Marijana Camović Velicković, Janko Ljumović and Nikola Tatar are candidates for members of the Council of the Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) who were heard at the 48th session of the Administrative Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro.
Matica Crnogorska's candidate for member of the RTCG Council, Janko Ljumović, said that he is a professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje.
"I have been there since 2001. My main field of work is cultural policy, as well as cultural management. I have also dealt with media projects - whether I was researching or participating and contributing as a producer... As for RTCG, in my career I have been connected to this very important cultural and social system of this country in various ways. In fact, in my master's thesis I dealt with the production and programming aspects of the Public Service Broadcaster. I was a member of the first RTCG Board of Directors. At that time, I asked the Council and my colleagues on the Board of Directors why they even exist. Appreciating all aspects and functions of the Public Service Broadcaster of Montenegro, I consider it truly challenging and very responsible to be a member of the Council," he said.
Ljumović emphasized that we are fighting for Public Services to impose values and ideas "to be better than society or circumstances themselves."
Marijana Camović Velicković, a candidate for non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights and freedoms, said that "her entire career is related to the media."
"Since 2016, I have been professionally involved in the Media Union of Montenegro (SMCG). There I conduct research related to all spheres of the media. I am a participant in several working groups that dealt with changes in media legislation... I worked in 'Vijesti'. I still work in journalism. For the previous four years, I was a member of the Public Service Council. I tried to make my work as transparent as possible. I considered it an obligation of someone who was appointed there to represent the public of Montenegro. I have been a member of the Board of Directors of the European Federation of Journalists for two terms. I was on the Board of Directors for two terms. It is a body that deals with writing legislation at the European level. Also, for several terms, I was a member of the Government Commission that deals with investigations of attacks on journalists... We bring together around 700 employees in the Montenegrin media," said Camović Večković.
The candidate of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Montenegro, Nikola Tatar, said that he has been working at the Broadcasting Center for 30 years.
"Participant in the drafting of collective and industry agreements. I have participated in several international conferences and seminars related to labor rights," Tatar said.
Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MP Zoja Bojanić-Lalović said that the Montenegrin public recognizes Camović Velicković "as a brave woman."
"As a woman who remained consistent and in line with her principles. And I congratulate you on that. When it was really necessary to say no and I do not want to be part of the majority when laws are broken – you remained on the side of the truth. Mr. Tatar, you are recognized as a man who stands for social equality. Your union struggle is very significant and recognizable...", she said.
Camović Velicković: Problematic non-transparent work in the Public Service
Bojanić-Lalović asked Camović Velicković if she thought that the RTCG Council "has really reacted to citizens' complaints so far and whether she believes that there is more room for such action in the coming period."
Ljumović asked if she thought the Public Broadcasting Council “encouraged broadcasters to produce content of a domestic educational and cultural nature.” Tatara asked how she saw the possibility of improving RTCG's editorial and programming independence from political structures.
Ljumović said that citizens are interested in RTCG in an informative context.
"It is precisely the cultural content and artistic program of the Public Service that is the response of that media system to the specificity of a culture, a state... We are not living in a golden age of media today. We are living in very decentralized, democratic and dispersed media. The question is what reaches the audience. RTCG must not be alone in this. My primary job is academic. Many of our students are in that medium."
Camović Velicković said that citizens' complaints do not reach the Council, but rather the RTCG Ombudsman.
"What reaches the Council much more often are complaints that employees, unable to resolve them in any other way, address to that body. The problem is that if that employee does not personally contact us, the problem never reaches us. Employees often sent their problems to the Public Service Council. It refused to act on those cases, pretending that it had not received them, that it was not worth mentioning... I will remind you of what happened about ten days ago, which is that the Basic Court in Podgorica said that this appointment of the General Director of the Public Service is also illegal. He still does not meet the criteria prescribed by the current law. He acquired three out of five years of work experience illegally. He does not have the basic five years of work experience."
According to her, a large number of regulations have been adopted at RTCG that are of a technical nature, "so they are not problematic."
