Centre for Civic Education (CCE) points out that conditions have been met for the Parliament of Montenegro to complete the composition of the RTCG Council, following the verification of candidacies by the Administrative Committee, including that of Marijana Camović Veličković for membership in the RTCG Council.
We remind that Camović Veličković was nominated, based on a public call, by the CCE, Human Rights Action (HRA), and Women’s Rights Center (WRC), with the support of additional 26 NGOs active in the fields of human rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, labour rights, gender equality, the rights of vulnerable groups, inclusion, and social justice. Out of 29 applications, the Administrative Committee accepted 25, making the support for her candidacy indisputable.
However, CCE expresses concern over the manner of communication demonstrated by the Chair of the Administrative Committee, Jelena Nedović, during the session and while reading the list of NGOs that supported Camović Veličković. Comments accompanied by ridicule, disbelief, and belittlement send an inappropriate message and further underscored the hostile climate toward NGOs that are critical of the authorities, which is not in line with a democratic society. Such an attitude can undermine trust in the fairness of the process and discourage the engagement of credible actors in important social processes.
Marijana Camović Veličković is a longtime journalist and civic activist with experience in the media and public sector. During her previous term on the RTCG Council, where she served as Vice President, she consistently pointed out irregularities and abuses in the work of the Public Broadcaster. She was particularly notable for opposing unlawful procedures in the selection of RTCG management, which were later confirmed by court rulings. She is also currently a witness in proceedings before the Basic Court in Podgorica against several members of the RTCG Council. Her work is based on the principles of legality, professionalism, and public interest. Numerous irregularities that she identified and publicly addressed have also been noted by domestic and international organizations, including EU institutions.
In her vision for the development of RTCG, submitted to the Administrative Committee, Camović Veličković identified the key challenges facing the Public Service and proposed concrete, feasible solutions. She emphasizes returning RTCG to lawful and transparent operations, particularly in the appointment of key managers. She also advocates ending political pressure and censorship, creating a safe environment for journalists to conduct investigative reporting without fear of repercussions, and professionalizing editorial positionsthrough appointments based on competence rather than loyalty. Her focus also includes the job stability of employees, which has been undermined by frequent changes to internal acts, creating demotivating factors, as well as on redefining the space for columnists, giving priority to experts and socially engaged individuals, including those from the region and the diaspora. Finally, a crucial part of her vision concerns integrating human rights and inclusivity into RTCG’s editorial policy, with a clear stance that issues of violence, discrimination, marginalization, and workers’ rights should not be approached formally, but rather embedded into everyday programme content.
We believe that her candidacy represents an opportunity to appoint to the RTCG Council a person with proven results, integrity, vision, and dedication to the public interest. We hope that MPs will respect her work and the will of civil society, thereby beginning to contribute to resolving the problems at RTCG, which are also visible in Brussels.
Nikola Obradović, Programme Associate