Members of the Parliament of Montenegro today repeated the debate on the Draft Law on Free Access to Information - they debated the same act on July 24, which, according to the Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj, is "a rare case in parliamentary work."
"Vijesti" has repeatedly reported that the current text of the bill passed a debate in the plenary hall back in July, and before that the entire parliamentary procedure, but that it was never voted on. The editorial staff has repeatedly asked the Parliament about the status of the bill, but we have not received a response.
Today, some MPs unofficially told us that since the Bill was not voted on at the summer session (the third session of the spring session), the technical act had to be put on the agenda of the autumn session, so it had to be discussed today.
Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj said that this is the second time the same law is being discussed, which, he said, rarely happens. He emphasized that this speaks to the importance of this legal solution, reminding that the closure of negotiating chapter 23 depends on its adoption.
Dukaj emphasized that the law, with amendments, passed all parliamentary committees and procedures, and that it was positively evaluated by all relevant domestic and international stakeholders.
"I believe it was time to intervene on this text earlier. The position of the Ministry of Public Administration and my own is that the Law on Free Access to Information has been pending for too long. This law was drafted in accordance with European standards and we received positive opinions from our partners," said Dukaj.
He added that the European Commission, in its report, clearly called on the Parliament of Montenegro to adopt this law, as it is crucial for building an open and transparent public administration.
Independent MP Nikola Janović said that the quality of the law will depend on its implementation, warning about the institutions' previous practice.
"Exceptions provided for by law, such as the protection of personal data or business secrets, have been the rule in practice for years. Data on budget spending, public procurement and employment must be available to citizens, and institutions often declare them secret," said Janović, stating that it sometimes happens that the public cannot even obtain information about where officials completed their undergraduate studies.
DPS MP Jevto Eraković said that the party would support the proposed legal solution.
Sonja Popović (DPS) reminded that the Bill entered the parliamentary procedure on February 21, but that it took ten months to get on the agenda.
"That speaks volumes about how much the current ruling majority cares about transparency," said Popović.
Abaz Dizdarević (DPS) said that his party will support any law aimed at accelerating Montenegro's European integration.
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