Holder of the Forward Movement list Vuk Kadic expects a good result in the upcoming elections in Podgorica and says that he will not build power with those who have been abusing it for personal interests for many years.
He said in an interview with "Vijesta" that there is a lot of untapped potential in Podgorica and he is convinced that the city can become a place where public services are efficient and accessible to everyone, and the economy is not based on trade and services, but is strong and sustainable.
He believes that the problems in vital city services (Water, Cleaning) are not the fault of the employees, but of their superiors, eligible for the party.
"The problems in these vital city services are not from yesterday, nor from last year, they have been going on for a long time, but the current management is not solving them. It is necessary to bring professional and responsible people to the head of these companies, not party cadres", Kadić said.
Why did you decide to get involved politically and lead the Pokret Naprijed list in the elections in Podgorica?
It was a simple decision to make. I entered into this, not only with a group of like-minded political people, but also with friends with whom I share the same views on life and the common desire to contribute to positive changes in our city. As people who are established in this city and who tied their family and business future to Podgorica, we are ready to use our knowledge, experience and energy to help create a better environment for everyone who perceives Podgorica as their city. In numerous conversations and meetings with my fellow citizens, I realized that most are not satisfied with the development of the city. I am aware that there is a lot of untapped potential in Podgorica and I am convinced that together we can contribute to making our city a place where public services are efficient and accessible to everyone, and the economy is not based on trade and services, but is strong and sustainable. When we have such a Podgorica, the quality of life will be much better and young people will want to stay here, start families and make a living contributing to the development of our city.
I keep repeating - this is not an election for or against joining the EU or a referendum on NATO. These are local elections for Podgorica. That's why Pokret Naprijed Podgorica came out with concrete solutions that will bring the changes we need. I believe that with the support of the citizens, we will succeed in achieving our vision of a better future for all the citizens of Podgorica.
You announced that the Forward Movement is running independently in the elections in Podgorica. Do you stay with that and were there any negotiations with someone about a joint performance (with whom)?
We are serious people who keep our word, say what we think, so I will repeat - we go to the elections independently. We at Pokreta Naprijed Podgorica deeply believe in our ideas and visions, which we have translated into the program, which was created based on the suggestions of our fellow citizens. By joining the coalition, you have to make compromises, you give up one part of what you believe in at the start. And we believe in our program, which is based on five pillars: economy, infrastructure, social issues, youth problems and ecology, the foundation of which is the family.
What result do you expect in the elections? What will you do if the Movement does not pass the census?
As serious and responsible people, who deal with politics, we did and are doing research. They show that the Forward Movement will be the most pleasant surprise of the election. What we are already sure of is that the citizens have recognized that a vote for the Forward Movement is a vote for a better, safer, more beautiful and healthier Podgorica. I won't say anything new if I say that citizens are more interested in what we can do for them than the results of the research. That's why we are addressing our campaign to all citizens of Podgorica who think that the city needs to move forward faster, and such are the majority in our city, whose support we count on.
When there is no bus, there is no bus for those who are for the government and for those who are for the opposition. When there are not enough places in kindergartens, there are not enough places for those who are in favor of the government and those who are in favor of the opposition. When the water pressure is weak, it is weak both for those who are for the government and for those who are for the opposition. When drivers are arrogant on the streets, they are arrogant towards everyone, regardless of whether they are for the government or the opposition. This is why our campaign will, above all, be positive and we will point out the key problems of our city, as well as the solutions to these problems.
With whom would you join the post-election coalition?
Let's wait for the election results, when we will know precisely who our potential partners are. And these are those who share our vision of city development. Those who abused the power in Podgorica for their own personal interests for many years will not be our partners. We can cooperate with everyone else, but the red line for cooperation will be our program, which, as I mentioned, is the program of our neighbors and fellow citizens.
There are a lot of former officials of the SNP in the Podgorica Movement. How does the Movement differ from the SNP?
In the Forward Movement, there are, above all, people who share the same visions and ideas on how to make our city the best place to live. This is a movement for the city, not a political party. I have never been a member of any political party until now, and neither have most of the candidates for councilors. Gentlemen (Mark) Blacksmith, (Aleksandar) Damjanovic and (Nebojša) Vuksanovic they incorporated into the Forward Movement their valuable political experience and responsible professional involvement in the most important positions in the country. That is why the Forward Movement is organized as a group of citizens, where there are no party quotas, but there is a desire and knowledge that life in Podgorica will be much better.
We will not talk about others during the campaign. I know this is rare in our political scene, but someone has to start acting like it. To talk about what will be, not what was. To talk about the future, not the past. To insist that capable people get to positions of responsibility, and not party candidates. And finally, but not least, that the family should finally be in the foreground.
If you are part of the future government, how do you intend to solve the main problem of Podgorica - garbage and lack of water in certain parts? Will you reduce the number of employees in Čistoca and Vodovodo, considering that they have a large number of workers, but they do not perform the jobs they exist for efficiently?
You yourself partially answered this question by stating that Čistoća and Vodovod have a large number of employees, but that the work is not performed efficiently. Maybe what I am saying will sound strange, but it is not the fault of those who care about the cleanliness of our city, but the fault of their party-eligible superiors. Nor are those who work on the city's water supply to blame, but rather those who manage that company, and especially those who appointed them there based on party quotas. The problems in these vital city services are not from yesterday, nor from last year, they have been going on for a long time, but the current management is not solving them. It is necessary to bring professional and responsible people to the head of these companies, not party cadres. When I say experts, above all, I mean those who have been in those companies for years and who know what the problems are and how to solve them, and therefore they must be given the opportunity to take responsibility.
The city's water supply is mainly based on the Mareza water source, which is very generous, but the expanding city must think about investments in the research and development of new water sources, which are numerous in our surroundings, and which would help to solve the problem of supplying certain parts in a high-quality way the city, especially the surrounding settlements. This has not been done so far, and it will be our focus as a constituent of the future government.
How will you solve the problem of lack of parking and illegal parking of vehicles?
The problem of illegally parked vehicles, for example, is also the problem of parents with small children in strollers, who cannot pass on the sidewalk, but have to get off the road, endangering both themselves and the child. We often have the problem that the buildings cannot be approached by ambulances or firefighters when necessary. Not to mention people with disabilities and the difficulties in their functioning and movement. The solution to the problem must come from several sides. First of all, through the construction of public garages. We have to do them. Experts should decide whether it is directed by the city or through a public-private partnership. One of our proposals is that through the project of the eastern tribune of the City Stadium, which has been at the top of the list of priorities of all city authorities for years, but which has by no means been realized, we will get additional business premises, as well as parking spaces.
Another proposal is the introduction of new public transport lines, increasing the number of buses, and improving the regularity and punctuality of departures, as well as harmonizing the sequence of public transport with educational institutions in order to reduce the huge crowds in front of the school and the "obligation" of parents to bring/take children to/from school/s.
In addition, we emphasize that all former city administrations had to regulate the problem of fine collection in a much better and more efficient way. Today we have a situation where hardly anyone pays the parking ticket, and the same is the case with the fines that the inspectors leave on illegally parked vehicles. But, much more important than sanctions is to work on raising awareness and traffic culture, especially among young drivers, which nobody takes into account today.
One of the pressing problems of Podgorica is the collector whose relocation has been announced for years. Do you have a solution for that?
The issue of collectors has long been one of the biggest problems of the Capital City. We have witnessed that for years there has been talk about the need for it to be resolved, but even today we do not have a final agreement between Podgorica and Zeta.
We are of the opinion that everyone interested should be involved in this story, and that the City, together with the Government, must open a dialogue with the inhabitants of Botun, in order to implement this project worth over 50 million euros as soon as possible, part of which was donated by the European Union . We also expect the Government to be actively involved in the process of delimitation of Podgorica with its former city municipalities, Zeta and Tuzi, in order to cut the "Gordian knot" of existing and future disagreements over these and other open issues.
The Naprijed Podgorica movement, when we are part of the city government, will make a maximum contribution to solving this problem, taking into account the interests of the citizens of Podgorica and Zeta, and especially the residents of Botun who do not agree with the collector being built in their village. By doing so, we will show that the interests and needs of citizens come first and that we will not give up until this issue is resolved in a way that is acceptable to everyone. On the other hand, we must show seriousness towards the donors, who have decided to donate funds to the Capital City for already approved projects in order to solve this problem as well, and prove through their work that Podgorica is managed by structures that are responsible and fulfill all their obligations.
Mayors are hostages of party factions
You are advocating for a change in the law that would enable the direct election of the leaders of Podgorica, the capital and other municipalities. For what?
The current system, in which the mayor is elected within the City Assembly, i.e. municipalities and the capital, is contrary to democratic principles. The mechanism set up in this way often does not reflect the will of the citizens, but the behind-the-scenes will of the leadership of political parties and coalitions. The direct election of the mayor will allow the citizens to decide for themselves who will lead them, without political post-election combinatorics, often behind closed doors. From many examples in Montenegro, we see that citizens tire themselves unnecessarily by going to the elections that do not result in a political agreement, which would be avoided by applying such a legal solution.
We are witnessing that the mayors elected under the current law are hostages of party interests and that they have to pay more attention to how to satisfy the calculations of the parties, and much less to think about the needs of the citizens. In the case of direct elections, citizens would know who the candidate is and would decide based on specific ideas and plans for the development of the city. This method of election would increase the responsibility of the elected mayor, because he would answer directly to the citizens who elected him.
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