of the president of DPS and beneficiary of social assistance approved for the printing of one of his books, was appointed as a member of the Council, as a representative of an NGO in the field of human rights," he said.
He also states that the last procedure of appointing a member of the Council from among NGOs will be remembered "for the incredible pressure and direct participation of DPS deputies, who actively participated in gathering NGO support for their candidate Sekulović". "At that time, the administrative board treated dozens of cultural and artistic societies, beekeeping associations and similar NGOs as human rights organizations only because they supported their candidate, who falsely presents himself as an NGO candidate."
Đurović pointed out that he believes that DPS will have the same approach in the recently started process of appointing the new RTCG Council.
"Citizens can now see the result of these illegal actions in the Assembly every evening in Dnevnik 2. RTCG has once again become the ruling party's propaganda machine. Those who want to participate in the process of appointing NGO representatives to the RTCG Council should know that Škrelja, Šćepanović, Vuletić and other DPS MPs will never again allow an independent and credible NGO representative to be a member of this body. Only the so-called NGO representative who is ready to listen to the government's orders and in return get some small privileges for himself and his NGO will be able to enter the RTCG Council," says Đurović.
On the other hand, Radović states that in the Council he advocated for balanced and objective information, for the improvement of programs for minorities and persons with disabilities, about human rights issues, improvement of program production plans, open work and pointed to non-transparent employment and numerous other things.
Radovic"For some I succeeded, while for others there was at least a trace that someone from the inside clearly pointed out the irregularities," Radović believes.
The election procedure should be changed
Due to the impossibility of the Assembly to carry out the legal procedure for appointing members of the RTCG Council, the Media Center proposed that the procedure be changed in the law and the appointment of the Council be entrusted to the Agency for Electronic Media.
"Participation of NGO representatives in various regulatory bodies, councils, working groups is desirable if their appointment is carried out in a legal manner and even if they are a convincing minority that cannot make a big impact. On the other hand, there is no significance in the participation of NGOs in a process that is not carried out in accordance with the law, but represents a simulation of compliance with regulations, which gives legitimacy to the destruction of institutions", says Đurović.
The Council of the RTCG has nine members, and one seat each belongs to representatives of the university, the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Matica Montenegrin.
National institutions of culture and NGOs from the field, the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro and the employers' association, as well as NGOs from the field of media, have their representatives.
NGOs from the field of protection of human rights and freedoms, which deal with the implementation and protection of: national, gender and overall equality, have two representatives; rights to a healthy environment; consumer rights; the rights of persons with disabilities or the rights to education and social protection, and one union each represented in the Social Council and the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and the Montenegrin Paralympic Committee.
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