Nikolić applied for Council membership: The Public Broadcaster must serve the public, not be treated as political spoils
Director of the Media Institute, Olivera Nikolić, has submitted her candidacy for membership of the Council of the Radio Television of Montenegro as a representative of non-governmental organizations working in the field of media, stressing that the Public Broadcaster must serve the public, not be treated as political spoils.
In a statement, Nikolić said she expects the chairwoman, members of the Administrative Board, as well as MPs of the Parliament, to conduct the procedure consistently and in accordance with the law and to restore confidence in a process that was seriously compromised during the previous cycle.
- My candidacy has been endorsed by Media Center, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, MANS, the Center for Democratic Transition, the Media Council for Self-Regulation, the NGO 35mm, the Center of the North and UL-info. I see their support as an obligation to use my professional experience and knowledge to contribute to a more responsible public service and a stronger oversight role for the Council - Nikolić said.
She added that the Administrative Board now has a particular responsibility to thoroughly review every candidacy and the accompanying documentation and to apply the same legal criteria to everyone.
- I am emphasizing this because of the experience from the previous cycle. The documentation was not thoroughly reviewed at the time, the requests and evidence submitted concerning irregularities did not result in a new list being established, and the law was also violated during the voting procedure in Parliament itself - Nikolić said.
As she recalled, MPs voted individually on the candidates, even though the Law on the Radio Television of Montenegro explicitly stipulates that Parliament decides on the proposed list of candidates as a whole.
- This is therefore not merely a matter of a disputed interpretation of the procedure, but conduct contrary to the law and a violation of a provision designed to protect the public service from political interference in its work. Because of that vote, I initiated proceedings before the competent court - Nikolić stressed.
These irregularities, she added, directly affected her previous candidacy as well.
- After Veselin Drljević withdrew his candidacy following a final court conviction, I remained the only candidate from the media field who met the legal requirements and had the support of qualified authorized nominators, but the Administrative Board did not establish a new list in accordance with the law. Therefore, for me, this is not a matter of personal dissatisfaction or a fight for a position. It is about whether members of the Council of the Public Broadcaster will be elected through a lawful and transparent procedure, or whether the law will once again be adapted to produce a politically desirable outcome - Nikolić said.
She added that she expects the Administrative Board and Parliament to do what should be beyond dispute in a state governed by the rule of law – „to respect the law“.