The report of the European Commission (EC) for the year 2024, published this week, precisely and unequivocally confirms that this kind of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), along with the existing management, and especially the fact of the multiple illegal election of Boris Raonic as general director, is one of the logs on the European path of Montenegro, announced the Center for Civic Education (CGO).
"Legal chaos, the creators of which sit in the Council of the RTCG, but also in some important positions in the institutions, has not been seen in Montenegro until now, and it's good that it has finally been established in Brussels," said Nikola, a program associate at the CGE. Obradovic.
"The illegality and non-transparency of RTCG's work, along with political swimming downstream with the ruling structures, which need such an RTCG and not a public service that critically positions issues, limits the objective and impartial information of citizens. This strengthens the irresponsibility of decision makers who know that RTCG, which is financed by the money of all taxpayers, will not put their work under adequate scrutiny," he adds.
He said that the EC, through this report, practically calls on the competent institutions to "wake up and address illegalities" in RTCG, as well as to prosecute those who participated in such actions.
"Also, one of the three EC recommendations for Montenegro, when it comes to media freedom, refers exclusively to RTCG, i.e. it is strongly recommended to protect RTCG from any form of inappropriate influence on editorial, institutional or financial independence, noting that it is necessary to fully respect the law and the highest standards of professional integrity and responsibility," Obradović said.
This means, he adds, that "those inappropriate political influences and circumvention of laws and professional standards" are now clearly recognized at the international level, and which the critically oriented public in Montenegro continuously points out.
"CGO reminds that for years we have been witnesses to the stunts performed by Raonic, the members of the RTCG Council connected with him, the legal service of RTCG and his lawyers, all with the support of the authorities. The irony is that some of Raonic's current protectors are in power, while they were in the opposition, they promised that RTCG would never be under the control of the government again!? the opinion of ASK, because they are trying to set certain limits in the mockery of rights and citizens by interest-related circles that, through their actions, are collapsing the legal and institutional order instead of creating an environment in which laws would be respected and justice would be distributed unhindered," says Obradović.
He assessed that "personal and party interests", for now, when it comes to Raonic and RTCG, are "trampling the legal order, but also challenging the institutions" of the EU and member states, which, "seems, care more about Montenegro being part of the EU but to the decision makers in Montenegro".
"The CGO remains of the position that despite the fact that the Law on the National Public Broadcaster RTCG was fraudulently tailored at the last minute, Raonic cannot be the head of RTCG. After all, the final court rulings rendered those changes to the law meaningless and made it clear that Raonic, along with all his manipulations and those of his accomplices from the government, even today he does not have the conditions to carry out the position to which he was enthroned," the announcement reads.
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