We are a society where we constantly complain about institutions, procedures, rules, and then when we do something like that, they jump all over the place and start proving that something is wrong, spreading conspiracy theories, hinting, lying, misrepresenting. And that is why I believe that we should leave REM alone, to work, without politics, without the realities that have occurred since the election of the president, without becoming the victim of those who are not victims and without lying about violating democratic procedures.
This is how the new president of the Council of the Electronic Media Regulatory Body (REM), Olivera Zekić, responds to the accusations that accompanied her appointment to this body. In the interview for Kurir, he also talks about REM’s work, criticisms of the opposition, as well as the start of supervising the work of N1 television.
What is currently happening at REM? We heard from REM members Judita Popović and Slobodan Cvejić that you were not elected president of the REM Council, but were appointed, that the decision was made elsewhere, that there was a coup, that democracy was violated and that the REM council was captured. Which of the following is true?
photo: Media Center
– In short, nothing. I was elected by the votes of the members of the REM Council, no one from the side appointed me. The vote took place in the session itself, no one had discussed the issue with the Council members before. Neither Judita Popović nor Slobodan Cvejić were the presidents of REM, so someone replaced them in the coup. There is no talk of trampling democracy when procedure is respected, as Cvejic himself said. REM is freer today than yesterday, at least in politics, and no one is trapped, anyone can leave whenever they want. Next, let’s clear up all this absolutely unnecessary noise and in my opinion the unnecessary departure of Cvejić, unless it was for personal marketing or politics. In the first place, the REM Council is the so-called collegiate body, in which all decisions are made by majority vote and there is no one, so it is not the president, who has a more valuable vote, or who can change any voted decision. I mean, after a series of nonsense that I heard, about the fallacies of the elections in REM, which can only be the result of bad intentions, because no one who knows the operation of REM and the powers of the President of the Council could say it in a dream . . The president of the Council is not an authority nor does he decide on anything independently. He represents REM, chairs the sessions and performs a series of administrative functions that are necessary for the functioning of the Council. There is no mystery, there is no monopoly on anything, from force to administration and financial resources. In REM, it is only a question of one of the equal members of the Council becoming the one in charge of when the sessions will be held, what will be the agenda and who, after discussion and voting, formulates the decisions and signs them. . At the same time, that agenda goes to a vote, the members of the Council can change it, complement it and, I repeat, there is no decisive role for the president, in nothing, not even in that. And if so, and it is, why was all the nonsense raised, as if the president of the world, the universe, the great dictator and the elder brother were elected in one, if not for personal and political promotion? Especially when Cvejić himself says that everything that was done could have been done, that the law, the rules of procedure and the statute had not been violated. I do not understand it, especially since Cvejić knows very well that I would not be a more important member of the Council if he stayed on it.
On whose behalf are Popović and Cvejić acting, on their own behalf or on behalf of all the members of the REM Council? Or maybe on behalf of someone on the side, outside of REM?
– Unlike them, I will not prejudge anything, but I want to say that it is extremely unfair and even indecent to accuse the members of the Council of everything they are accused of. People with integrity, career, free will, expressive intellect sit on that Council, and no one has the right to accuse them, without the slightest evidence, of serving anyone or working for anyone. Imagine some reason why a Zoran Simjanović, whose career in relation to others, including Cvejić’s, is truly gigantic, unreal, would agree to be an outstretched hand at any time, or have someone his age tell him how to do it. voice. Well let’s let Cvejić try to suggest or order you something, I’d really like to see how it will end, I certainly won’t make such a mistake. And as I represent REM, its members, it is my obligation and my job, I will defend at all times any unfounded attack on their integrity.
You said you wouldn’t back down in front of a crowd because “I’m not Jacqueline.” Could you clarify this statement?
photo: Print screen
– Yes. Here it is customary, due to politics, to make heroes and victims, traitors and executioners, and there are clear conditions to be one or the other. And there is a part of the media that will present you as simply evil, because you do not meet their basic criteria: you have not publicly condemned Vučić and the SNS for nothing. And when you do that, you will immediately get the status of a hero, like Zaklina Tatalović (journalist N1, ed. Note), and sooner or later she will forget that you were on the other side until yesterday, all the way to Cannes, for fun, with people. . working in the president’s office. That is why I said: I am not Jacqueline and I have no intention of resigning my position, opinion or voice. Especially because I am not in the SNS, I have nothing to do with the government, they have never heard me admire anyone in power, so I have no reason to justify myself to anyone. And the only thing is that I will not agree to that condition for the place of hero and victim, so now I can start spitting on people who did nothing to me, but also when proposing myself as a member of the Council, SNS showed that they appreciate those who have their opinion.
