Further European path of Montenegro will greatly depend on the outcome of tomorrow’s declaration of the Parliament on amendments of the Law on financing political parties, because it will be clear whether in Montenegrin authorities there is a will for the fight against political corruption, termination of abuse of state funds, and hiring processes in the purpose of the parties.
Despite the fact that all relevant international subjects in continuity invite Montenegro
to adopt the amendments on the Law on financing political parties, which lastly did European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan File, ruling DPS in all possible ways is trying to prevent that to happen in order to leave a space to continue to use its citizens’ money for buying votes for the needs of its electoral lists and candidates.
So the DPS in a photo finish of the parliamentary debate on amendments on the Law on financing political parties suggested a series of amendments with a goal to delete the most important sections of the law that in the future should prevent abuse of special social benefits, subsidies, loans, forgiveness of taxes and debts for electricity and utilities, as well employment in the state and local entities. Actually, DPS suggested deletion of all of those provisions that would, in the future, stop them from repeat abuse of the affair “Snapshot”, and all the other scandals that the media and MANS discovered in the past two years.
Not only that the DPS suggested deletion of the prohibition, but also proposed that the norms are deleted from the law that finally allow the State Election Commission to adequately punish officials who abuse state funds and authority for the campaign of their parties. So DPS proposes all responsibilities that are given to SEC to be erased from the law including administrative investigation, administrative hearings, and other mechanisms that allow SEC access to all relevant information, to reveal abuse and sanction those responsible for them.
Thus, if the amendments of the DPS are adopted, the suggested amendments on the Law on financing political parties would be worse than the existing legislative solution, in which there is no institution that is responsible for punishment of those who abuse the state funds for election campaigns.
The attempt to destroy the amendments with the amendments on which the Parliament should say its judgment tomorrow, DPS justifies with the alleged harmonization with international standards and the Constitution of Montenegro, although they themselves are aware that this explanation is not accepted by any of the Montenegrin citizens.
Clearly, the amendments of the DPS are completely contradicted with recommendations of European Union experts who came from France, Sweden, and Slovenia, and who gave complete support suggested amendments to the Law on financing political parties, and who believe that adoption of such proposal would lead to increased citizens’ confidence in the electoral process. Also, the adoption of the law in its presented form would lead t respect of the basic human rights of Montenegrin citizens, declared by the Constitution, that DPS for years breaks because of the discrimination based on the party’s rules, which includes the right to elect and be elected, the right to social protection, the right to work, the right to protection from discrimination, and finally the right to a dignified life.
For this reason, we would like to believe that every honored member of the Parliament would vote for the proposed amendments to the Law on financing political parties, and against the amendments of the DPS to finally in Montenegro create the conditions in which the election game is the same for all, and citizens freely can vote, without anyone being able to buy them with state money, and to intimidate them with power in their hands in order to vote for someone they do not want to.
Vuk Maraš
Director of the Monitoring Program
