12.02.2021

Open letter

As a full professor and rector of the University of Montenegro, I am addressing the public, international organizations, diplomatic corps and the Government of Montenegro, that an illegal attempt to dismiss rector of the University of Montenegro was organized today by several members of the Governing Board of the University of Montenegro.

I would like to point out that today’s act violates the highest legal document of the University – the Statute, as well as the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board, which is headed by prof. drRajka Glušica who is elected to this position as a representative of the Government of Montenegro.

Article 55 of the Statute of the University of Montenegro, independent institution whose autonomy is granted with the Constitution and the Law on Higher Education, states that “aninitiative for the dismissal of the Rector may be submitted by the Senate or else five members of the Governing Board. The initiative is submitted with a written justification and delivered to the Rector for declaration. The Senate declares regarding the initiative of the Governing Board for the Rector’s dismissal”.

In case the Senate or the Governing Board rejects the initiative for dismissal, a new initiative shall not be submitted before six months expire. I declare that neither I as a rector or the Senate as University body were even familiar with the initiative, not alone that we had the chance to declare regarding it. With such act, the Senate and rector were deprived of any legal right to declare regarding the initiative for dismissal. This is particularly important having in mind that the Senate has the inviolable right to declare regarding the initiative for dismissal, and in case that the Senate rejects the initiative than the dismissal would not even take place.

I have the impression that all this was performed with intent and that we are dealing with a legal violence by part of the Governing Board considering the fact that this decision was not brought unanimously.

This initiative was introduced ad hock into agenda during the meeting, which violates the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board, article 24 which states that “every member of the Governing Board can initiate a certain topic for the agenda. An initiative is submitted to the President of the Governing Board at least five days before the meeting is held. The proposed agenda is published online at the web page of the Governing Board before the meeting“.

Hence, the initiative was not submitted before the meeting, the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board was violated, and all norms of the Statute related to the procedure of the dismissal of rector were violated completely.

Despite the fact that it was pointed out at the meeting to the President of the Governing Board that the legal procedure is being violated, she neglected the objections and continued the meeting, thus enabling illegal work of the Governing Board. The decision was brought after the illegal procedure, which inevitablymeans that all decisions brought at today’s meeting are legally nulland void.

What is obvious is that after this, we cannot speak about any autonomy of the public University, but about a clear political decision, considering that for the first time in the history of the University we have the Government representative as the President of the Governing Board of the University and another Government representative is proposed to be therector.