Democratic Union of Albanians MP Mehmed Zenka said that by adopting the Law and confirming the agreement between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates, the Prime Minister is turning into a monarch, enabling the Government to seize land on the basis of public interest and leading Ulcinj into bankruptcy.
He said this after consultations on this issue with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
Spajić also met with Croatian Civic Initiative MP Adrijan Vuksanović, who stated that they are skeptical about the project in Ulcinj due to the lack of transparency of the process, that they are not against investments and that they want to protect citizens.
Neither Zenka nor Vuksanović specifically said that they would not support the agreement with the Emirates in the Parliament, but rather referred journalists to their previous statements.
Zenka said that this is a pompous investment that started with 20 billion and has now reached 35 billion euros.
"We are leading a city into bankruptcy and into the abyss. Who will take those 15, 20 thousand houses, where the lowest value of one is 500.000 euros. What will we do with 300.000 accommodation capacities? What will we do with the millions of square meters that private individuals have? So we will give him land. Where? Instead of land that is 100 meters from the coast, will we give him land on a mountain? He will not sell. With this law, if adopted, the Prime Minister becomes like a monarch. The government can arbitrarily seize land for the sake of certain interests. Who will we take it from and who will we give it to? Do we have anything concrete," Zenka asked.
He added that the money from the tourist season remains for use within the country.
He stated that similar projects show that this space, after construction, is not given to citizens for use and that Ulcinj will go bankrupt because of this. Zenka pointed out that the conversation with Spajić was "watered down", and that the Prime Minister spoke for 80 percent of the meeting.
"Some monstrous plans are being planned for Ulcinj. The residents of Ulcinj have invested enormous amounts of money in the development of their city, all based on tourism, and it is not a small sum - the government is talking about investments that are in the air, and you have concrete investments from citizens of 10 billion. You have hundreds of hotels, thousands of villas, top-notch apartments...", said Zenka, adding that tourism directly relies on the Big Beach.
He pointed out that the Luštica Bay and Belgrade Waterfront projects were mentioned at the meeting, and that they are in favor of such a project, but not for one that is 100 times larger. He added that they do not want 40.000 new people on Velika Plaza, because the project will require new workers while the local population will be gardening in that place tomorrow.
"A smart government and a state that has a vision will never plan for five generations. What will my grandson plan for his family? If I were to do this, would my grandson need to dig my grave? We have to leave something for the children. I feel they have no ear for the needs of a city," he stressed, adding that projects such as bridges are being left to generations.
He said that the city has already been destroyed enough through privatization, and that citizens have been investing in the city for the last 20 years, and now the Emirates are coming with megalomaniacal ideas.
"The Emirates have been eyeing Montenegro for 20 years, but no one has had the courage to present such a monstrous plan. In Albania, that man was given a military marina, people have over 3.000 complaints because they gave 40 percent of the money three years ago, and construction has not yet started. Alabar has over 100 partners, who are these partners, what are their intentions? Do you think civil engineering can be profitable, do we want skyscrapers on Velika Plaza?" added Zenka, emphasizing that no more than ten percent of Ulcinj residents would benefit from this project.
Asked if he was against the agreement, he said he did not want the city to be brought to the brink of collapse. He stressed that the future of the city and its families would be defended as best they could, and that the project was attempted to be pushed through the lease of beaches without a concrete meeting or offer.
"Someone should have the courage to go to the Emirates and present the city, location, and future of the citizens on a platter. It's going too fast, and the story is sterile and watered down. Nothing concrete, all the talk may be, it won't be," he stressed, adding that all other potential locations are five percent of the value of the project on Velika Plaza.
He claims that through this project, Ulcinj would be left with a rocky beach for 10.000 bathers, that the state will suffer, and that they are not against investments.
Vuksanović stressed that the wishes of the local population and the Municipality should be taken into account, but that the process began in a non-transparent manner and caused suspicions and reactions. He pointed out that they still do not know all the details, so they are cautious and want long-term sustainable investments that will not be to the detriment of citizens and the state.
"We will actively monitor the process and participate. The Prime Minister mentioned potential investments in Jaz, Buljarica and the Luštica peninsula, and said that they do not know all the details, which further increases the fear. The Prime Minister mentioned that a debate in the Parliament could begin in a month. The dissatisfaction of the citizens of Ulcinj, for whom this is an existential issue, must be taken into account. As we discover new details for this process, we will make a decision. At this point, we are more than skeptical," he said.
Bonus video:
