The initiators of the initiative to publish diplomas did not intend to turn the Parliament into an academy of sciences, but rather, as one of them, PES MP Uglješa Urošević, explains, for those who create public policies to show responsibility.
"They should have undoubtedly clean diplomas, whether it's a high school diploma or an undergraduate degree. Not everyone has to have a master's or doctoral degree. If it's high school - high school, but it should be known that it's completely legal and that there are no controversial aspects about it," says Urošević.
He hopes that, in addition to MPs, others in responsible positions will also make their formal education public.
"The point is that there must be zero tolerance for purchased, fake and low-quality diplomas," said Urošević.
It is good, they say in "Alternativa", that the highest legislative chamber has launched an initiative to publish diplomas, because, as Zarija Pavicevic notes, it is important that citizens know the facts about those they elect.
"Neither MPs nor ministers need to be highly educated, but even the smallest step forward in the fight against this scourge really gives us an additional glimmer of hope that a solution will finally be found and that those who really have to meet all the legally defined conditions for performing their functions will make their diplomas public. As for MPs, I welcome the decision, although I believe that it is also a matter of populism to some extent," said Pavićević.
The SD parliamentary group, as Boris Mogoša says, responded 100 percent to the initiative, but does not see any populist move in it.
"Populism would be for someone to comment on the average or some other thing about their colleague, but this is simply something that should be public if you are part of the public political scene and public discourse," said Mogoša.
Since citizens finance the salaries of public officials, it is important, Mogoša emphasizes, to have insight into their formal education.
"You often have various stories about certain diplomas being of dubious origin, which are linked to certain segments of the system, and this is a very serious issue that needs to be investigated thoroughly. That is why it is additionally important that people who make decisions in Montenegro and perform public functions present documents about their formal education," said Mogoša.
We remind you that a few years ago, when Alternative requested access to MPs' diplomas under the Law on Free Access to Information, out of 81 MPs, only Radinka Ćinćur did so.
