The Centre for Civic Education (CGO) points out that all conditions have been met for the Parliament of Montenegro to complete the composition of the RTCG Council, after the Administrative Committee verified the candidacies, including that of Marijana Camović Veličković as a member of the RTCG Council.

According to CDM, Camović Veličković was nominated in response to a public call by CGO, the Human Rights Action (HRA), and the Centre for Women’s Rights, with the support of an additional 26 NGOs active in the fields of human rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, labor rights, gender equality, the rights of vulnerable groups, inclusion, and social justice.

Out of 29 applications, the Administrative Committee accepted 25, making the support for her candidacy indisputable, CGO recalls.

“However, CGO expresses concern over the manner of communication of the Chair of the Administrative Committee, Jelena Nedović, during the session and while reading the list of NGOs that supported Camović Veličković. Comments accompanied by ridicule, surprise, and disparagement send an inappropriate message and further confirm a hostile climate toward NGOs that critically engage with the authorities, which is not characteristic of a democratic society. Such an attitude can undermine trust in the fairness of the process and discourage credible actors from participating in important social processes,” said CGO program associate Nikola Obradović.

Marijana Camović Veličković is a longtime journalist and civic activist with experience in both media and the public sector, CGO highlights.

“During her previous term in the RTCG Council, where she served as vice president, she consistently pointed out irregularities and abuses in the work of the Public Broadcaster. She stood out in opposing unlawful procedures in the selection of RTCG leadership, which were later confirmed by court rulings. Today, she is also a witness in proceedings before the Basic Court in Podgorica against several RTCG Council members. Her work is based on the principles of legality, professionalism, and public interest. Numerous domestic and international organizations, including EU institutions, have also pointed out the irregularities she exposed,” the statement says.

In the vision for the development of RTCG that Camović Veličković submitted to the Administrative Committee, she identified key challenges for the Public Broadcaster and proposed concrete, feasible solutions.

“Her focus is on bringing RTCG back to lawful and transparent operations, especially in appointing key managers. She also advocates for the elimination of political pressures and censorship, and for creating a safe environment for journalists to pursue investigative journalism without fear of consequences. Furthermore, she calls for the professionalization of editorial positions through competence-based, rather than loyalty-based, appointments,” CGO emphasizes.

It is also noted that her focus includes job stability for employees, which is burdened by frequent changes to systematization acts, as well as redefining space for columnists by giving preference to professional and socially engaged individuals, including those from the region and the diaspora.

“Finally, a very important part of her vision relates to the integration of human rights and inclusivity into RTCG’s programming policy, with a clear stance that issues such as violence, discrimination, marginalization, and workers’ rights should not be addressed superficially, but incorporated into daily programming content. We believe her candidacy is an opportunity to appoint to the RTCG Council a person with proven results, integrity, vision, and dedication to the public interest. We hope that MPs will recognize her work and the will of the civil sector, thereby contributing to resolving the problems in RTCG that are also visible in Brussels,” CGO concludes.