Despite the fact that ten days ago MANS warned the Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) that a number of media were late in submitting the price list for political advertising, this institution still has not made any decision on the initiatives we submitted.
Although the deadline for responding to most of the initiatives MANS submitted expired yesterday, APC has still not informed us of their outcome, or removed the disputed price lists of the media from its website. MANS previously warned that the continued silence of APC would lead to even greater violations of the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns, and mislead participants in the election process that advertising in the media which did not submit price lists on time is legal.
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.
That a lack of initiative of APC in solving this issue is already creating consequences is evidenced by the example of the commercial broadcaster Antena M radio, which advertised a new promotional video of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) on its website in the “political marketing” section on Saturday. The political announcement was published despite the fact that this media submitted the price list to APC three weeks after the expiration of the legal deadline. Since APC did not make a decision upon our initiative, this broadcaster still does not bear any legal consequences.
Let us remind that the fines for media that publish political advertisements contrary to the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns range from 5 to 20 thousand Euros.
MANS will continue to monitor and report anyone who violates the law during the election campaign and once again urges APC to start doing its job and ensure compliance with the law and equal conditions for all participants in this year’s elections.
MANS
