Response to claims by NGO MANS on alleged violation of Law on Financing of Political Parties and Election Campaigns

Podgorica, Montenegro (23 August 2016) -- The General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro and all the ministries disclose in a timely and proper manner the information provided for by the Law on Financing of Political Parties and Election Campaigns, thus denying the claims made by NGO MANS published on 23 August 2016, according to which the largest number of state-level institutions allegedly drastically violates the Law on Financing of Political and Election Campaigns, because they do not disclose information about the pre-election spending in an adequate manner.

Budget consumers’ obligations prescribed by the Law on Financing of Political Parties and Election Campaigns ("Official Gazette of Montenegro," No. 52/2014 of 16 December 2014) are fully respected by the General Secretariat and the ministries.

All the documents are available at the following links:

General Secretariat of the Government

http://www.gsv.gov.me/sekretarijat/Analiticke_kartice/

http://www.gsv.gov.me/sekretarijat/Putni_nalozi/

Ministry of Justice

http://www.mpa.gov.me/rubrike/Analiticke-kartice

http://www.mpa.gov.me/rubrike/Putni-nalozi

Ministry of the Interior

http://www.mup.gov.me/ministarstvo/zakon_o_finansiranju_politickih_subjekata/

Ministry of Defence

http://www.mod.gov.me/vodici/163411/Parlamentarni-izbori-2016.html

Ministry of Finance

http://www.mif.gov.me/rubrike/analiticke_kartice_i_putni_nalozi/analiticke_kartice/

http://www.mif.gov.me/rubrike/analiticke_kartice_i_putni_nalozi/putni_nalozi/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration

http://www.mvpei.gov.me/biblioteka/izvjestaji

Ministry of Education

http://www.mps.gov.me/rubrike/parlamentarni_izbori_2016/

Ministry of Culture

http://www.mku.gov.me/rubrike/AK

http://www.mku.gov.me/rubrike/PN

Ministry of Economy

http://www.mek.gov.me/biblioteka/dokument

Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs

http://www.msp.gov.me/vodici/Analiticke

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

http://www.minpolj.gov.me/pretraga/163978/Analiticke-kartice-i-putni-nalozi.html

Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism

http://www.mrt.gov.me/biblioteka/dokument

Ministry of Health

http://www.mzd.gov.me/rubrike/analiticke-kartice

http://www.mzd.gov.me/rubrike/putni-nalozi

Ministry for Human and Minority Rights

http://www.mmp.gov.me/biblioteka/dokument

Ministry for Information Society and Telecommunications

http://www.mid.gov.me/rubrike/analiticke-kartice/

http://www.mid.gov.me/informacije/Putni_nalozi/

Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

http://www.mrs.gov.me/informacije/kartice

Ministry of Science

http://www.mna.gov.me/rubrike/Analiticke_kartice/

As for the claims made by NGO MANS implying that the data published supposedly are not "adequate", the Law (Article 4) stipulates that the Anti-Corruption Agency monitors the funding of political parties and election campaigns. In that regard, the Agency, in accordance with its statutory powers in certain cases, had indicated to some of the abovementioned budget consumers that the published data contained certain inaccuracies or omissions, after which the data were corrected.

The Government of Montenegro, as the most transparent government in the region, and in line with its sincere dedication and commitment to openness and accountability, will continue to publish all relevant information about their work in a timely and transparent manner. The Government's firm commitment to foster genuine cooperation with civil society cannot be undermined by publishing statements which are justified neither by the law nor by facts.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO