Head of Montenegrin Public Broadcaster Re-Elected Despite Court Ruling

The head of Montenegro's public broadcaster Boris Raonic at a conference in Podgorica. Photo: PR Centar

The Higher Court ordered the RTCG council to choose one of the other candidates as a new director or make readvertise the position, stressing that Raonic must not be re-elected.

Raonic's re-election was supported by four of the five members of the governing council who were at the session.

"Unfortunately, we broke the law by appointing Raonic as a candidate. But as RTCG director, he has achieved significant results, which must be recognised by everyone," the head of the council, Veselin Drljevic, said at the session.

Ahead of the council session, one of its members, Bojan Baca, resigned, saying that the court's instructions to the council were unclear and hard to interpret. Council member Marijana Camovic Velickovic left the session before the vote.

"This council cannot make a decision on Raonic's reappointment in a legal way. We must respect the court decision," Camovic Velickovic said.

The council initially elected Raonic in August 2021 as a part of major changes in the RTCG management and to create more balanced content.

Besides Raonic, who is the former head of the NGO Civic Alliance, the other candidates were the former editor of the daily paper Dan, Nikola Markovic, the then head of a local television station in Niksic, Milutin Stijepovic, and an RTCG journalist, Srdjan Covic.

In October 2021, Markovic and Covic appealed against Raonic's appointment, claiming that the council violated legal procedures.

In January, the Basic Court in Podgorica ruled that Raonic had a conflict of interest. The Higher Court confirmed the ruling and ordered the council to elect a new director for the public...