An important part of REM is, in addition to the City Council, the professional service. Will there still be people in that service who have been there for years and who, as suspected, work for the interests of the owners of some media?
– I do not doubt the people who work in REM’s professional services, I believe in their professionalism, we have really great lawyers, analysts and, in the end, all decisions are made by the REM Council, not them. Of course, if you have any evidence of someone else’s work for someone else’s interests, please provide it and I will respond to you immediately.
Three and a half months ago, the courier submitted a request to REM to start monitoring TV N1’s work, but as of today nothing has been done. Are you going to do something about it?
photo: Shutterstock
– I’ve only been in REM for a few days, after a break of several months, and I will have to familiarize myself with the whole case. As far as I know, we did it a few years ago, on the occasion of H1 television. REM has the obligation, in such cases, to obtain statements, opinions from all competent institutions and decide on that basis.
Instead of acting on the request, for which it has jurisdiction, REM requested information about H1 from some state agencies. You are obviously procrastinating deliberately and buying time. What do you answer to that?
– There will be no procrastination in REM, that’s for sure. The speed with which everyone we send it to will respond to our request, from the Ministry of the Economy to the Commercial Registries Agency, does not depend, you will agree, on us. The important thing here is that it is certainly necessary to establish the rules of the game in the media market that apply to everyone. Today, it is not known exactly who is in charge of what, EMN itself is limited in its activities and I think that at a much higher level that question should be asked.
Since REM did not initiate the actual procedure, Kurir asked REM which authorities he was requesting information from on H1, but despite several urgencies, we did not receive an answer to those questions. Can we at least get an answer to these questions to begin with?
– You can, I will let you know as soon as I enter that case, and I am sure, at least it was a few years ago, that we communicated with the Mercantile Registers Agency, the Ministry of Economy, the founder of H1, and I mean to the Luxembourg regulator. If anyone else has been asked to comment, please let me know how much today.
We have written several times that H1 is abusing the status of cross-border television and operating in the gray zone, avoiding paying taxes and other fees, which has significantly damaged the state. Will you continue to tolerate that? – Well, that’s what I’m talking about. REM is not responsible for taxes and duties, N1 is not under its jurisdiction and in that sense the possibilities of reaction are only in certain situations. And that has to be resolved, but don’t expect us to do it alone. Those kinds of rules are set higher, so we’re here to enforce them.
On the demands of the opposition
The opposition would like to put Djilas as host of Dnevnik
Part of the opposition around the leader of the SAA Dragan Djilas constantly complains about REM’s work, there were rallies in front of the headquarters of this body, they pasted the logo of the ruling party next to the name of REM, which, according to them, is “local SNS board” … How do you rate their comments? and requirements?
photo: Sonja Spasić
– I think that they, to their regret, not mine, are mistakenly convinced that, to get to power, they are crucial means. And they spend all their energy just on that, on media appearances, on public relations, on expanding their own media presence. Hence the idea that REM should edit the media scene as it suits them best, for example removing the national frequency Pink and giving it N1, or declaring Dragan Djilas the sole host of “Dnevnik” and Borko Stefanovic the director. the same. And apart from the fact that this behavior is at the level of what, as little Djokica imagines, it seems to me that it also does great harm to the opposition itself. After all, the fact that in the recent history of democracy in Serbia, the opposition did not have, at the same time, more media support or a worse result, shows how wrong they were. But again, it’s not up to me to teach them, it’s up to them what they will do, at least until they try to act like bullies. Then again, I will stand in front of them. In your opinion, is there enough opposition in the media? – Well, I said, the opposition has never had so many televisions, newspapers, weeklies, portals, but that, of course, does not mean that we should not all work together in a greater pluralization of the media space. And not for politics, political parties, but for citizens.
