Institute Alternative (IA), Center for Civic Education (CCE), Centre for Monitoring (CEMI), European Movement in Montenegro (EMiM) and the Center for Development of NGOs (CRNVO) claim that the opening of a parliamentary inquiry and forming Inquiry Commitee for gather information about the privatization of Telekom Montenegro presents the best way to protect the public interest and to provide that the privatization of this company gains a legal and public epilogue based on facts.
IA, CCE, CEMI, EMiM and CRNVO are inviting MP’s, especially the ruling majority, to support the conducting of the parliamentary inquiry, because there are no formal legal barriers to its opening. This is also confirmed in the information of the Ministry of Justice regarding the draft decision on the opening of a parliamentary investigation.
In particular, we invite parliamentary majority to show that there is no reason to pre-defend anyone from the Government, and thus convince the public of its objective and impartial attitude toward their party colleagues from other parts of Government. Additionally, we believe that is underestimated the importance of the control mechanism of a parliamentary inquiry with the aim of protection of the public interest. Only conducting parlamentary inquiry in this particular case may contribute to clarifying doubts about the corruptive activities.
Given that in Montenegro parliamentary investigation has not been applied since the adoption of the new Rules of Procedure of the Parliament in 2006, its implementation would indicate a commitment from all political parties in Parliament to foster, for the time being, poor control function of the Parliament. Poor control function of the montenegrin Parliament was also issue noted by the European Commission. The implementation of parliamentary investigation also indicates willingness of MP’s to develop this instrument and apply it and more oftenin an effective manner.
Montenegrin public must promptly learn who are the people at the detriment of the citizens of Montenegro, for their personal interest and for the interests of persons related to them obtain enormous material profit by selling one of the most successful companies in the history of Montenegro.
Stevo Muk, President of the Managing Board, Institute Alternative
Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director, Center for Civic Education
Zlatko Vujovic, President of the Managing Board, CeMI
Ana Novakovic, Executive Director, CRNVO
Momcilo Radulovic, Secretary General, European Movement in Montenegro