At the beginning of the meeting, the representatives of the CRTA Observation Mission informed the members of the Election Campaign Supervisory Board about the activities CRTA has been conducting in observing elections at the national and local level since 2016 and which it would conduct during the early parliamentary and regular presidential elections called for 3 April 2022. They went on to ask the members of the Supervisory Board to clarify the provisions of the Law relating to its competence, the mandate of the e Supervisory Board members, especially since these were issues the Board mainly dealt with in the previous election cycle, and how interested individuals could contact the Supervisory Board if they notice any irregularities within the Board’s purview.

The members of the Supervisory Board highlighted the continuity of the Board’s work, adding that there already are specific comments, proposals and ideas from the previous Supervisory Board’s members, some of which would be taken into account and applied in the work of the newly formed Supervisory Board with the aim to boost its transparency and efficiency. The new Law on the Election of MPs specifies the competencies of the Supervisory Board, and speaking of the supervision of media services, they are limited to public media services, thus avoiding overlapping competencies with the Temporary Supervisory Body for Media Monitoring at the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The members of the Supervisory Board pointed out that this body would continue with the good practice of using the REM report on the supervision of media service providers during the election campaign, but that it would also monitor the activities of other participants in the election campaign, as envisaged by law.

Speaking of keeping the public duly informed about the Supervisory Board’s competencies and activities, the members of the Supervisory Board stressed that they have prepared a statement to be distributed to all the media, to inform the public about the opportunity for every citizen and participant in the election campaign to address the Supervisory Board if they notice any irregularities within the Board’s competence.

The meeting was attended by Supervisory Board Chairman Svetislav Goncic and members: Prof. Dr Miodrag Savovic, Jelena Milenkovic Orlic and Prof. Dr Branko M. Rakic.