The Media Council for Self-Regulation (MSS) called on the authorities in the Municipality of Tivat to take all measures to complete the process of selecting the director of Radio Tivat.
"We appeal to the authorities to protect the functioning of this media from political pressures that have led to a kind of blockage of the election of the first person of this house. The independence of public services, both national and local, is a condition for their objective and unbiased reporting," reads the statement sent by the executive secretary of the MSS, Ranko Vujović.
SO Tivat on Tuesday, with the votes of DPS councilors, adopted the sudden resignations of two members of the Council of Radio Tivat close to that party, which, in addition to the previously vacant one seat in that body, left the five-member Council with only two valid members. In this way, the Council's work was blocked at the moment when it had to declare whether or not it would entrust the new four-year directorship to Dragan Popadić. He was the only candidate in the public competition, which was properly conducted until the moment of the Council's decision. In the meantime, Popadić's current director's mandate has expired, so Radio Tivat, with the Council blocked, is completely "beheaded". Such a situation is unknown in the current practice of public services in Montenegro.
Stating that Radio Tivat is "one of the few local public broadcasters that has been recognized for years for its objective and professional program", MSS said yesterday that "it is the duty of the local administration to provide all the conditions so that this media continues to work in the spirit of a true public service citizens."
"In this sense, we appeal to the competent authorities to appoint the missing members of the Council of this radio as soon as possible so that the election of the head of this media company can be carried out to the end," the MSS statement reads.
For an urgent solution to the management crisis at Radio Tivat, which was caused by the unwillingness of the Tivat DPS to keep Dragan Popadić at the head of the local public broadcaster, the Trade Union of that media company also reacted, initiating a meeting with the mayor Dr. Snežana Matijević (DPS) and the president of the local parliament Ivana Novosleom (DPS). In addition to insisting on the urgent implementation of the procedure for the selection of new members of the Council, which should then complete the procedure for the selection of a new director, according to unofficial information, the union made it known to the city leaders that they will use all permitted means to fight against attempts at political influence in the work of that medium. They also told the leaders of the Municipality that they will not allow a new "forced manager" to be imposed on them outside of the Radio Tivat collective until the election of a new director, who would be politically suitable for the local government.
"Vijesti" learned that the OSCE delegation in Montenegro, which until now had only words of praise for the work of that local public service, also took an interest in the events at Radio Tivat.
Popadić himself did not want to comment on these events in detail.
"Radio Tivat, as before, works normally and performs its work. I am grateful to the collective, numerous citizens and professional organizations for the support they have shown in recent days," Popadić told us.
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