PM Krivokapić - PMQs: The first and basic criterion for employment and promotion is the competence of candidates

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić said that the national and religious affiliation of public officials, civil servants and employees, but also of all citizens of Montenegro, is their private matter.

"Proportional representation of members of national communities in state bodies is a constitutional obligation that we strive for and will strive for during the mandate of this Government. The constitutional and legal framework promotes the concept of a civil state and the meritocratic principle in employment and promotion in state bodies, and, on the other hand, envisages affirmative action for minorities. This means that the first and basic criterion for employment and promotion is the competence of candidates, while belonging to a minority group may be predominant in situations when several candidates have the same level of competence," said Prime Minister Krivokapić, answering a question from Fatmir Đeka from the MP Group of the Social Democratic Party – Albanian coalition "Unanimously".

The Prime Minister said that the official data from the Central Personnel Register, which were inherited from the former government, do not provide a good basis for achieving a proportional representation of national communities in state bodies.

According to the data from the Central Personnel Register, 81% of Montenegrins work in state bodies; 5.34% Serbs; 3.79% of Bosniaks; 1.13% Albanians and 1.55% Muslims. So, comparing these data with the official statistical data on the national structure of the citizens of Montenegro, it turns out that almost all nations (including the Albanian, to which you belong) were discriminated against. Furthermore, the number of officials and employees who did not declare their ethnicity indirectly speaks of the "freedom" that these same citizens had before 30 August 2020, said PM Krivokapić.

Prime Minister Krivokapić said that in order to understand the complete issue, it should be noted that the public administration system consists not only of state bodies, but also public agencies, public funds, public institutions and public companies, and that employment and appointment procedures in each of these subjects differs substantially.

In the previous period, a significant number of personnel changes related to ministries and administrative bodies, namely the temporary appointment of acting positions in senior management positions (up to a maximum of 6 months, i.e. until vacancies are filled through public competitions). The total number of public officials appointed by this Government is 263. Of this number, 92 refer to state administration bodies, 14 to the Office of the President and Deputy Prime Minister, and 157 to public institutions and public companies, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that based on that, it can be stated that minority members fulfilled some of the important positions in the Government.

PM Krivokapić once again invited MP Đeka to cooperate, adding that it is time to come to terms with the fact that the former government, which discriminated against everything but its own pockets, rests in history and that only by respecting each other can we build a better future.