Residents of Gornja Gorica, who are demanding the return of property nationalized in the 1960s, which then belonged to the company "13. July - Plantaže", gathered again today in front of the Parliament in the center of Podgorica.
As they previously stated, the land they are fighting for was registered as the property of their grandfathers and fathers in 1959, and in 1962 it was taken for the needs of the then Agrokombinat.
Miodrag Berilažić, as one of the land owners, as reported by Media Biro, pointed out that they are concerned that even after 20 meetings they have not received a response from the institutions.
"We contacted the European Union Ambassador in December last year, when he promised to receive us for a talk and said that he would help solve the problem as much as he could. However, since December 19, when we submitted the request to him, there has been no response. The same thing happened with Mr. Čarapić, whom we informed about the problem. It turns out that they are just following the example of the previous government. The social events taking place in our country simply make us suspect that the institutions that should solve our problem simply either will not or do not function. Because if they were functioning, someone would surely find time in a year and a half to receive us and ask what we are making a problem of. We are making a problem of because this is our country," said Berilažić.
He said that last Saturday, for the first time since 1996, they had the opportunity to walk freely on the land they are fighting for.
"The institutions took that land from us in an inhumane way. In this country, there are two basic rights to property, and that is either a purchase or a gift. The gentlemen did not buy it, that is for sure, nor did we give them the land as a gift, but they simply say that it happened by decision of the competent authority. You know very well, as do I, who the competent authorities are, and we simply have doubts about the proper work of those authorities and I cannot understand why they are asking us to turn to them legally. Who should we turn to? When these same institutions make completely negative decisions based on the instructions of some people who have a lot of money and who simply control the system. We are simply coming to a position where we need to radicalize what we are doing," Berilažić added.
He notes that radicalizing the rallies would not bring anything good.
"We are not a savage people and we are only asking for a conversation and an agreement, because it is possible to make one, only if there is good will from the gentlemen who are in parliament. And when the land was taken away, it was a political decision. We are asking for a political decision to be made now, following the example of Valdanos. You all know for sure that Valdanos was returned, and it was taken away at economic prices. And this land of ours was taken away for nothing and is being prepared for someone - maybe right now in some office here behind us, that land is being sold," claims Berilažić.
Petko Marković announced that they will strive to radicalize the protests and be more persistent in doing so.
"We will not allow those in power to steal our ancestral heritage from our doorstep," said Marković.
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