The Government and MKM awarded Mićović even before the commission completed its work

The Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Culture and Media (MKM) have made a decision to award the status of a distinguished cultural creator, although the commission in charge of this task has not completed its work. The final session, at which the members' objections to the minutes were to be considered and the final report adopted, was never held. Despite this, the Government, based on the "proposal of the expert commission", announced 15 new winners, including Milutin Mićović - whose candidacy caused the greatest division and controversy during the commission's work, writes Victory.

Milutin Mićović, a Serbian writer and winner of the state award "Miroslavljevo jevanđelje", found himself at the center of a dispute within the commission. From the minutes of the second session of the Expert Commission for the consideration of initiatives and determination of proposals for granting the status of a prominent cultural creator, which Pobjeda had access to, it is clear that Mićović's candidacy received only two votes of support, with six abstentions. Although it seemed that the procedure was concluded, at the next session, on June 23 in Podgorica, the issue was reopened - and after a heated debate, the commission voted that Mićović did meet the requirements. The decisive five votes allowed him to be among those proposed for the status, despite the opposition and withdrawal of some members, who warned that the procedure was being violated and the provision of the regulation according to which the status cannot be granted to someone who "treats Montenegro and its identity unworthily" was being ignored.

They didn't know.

The President of the Expert Commission, Isidora Damjanović, confirmed to Pobjeda that the members of this body were not aware that the Ministry of Culture and Media, without their knowledge, would already submit a proposal to the Government on Thursday to grant the status of distinguished cultural creator. She also sent a letter to the Ministry on this occasion, emphasizing that the commission voted and clearly declared itself on the candidates, but that the procedure had not been formally concluded, which the MKM was also aware of.

"Colleagues are of the opinion that in a formal legal sense, before submitting a proposal for obtaining status, the entire procedure, which includes declaring the minutes, should be completed," she states.

She points out that this is precisely why she tried to schedule a final meeting of the commission – to consider members' comments on the minutes and make any corrections – before the proposal was sent to the government. However, she says, the commission members learned about the government's decision from the media.

"I have conducted this entire process openly and without hidden intentions, and that is why I insist that everything that is not clear, even if it is a decision by the Government of Montenegro, be clarified with arguments by the Ministry of Culture and Media," Damjanović emphasized, adding that it is necessary for the Ministry to schedule a meeting with the commission as soon as possible.

The government's decision was also reacted to by commission member Tatjana Krkeljić, who, in a letter sent to Isidora Damjanović, pointed out that "the commission in which I participate has not completed its work in accordance with the prescribed procedure by the date of publication of the decision."

"Neither was a session held at which the final proposal would have been adopted, nor were the members of the Commission's minutes signed, nor was the proposal with an explanation signed or submitted to the competent authority. For this reason, I consider it incorrect to state that the decision to grant the status was made "at the proposal of the expert commission", because the proposal does not yet exist in a formal and procedural sense," she said.

In addition to her, commission member Radmila Vojvodić also reacted.

"I am surprised by the public announcements that the Government has considered the proposal of the commission for granting the status of distinguished cultural creator while we are expecting the date of the commission meeting, minutes, explanations of decisions and so on?! I kindly ask for an explanation if it is even possible in this situation, and I also ask for the date of the meeting that we have been agreeing on for several days," said Vojvodić.

Process

According to the official minutes of the commission sessions, which Pobjeda had access to, Milutin Mićović's candidacy went through a very unusual and contradictory process. At the second session of the commission, held on June 17 in Cetinje, Mićović's documentation was considered in the regular procedure: it was stated that he was the winner of the state award "Miroslavljevo jevanđelje" and several literary awards, but after the discussion he received the support of only two members - Novica Đurić and Dalibor Elezović - while six members abstained. This effectively left his candidacy without the required majority.

