*Response to announced public debate on amendments to the Law on Free Access to Information*<\/p>\n
We are urging the Ministry of Public Administration to postpone public debate on the Law on Free Access to Information after the coronavirus pandemic and to publish opinions of the European Union experts on that regulation.<\/p>\n
We believe that it is inappropriate moment for the Ministry to organize a public debate on the constitutional right of citizens to access to information, when they are locked in their homes and when there are no sessions of the Parliament, and it is not certain when the sittings of the ordinary sessions will resume due to extraordinary measures.<\/p>\n
A few days ago, the Ministry announced that it was putting the proposed draft amendments to the public re-hearing and requested written comments by 4 April.<\/p>\n
Such case is an unprecedented example of misuse of a public debate institute, especially given that the Law in no way falls under the category of laws that need to be urgently amended, particularly in the period of unprecedented crisis and on the verge of the state of emergency.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the law has been sharply criticized by numerous journalists, representatives of the non-governmental sector, as well as international experts. Despite this, the Ministry is now, in the midst of a pandemic, trying to simulate a public debate on the law.<\/p>\n
There is virtually no public space for discussion that this law deserves, and it is inappropriate to create it by force in a climate of collective fear of an impending epidemic.<\/p>\n
Bearing in mind that the Law on Free Access to Information is a key tool for investigative journalists and NGOs that monitor the work of state bodies, it is particularly worrying that this law is amended in this way, several months before the parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n
It is precisely the situation with the coronavirus pandemic that shows how important it is for public informing to be based on official and verified data, leaving minimal space for fake news and unverified information.<\/p>\n
Because of all this, we urge the Ministry to publish all opinions of international experts given on the draft amendments to this law, because it is their obligation stipulated precisely by this law.<\/p>\n
Lastly, we urge the Ministry to postpone the public debate on the law defining the right of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution and numerous international conventions, as long as the Government’s measures restricting the movement of citizens are in force.<\/p>\n
The undersigned NGOs and journalists:<\/p>\n
NVO Mre\u017ea za afirmaciju nevladinog sektora \u2013 MANS<\/p>\n
NVO Akcija za ljudska prava HRA<\/p>\n
NVO Institut alternativa<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za monitoring i istra\u017eivanja \u2013 CEMI<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za gra\u0111anske slobode \u2013 CEGAS<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za demokratsku tranziciju \u2013 CDT<\/p>\n
Centar za istra\u017eiva\u010dko novinarstvo Crne Gore CIN-CG<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za demokratiju i ljudska prava \u2013 CEDEM<\/p>\n
NVO 35 mm<\/p>\n
Ekolo\u0161ki pokret OZON<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za za\u0161titu i prou\u010davanje ptica \u2013 CZIP<\/p>\n
NVO Green Home<\/p>\n
NVO Expeditio<\/p>\n
NVO Media centar<\/p>\n
NVU Centar za \u017eenska prava \u2013 C\u017dP<\/p>\n
NVO Mladi Romi<\/p>\n
NVO Evropska asocijacija za pravo i finansije (EALF)<\/p>\n
NVO Sigurna \u017eenska ku\u0107a \u2013 S\u017dK<\/p>\n
LGBT Forum Progres<\/p>\n
Romska organizacija mladih \u201cKora\u010dajte sa nama \u2013 Phiren amenca\u201d<\/p>\n
Politikon mre\u017ea<\/p>\n
Crnogorski komitet pravnika za za\u0161titu ljudskih prava (CKZP)<\/p>\n
NVO Prima<\/p>\n
Institut za poslovnu i finansijsku pismenost<\/p>\n
NVO Udru\u017eenje mladih sa hendikepom Crne Gore \u2013 UMHCG<\/p>\n
NVO Anima<\/p>\n
Udru\u017eenje paraplegi\u010dara Crne Gore<\/p>\n
NVO Centar za preduzetni\u0161tvo<\/p>\n
Udru\u017eenje paraplegi\u010dara Bijelo Polje i Mojkovac<\/p>\n
Unija slobodnih sindikata Crne Gore<\/p>\n
NVO Udru\u017eenje za razvoj civilnog dru\u0161tva Bijelo Polje<\/p>\n
Dr Martin Schneider \u2013 Jacoby Association MSJA<\/p>\n
NVO Ste\u010dajci u Crnoj Gori<\/p>\n
Fondacija Pomo\u0107 \u2013 Akcija za sjever Crne Gore<\/p>\n
Sindikat doktora medicine Crne Gore<\/p>\n
NVO Nada Herceg Novi<\/p>\n
NVO Multimedijal Montenegro \u2013 Mmne<\/p>\n
NVO Nit<\/p>\n
NVO Pandora<\/p>\n
NVO Identitet<\/p>\n
NVO Ruka ruci<\/p>\n
Media representatives:<\/p>\n
Marijana Bojani\u0107, director, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Nikola Markovi\u0107, editor, DAN<\/p>\n
Tatjana A\u0161anin, editor, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Svetlana \u0110oki\u0107, journalist, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Darko Ivanovi\u0107, journalist<\/p>\n
Jelena Jovanovi\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Mihailo Jovovi\u0107, program editor, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Goran Kapor, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Damira Kala\u010d, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Srdan Kosovi\u0107, editor, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Vuk Lajovi\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Danijela Lasica, journalist, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Dra\u0161ko Mila\u010di\u0107, journalist, DAN<\/p>\n
Milorad Milo\u0161evi\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Milka Tadi\u0107 Mijovi\u0107, director, CIN-CG<\/p>\n
Ana Ostoji\u0107, journalist, DAN<\/p>\n
Vladimir Ota\u0161evi\u0107, journalist, DAN<\/p>\n
Milica Krgovi\u0107, journalist, DAN<\/p>\n
Tina Popovi\u0107, editor, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Milo\u0161 Rudovi\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Danilo Ajkovi\u0107, journalist, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Majda \u0160aboti\u0107, journalist, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Marko Ve\u0161ovi\u0107, journalist, DAN<\/p>\n
Tijana Pravilovi\u0107, journalist, TV Vijesti<\/p>\n
Milena Perovi\u0107 Kora\u0107, journalist, Monitor<\/p>\n
Sini\u0161a Lukovi\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Marija Mirja\u010di\u0107, journalist, ND Vijesti<\/p>\n
Jovan Nikitovi\u0107, journalist, Pobjed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
*Response to announced public debate on amendments to the Law on Free Access to Information* We are urging the Ministry of Public Administration to postpone public debate on the Law on Free Access to Information after the coronavirus pandemic and to publish opinions of the European Union experts on that regulation. We believe that it<\/p>\n