The Center for Civic Education (CCE) has urged the Montenegrin Parliament to enhance its promotion of digital tools that facilitate citizens’ direct engagement with the legislative branch, particularly through e-petitions and electronic inquiries to MPs.

The NGO highlighted that the parliamentary e-petition portal was launched in 2023 to increase transparency and accessibility for citizens.

Sara Čabarkapa, who coordinates the Active Citizenship program, noted that the Parliament initially stated that citizens could “easily utilize modern technologies to raise concerns in legislative activities, influencing public policy formation.”

She emphasized that the e-petition portal outlines clear guidelines for petition submission and signatures, specifying that petitions must be clearly articulated and free from offensive, illegal, or discriminatory content.

Čabarkapa explained that citizens of Montenegro and foreign residents can submit or support petitions online by providing their personal information, including their personal identification number (JMBG), along with a specific proposal for actions the Parliament should undertake.

“The process following the launch and signing of a petition is less clearly defined, and citizens currently lack the ability to track the progress of their petitions,” Čabarkapa remarked.

She cited Montenegrin Parliament statistics indicating that 28 petitions were submitted in 2023, up from 23 the previous year.

“This serves as a signal that the portal has not been sufficiently promoted, and it suggests that many individuals are discouraged by the Parliament’s previous approach, opting instead for non-institutional sites like Peticije.online and Change.org,” Čabarkapa opined.

According to the portal, if a petition garners at least six thousand citizen supports within 60 days, a relevant parliamentary committee will review its content and determine whether it will be formalized as a bill, excluding issues related to the budget and spatial plans.

“Experience has shown that not all petitions that reach the necessary signatures within the stipulated timeframe are reviewed by the committees, and some are prioritized over others,” she clarified.

Of the seven petitions that successfully collected enough signatures in 2023 and the prior year, only four were considered by committees, Čabarkapa reported.

“The law does not mandate that committees must review every petition, allowing the Assembly to dismiss petitions at their discretion, often without detailed justification,” she evaluated.

Furthermore, she noted that the mechanism for electronically asking questions to MPs has also seen minimal promotion.

“Citizens can submit questions to parliament members via a digital form on the ePetitions portal, with the caveat that anonymous, vague, or offensive inquiries are disregarded. According to daily-updated Parliament statistics, this feature has yet to be utilized,” Čabarkapa stated.

CCE has urged the Montenegrin Parliament to improve communication about these tools, which are intended to enhance citizens’ trust in governmental institutions, ensuring transparency throughout the petition process and protecting personal data.

Čabarkapa stressed that effective and proper use of these mechanisms benefits society as a whole, reinforcing the importance of maintaining citizens’ trust without exploitation, thus providing equal opportunities within the system.

“The current handling of e-petitions raises concerns for many, exemplified by the petition for the preservation of Velika Plaza, which is collecting signatures on the Change.org platform and has amassed around 11 signatures in two weeks,” Čabarkapa concluded.

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