They must have the opportunity to actively work in a working group at all sessions and participate equally in discussions, without the right to decide. If this option opens up, i.e., if the political parties adopt this approach established during the work of the 2013 Working Group, CDT will contribute through its constructive approach to the process by analyzing the key problems in the election process but will also propose concrete solutions that are in line with international standards," Koprivica said.
The Collegium of the Montenegrin Parliament’s President submitted a proposal to the delegates by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) last Sunday to form an ad hoc working group to further upgrade and amend the electoral and other legislation, which, among other things, states that sessions may be attended by representatives of state authorities, NGOs, international organizations, universities, as well as experts and consultants from specific fields. The Democrats and the URA movement asked the Working Group to function according to their plan submitted to the parliament. They have warned, among other things, that the DPS proposal foresees that NGOs are not participating in the work, but that they are invited if necessary if all the members of the Working Group agree.
Executive Director of the Network for Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) Vanja Ćalović Marković believes that the civil sector must actively participate in the amendments of the law.
The quality of the Law's change is important: Ćalović Marković PHOTO: Savo Prelević
"I believe it is important that everyone who can contribute to the electoral process should have the opportunity to participate in the Working Group in the maximum. We do not have a huge number of NGOs dealing with this issue so their full involvement can be provided. We saw it earlier when the working group worked with NGOs actively involved that the number of changes and quality was higher and that the international community would also contribute to the opinions of its experts," she says. Stressing that CDT had communication with most political entities that were not in advance against the participation of NGOs in the working group, Koprivica said that none of them expressed opposition to their contribution to the reform process.
"The Democrat and URA's proposal on the way we participate is acceptable except for the ability to have the right to vote. The DPS's proposal to extend the membership of NGO representatives by appealing to the academic community if clear criteria for participation based on references and knowledge of matter are specified. We feel that it is more than beneficial for the international community to participate in the process. It is also accepting the SDP's suggestion that the final conclusions of the Assembly related to this topic should ensure active participation of NGOs and establish professional criteria to be met by representatives of the NGO sector and the academic community," he said.
The law enforcement needs to be controlled
Independent deputy Aleksandar Damjanovic said that no one in charge has the right to work on electoral law without the possibility of monitoring its application through the control mechanisms in the Government and the Assembly. He called on the opposition delegates not to give legitimacy to the "perfidious attempt to buy points at some international factors".
"We have seen a lot of various groups formed in the Assembly of the so- called Collegium, and those who have dealt with the electoral problem, so I think that we have well overcome the scope and goals of such work," Damjanovic said.
As he pointed out, his proposal that the Temporary Assembly Committee should be formed for this purpose instead of the “working group”, with the participation of NGOs and experts dealing with electoral legislation issues, the delegates from DPS refused without arguing why it was unacceptable.
Text by Samir Kajosevic, on September 25th, 2018, read more at Vijesti
