A group of NGOs will file criminal complaints against Veselin Drljević and all persons found to have participated in falsifying documentation, providing false information, or in any other way misleading the competent authorities and the public in the process of electing members of the RTCG Council. The criminal complaints will also include officials and staff members of the Parliament of Montenegro if it is established that they knowingly, acting on someone’s instructions, or through gross neglect of their official duties, failed to verify the authenticity and legality of the documentation submitted by candidates for membership in the RTCG Council.
So far, we have established that among the allegedly valid endorsements for Veselin Drljević there is also an organization called the Association for the Protection and Preservation of Nature “Kapetanovo Jezero,” which has not existed under that name since 2021. Instead, today it operates as the Association for Information and Publishing Activities “Radio Svetigora.” Yesterday, this association withdrew its support for Drljević after apparently learning from the media that its name had been used without the consent or knowledge of the responsible persons.
In the last two days, two organizations from Drljević’s list have officially withdrawn their support. This should serve as a warning to the Administrative Committee and provide sufficient reason to urgently conduct a detailed review of the entire documentation, in the presence of MPs from both the ruling majority and the opposition, all interested candidates, and interested members of the public.
At the same time, there are indications that some of the persons who formally represent organizations listed as supporting candidate Amar Škrijelj were not aware of the process of providing support. Additionally, among the organizations that supported this candidate are some which, according to available data, do not meet the legally prescribed requirements for participation in this procedure.
Therefore, we once again call on the Administrative Committee to ensure full transparency of the procedure at today’s session, including allowing interested members of the public to inspect the complete documentation. We also call on MPs from both the ruling majority and the opposition to actively participate in verifying the legality of the procedure before the election of RTCG Council members is finalized.
If the Administrative Committee decides to ignore the withdrawn endorsements, evidence of possible falsification of documentation, and other serious irregularities, it will be clear that this is not about protecting legality and the public interest, but about a politically driven process aimed at maintaining party control over RTCG.
The NGOs will also insist that the names of all officials and staff members of the Parliament of Montenegro who participated in the verification and processing of the candidates’ documentation be made public, so that the public can have full insight into the responsibility of all actors involved in this process. We remind the public that, in some previous procedures for appointing members of various councils, parliamentary services requested additional documentation when there were any doubts or formal shortcomings. Therefore, they cannot justify themselves by claiming that they did not know whether the information in the submitted documentation was accurate or not.
The Parliament of Montenegro will eventually have to allow full access to the documentation of candidates for membership in the RTCG Council. Even now, within a very short period of time and with limited access to the documentation, serious suspicions regarding the legality of this procedure have been uncovered. For this reason, criminal complaints will follow against all persons found to have participated in unlawful actions, including any possible coordinated activity aimed at deceiving the public and competent institutions and compromising the process of electing members of the RTCG Council.
Goran Đurović, Media Center
Olivera Nikolić, Montenegro Media Institute (IMCG)
Daliborka Uljarević, Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
Milka Tadić Mijović, Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG)
Tea Gorjanc Prelević, Human Rights Action (HRA)
Darko Ivanović, NGO 35mm
Zdravko Janjušević, Bijelo Polje Democratic Centre
Nataša Nelević, NOVA – Center for Feminist Culture
Zorana Marković, Centre for Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO)
Nevenka Vuksanović, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
Maja Raičević, Women’s Rights Center
Muamera Muslić, NGO Djakomo Adriatic
Boris Nedović, NGO Centre of the North
Marina Vujačić, Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro (UMHCG)
Nataša Međedović, SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Nikšić
Radomir Kračković, Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Aida Perović, NGO Prima
Ivana Vojvodić, NGO Juventas
Budislavka Mira Saveljić, Shelter