Candidates for the REM Council, Fijuljanin and Ameti: We would resign after two years.
We want to demonstrate that we, as legitimate candidates, possess the willingness, responsibility, and openness to find solutions, and that such an approach is essential for concluding the selection process of the REM Council in a manner that contributes to democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law, it is stated in the letter from Muhedin Fijuljanin and Ljumturije Ameti.
In a letter addressed to the public, the Assembly of Serbia, the European Union Delegation, and the OSCE Mission in Serbia, candidates for the ninth member of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), **Muhedin Fijuljanin** and **Ljumturije Ameti**, for whom the majority in the Assembly of Serbia has refused to vote, propose finding a constructive solution for the election of the last Council member. Fijuljanin was proposed by the Bosniak National Council, while Ameti was proposed by the Albanian National Council.
Their letter states:
“In order to find a solution to the situation our country is facing regarding the election of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, we, the legitimate candidates for the ninth member of the Council, are addressing the public after the Culture and Information Committee decided not to submit a request to the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to repeat the voting in the ninth area, thereby preventing the conclusion of the election for members of the REM Council. Under such circumstances, we present this initiative as a responsible attempt to find a solution despite institutional blockage, in the interest of pluralism, strengthening media freedom, the rights of all national minorities, and all citizens of the Republic of Serbia.
We believe that the pluralism of voices within the REM Council, especially concerning the representation of national minorities, is essential for the credibility of this institution and for the realization of the rights guaranteed to all minority communities in the field of information by the Constitution and laws. The media space must be a place where different voices, experiences, and perspectives are heard, and the regulatory body must actively enable and protect this.
Based on this belief, we want to publicly express our readiness, in order to enhance pluralism and create space for broader and more equitable participation of national minorities in the work of the REM Council, to resign from our membership in the Council after two years of mandate, if either of us is elected in the repeated voting at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, regardless of the fact that our mandate is supposed to last four years. We consider this approach a responsible, legal, and legitimate way to contribute to a more dynamic and inclusive representation of minority interests in the long-term work of the Council.
In the first two years of the mandate, the work of either of us will be fully focused on achieving and enhancing the pluralism of the media scene, as well as the rights of all national minorities, without exception, in the media sphere. This includes advocating for: equal access of minority communities to electronic media; respecting professional and ethical standards in reporting on national minorities; combating discrimination, stereotypes, and hate speech in the media; and enhancing the transparency and accountability of REM on issues concerning minority and overall public information in our country.
We do not view this initiative as a concession or a political compromise, but rather as a good-faith and constructive offer to demonstrate that there is a willingness for dialogue, flexibility, and seeking solutions that are in the interest of society as a whole. We believe that such an approach is necessary from the ruling parties as well in order to restore public trust in institutions and ensure that the REM Council truly serves the public interest.
We are convinced that complex social issues are not resolved by closing off spaces for cooperation, but by expanding them. With this letter, we wish to show that on our part, as legitimate candidates, there is a will, responsibility, and openness to find solutions, and that such an approach is necessary to conclude the election process for the REM Council in a manner that contributes to democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law,” states the letter from Muhedin Fijuljanin and Ljumturije Ameti.
Meanwhile, the Culture and Information Committee has proposed two new candidates for the National Minority Council to the Assembly of Serbia, **Ištvan Bodžoni** and **Sreten Jovanović**.
**Four candidates** elected by the Assembly to the REM Council have announced their resignations due to this situation.
In the meantime, a member of the ruling coalition, **Dušan Marić**, openly stated at the Culture and Information Committee meeting that the government intends to continue controlling REM.
**Source: [Cenzolovka](https://www.cenzolovka.rs/drzava-i-mediji/kandidati-za-savet-rem-a-fijuljanin-i-ameti-podneli-bismo-ostavke-posle-dve-godine/)**
