It is highly hypocritical alleged concern by Miodrag Vukovic and other initiative applicants to review the constitutionality of the Law on financing political parties for the benefit of the citizens of Montenegro, because it comes from the representatives of the party that is responsible for manipulation the basic rights of Montenegrin citizens for their election results.In that each of us could be convinced merely listening recordings from the DPS’s sessions, published within the affair “Snapshot”, in which senior officials of the DPS and party colleagues of Miodrag Vukovic spoke about how to misuse public money and authority in order to purchase the greater number of votes and how to disable to vote all of those who are not sure voters of the DPS. On the videos that have been published, DPS showed that representatives of that party limited fundamental rights to a high number of Montenegrin citizens, including freedom and choice in the election, in order DPS to stay in power and to obtain another term.
Amendments to the Law on financing political parties have been initiated, drafted, and adopted because it created an obvious need after the affair “Snapshot” to precisely regulate the question on use of public funds during election period, in order to prevent those abuses that Montenegrin citizens witnessed and listened in the previous elections. These amendments to the Law got and indisputable support of the European Union whose experts concluded that adoption of such a law, that prevents of various abuses, would lead to creation of confidence in the electoral process, as well as the majority of members of Montenegrin Parliament.
Therefore, they are clearly false and malicious statements by the applicants of the initiative to review the constitutionality of the Law on financing political parties that strict application of such Act would lead to mass suspension of human rights because even DPS’s members of the Parliament aware that the Law provides a number of exceptions for something like that in practice can not happen, although they obviously trying to manipulate with provisions in the new law.
Specifically, the amendments to the Law on financing political parties which have been recently adopted by the Parliament prevent vote buying by the ruling DPS, because in the election period social payments, severance payments, grants of various types of loans, debt relief for water supply and other utilities, as well as the process of short term employment in public administration, and municipalities, actually temporary employment. However, the law provides a number of exceptions that in the election period offer help to those who have an actual need, but that can not be used for mass vote buying.
Thus, with the new law social benefits are increased to a maximum of 5% compared to the non-election period. In practice this means that all existing welfare recipients will continue to receive the same, and allows that the number of users of social benefits is increased by another 5%, actually that all who need that emergency assistance and receive it in that period. Also, the new law provides exceptions for granting loans to farmers, books to students, and old currency savings to all citizens, and this can be done during the election period if there is justifiable reason for that, or if that is required by some other law.
Also, with the new law is provided temporary employment in the public administration, and municipalities, so every citizen can exercise their own right to work in accordance with the Law. The only thing that is impossible is that the DPS’s officials continue to use social benefits for the sake of vote buying and to employ people for a few month until after the elections, so after the election and after they got their vote they are fired, or they do not extend their work contract. However, with the new Law temporary employment in the tourism sector is provided, for the purpose of hiring seasonal labor, so the tourism industry would not have any consequences if the elections are taking place in the season.
All of this is well known and to the DPS members of the Parliament, who are very aware that the amendments to the Law on financing political parties are not contrary to the Constitution of Montenegro, but they are clearly trying in all possible ways to keep power in their hands that previously was used for vote buying and influence on the free will of citizens. Therefore, it is not a surprise anxiety of Miodrag Vukovic and his colleagues, since they know that with the new law they are disabled to use money of all Montenegrin citizens and to abuse it for political purposes, and that with the beginning of application of this Law finally is created condition to end the illegal and illegitimate influence on free will by DPS, using public funds and public apparatus.
Vuk Maras
Director of Monitoring Program
Director of Monitoring Program
