Montenegro: Media Is Again a Subject of Agreement between Government and Opposition

Public broadcaster is still the topic of dialogue

Podgorica, 22 March 2016  

The ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) submitted this week to the part of the opposition parties a draft agreement on the implementation of fair elections, which includes also the issues related to the public broadcaster.

Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG) was one of the two disputed points for which the agreement was not signed at the beginning of the year. Another disputed point was the professionalization of the National Security Agency (ANB).

The opposition at that period demanded the dismissal of the entire management team of the RTCG headed by the Director of the Television Radojko Rutović, with the assessment that it was a “television of the ruling party.” In the draft agreement, which is now submitted to the opposition by DPS, it says that the new editorial and management team will be provided by inviting the Council of RTCG and the Director General Rade Vojvodic to finalize that task.

One of the earlier demands of the opposition for the Council of RTCG to be extended with several representatives of civil society is not defined by the new proposal.

“DPS and the Government are open within the limits of the Constitution, laws and good political practice to consider several issues, in order to sign with the opposition the agreement on conducting fair elections”, said the Deputy Prime Minister Dusko Markovic at the end of last week.

DPS is now ready to negotiate over the RTCG and ANB and proposes the two other disputed issues of the agreement, the ones related to the postponement of the elections in Tivat and the competencies of the Special Prosecutor’s Office in the electoral process to be deleted.

Negotiations between the Government and opposition on the media previously have encountered different reactions. Some of them found it justified in a situation where certain media, notably public broadcaster – RTV Crna Gora “are biased, or under the direct control of the strongest party – the Democratic Party of Socialists and its leader and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.” Others said that it was unacceptable for politicians to regulate the media.

 

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This press release is a contribution of the SEE Media Partnership for Media Development co-funded by the the Civil Society Facility, Media Freedom and Accountability Programme, EuropeAid/134613/C/ACT/MULTI

 

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This  document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents are the sole responsibility of the Montengro Media Institute and can under no circumstances  be regarded as reflecting the position of the EU.