During the election period, at least 1,546 full-time, part-time, fixed-term and internship contracts were concluded in the 17 largest municipalities in Montenegro. Out of this number, 275 were not reported to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, which is contrary to the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Electoral Campaigns, according to the documentation analyzed by the Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector (MANS) and the daily Dan.
On the basis of the Law on Free Access to Information, from the beginning of 2016, MANS has been continuously collecting information on careers in the public companies in 17 largest municipalities. Regarding the employment in local governments, MANS has investigated seven municipalities: Podgorica, Niksic, Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja, Rozaje, Tivat and Ulcinj.
The collected documentation shows that, after the announcement of parliamentary elections on 11 July 2016, at least 42 institutions failed to respect the obligation of the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Electoral Campaigns, as at least 275 employment agreements were not submitted to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption.
These institutions employed 275 persons in the election period, mostly for a limited period of time. In total, 119 service contracts and 75 temporary employment contracts were signed, 67 persons got fixed-term contracts, six persons got permanent contracts, while eight contracts on volunteering were concluded.
When it comes to municipalities for which MANS collected documents, the data show that, among the local public companies that employed in the election period without reporting such employments, there are mostly municipal utility companies, which employed a total of 28 persons on the basis of different types of contracts.
The water utility of Herceg Novi concluded temporary employment contracts with 20 people, whereas the Protection Service of the Municipality of Ulcinj temporarily employed 16 people. In addition, the National Library of Budva, Budva Parking Service and the Agency for Residential Fund Pljevlja concluded temporary employment contracts with 10 people.
When it comes to temporary service contracts, the Public Institution Zahumlje Niksic concluded 26 such agreements, Tourist Organization of Kotor 15, Radio Televizija Budva 12 contracts, Cultural Centre Bar signed contracts with 10 persons, Tourist Organization of Mojkovac with nine persons, Museums and Galleries of Budva with six persons, the Cabinet of the Mayor of Ulcinj with five persons, the Tourist Organization of Pljevlja with four, and Day Care Center for Children with Disabilities Niksic with three persons.
According to Article 33 of the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Electoral Campaigns, state authorities, state administration, local self-government bodies, local government bodies, public enterprises, public institutions and state funds, during the period from the date of announcement of elections until the day of elections, may only employ persons on a temporary basis, for temporary and occasional jobs, in order to ensure the smooth and regular functioning process of those bodies, on the basis of a decision of the competent authority of those bodies, only if it is provided by the act on categorization of jobs.
Bodies and legal entities referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall submit all employment decisions that are taken in accordance with the laws governing labor relations, rights and obligations of civil servants and employees and contractual relations, with supporting documentation to the Agency within three days after the decision. The Agency shall publish on its website all the acts submitted under paragraph 2 of this Article within seven days from the date of delivery – stipulates the Law.
Documents hidden by ZIKS, the Municipality of Ulcinj…
The Cabinet of the President of the Municipality of Ulcinj and the Institute for Execution of Criminal Sanctions (ZIKS) are among the 42 bodies of the state and local governments who were hiding information on employment in the election period.
The Cabinet of the President of the Municipality of Ulcinj did not submit documentation of service contracts concluded for five persons, while ZIKS submitted the necessary information to the competent authority only for six persons of the total of 19 concluded contracts.
Authors:
Milica Krgovic
Natasa Vuksanovic
This text is created with the support of the European Union and the U.S. Embassy Podgorica. Network for Affirmation of Non-Governmental Sector – MANS is solely responsible for the contents of this article, and the views taken herein shall not in any case be considered as those of the European Union.
