Podgorica residents generally do not know who represents them in the Capital City Assembly, they claim that local parliamentarians are not interesting to them, and even if they were interested in investigating it, the official website would not be of much help to them.
The website of the Capital City Assembly contains the names of all councilors and the clubs they belong to, but not detailed information about most of them, so it is not known what those who decide on important issues and processes in Podgorica have achieved professionally so far, including how the city's 153 million euros in funds are spent.
According to data from the city parliament website, out of a total of 59 councilors, 38 do not have available biographies. These are 23 councilors from the ruling majority and 15 who sit in the opposition benches.
"I haven't followed the political scene for a long time. All of this has become a tragedy for me. That's why I don't know who the councilors in Podgorica are. It's obvious that they didn't interest us. Đorđe Balašević's song 'Dno dna' perfectly described the political scene, not only ours, but wider. Every word of the song is about watching what's happening here," she told "Vijesti" yesterday. Andrijana Cadjenovic, during a survey conducted by the “Vijesti” team in the center of Podgorica.
THEY RECEIVED THE INVITATION, THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED SO FAR
Head of the councillors' club of the ruling Europe Now Movement (PES) Anđela Mićović She told the editorial staff that the Assembly's service is responsible for publishing biographies.
"So please forward the inquiry to that address," she briefly replied to the journalist in a message.
However, the President of the Capital City Assembly Jelena Borovinić Bojović She told "Vijesti" that on March 14th, an official email was sent to all councilors asking them to submit their resumes with photos.
"The Assembly Service sent an official email to all councilors, both the majority and the opposition, to submit their biographies with a photo for the Assembly website. Those councilors who submitted them were published," she said.
In an email she sent to councilors, which the editorial team has access to, Borovinić Bojović said that "the Assembly Service, in cooperation with the Information System Service, will open an official email for all councilors in this convocation of the Assembly."
"We are writing to you with a request to provide us, if you wish, with your biography (on one page of A4 text, font 12), for publication on the website of the Assembly of the Capital City of Podgorica, in the Councilors section," the email states.
When it comes to the parliamentary majority, the website of the Capital City Assembly does not have available the biographies of seven PES councilors, five from the Democrats club, and four from the Democratic People's Party (DNP).
Biographies of three councilors from the Movement for Podgorica and four from New Serbian Democracy (NSD) are missing.
NSD President in the City Parliament Mitar Susic did not respond to the inquiry of "Vijesti", which is why the data is not publicly available, while the head of the DNP Vladimir Bulatović said that "biographies will be available in the coming period."
However, the head of the Democratic Party Mitar Paunović He explains this by the “large number of new councilors”.
"... Therefore, we will submit the biographies of our councilors to the Assembly Service as soon as possible, although they are not formally foreseen, because councilors are not appointed, but rather elected persons by citizens in local elections. Also, most of the biographies of our councilors are publicly available given the other positions they hold, where biographies are mandatory, so we have absolutely no reason to hide anything. As the president of the club, I am proud of the biographies and personal integrity of every Democratic councilor in the Capital City Assembly," said Paunović.
Head of the Movement for Podgorica club Miloš Krstović He told "Vijesti" that "they do not have official information about the reasons why this data was not published."
"The Movement for Podgorica parliamentary club consistently advocates for transparency and accessibility of information, and we would be happy to provide all relevant information about our councilors, both at the request of the Assembly service and any other interested party," he said.
Krstović reminded that publishing biographies on the website "is not within their jurisdiction."
"We understand the journalistic and public interest and believe that it is important to make a joint appeal to the authorities through this means to eliminate the technical problems and to enable citizens and all interested parties to have access to the data," he said.
THE OPPOSITION JUSTIFIES ITSELF ON TECHNICAL REASONS
Citizens are not able to access the biographies of 10 councilors from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and one from the Party of European Progress (SEP). It is also not possible to see the achievements of two councilors from the European Union and the Civic Movement URA.
According to the head of the DPS councilors' club Andrija Klikovac, several councilors of that party did not submit their CVs on time "for technical reasons".
"In the next seven days, the biographies will be submitted to the Capital City Assembly Service. I believe that their biographies will also be available on the website so that citizens can get to know them. I believe that the citizens of Podgorica are fully aware that the DPS councilors' club in Podgorica is recognized for its transparent and very open work with citizens. We have no problem presenting the biographies. Our club includes respected professors, actors, doctors, lawyers, singers... The DPS club is recognized for its educated people and people with significant experience, unlike the city administration, which is recognized for its dubious diplomas," Klikovac pointed out.
As the head of the European Union said in the city parliament Miloš Maskovic, there are no precisely defined procedures for "how a biography will be published on the Parliament's website".
"I remember that in the first convocation, an invitation was sent to send our CVs. In the second convocation, this did not happen, although there were certain changes in my CV that I would have liked to have been on the website, but they were not. The biographies of my colleagues are worthy of great respect. It is truly a shame that they are not on the Parliament's website, especially when we consider that Budimir Mugoša was the Minister of Agriculture, that he was the State Secretary in that department, and that he graduated from two faculties. Mr. Miloš Đuričković, in addition to being academic, was also accomplished in a diplomatic sense. He held very important positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I do not think there is a reason for the European Union to hide anything when it comes to the biographies of councilors," he pointed out.
Poll: They know Mujović and Borovinić Bojović
Luka Pavićević:
I don't know the councilors. I wasn't interested in them. I only know that the mayor is Saša Mujović, and the president of the city assembly is Jelena Borovinić Bojović.
Danilo Drakic:
I wasn't very interested at the city level, but I was at the state level. Our pensions are very low. I wasn't very interested in the councilors, but in the state.
Luka Deretic:
I don't know who the councilors are in the Capital City Assembly. I know that the mayor is Saša MujovićThe focus is mainly on the state Assembly. The city assembly is mostly ignored.
Marijana Drobnjak:
As you listen to and watch them, you get the impression that we live in a happy country. The government is not good. We waited for it to change, but it's worse in the city. Everything is more expensive. I'm a pensioner. If I didn't have children, I wouldn't survive.
Bonus video:
