Election activities in 2016 cost Montenegrin taxpayers €7m, which means that last year we gave €797 per hour to politicians for electoral activities, according to research by the Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT).
Electoral costs include the costs of State Election Commission (SEC), budget funds to finance the general elections campaign, budget funds allocated for the local elections in Tivat, the funds for the purchase of equipment for the electronic voter identification and the AFIS system.
“As much as €7m from the budget was spent for the elections last year. That money could have been used for paying salaries of all doctors in Montenegro for half a year. Or the money could have been used for building seven smaller residential buildings or six kindergartens for 1300 children,” CDT stated.
However, the elections had to be held.
Dragan Koprivica from CDT says that this is not in question, but points out that this research is supposed to show everyone what we have got for the €7m.
“Nothing. Instability. I do not want to get into who is to blame the opposition or the government, but that’s the point,” Koprivica told CdM.
This year, political parties in Montenegro will receive about €4.3m.
“This amount does not include MPs’ salaries,” Koprivica said.
