The Ulcinj Committee of the Social Democratic Party will submit to the Municipal Assembly by the end of the week a proposal for a decision on the conditions, manner and procedure for awarding public awards and recognitions, which will open the way for former German Ambassador Gudrun Elizabeth Steinaker to become an honorary citizen of Ulcinj for the second time. The proposal could be presented to councilors at the next session of the local parliament.
This was confirmed to "Vijesti" by the president of OO SDP, Naser Reslubegović.
Two years ago, the SDP initiative did not pass in parliament because then the Parliamentary Committee for Elections and Appointments estimated that such an act required a change in the SO statute.
"We adopted the statute last year and with this proposal we want to create all the legal prerequisites for Her Excellency to become an honorary citizen of our city. We will not leave anything to chance and this time technical flaws in the proposal cannot be an alibi for anyone," said Reslubegović.
He reminded that Steinaker raised the problem of the Ulcinj salt pan to the European level and that she is the most deserving of the fact that this area is today protected and declared a nature park.
In the explanation of the SDP initiative, it is stated that Steinaker "since the beginning of her ambassadorial mandate in Montenegro, has shown not only a great interest and a special attitude towards the natural beauty and economic potential of Ulcinj, but also a great willingness to be actively involved and help solve the many problems of the city ".
"Her frequent visits to Ulcinj, not only the official ones and informal, private visits, contributed to the fact that the people of Ulcinj began to feel that she is their fellow citizen. It would take a lot of space and time to list all the reasons why Mrs. Steinaker deserves to become an honorary citizen of Ulcinj. But for this occasion, only one is enough - her immeasurable contribution in the fight for the restoration and protection of the area of the Ulcinj Saltworks", the explanation states.
If she gets the green light in the parliament, Steinaker could be declared an honorary citizen of Gad on the first Saturday of April when Ulcinj celebrates the Municipality Day.
As two years ago, Forca announced that it would support the initiative.
"Of course we will support. We gave support two years ago," said Force President Nazif Cungu.
Support for the SDP proposal was also announced in the Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Albanians, which together with Forca, DPS, Social Democrats and Bosniak Stanka, exercise power in Ulcinj.
"We make all decisions at the coalition level, but I see no reason why they would not support the proposal," Khadija Đoni and DUA told News.
The DP also points out that the idea is welcome, but that they will have a final position after consultations within the coalition.
The opposition URA also announced that it would support the SDP proposal.
"Just like last time, this time we will give full support. It is the least we can do for Mrs. Steinaker, considering what she has done for us," said the president of Ulcinj URA Omer Bajraktari.
News from DPS could not get a comment about the launch of the new SDP initiative.
The current president of the municipality, Ljoro Nrekić, who was the head of the local parliament two years ago, said then "that as far as the Assembly is concerned, the SDP proposal is not controversial, but that the councilors must wait for the Board to submit a decision for adoption".
Steinaker was recognized as an uncompromising fighter for the protection of the salt pan both from the position of ambassador and after the termination of her position. She is one of the first to point out that the salt pan is not only an environmental problem but also a rule of law issue, openly advocating that Chapter 27 should not be opened until the entire area is protected.
She often criticized the Government for procrastinating and buying time, urging it to urgently protect the salt mine and restore salt production. She did not hesitate to talk about the dubious privatization of the company and some of the things that happened there, which, in her opinion, represent pure crime.
The leaders of the DPS probably also resented the criticism they sent on the occasion of the declaration of the current vice-president of the Assembly Branimir Gvozdenović as the "ambassador of the Mediterranean coast".
"I am writing to you in order to express my concern regarding the nomination of a person like Branimir Gvozdenović as ambassador of the coast, who during his ministry, taking everything into account, contributed to the destruction of the Montenegrin coast, which is still ongoing", wrote Steinaker in a letter to the coordinator of the Program of the United Nations for the Environment.
The statute was not an issue for the Rama and Thaci decisions
The former president of OO SDP Skender Elezagić, who launched the initiative two years ago, said then that powerful individuals from the top of DPS are behind the delay.
"It is completely clear to us that Mrs. Steinaker, with her fight for the salt pan, disrupted the intentions of some influential individuals from the very top of the DPS to use this space to earn multi-million profits, regardless of the ecological consequences and that for them, certainly the idea that she awarding it with the title of honorary citizen of Ulcinj is not the least bit appropriate". Elezagić told "Vijesta" at the time.
Although the parliament rejected the initiative for Steinaker to become an honorary citizen of Ulcinj with the explanation of the Selection and Appointment Committee that changes to the statute were necessary for this, it did not prevent the councilors from declaring the then Prime Ministers of Albania and Kosovo, Edi Ramu, as honorary citizens two years earlier, without a special regulation. and Hashim Thaci.
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