"What is problematic is being done in a non-transparent manner. These are two regulations - the Code of Ethics and the Regulation on the Variable Part of Salary. The State Audit Institution (DRI) has been indicating for three years that it is illegal. It provides for an increase in the salaries of the general director, assistants and directors of radio and television in an illegal manner... I would like to remind you that these salaries are on the list of the 1.000 highest-paid people in Montenegro from the public sector. That list was released last week. A month ago, the Ministry of Finance said that salaries were calculated illegally. And nothing is being done about it. The entire work of the Council is subordinated to the legalization of the current management's way of working," said Camović Večković.
According to Tatar, it was necessary to establish cooperation with public services in the region.
"Public service should be the 'locomotive' of development for all radio and television services. All others 'take' from them how to work and deal with these jobs."
New Serbian Democracy MP Velimir Đoković asked Camović Večković whether it was true that "once or more times when it came to the quorum of the Council, she threatened the members that she would come out and overthrow it."
He was interested in whether he expected support from the members of the Administrative Committee "if it turns out that the questions I asked you are correct."
Camović Velicković said that she would not participate from June 1, 2023, or when "it was finally proven that Boris Raonić was illegally appointed to the position."
"In this way, I expressed my protest at the way the Council is run and decisions are made. I am one of the rare members of the Council who is not criminally liable before the Basic Court in Podgorica for the criminal offense of abuse of official position. After that, I very often asked them not to do what they were doing. So, I did not vote, precisely to protect myself and not to give legitimacy to something that has been proven by a final and binding decision to be illegal... As for the quorum, your information is not correct. On the contrary, recently, when the decision was being made on the distribution of apartments, I participated in the discussion. At one point, I had to leave the hall. I received the consent of the president. I left. They found me in the toilet again and I left the toilet and gave the quorum. So, that information is absolutely not correct," she said.
According to her, she was the most active of the Council members.
"I was the most represented in the media. I was the only one who expressed my position. I considered it my obligation to know everything that was happening there. I articulated my position very clearly every time. I expect your support for that."
She emphasized that "she suffered a lot for four years, but she endured."
Praise is missing due to the illegal appointment of the RTCG director
Democratic People's Party MP Jelena Kljajević said that Camović Veličković's opinion on the current management of RTCG was negative. She asked whether he still thought that a step forward had been made in the work of the Public Service Broadcaster. She was also interested in where he saw room for some praise.
Camović Velicković said that she sees no room for praise due to Raonic's illegal appointment.
"In terms of technology, an upgrade has been made. On the other hand, four million euros will be invested in the reconstruction of the Public Service building. If you ask me, that building looks the same as it did four years ago. Where did that money go? When you enter some of the Public Service toilets, you have to hold the door with your hand... The studios, of course, look better. In some way, the 80 million must be justified... There are good programs, shows, journalists who do their jobs conscientiously and well."
Nikola Obradović, representative of the Center for Civic Education (CCE), said that this organization, along with two others, initiated the candidacy of Marijana Camović Veličković.
"After reviewing the received documentation, the committee accepted 26 applications, which is certainly a representative and serious number of candidacies in the name of Marijana Camović-Veličković. She is a proven professional. We could see that during her work within the Radio and Television Council of Montenegro. She pointed out and insisted on the very respect for the law," he said.
Media Center Director Goran Đurović said that the good laws that have been passed should be respected.
"The only mistake and bad moment in the process of passing the law was when, upon the intervention of the Prime Minister, the criterion for selecting the general director was lowered - from ten to five years. To enable Boris Raonic to become director again for the umpteenth time. The rest of what was written is good. It is now up to you to see if you will comply with it...", he said.
Democratic MP Duško Stjepović said that Đurović and Obradović abused the procedure.
"You need to study the rules of procedure a little. I understand your sarcastic smile. If we have already made it possible for you, then let's ask them not to teach us what the law and rules of procedure are," said Stjepović.
Bonus video:
