(Podgorica, 29 September 2012) – Even though the Law on Financing Political Parties bars the public hiring of persons during elections by state and municipal institutions, since the elections are called until the day of the elections, a number of institutions failed to respect this stipulation.
For this reason, MANS has already submitted 16 cases to the State Electoral Commission (DIK) against individuals and institutions responsible for violations of the law by announcing public employment competitions for new jobs or for hiring people contrary to the law.
Cases were filed against those responsible for the Employment Bureau of Montenegro, which advertised new jobs in both state and local institutions in the daily press. Besides the Employment Bureau, we also filed charges against: those responsible for the Directorate for Cadres and Institutions in whose name a number of job competitions were announced; the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European integration; the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; as well as the Commission for the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest. The complaints were filed, as well, against those responsible for the capital of Cetinje and the Municipality of Budva.
Public enterprises were also announcing competitions for jobs, including JP Public Water Supply and Sewage in Ulcinj; JP Public Utilities in Cetinje; and, the Railway Construction Industry of Montenegro. Complaints were also filed against JPU Ljubica Popovic (Podgorica), JU Elementary School Vlado Milic, JU Secondary School Milo Dobrasinovic, JU Elementary School Mustafa Pecanin (Rozaje), JU Elementary School Bac (Rozaje), JU Elementary School Marko Miljanov (Bijelo Polje).
The Law on Financing Political Parties stipulates that all relevant office holders and institutions that violate the law by announcing new jobs or who hire new employees during the election campaign will be fine between €200 and €2000 for each individual violation of the law.
During the previous week, MANS submitted a number of complaints to the DIK as a result of these multiple violations. Till now the DIK has failed to act on these reports. Given that employing people in state or municipal institutions during elections is a serious violation of the law that hits taxpayers directly – and given that part of the demands made by the EU is that the public administration be professionalized and rationalized – we call on the DIK to immediately consider all the complaints filed and initiate sanctions against those responsible for violating the law.
