Due to the Government's intention to take about 250 thousand square meters of land from the Municipality of Ulcinj for the needs of the Army of Montenegro on Mavrijana above Valdanos, the functioning of the coalition in that municipality was called into question, because the amendment of the Force significantly changed the decision on the transfer of the right to dispose of that land to the Government.
With that amendment, Forca requests that one part of the land be transferred to the Government, and the other be limited to use for 10 years, while the original proposal of the decision planned to make the entire area available to the Government.
On Thursday, the President of the Municipality of Ulcinj Ljoro Nrekić (DPS) withdrew from the agenda of the session of the local parliament the decision to transfer the right of disposal to the Government over about 250 square meters of land on Mavrijan above Valdanos, dissatisfied with the passage of the Force amendment, which significantly changes the original text of the proposal. The continuation of the session is today, but it is not certain whether that proposed decision will be on the agenda.
"Many here pretend to be crazy as if they are not from here and pretend that they are protecting the property of Ulcinj from someone," Nrekić said angrily from the phone, confirming that the cracks in the functioning of the ruling coalition are getting bigger every day.
Power in Ulcinj is exercised by DPS, Forca, Democratic Party, Democratic Union of Albanians, SD and BS, which have 30 out of a total of 33 councilors.
By the proposal of the decision, the Government is given the right to dispose of the plots 1/3 and ¼ registered in KO Bratica. On the first plot of land measuring 58,5 thousand square meters, the radar facilities of the Maritime Safety Administration, the Police Administration and the Army of Montenegro were installed. On the second one, with a size of close to 195 thousand square meters, which has been empty for decades, there are no permanent or temporary buildings. With the adopted amendment, the Ministry of Defense, i.e. the Government, is given possession of the first plot, while the second is given for use for ten years in accordance with the Defense Strategy until 2030.
Obstruction
Nerkić has previously publicly announced on several occasions that he is faced with open obstruction from certain coalition partners.
SDP and URA councilors Naser Resulbegović and Omer Bajraktari also point to this, but the president of the local parliament Ilir Čapuni (Forca) claims the opposite. Čapuni assessed that the normal work of councilors who point out the legality and shortcomings of proposed decisions does not represent opposition or obstruction.
"The councilors rightly point out that certain decisions that are proposed for adoption do not have a legal basis because, for example, the laws have changed, and the executive power did not know this because it does not follow. Proposals for decisions often come without the necessary approvals from relevant ministries or the Government. At the current session, we had several such items on the agenda, and we also had a proposal for a decision proposed by the President of the Municipality, which was unanimously rejected," Capuni told "Vijesta".
He reminded that state and municipal property was attacked by various predators, even some who work in the administration.
"Unfortunately, the fate and future appearance of the city are more commonly asked in Podgorica than in Ulcinj. Councilors read about projects and plans for Ulcinj in newspapers, not in assembly materials. That's why the councilors are more careful than ever before, regarding the interests of the city and that's why they demand quality solutions to defend those interests, especially property ones", said Čapuni.
Nrekić said at the session on Thursday that the decision was prepared and proposed at the request of the Property Administration and the Ministry of Defense, stressing that it is fully in accordance with the law and the statute of the Municipality. He explained that it is about property that is the property of the state and that the state has ceded to the municipality for use.
"This is very important to know in order to avoid manipulations that are trying to sneak in here, as if we are now giving something that is the property of Ulcinj to the state", said Nrekić, stating that there is nothing in dispute because the plots in Mavrijan are not property of the Municipality of Ulcinj.
He reminded that this location is intended for defense purposes and provided for in the Spatial-Urban Plan of the Municipality.
"We almost adopted that plan and many people boasted that they were responsible for it. We voted for it to be an extraterritory, and now we are pretending to be crazy, throwing fog and pretending to protect the interests of the city", said Nrekić.
He said that the proposal has nothing to do with Valdanos, nor with the property claimed by the former owners.
