REM Head: Opposition Has Never Had More Media than Today

Olivera Zekic (YouTube screenshot)

Serbian Regulatory Authority of Electronic Media (REM) Council head Olivera Zekic believes that the opposition in Serbia “has never had more media” on its side than today, but that this does not mean that further pluralization of the media scene should be abandoned.

In the Dec. 28 issue of the Kurir daily, Zekic dismissed the claims of REM members Judita Popovic and Slobodan Cvejic, who maintain that she was appointed and not elected as the head of the REM Council, and added that she is not a member of the Serbian Progressive Party, which had recommended her for the position.

“I was elected by the votes cast by the REM Council members; there was no one from the outside who appointed me. When procedures are followed, there’s no room for claims of democracy being trampled on. What’s more, REM is now freer that it was yesterday, at least when it comes to politics, and no one is being held prisoner – whoever wants to leave may do so whenever they want,” Zekic said. She added she has “no connection with the authorities” and has never publicly displayed her “admiration of any person belonging to governing circles.”

Former REM Council member Slobodan Cvejic has earlier stated that the REM’s work has not been successful, citing reports of both “local and relevant international organizations which point to REM’s passivity and that it does not perform its basic purpose, which is managing the electronic media scene.”