Today’s statement of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) confirmed the justification of the initiatives submitted by MANS in the previous period, which referred to the media that violated the deadline for submitting their price lists for advertising political parties and coalitions before 2020 parliamentary elections. Namely, MANS found that several TV and radio stations, as well as billboard advertising companies, submitted their price lists after expiration of the deadline prescribed by the law.
The initiatives MANS sent to APC relate to Pink Media M, RTV Budva, RTV Rožaje, RTV Nikšić, Serbian Radio and Television, radio stations Antena M, S1 and S2 from Herceg Novi, Radio Titograd, Radio Elmag, Radio Mag, Radio Bar, and the web portal PV Informer, as well as billboard advertising companies, CG Media from Berane and Budva Media.
MANS hereby urges APC to immediately remove the price lists of advertisers which submitted their price lists for advertising political parties after the expiration of the legal deadline so as not to mislead the participants in parliamentary and local elections.
In addition, we expect APC to urgently determine whether any of the political parties used advertising services in the mentioned media and companies, and in that case, to take all legally prescribed measures.
On the other hand, we are concerned that the Agency did not react on its own initiative. Instead, it allowed the disputed price lists to be published on its website, which is another proof of the insufficient capacities of this institution when it comes to monitoring election campaigns.
MANS