"A good part of that land is now used by the army, and this, additionally, is the rugged area below. You can't plant olive trees there or build hotels," said Nrekić. Return of Ulcinj
Resulbegović told "Vijesti" that the main characteristic of the current parliamentary majority is the permanent obstruction in the work of the constituents of the ruling coalition.
"Their endless mutual outwitting and subterfuge result in a total blockade of the work of the executive and legislative authorities and extreme inefficiency in the direction of the realization of the basic functions of local self-government. "Nrekić himself has pointed to that more than once," Resulbegović said.
He stated that another characteristic of the government's work is superficiality and incompetence, which, he claims, are manifested in low-quality materials that are submitted to the Assembly for consideration and adoption.
"That there is no coordination in the work is also shown by the fact that in most cases the proponents themselves withdraw the proposed material and thereby delay its adoption indefinitely," Resulbegović said.
URA councilor Omer Bajraktari assessed for "Vijesti" that the large coalition that is in power is one of the worst political solutions for Ulcinj.
"The situation regarding the land in Mavrijan has shown that this coalition is not unique and that it can hardly solve anything in such a scattered form, let alone start the realization of a capital project. I have no doubt that in the end they will also agree on the land in Mavrijan, because other unfavorable decisions for Ulcinj have also passed in this way", said Bajraktari.
He claims that Ulcinj is only regressing and that the Municipality has never had less authority in any sense than is the case now. The fact that some are creating obstructions, he added, is only a confirmation of the thesis that personal interests are the mainstay of the coalition.
Bojan Đakonović, head of the DPS committee, said that the fact that Nrekić withdrew the proposal does not mean that the coalition partners cannot sit down and talk about it again. "I believe that the proposal for a decision will soon be presented again at the plenum", said Đakonović. The ministry previously clarified that the two cadastral plots on Mavrijan represent the military location of the Center of Communications of the Army of Montenegro, and that they were entered in the real estate list of 158 KO Bratica as state property given to the Federal Secretariat for National Defense in Belgrade.
"By inspecting the Property List 104 KO Bratica, we found that cadastral parcels 1/3 and ¼ were mistakenly entered as the property of Montenegro - the subject of disposal by the municipality of Ulcinj. As the location in question represents a prospective location for use by the Army of Montenegro, it is designated in the Spatial Plan of the Coastal Area as a location for defense", the Ministry announced, emphasizing that last year the Government adopted a conclusion accepting the proposal "that the Municipality of Ulcinj return to disposition of cadastral parcels 1/3 and ¼ KO Bratica to Montenegro and that they be registered with the Real Estate Administration, Ulcinj Regional Unit, as property of Montenegro - the subject of disposal by the Government of Montenegro".
The state should stand behind Solana
Resulbegović pointed out that due to the fact that local government constituents are also partners at the state level, it was to be expected that Ulcinj would have stronger support from Podgorica in solving the accumulated problems.
"It is incomprehensible that the exact opposite is happening. Due to the very questionable decisions of some state authorities, Ulcinj was brought to a state of financial collapse. That situation can further worsen with the adoption of the decision on the protection of the Ulcinj Saltworks", claims Resulbegović.
He explained that with this proposal, the state is trying to transfer the entire burden of protection and responsibility to the Municipality and its budget, regardless of knowing that Ulcinj at this moment, and not in the near future, will not have the financial or personnel capabilities to adequately respond to that challenge.
"This will result in the non-fulfillment of the protection function and will very likely open up space for new multimillion-dollar disputes, because the Municipality also undertakes the obligation to compensate private owners for possible damages caused by the adoption of the decision," emphasized Resulbegović. The position of the SDP, he said, is completely clear.
"The salt pan must be protected, but its protection goes beyond local and even national significance and cannot be transferred to the burden of the local community alone. The state must be behind it," Resulbegović said.
The proposal of the decision on the declaration of the nature park "Ulcinjska solana" will be presented to the councilors starting today in the continuation of the session.
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