However, at the next, third session of the commission, on June 23 in Podgorica, the issue of Mićović was suddenly reopened, although it was not on the agenda – the topic was the candidates Šerbo Rastoder and Radovan Radonjić. The most persistent in reinstating Mićović was the president of the Writers' Association of Montenegro, Novica Đurić, who insisted that his awards be reviewed once again. Two opposing blocs emerged in the discussion: on the one hand, Đurić, Elezović, Svetlana Dragojević, Aleksandar Čilikov and the president of the commission Isidora Damjanović, who claimed that Mićović met the conditions; on the other hand, Branko Baletić, Radmila Vojvodić, Tatjana Krkeljić and Marko Eraković, who assessed that it was illegitimate to return to the vote a candidacy that the commission had already decided on, that Mićović did not have enough relevant awards, and that his texts were in contradiction with Article 3 of the Regulation, which prohibits granting status to someone who treats Montenegro and its identity unworthily, writes Pobjeda.

After a heated debate, it was decided by a majority of five to four that a new vote would be held. At the declaration itself, Mićović received exactly five votes in favor, one against, and three abstentions – which was enough to formally grant him the status of a distinguished cultural creator. Baletić immediately requested that his signature be removed from the minutes, warning that the decision had been made under pressure and that he did not want to be tied to its affirmation. In his written response to the minutes of the sessions, he also pointed out irregularities regarding Mićović’s candidacy. He recalled that at the second session, Mićović received only two votes of support – which was insufficient – ​​but that this key statement was omitted from the minutes. He particularly criticized the third session, when, at the initiative of Novica Đurić, the issue of Mićović was reopened even though the vote had already been concluded.

"If we had not accepted his candidacy, I would understand the objection - but we did vote and Mićović did not pass," Baletić said, adding that no new documentation about Mićović had arrived, but "the same papers were just arranged differently."

He reiterated that Mićović, in addition to the lack of relevant awards, demonstrates in his texts an attitude contrary to the provisions of the regulation that prohibits granting status to those "who treat Montenegro or its identity unworthily". He particularly criticized the president of the commission, Isidora Damjanović, who enabled the re-vote:

"You made the decision to vote again, even though the same thing cannot be voted on twice," said Baletić.

Commission member Radmila Vojvodić also, reacting to the minutes, assessed that the body's work was called into question when the issue of Mićović was reopened at the June 23 session, outside of procedure. The commission was caught off guard by an "unplanned agenda item" and documentation marked as an objection, even though the decision already existed.

"The heated debate about the legitimacy of this re-decision was cut short by us voting on who was for and who was against the re-decision, after which a major dilemma remains about the legality of the procedure," Vojvodić stated.

After consulting with lawyers, she concluded that the procedure had been violated, and requested the Ministry's arbitration position. Finally, she raised the issue of the legitimacy of the commission's work after the death of academician Aleksandar Chilikov.

Consequences

Granting the status of distinguished cultural creator to candidates, including Milutin Mićović, before the commission has formally completed its work raises the question not only of the legality of the procedure, but also of the credibility of the decision itself. If the Government makes decisions based on a “proposal” that does not exist in a legal and procedural sense, then the entire mechanism for the protection and affirmation of culture turns into a mere formality. In a country that is still in dispute over its identity, such a frivolous skipping of procedures has far-reaching consequences than the status itself – because it sends the message that both laws and institutions can be circumvented whenever necessary. Above all, the Government’s decision to skip the procedure and award Milutin Mićović sends a clear message: in Montenegro today, it is not controversial to either dispute its identity or circumvent the laws – it is only controversial to point it out.

Pressure and manipulation of the process?

Member of the Expert Commission Radmila Vojvodić also raised objections to the minutes of the June 23 session, especially the way her views were recorded. She points out that she did not accept the thesis that the commission's decision-making is just a formality, but that each member has the right to an individual, subjective position and argumentation. That is why, she believes, repeating the vote on the same candidate may represent pressure and manipulation of the process. She also commented on the claims of her colleague Novica Đurić that Mićović's documentation is "better arranged and supplemented", which she sees as another violation of the procedure.

"I reacted to the pointless embellishment of the documentation, because I alluded to the advantages of the referentiality of the awards over the number of awards," Vojvodić explained, adding that she had already warned of the possibility of legal consequences - including a possible lawsuit by the candidate himself or his nominator.