Podgorica, (MINA) - The Government adopted on Thursday the Bill on Government, which, as stated at the press conference, is the first time in Montenegro’s history that this key branch of power is regulated by a single legal text.

Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica said that drafting this legal text is an indicator of Montenegro’s democratic maturity, but also part of its EU path.

“Montenegro, for the first time in its history, is getting a Law on Government. For three decades we’ve functioned without a systemic law that regulates the executive power”, Koprivica said, adding that today they are changing that.

 

 

He said that the Bill on Government is not only a legal text, but a proof of the institutional maturity of the political system of Montenegro.

Koprivica pointed out that the law is not being passed for the sake of the Government, but in order to provide the citizens with more predictability and transparency, but also to reduce the possibility for discretionary decision-making and conflicts of interest.

According to him, this legal text for the first time clearly defines how the Government works, decides, how its work is subject to oversight, but also how it complies with the standards of legal and ethical integrity.

Minister of Public Administration Marash Dukaj assessed the Bill as one of the key reform laws in Montenegro and an important step forward in the EU integration process, since its adoption is one of the key requirements under the negotiated Chapter 23.

According to him, the drafting process lasted four years and was implemented in an inclusive manner, with the participation of the institutions of the system, the NGO sector, the academic community and international partners.

Dukaj said that the law is aligned with European standards, that the opinions of the Venice Commission are respected, and that it represents one of the most modern normative solutions in Montenegro.

He clarified that the Bill stipulates that at least 40 percent of the government members should be from the less represented gender, and that, if the government has more than one vice president, at least one vice president must be from the less represented gender.

The law also stipulates that, if the Government has more than two vice-presidents, at least one vice-president must be from ethnic minority community.

Dukaj said that the proposed solution does not limit the number of ministries, but that mandatory administrative areas are defined, meaning ministries that cannot be merged with other departments, which are the ministries responsible for foreign and internal affairs, health, justice, public administration, defense and finance.

He said that the proposed legal solution precisely regulates the government forming procedure, but that additional regulation of the technical mandate is currently not possible.

“The Constitution clearly defines that process, and the opinion of the Venice Commission states that this norm would exceed constitutional powers”, said Dukaj.

In accordance with the GRECO recommendations, an integrity checks procedure for the members of the Government and officials of the executive authority is being introduced, as well as the adoption of the Code of Ethics and the formation of the Ethics Committee.