A group of 30 non-governmental organizations and civic activists supported the candidacy of Dragoljub Duško Vuković for a member of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services of Montenegro (AMU).
They emphasize that his qualities - expertise, integrity and political non-alignment - are of key importance for the work of this independent regulatory body, which protects media pluralism and citizens' right to information based on professional standards.
"The agency supervises the work of electronic media, issues broadcasting licenses, monitors compliance with professional standards and protects the public from hate speech and manipulation. Its Council must be composed of impartial people of integrity, not party henchmen. Statements by MP Jelena Nedović, which suggest that the AMU Council should include a representative of the NGO sector to the liking of the authorities, insult the integrity of NGOs and render meaningless the legal solution that gives NGOs the right to nominate a member of the Council. The NGO sector is not and should not be an extended arm of the authorities - it exists to remind the authorities of their responsibility," the statement reads.
They called on the ruling majority, if it has any legitimate reason to doubt the intentions or ability of the NGO candidate to protect the public interest in the Agency - to say so.
"After many years of experience of cooperation and observation of Dragoljub Duško Vuković's public engagement, we are not aware of such a reason. He is a symbol of ethical and responsible journalism, dedicated to the public interest and freedom of the media, the author of numerous and high-quality monitoring reports and analyses of the work of the media and self-regulatory media bodies," they added.
They recall that the European Commission, in its latest Progress Report on Montenegro, warns that key steps, such as the appointment of members of the AMU Council, have been repeatedly postponed, which undermines the full operability of the regulatory body and jeopardizes the temporarily closed Chapter 10 - Information Society and Media. The consolidation of regulatory independence, NGOs and activists point out, is clearly a priority that must not be jeopardized further.
"Although our organizations do not meet the formal requirements to support Vuković's candidacy, because in the past three years we have not been involved in media projects to the required extent, we consider it our civic duty to support a candidate who represents principles, not parties. We call on MPs to vote for the NGO candidate Dragoljub Duško Vuković and finally show that the Parliament understands and appreciates the independence of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services," reads the statement signed by:
- Human Rights Action (HRA)
- Spectrum Association
- Center for Women's Rights (CŽP)
- Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
- Center for Women's and Peace Education ANIMA
- Center for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO)
- Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI)
- Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)
- Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS)
- Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CKM)
- Montenegrin Women's Lobby (CŽL)
- Montenegrin LGBTIQ association Kvir Montenegro
- Montenegrin PEN Center
- Montenegrin Philological Society
- ERA - Alliance for equal rights of LGBTI persons in the Western Balkans and in Turkey
- Alternative Institute
- Ipso facto
- Juventas
- Municipal Multiple Sclerosis Association Bijelo Polje
- Open Center "Bona Fide" - Pljevlja
- Prima
- Roma youth organization "Walk with us - Phiren Amenca"
- Media Union of Montenegro
- Safe Women's House (SŽK)
- Association of Disabled Youth of Montenegro (UMHCG)
- Association "Strpci - Against Oblivion"
- Paula Petričević, civic activist
- Milena Bešić, civil activist
- Milica Kankaraš Berber, artist and activist
- Darko Saveljić, ornithologist, civic activist
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