STEGA: No Thirteenth of July Award should be presented this year

The informal civic movement STEGA has called on the competent institutions not to present the Thirteenth of July Award this year, arguing that last year's conferral of Montenegro's highest state honour compromised the award's reputation so seriously that suspending this year's ceremony is the only responsible and dignified course of action.

According to STEGA, this is all the more justified given that this year's selection process has been compressed into an inappropriately short timeframe for nominations and decision-making, while the selection committee was appointed through what it described as a „one-line decision“.

The group said that last year's award ceremony was remembered not for the artistic achievements of the laureates but for „controversies that seriously undermined public confidence in those responsible for awarding the country's highest state honour“.

- We recall that the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption found that Želidrag Nikčević, a member of last year's selection committee, violated the Law on the Prevention of Corruption by failing to declare a potential conflict of interest when deciding on the award to Bećir Vuković. At the same time, the case opened by the Basic State Prosecutor's Office regarding last year's award process remains at the preliminary investigation stage. Particular doubts about the regularity of the procedure arose from the fact that one of Bećir Vuković's awarded works had already sparked considerable public controversy at the time of the award over whether it had in fact been published in accordance with the eligibility requirements for the Thirteenth of July Award. Instead of dispelling all doubts and restoring public confidence, however, the state - through Parliament - chose to proceed as though nothing had happened, showing no sense of responsibility for the irregularities that occurred. Moreover, nearly a full year has passed since police and court proceedings were initiated against 35 prominent citizens who raised their voices on Gorica Hill in defence of the values symbolised by this award - the statement said.

According to STEGA, all of these circumstances together constitute „the gravest institutional stain“ in the history of the Thirteenth of July Award.

- For that reason, organising another expedited award ceremony before all the circumstances surrounding last year's process have been clarified would amount to a further humiliation of Montenegro's highest state honour - the statement reads.

STEGA stressed that the Thirteenth of July Award „is not an ordinary plaque or a distinction belonging to any government:

„It bears the name of 13 July - a date symbolising Montenegro's commitment to freedom, anti-fascism and national dignity. For that very reason, its reputation cannot become a matter of day-to-day politics, party arrangements or ideological confrontation“.

The movement also appealed to all this year's nominees for the Thirteenth of July Award, as well as „all artists and creators who share the values of anti-fascism, civic Montenegro and respect for 13 July“, to decline the award should it be presented „under these circumstances“. STEGA recalled that guitarist Miloš Karadaglić took precisely such a step last year, demonstrating that „there are moments when honour and responsibility towards one's country are greater than any award“.

- A state honour bearing the name of the glorious Thirteenth of July cannot be accepted from the hands of someone who bears the title of a quisling army that collaborated with the occupiers of Montenegro during the Second World War. No artistic achievement or personal ambition can justify such a humiliation of Montenegro's highest state honour. This is not a matter of ideological differences but of basic respect for 13 July, for the anti-fascist struggle and for the state whose name this award bears - STEGA said.

The movement added that this year's decision will answer the question of whether the Thirteenth of July Award can still represent Montenegro's highest state and social distinction or whether it will „continue to serve as an instrument of political bargaining, ideological patronage and the systematic degradation of the values represented by 13 July“.

STEGA concluded that if the institutions „fail this test once again“, the citizens of Montenegro and STEGA would respond, just as they did last year.

- The Thirteenth of July and the Thirteenth of July Award do not belong to any government. They belong to the citizens of Montenegro and to the values upon which the modern Montenegrin state was restored. As long as there are attempts to undermine those values, there will also be those prepared to defend them and stand on the red line of freedom with one message: No pasarán - STEGA said.The informal civic movement STEGA has called on the competent institutions not to present the Thirteenth of July Award this year, arguing that last year's conferral of Montenegro's highest state honour compromised the award's reputation so seriously that suspending this year's ceremony is the only responsible and dignified course of action.

According to STEGA, this is all the more justified given that this year's selection process has been compressed into an inappropriately short timeframe for nominations and decision-making, while the selection committee was appointed through what it described as a „one-line decision“.

The group said that last year's award ceremony was remembered not for the artistic achievements of the laureates but for „controversies that seriously undermined public confidence in those responsible for awarding the country's highest state honour“.

- We recall that the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption found that Želidrag Nikčević, a member of last year's selection committee, violated the Law on the Prevention of Corruption by failing to declare a potential conflict of interest when deciding on the award to Bećir Vuković. At the same time, the case opened by the Basic State Prosecutor's Office regarding last year's award process remains at the preliminary investigation stage. Particular doubts about the regularity of the procedure arose from the fact that one of Bećir Vuković's awarded works had already sparked considerable public controversy at the time of the award over whether it had in fact been published in accordance with the eligibility requirements for the Thirteenth of July Award. Instead of dispelling all doubts and restoring public confidence, however, the state - through Parliament - chose to proceed as though nothing had happened, showing no sense of responsibility for the irregularities that occurred. Moreover, nearly a full year has passed since police and court proceedings were initiated against 35 prominent citizens who raised their voices on Gorica Hill in defence of the values symbolised by this award - the statement said.

According to STEGA, all of these circumstances together constitute „the gravest institutional stain“ in the history of the Thirteenth of July Award.

- For that reason, organising another expedited award ceremony before all the circumstances surrounding last year's process have been clarified would amount to a further humiliation of Montenegro's highest state honour - the statement reads.

STEGA stressed that the Thirteenth of July Award „is not an ordinary plaque or a distinction belonging to any government:

„It bears the name of 13 July - a date symbolising Montenegro's commitment to freedom, anti-fascism and national dignity. For that very reason, its reputation cannot become a matter of day-to-day politics, party arrangements or ideological confrontation“.

The movement also appealed to all this year's nominees for the Thirteenth of July Award, as well as „all artists and creators who share the values of anti-fascism, civic Montenegro and respect for 13 July“, to decline the award should it be presented „under these circumstances“. STEGA recalled that guitarist Miloš Karadaglić took precisely such a step last year, demonstrating that „there are moments when honour and responsibility towards one's country are greater than any award“.

- A state honour bearing the name of the glorious Thirteenth of July cannot be accepted from the hands of someone who bears the title of a quisling army that collaborated with the occupiers of Montenegro during the Second World War. No artistic achievement or personal ambition can justify such a humiliation of Montenegro's highest state honour. This is not a matter of ideological differences but of basic respect for 13 July, for the anti-fascist struggle and for the state whose name this award bears - STEGA said.

The movement added that this year's decision will answer the question of whether the Thirteenth of July Award can still represent Montenegro's highest state and social distinction or whether it will „continue to serve as an instrument of political bargaining, ideological patronage and the systematic degradation of the values represented by 13 July“.

STEGA concluded that if the institutions „fail this test once again“, the citizens of Montenegro and STEGA would respond, just as they did last year.

- The Thirteenth of July and the Thirteenth of July Award do not belong to any government. They belong to the citizens of Montenegro and to the values upon which the modern Montenegrin state was restored. As long as there are attempts to undermine those values, there will also be those prepared to defend them and stand on the red line of freedom with one message: No pasarán - STEGA said.