SELDI’s partner from Montenegro, the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), in collaboration with Institute Alternative, held a series of presentations and discussions of the 2016 SELDI Corruption Monitoring System results. These activities also served as an opportunity to present the SELDI network and its work to grassroot CSOs and policy-makers in Montenegro, and to share the draft of the Civil Society Strategy and Joint Strategic Program for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption 2020.
On 14 April 2016 CDT held a press conference and presented the key findings from the SELDI Corruption Monitoring System that showed the corruption is the 3rd biggest problem in Montenegro – bigger than poverty and political instability. The national population survey also showed that every 5th citizen gave a bribe and every 4th citizen was asked to give a bribe. The participants noted that these figures are very high and provide reason for concern. The event attracted substantial media attention, as was reported by national TV media in every prime time news.
On 15 April 2016 CDT organized a panel session at the topic “Good governance counter corruption” were the results of the survey were elaborated in details and discussed. Panelists featured CDT representatives, as well as Mr. Mladen Tomovic, Head of the Division for Integrity and Lobbing at the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Prof. Olivera Komar, representative of the agency that conducted survey. CDT hosted more than 30 guests at the event – media, NGOs, and representatives of government institutions. During the discussion the panelists and guests analyzed the possible reasons and preconditions for the observed manifestations and trends of the corruption in Montenegro. The Agency for Prevention of Corruption used the event as a forum to present the results of its work since its launch on 1 January 2016.
Overall conclusion of the session was that the possible solution and recommendation for the eradication of corruption is not just creating and enacting new laws and regulations, but decisive implementation of the laws and changing society through social pressure. Panelist’s commented that despite the fact that some results of the research are encouraging, commenting that the work and actions of the state prosecutor’s office are promising but we still have to wait for the court epilogue of the cases that were processed, others are worrisome. They agreed that there is a strong link between the institutions that were identified as the most corrupted and the low number of citizens that have trust in these institutions. Panelists discussed the cultural pattern that is present in our country, from which is difficult to come out. “Nepotism and cronyism are heritage value in this society, and it will take a serious amount time and effort to change this kind of behavior” they concluded.
In the evening of 15 April 2016, TV Vijesti in cooperation with CDT organized and broadcasted TV Show “Counter corruption”, where the topic of corruption and the survey results were discussed among Mr. Dragan Koprivica, Executive Director of CDT; Mr. Dusan Drakic, Head of the Department for Implementation of Control Measures on Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns at the Agency for Prevention of Ccorruption; Mr. Obrad Stanicic, Member of Parliament and Co-chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Fight against Corruption and Mr. Milos Konatar,Member of Parliament from the opposition.
