The President of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović, expects all councilors to show responsibility towards citizens and enable the holding of the Municipal Assembly (MA) session and the budget debate.
The Municipality's statement, signed by Smolović, states that the budget is not a matter of one party or political majority, but rather a basic document that enables the functioning of the municipality, the implementation of projects, and the regular financing of all obligations to citizens.
"The adoption of the budget is a prerequisite for the normal functioning of the municipality. It ensures the financing of capital projects, support for sports, agriculture and social programs, as well as the implementation of infrastructure works and projects that have already been started or planned for this year. Without an adopted budget, it is not possible to launch new tenders or implement development activities important for the further progress of Bijelo Polje. If the budget is not adopted, the consequences would be directly felt by citizens. Failure to adopt the budget would mean the continuation of temporary financing, which implies limited functioning of the municipality. In such circumstances, new projects cannot be started, investments are delayed, and certain support programs for citizens, farmers and sports teams would be called into question," said Smolović.
His focus, as he emphasized, is to ensure that institutions function stably and that the implementation of projects important for the development of Bijelo Polje continues.
"Political relations are a matter of discussion between political entities, while my obligation is to ensure the continuity of the work of local government and the stability of the system," said Smolović.
"Vijesti" reported earlier today that the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), from which Smolović comes, allegedly agreed to concessions in negotiations with the Bosniak Party (BS), which BS set as a condition for the continuation of local government in Bijelo Polje, but that it is not yet known whether DPS will also give them the seat of the mayor of the municipality.
As "Vijesti" was unofficially told by BS, they did not receive a written response to the platform, so they cannot give a specific answer.
Although the local parliament session is scheduled for tomorrow, it will not be known until the morning, or until the collegium of the President of the Municipal Assembly (MA), Selma Omerović (BS), meets.
The government crisis in Bijelo Polje has been going on for two months, after the BS boycotted the session and the budget vote at the end of last year, dissatisfied with the coalition relationship.
Through its platform, BS proposes to redefine the coalition agreement in Bijelo Polje and for them to take over key functions in the local government, and although they have four councilors and DPS 11, they are not giving up on their intention to obtain the position of mayor of the municipality, leading positions in the Spatial Planning Agency, and to establish the public institution "Avdo Međedović".
BS and DPS have reiterated that they will not make any official statements while negotiations are ongoing, and according to "Vijesti" the DPS is also ready to make concessions, while BS insists that the position of mayor of the municipality should go to them, immediately or on January 9 next year, when Smolović's term expires.
In addition to criticizing Smolović for making key decisions without consulting his partners, BS also criticizes him for the fact that his brother's company received a concession for a quarry in Srđevac, and they especially criticize him for his attitude towards the utility company.
"The multi-year absence of mandatory and planned investments in the company, for which the Mayor is directly responsible, has jeopardized the core business of the utility company. The best example is the unsatisfactory level of hygiene of streets and sidewalks," the BS platform states, among other things.
DON'T MISS IT
The European Alliance of Bijelo Polje yesterday offered political entities in the Bijelo Polje local parliament a platform to unblock the work of the municipal assembly, focusing solely on the adoption of the budget, in order to avoid forced administration.
European Union councilor Adnan Striković then reminded that this northern municipality is going through a deep political crisis with a non-existent majority due to negotiations between DPS and BS, and called on councilors, regardless of party, to vote on the budget through a quorum of 19 councilors.
Striković emphasized yesterday that it is clear that a parliamentary majority in Bijelo Polje de facto does not exist, which is why he called for a gathering of 19 councilors, regardless of which political group they belong to, to hold a session and adopt the budget.
DON'T MISS IT
Democratic Montenegro councilor in the Bijelo Polje Municipal Assembly (MA), Marko Đukić, announced today that the government in Bijelo Polje, consisting of DPS and BS, has admitted that it has collapsed and no longer has a majority.
He said this in response to the fact that the European Union Bijelo Polje yesterday offered political entities in the Bijelo Polje local parliament a platform to unblock the work of the Municipal Assembly, focusing only on the adoption of the budget, in order to avoid forced administration.
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