At the sitting held on 4 September, the Culture and Information Committee interviewed the candidates for member of the Republic Broadcasting Agency Council nominated by non-government organisations and civic associations primarily dealing with the protection of freedom of speech, national and ethnic minority rights and children’s rights. The sitting was chaired by Vesna Marjanovic, Committee Chairperson.

The Committee Chairperson stressed that in the procedure for the election of RBA Council member from the ranks of domestic non-government organisations and civic associations, under article 23, paragraph 2, item 5 of the Broadcasting Act, no agreement had been reached to form a joint list containing two candidates, even in the extended legal deadline. She said that the modification of the Broadcasting Act of June of this year envisages that, if authorised proposer does not harmonise the nomination within the stated deadline, the National Assembly Committee in charge proposes a list containing the names of two candidates for the purpose of election of one member of the RBA Council based on the submitted nominations. She also pointed out the legal regulation according to which before ruling on the election of Council member, the Committee can organise a public discussion with all the nominated candidates for the purpose of gaining insight into their ability to perform the tasks within the Agency’s purview.

The following candidates were then presented to the Committee members: Velimir Milosevic (Serbian Scout Association and EKOPOLIS, Nis), Miljenko Dereta (Civic initiative), Dr Rajko Djuric (Roma Holocaust Foundation “Remembrance, Reconciliation, Future”, Belgrade), Boza Prelevic (Fund for Political Excellence, with two more organisations, Belgrade), Goran Pekovic (International Association of Propagandists) and Milovan Vitezovic (Cultural-educational Community of Belgrade).