The arrival of 66 deputies to the meetings and sessions of the working bodies of the Parliament of Montenegro from November to April 24 cost the citizens 131.047.52 euros.
MPs who do not live in Podgorica were paid daily allowances for coming to work and travel expenses, while those who live in the capital used the right to a refund of part of the costs for using a private car.
According to the data provided by the Assembly at the request of "Vijesti", out of 81 MPs, 75 of them perform this position professionally, which means that it is currently their only and primary occupation. From November to April, 66 MPs used their rights to daily allowances and travel expenses.
Commenting on these figures, the executive director of the Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS) Marija Popović Kalezić she said that it is about "unacceptable pacification within the ranks of deputies, we could say that unprincipled unity is being built in favor of privileges".
"It is a bad message that does not contribute to the establishment of the much-needed system of responsibility for state resources," Popović Kalezić assessed.
Who comes from where and how much they charge
According to the data provided by the parliament at the request of the editorial office, the deputy Vladislav Bojović (DNP) used the rights to daily wages and travel expenses in the amount of 5.990 euros for six months, and his colleague Simonida Kordić (NSD) 5.033. Bojović comes from Pljevlja, and Kordić from Herceg Novi.
Mirsad Nurković , MP from BS, came from Rožaj, and on that basis he was paid 4.296 euros, while Vasa Obradović from Bijelo Polje (NSD) paid 4.334. Jelena Božović (NSD) was granted rights in the amount of 4.186 euros for half a year, and she comes from Beran, while her colleague Kenana Strujić-Harbić (BS) charged 4.376 on the same basis for six months. To her party colleague Damir Gutić 4.284 euros were paid from Plavo. Drazen Petrić from PES, he comes to work from Bijelo Polje, so he was paid 4.105 euros.
Message from PES Jelenka Andric charged 3.609 euros for the arrival from Bijelo Polje, a Amer Smailovic (BS) 3.754.
Milan Lekic (NSD) came from Pljevlja and valued it with 3.855, and his fellow citizens Dane Marković (PES) 3.311, Nikola Rovčanin (Democrats) 2.037 euros.
Milan Zecevic (PES) traveled from Beran, and based on daily wages and travel expenses, he was paid 3.737 euros, and his party colleague from Plav Armen Šehović 3.757
Nikola Janović (DPS) traveled to work from Kotor and on that basis charged 3.090, and his surname Tonći Janović (PES) from Tivat, for which he was paid 2.700 euros. Gordan Stojović (PES) for arrivals from Herceg Novi, EUR 3.331 was paid based on per diems and travel expenses. Dritan Abazović (URA) charged EUR 1.168 for the expenses of coming to the parliament
Reimbursement of fuel to the workplace for people from Podgorica
According to the list submitted to the editorial office, the benefits of reimbursement of fuel costs for a private car were also used by members of parliament who come to work from Podgorica.
Thus, MP Mihailo Andušić (DPS) reimbursed fuel costs in the amount of 1.934 euros in half a year, and his party colleagues Jevto Erakovic 1.653 i Nermin Abdić 1.390 euros. Danijel Živković used this benefit in the amount of 754 euros, and Nikola Rakočević 789
MP of the ruling PES Branka Markovic she charged 1.516 euros for travel expenses by private car to the building of the Parliament of Montenegro. BS MP Admir Adorvić, also from Podgorica, charged for fuel in the amount of 1.419 euros.
What do the regulations say?
MPs residing outside Podgorica are entitled to daily allowances for attending the sessions of the Assembly and its working bodies.
This is stated in the Decision on exercising the right to daily allowances for the arrival of MPs residing outside Podgorica to parliamentary sessions.
"Deputies residing outside of Podgorica are entitled to daily allowances for attending one session of the club of deputies, during one month. The president of the permanent working body of the Assembly residing outside Podgorica has the right to a daily allowance for coming to the Assembly, in order to prepare the session of the working body... A member of the permanent working body of the Assembly residing outside Podgorica has the right to a daily allowance for coming to the Assembly, in order to implement the announced activities within the jurisdiction of the working body of the Assembly. The daily allowance from paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this article is 20% of the calculation value of the coefficient determined by the Government of Montenegro", the Decision states.
That document also specifies that the time spent in the Assembly in connection with the assembly sessions, preparations for the session or implementation of the announced activity under the competence of the permanent working body of the Assembly is the time spent from the departure from the place of residence to the return to the same.
"If the time referred to in paragraph 6 of this article lasts between eight and 12 hours, it is counted as half the daily wage, that is, between 12 and 24 hours, it is counted as one daily wage", the Decision states.
When it comes to the reimbursement of transportation costs, the Regulation on Reimbursement of Expenses of Public Sector Employees applies to MPs. Transportation costs for official trips in the country, according to the Regulation, are recognized on the attached invoice.
That document also stipulates that the employee can, with the written consent of the manager or a person authorized by him, use his own car for official purposes, and he is entitled to compensation in the amount of 25 percent of the price of a liter of fuel per kilometer traveled.
Popović Kalezić: Check the declaration of residence
Popović Kalezić emphasizes that it is difficult to interfere with the rights of MPs, even though we have numerous anti-corruption norms and the Code of Ethics for MPs.
"The problem is that the necessary institutional control that would process irresponsible behavior or, even more significantly when it comes to MPs, to determine the violation of ethical norms, has not been reached. If you see that no changes have been made to the decisions on exercising the right to daily allowances for the arrival of MPs residing outside Podgorica to parliamentary sessions since April 2019, it can be concluded that once the MPs' rights have been established, they are not affected by any changes in society, if the parliamentary interest", emphasized Popović Kalezić.
She emphasizes that it is clear that the entire process "cries out for an examination and a detailed check of where the MPs have declared their residence, for which routes the right to receive daily allowances and transportation costs is used".
"We expect from the representatives that their declarations of residence are true, especially if we take into account that the rights we are talking about are determined on the basis of them. The figure that talks about the costs is extremely worrying, and apart from citizens and the media, it should also worry MPs. This would ultimately show responsibility and the desire to rationalize state resources", concluded the executive director of NGO CEGAS.
Refunded once and never again
Member of Parliament Zdenka Popović (Democrats) and her colleagues Nikola Zirojević (SD), Slaven Radunović (NSD) and Boris Pejović (PES) only once, in November, claimed daily allowance or travel expenses in a double-digit amount.
Thus, Popović was paid 58,5 euros, Zirojević 45, Radunović 29,25, and Pejović 22,95 euros.
Bonus video:
