Citizens deserve greater influence on decisions that directly affect their lives, and politicians have a responsibility to implement changes that ensure meritocracy and depoliticization of the public sector. This was announced at the citizens' assembly on the topic "How to prevent partyocracy and political employment?", organized by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM).
Director of CEDEM Nevenka Vuksanović reminded that this organization, in partnership with the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), is organizing the Citizens' Assembly for the fourth time.
"The citizens' assembly is an opportunity for citizens to demonstrate practically how they can contribute to decision-making and real changes in society. After the Assembly, it is planned to present a set of recommendations that citizens will formulate independently, through expert and parliamentary sessions, and which will be delivered to the European Parliament, the European Union, other institutions within the Union, as well as the Parliament of Montenegro," explained Vuksanović, as reported by PR Center.
She pointed out that CEDEM will continue advocating the recommendations, aware that they will not solve partitocracy and political employment completely, but that it is possible "to take a step forward and at least partially reduce the problem that is currently at a high level."
Research associate at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory of the University of Belgrade, Čedomir Markov, explained that citizens' assemblies are a model of democratic innovations that are increasingly established throughout Europe and the world in order to respond to problems in representative democracy.
"These processes include deliberation, that is, a structured process in which a representative sample of the population to which a particular social problem or political decision relates is gathered. The goal is to offer different perspectives through the conversation and to weigh the arguments for and against, in order to make a collective decision that is best informed," said Markov.
According to him, civil assemblies provide an opportunity for citizens to shape solutions for complex social problems through dialogue and reflection.
"The question that arises is how much and in what way this practice can affect real political processes. I believe that the citizens' recommendations will be of great value, but it will also be up to the politicians to show the citizens how their participation in political processes can have a significant impact".
MP Dragan Bojović pointed out that the key to the progress of society lies in achieving a balance between political organizations and the interests of citizens.
"Our duty is to listen to citizens' proposals and to incorporate them into legal procedures whenever possible. Political parties, although important, must not be above the interests of citizens. Our role is to enable political parties to achieve their goals for the benefit of society, but also to respect every citizen as an individual".
He believes that it is very important that qualified people come to positions that require specific knowledge and expertise.
"We had a long period where positions were filled based on party affiliation, which often resulted in a lack of expertise. We must not allow any political affiliation to be a barrier to qualified candidates, but we must also prevent discrimination against those who have been marginalized because of their political views."
MP Boris Mugoša emphasized the importance of direct communication with citizens and the importance of their daily involvement in decision-making.
He emphasized that politicians often forget about citizens outside of pre-election periods, although they should be in constant communication with them, listening to their suggestions and proposals in order to improve the system.
"Although politicians often remember citizens only in the pre-election period, I believe that they should be in contact with them every day, because we are their representatives. By listening to their remarks, we can improve what is not working in the system, both through changes in legal regulations and through changes in the practice of the official system".
He emphasized the importance of depoliticization of state institutions, calling for the application of the principle of meritocracy, which implies employment based on expertise, competence and knowledge.
"The state must be responsible and transparent in employment, and in this context it is necessary to respect the recommendations of audit institutions and make our system more efficient."
MP Darko Dragović expressed his satisfaction at participating in the work of the Citizens' Assembly, stressing the importance of daily contact between representatives of political parties and citizens.
"Presence in the Citizens' Assembly shows that we, as representatives of the people, must not be distant from the citizens. We need to be available and open for daily communication, in order to be familiar with their problems, suggestions and wishes".
He said that during the conversation with citizens, he recognized party employment as a serious challenge in society.
"It is obvious that party employment exists, because I received concrete examples of such cases during conversations with citizens."
He believes that it is necessary to establish a system that will promote the employment of the most competent staff, instead of filling positions based on party affiliation.
"We have to choose people who are professional, competent and who have a true desire to work. If we tolerate the attitude that someone can remain in the workplace until retirement without responsibility and commitment, the system will have a serious problem in functioning".
Member of the Citizens' Assembly Milanka Joksimović said that the Citizens' Assembly is an opportunity for citizens to present the problems they face every day.
"I believe that citizens should have greater opportunities to make decisions outside of elections, because many decisions are made without consulting the public, even though they directly affect their lives. There are mechanisms through which something is simply voted on, without citizens being asked for their opinion".
She pointed to the problem of the availability of information, especially regarding job openings, which are often published for a short period of time, thus limiting the possibility of applying for candidates.
"I am of the opinion that many things are not done according to the law and that this has serious consequences."
She praised the openness of the deputies who participated in the Citizens' Assembly.
"I can say that we encountered a surprisingly positive response and understanding. There is hope that some of our proposals will be seriously considered, and even that certain laws and ways of functioning of the system will undergo changes".
In addition to Markov, recognized experts from the field of social and political sciences participated in the Assembly of Citizens: Biljana Papović, a specialist in policies and reforms with extensive experience in the field of electoral reforms, the judiciary and the public sector, who will speak about legal challenges and possible solutions, and Ana Škoflek , an expert in connecting communities with decision-makers, who will consider ways to strengthen citizens' participation in decision-making processes, the PR Center reports.
This activity is implemented within the project "Inclusive Dialogue for the Progress of Society", which CEDEM implements in partnership with the Center for Democratic Transition, with financial support from the European Union and co-financing from the Ministry of Public Administration.
Bonus video:
