Deputy Prime Minister Marković: New electoral legislation restores confidence in electoral process

Podgorica, Montenegro (27 May 2014) – Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Duško Marković hosted earlier today members of the Council of the European Union’s Working Group on Enlargement.

"Your visit to Montenegro is of substantial and symbolic significance. Substantial - as you, as key collaborators and partners to our country in the process of European integration, will make an assessment of the results achieved in this process. Symbolic - as your visite coincides with the date marking the 8th anniversary of Montenegro’s independence," the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice pointed out.

He informed the working group’s members about the key achievements in the area of strengthening the rule of law and legal certainty, and the fight against organised crime and corruption, particularly referring to the efficiency of the judicial system, statistics on the cases, procedures for the appointment of the chief state prosecutor, and the financial aspect of the medium and long-term measures from the Action Plan for the Chapter 23, especially in terms of establishing a new body for preventing corruption.

When it comes to the efficiency of the judicial system, DPM Marković said that the backlog of cases older than three years has been reduced to only 4.000, which testifies to the effectiveness of the high-level judiciary. The results have been significantly affected by the new legal institutions, such as public notaries and bailiffs, as well as free access to justice for vulnerable groups.

He also informed members of the Council of Europe’s Working Group on Enlargement about the results of the elections in 12 municipalities in Montenegro, which has provided political stability as a crucial factor for the success of the reform, stressing the new electoral law, which aims to strengthen confidence in the electoral process, has passed its first test successfully.