Podgorica, (MINA) – The Government of Montenegro meets 67.25 percent of openness criteria, placing it third in the region in terms of openness and transparency, after the Government of North Macedonia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), according to research carried out by the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) has demonstrated.
CDT Deputy Executive Director Milena Gvozdenovic said that, according to the Regional Openness Index, the Government of North Macedonia meets 77.32 percent, the Council of Ministers of BiH 73.72 percent, and the Government of Serbia meets 54.74 percent.
The press release explains that the Regional Openness Index is an analytical instrument that measures how open institutions in the Western Balkan are towards citizens and society.
According to Gvozdenovic, the research confirms that the openness policy in Montenegro is still applied arbitrarily, without a strategic vision and effective mechanisms that would guarantee the open and transparent behavior of institutions.
“The legislative process remains non-transparent and it is clear that the government does not want greater participation of citizens in decision-making processes”, Gvozdenovic pointed out.
She said that large economic projects and key decisions are marked by pronounced non-transparency, which is especially visible in cases such as the agreement with the United Arab Emirates, the long-term airport concession tender and the Velje Brdo project.
Gvozdenovic added that the delay in adopting the new Law on Free Access to Information demonstrates the lack of political will of the current government to improve transparency of public administration.
She warned that some of the most important decisions and policies have been made during telephone session, which suggests a deliberate avoidance of public and media, while such sessions can also be scheduled quickly and at any time.
“The Prime Minister and some ministers rarely gave interviews, and when they did, it was usually selectively, favoring media outlets close to them. Such an approach limits access to information and undermines transparency of the executive branch”, concluded Gvozdenovic.
