Although politicians in Montenegro promise during election campaigns and through signed international initiatives that they will make all important decisions in the interest of citizens while actively communicating with them, in practice, individual arbitrariness has been carried out for years, often resulting in long-term consequences for society as a whole.

The most recent example of poor communication relates to the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on State Property, which, following the now established practice, was determined by the Government during a telephone session in mid-June. This was followed by controversial amendments that provoked a strong public reaction.

However, to this day, citizens have not been informed about the potential harm of leasing state property for 90 years, or the actual value of state land if the structures built on it remain the property of investors after the contract expires.

Moreover, it is highly problematic that politicians are discussing such an important issue in the middle of the holiday season, thereby skillfully avoiding not only institutional dialogue but also quality debate in the most-watched television formats.

It is clear that political elites have forgotten that they promised transparency not only to the Montenegrin public but also at the international level by signing the “Partnership for Open Government” initiative, which has been merely a dead letter on paper for more than 10 years.

The essence is clear – decisions about common property must be made together, and the more informed the public is, the less room there is for intrigue.

We call on politicians to initiate public dialogue instead of public manipulation, so that processes can finally begin that bring satisfaction rather than anger to citizens.

Marko Pejović, Program Director of UZOR