Holder of the Uopreta list "Draw the line - it can't be like this anymore" Srdjan Peric he said that they will surely pass the census, that it is important to strengthen the institutions that have become even more ineffective in the last two years, and announced the fight against "political corporations".
He said in an interview with "Vijesta" that "if we want a different policy, then we are all responsible for it".
"There is no simple solution to traffic chaos, but we have a plan. First of all, we want to reduce dependence on the use of cars, first of all through a significant increase in investment in public transport and strengthening its reliability and attractiveness", Perić assessed in an interview with the newspaper via e-mail.
He believes that the issue of collectors would be resolved if there was a will, because the same parties are in power in Podgorica, Zeta and at the state level.
Why are you first on the Uroketa list?
This is the decision of the Overturning body at the local and state level.
You have decided to go to the elections in Podgorica independently. Were there any negotiations with anyone about a joint performance and if so, with whom?
There were several offers, with the implied politeness - they were all rejected. We build our own way because the policy we advocate is incompatible with the corporate approach to politics, which has been on the scene for a long time. At the same time, we are not ready for compromises that would largely relativize the meaning of our struggle.
There is one interesting thing: as a rule, those who invite you to the coalition, when you reject them, then say the worst about you. The only question is why they call you if you are the worst. We all know the answer - for political corporations, the citizen and the political organization that will listen, and not the one that would disturb the inter-party harmony of interests, are good.
What result do you expect in the elections? What will you do if the Urokte does not pass the census?
Upheaval won nearly four percent of the votes in the state elections in Podgorica. And I would not continue to deal with percentages, but with the need to emphasize that every citizen's vote is important and that any indication that voting for a pure citizen option is presented as a senseless, essential undermining of the good that democracy can provide.
Honestly, I don't understand the logic of that question. Of course, you have the right to it, but what's the point? Vote for the "big ones", the citizen's vote is irrelevant, let's vote for those politicians who we will criticize later, cut down civil movements, undermine the grassroots left at the very start. What should be the answer? Because this approach helps to get a positive answer to such questions.
If we want a different policy, then we are all responsible for it. The least important thing is whether my little one will be a functionary or not. If that was my life's preoccupation, I wouldn't be fighting the battles I'm fighting. I'm sure of one thing - it can't be like this anymore. It is completely irrelevant personally who is in which position, because everyone will eventually become the same as long as we reduce politics to the fact that whoever has money can do everything.
And to be completely clear and answer your question: I have no dilemma regarding the census, it is clear based on the results of the state elections, research shows this and the situation on the ground shows this.
With whom would you join the post-election coalition?
That partitocratic game is interesting, which, unfortunately, almost everyone agrees to. According to that logic, we should not say what we stand for, what we want to do, what to change. We don't even need to introduce the people who stand behind our idea, but we should immediately say to whom we would take the votes that the citizens would give for our policy. With all that, we don't get even close representation in the media, although if the letter of the law is read and the journalistic code is respected, it should be different. I am sorry to say that civil movements do not have even the slightest hint of equal treatment that political corporations have, especially right-wing ones. But we are where we are, let everyone do their job as best they know how, but then let's take turns to tell the program first, what and on what basis we intend to change and who are the people who carry our political story.
So that there is no dilemma, nor material to be torn out of context, in the last week before election day we will provide a clear map of how we see the formation of the government in Podgorica. The answer will be simple and clear, just like on the previous two occasions, and I assume that it will not be pleasant for the parties, but it will benefit the citizens. No one will be in doubt as to where the Revival is on the political map. We want to dismantle this kind of partitocratized political system, and that is not possible if we agree to the framework described in the previous paragraph.
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?
First of all, we need to strengthen the institutions that, instead of being more functional, have become even more ineffective in the last two years. In addition to all of this, an improvement plan should be drawn up in both fields.
The problems of the quality of life in Podgorica stem from the long-term problem of overbuilding, accelerated settlement and inadequate strategic planning. Podgorica has a continuously poor waste management system. Almost every neighborhood in the city is often covered with garbage due to overbooked containers and untimely waste collection. In addition to deteriorating hygiene conditions in public areas, municipal waste also represents an ugly image of our city. Upheaval wants Podgorica to be a clean and orderly city. Some of the measures we will strongly advocate for are improving the garbage collection system, increasing the number of recycling yards in different parts of the city, improving the special and hazardous waste collection system, as well as improving the sorting process of different types of waste such as plastic, glass and metal.
The problems with the water supply system have a similar root, and the solution in both cases is to choose company managers through open and transparent public tenders. In addition, one of our priorities will be the full determination to have professional people in the boards of directors of local public companies, so that instead of party delegates in responsible management positions, we have competent people with integrity.
One of the pressing problems of Podgorica is the collector whose relocation has been announced for years. Do you have a solution for that?
It deals with a sensitive topic that was not communicated with the intention of solving it, but to show who the local sheriff is and who can ban something from whom. This is one of the consequences of anti-politics. The current government had many options, from consultation with citizens to a local referendum on this topic - none of them were used. I emphasize that the same government is in Podgorka and Zeta and at the state level. So, these people are not interested in the solution, but in exacerbating the problem in order to profit politically, with the obligatory addition that it was a problem from before - as if politics should not be about solving problems whenever they arise.
This is an opportunity to start truly consulting those who are affected by the mentioned problems, namely the citizens. The only way to reach an optimal solution is to involve citizens in decision-making. That would be the path to an agreement that would be tailored to everyone, so that we would have a long-term solution for waste water management and a clean Morača river.
Do you have a plan to improve the tourist offer in the capital?
Podgorica has a significant tourist potential that has not been used. The number of foreign tourists from all over the world is increasing, but they are mostly left to fend for themselves, because the tourist offer is not adequately designed. There is not enough information for tourists, especially in English, key cultural assets such as the Old Town and riverbanks are not adequately organized and marked, and not enough is being done to promote natural and cultural-historical heritage. Tourist products are not clearly defined, so visitors have difficulty finding useful and updated information about Podgorica.
Bearing that in mind, Podgorica should position itself as a tourist destination in the coming period, and we will work hard to build such an image. First of all, it is necessary to lay sound foundations, through the development of a new, long-term Tourism Development Strategy of the Capital City. Podgorica still does not have a unique tourism brand and its creation will be our priority in the first year of the mandate. We will focus on the revitalization of the Old Town and Durrës, but also on the organization of events that promote the local Podgorica identity, culture and intangible heritage, as well as traditional gastronomic products. Through adequate marking and signaling, we will work on improving the accessibility and visibility of cultural and historical sites, and we will devote special attention to the promotion of exceptional and unique potentials in the rural part of Podgorica, such as the Katun settlements in Kuči. Overall, we want Podgorica to be a destination where tourists will come and stay, and not just a stopover.
We will transfer the parking lots in front of residential buildings to the owners
How will you solve the problem of lack of parking and illegal parking of vehicles?
Podgorica faces increasing traffic problems year after year. Inadequate management of traffic and parking policy, decades-long systemic collapse of public transport, lack of will of the city administration to stand in the way of illegal parking, lack of investment in active transport and neglect of the needs of people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility, along with a continuous increase in the number of cars and harmful spatial planning policy, significantly worsen the quality of life of the residents of the Capital City. These and other numerous problems need to be answered both with quick interventions and through a long-term strategic approach, taking into account the needs of all citizens and developing all forms of transport in a balanced way. There is no simple solution to the traffic chaos, but we have a plan. First of all, we want to reduce dependence on the use of cars, primarily through a significant increase in investment in public transport and strengthening its reliability and attractiveness.
We plan to immediately start protecting pavement surfaces from illegally parked vehicles, expanding pedestrian zones and building quality bicycle paths in the city, along with, of course, the introduction of an efficient system for penalizing illegal parking. At the same time, our goal is to transfer surface parking spaces in front of residential buildings to the owners of residential units in as many neighborhoods as possible, so that tenants do not have to circle around the building in search of parking every day when they return from work. Finally, our strategic goal is to make the center of Podgorica a pedestrian zone, which will also include the construction of public garages in the city core.
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