Serbian candidates return to media council after resignation dispute resolved

Four independent candidates have decided to return to the Council of Serbia's Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) following a legislative clarification that addresses their previous concerns.

These candidates, Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić, had resigned from the REM Council in November of the previous year. Their resignations stemmed from a dispute over the selection process for a fifth member, which they believed did not adhere to prior agreements. The core issue was an "Authentic Interpretation of the Law on Electronic Media" adopted by the Serbian Parliament, which clarified that resignations are not legally binding if submitted by a member who has not yet officially assumed their duties.

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Important for me to say is that the reason why we resigned has now been removed. Also, the new tender did not succeed. What we demanded, and that is that the fifth member be chosen as agreed, and that was not done, therefore we submitted our resignation. Now this is being moved to the fall; the fifth member from the ranks of national councils will be elected in the fall. This means our demand and our resignation had an effect.

Ira Prodanov Krajišnik stated that the reason for their resignation has now been resolved. She also noted that a new tender for the fifth member had failed. "What we demanded, and that is that the fifth member be chosen as agreed, and that was not done, therefore we submitted our resignation," Krajišnik explained. "Now this is being moved to the fall; the fifth member from the ranks of national councils will be elected in the fall. This means our demand and our resignation had an effect."

The candidates expressed their belief that their continued presence in the REM Council is necessary for transparent reporting and to ensure clarity in the media landscape. The Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI) has supported their decision to return, anticipating that they will advocate for the public interest in electronic media. BIRODI expects the REM members to align sub-legal acts with the Law on Electronic Media, make REM's monitoring databases publicly accessible, and adopt regulations to prevent official campaigns.

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We believe that we should act in the REM Council, that we should report transparently, that the entire situation in the media field should be clear, that someone should control it, and I do not think we have betrayed anyone or done anything against our convictions.