Open letter to the Co-chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the EU and Montenegro for stabilization and association Ranko Krivokapic and Anneliese Dodds, member of the EP Marek Plura and members of the Parliament of Montenegro in POSP

Respected,

We address to you following the information that 10th meeting of the Parliamentary Committee of the EU and Montenegro for stabilization and association (POSP) will be held today 8th April and tomorrow 9th April in hotel “Maestral” in Budva. Since we are familiar with the agenda of the meeting and having in mind that of the themes is status of persons with disabilities and EU Strategy for persons with disabilities and since member of the Parliament Nada Drobnjak will give you report on that, we want to draw your attention to the following:

Namely, we are glad by the fact that meeting will be attended by member of the European Parliament (MEP) Marek Plura, person with disability- wheelchair user, especially given that it was logical that such a meeting should be organized in premises of the Parliament of Montenegro. However, on the other side we are confused by the fact that Parliament was avoided as a place for organization of this meeting? Could it be because of inaccessibility for persons with disabilities of the highest legislative body, because in our Parliament in this way did not think about that for years, for months, not even just day before arrival of MEP, when Miroslava-Mima Ivanović was, once again, ‘’carried in’’ to the Parliament. Also, they did not think about it in January 2013 when representative of OECD from Albania was carried in and carried out down stairs of the Parliament of Montenegro. Did that visit of the representative of OECD from Albania contribute that such a humiliation want happen today as well?

It is sad that, in most cases, representatives of the Montenegrin authorities are not tackled by inaccessibility issues, unless someone from the outside point to it. The prove to that is verdict of the Basic and Higher Court in process for protection against discrimination initiated by Miroslava-Mima Ivanović, against Parliament of the Montenegro, which refuse to order Parliament to take all necessary measures to prevent any further discrimination.
Will members of the Montenegrin Parliament try to justify such a situation with ‘’lack of funds, technical conditions or complicated administrative procedures’’, or will they, aware of the fact that they speak to MEP with disability, who became aware of inaccessibility problems in other countries, when he visit Montenegro find appropriate to admit that all mentioned reasons for inactivity and lack of legal protection are completely unjustified and unfounded. Did members of the Montenegrin Parliament ever wondered why there is no wheelchair users or persons with other kinds of disabilities among them or most of them will continue to avoid as in many occasions, like they do it know when they see our at the stairs trying to enter Parliament of Montenegro?
We expect that, President of the Parliament of Montenegro Ranko Krivokapic will give those answers to us and to all persons with disabilities at the Press Conference scheduled for Thursday, 9th of April at 12.30 hours.
Respectfully yours,

Marina Vujačić, Executive director
Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro