Forced administration, bad infrastructure and hygiene of the city, lack of capital projects are only some of the accumulated problems in Berane, which the same group of people in power for a decade brought to the lowest branches in history, said the holder of the list of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). Miro Nedic.
He said in an interview with "Vijesta" that he expects that the local elections on Sunday will confirm the growth trend of DPS and bring much-needed political changes in Berane.
He said that their partners in the future government can be all those who are dissatisfied with the work, that is, the lack of work of the political actors who have been managing the city since 2014, and all those with whom, based on common values, they could develop the city in the coming period.
Answering the question of what their priorities will be in their work, if they win power, Nedic said that they are solving the issue of the bus station and water supply, building a new kindergarten, closed mixed market and business and craft center, as well as urgent reprogramming of all debts of the Municipality and strategic and long-term planning of finances and city development programs.
What result do you expect in the elections in Berane?
I expect the upcoming elections to confirm the growth trend of the Democratic Party of Socialists at all levels. In addition, I expect these elections to bring much-needed political changes in Berane. For a decade in power in our city, we have almost the same group of people who have brought us to the lowest levels in our history.
I am sure that in the upcoming local elections, the citizens' accumulated dissatisfaction will be expressed due to the introduction of compulsory administration, poor infrastructure, lack of capital projects, poor hygiene of the city, as well as a number of other accumulated problems. Political changes, which the DPS is the bearer of, will contribute to political stability, in order to create conditions for long-term development and prosperity.
With which parties would you form a possible post-election coalition?
Our partners can be all those who are dissatisfied with the work, that is, the lack of work of the political actors who have been managing the city since 2014, and all those with whom, based on common values, we could develop the city in the coming period. However, at this moment we are only focused on the best possible result of the DPS and the return of citizens' trust. We are sure that our fellow citizens have recognized that without DPS there is no stable government, responsible management of the city and dedication to the public interest, and these are some of the reasons why we expect a good election result.
What are the first steps your coalition will take if it takes over the management of Berane?
Of the capital projects, the priorities are solving the issue of the bus station, building a new kindergarten, building a closed mixed market and a business and craft center, building a Home for the elderly, and solving the issue of orderly and safe water supply. Among other activities, our priority is the urgent reprogramming of all debts of the Municipality and strategic and long-term planning of finances and city development programs.
According to the results of the last census, the number of inhabitants in Berane decreased compared to that of 2011. What projects do you plan to start in order to stop this negative trend?
Emigration is a complex problem based on economic, political and social factors. Stopping emigration requires multiple approaches and measures, and as a responsible political entity, our actions are aimed at improving the quality of life of all our citizens, economic policy and social stability. In this regard, we will provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises, we will be dedicated to the development of agriculture and tourism, because Berane has numerous natural potentials that are not sufficiently used.
By implementing capital infrastructure projects, we will create in Berane everything that our fellow citizens are currently moving out of. We will reopen faculty units and schools, we will create new jobs and we will significantly raise the quality of life in Berane.
Berane is among the municipalities with the largest tax debts. How do you plan to reduce debt?
The aforementioned debt represents a major problem in the fiscal stability of the Municipality and directly threatens the budget, and thus the daily normal functioning of the city. Therefore, an urgent reprogramming of all debts and strategic and long-term financial planning is necessary, as well as cooperation with state institutions that could contribute to solving this problem and return the Municipality to a financially sustainable path.
Also, serious efforts must be made to increase the Municipality's income and collect arrears from the local budget. We will do this through the removal of business barriers, which will create an environment for foreign investments that will not only increase the Municipality's income, but will also significantly contribute to the strengthening of Beran's economy and increase the quality of life by creating new jobs.
What do you think should be done with Beran airport and airstrip?
As we know, the airport is officially closed to traffic. However, we also know about non-compliance with the ban and daily rampage on the airport runway, which is a serious problem. Unfortunately, we were reminded of this by the unfortunate event when a sixteen-year-old girl lost her life, which certainly leaves deep emotional and social consequences. The responsibility is on all of us, especially on the institutions that are obliged to ensure and create preconditions for security on a daily basis.
I believe that it is necessary to set up safety barriers and physical obstacles near the runway as soon as possible, as well as monitoring and recording systems that will help in the identification of violators and enable the timely action of the police and other competent authorities. Also, we have witnessed a large number of employees in the Municipal Police and their poor work performance, so with a quick and high-quality reorganization of the work of this service, we will significantly contribute to the control of traffic safety, communal order and the prevention of various unwanted events.
The Beran airport and its runway are a serious development resource and a comparative advantage of ours in relation to other municipalities in the surrounding area. We will find a solution for quality implementation of this resource through a private-public partnership.
How do you plan to solve the problem of the closed bus station in Berane?
The non-functioning of the bus station in Berane is a burning problem that has been bothering the citizens of Berane for a long time. Unfortunately, we are witnessing that no one deals with this problem in a serious way. Instead of trying to find a solution, we have misled the citizens and the government, which is unable to open a bus station, and they promise us an airport.
In our program, we have foreseen solving this issue as one of the priorities. It is necessary to find a new location on which to build a bus station and an investor with whom to solve this problem through a public-private partnership.
"We warned that it is senseless to sell land in the city center"
How do you plan to solve the problem of owners of temporary buildings scheduled for demolition due to the construction of the "Lidl" market? What measures would you take to help their survival on the market?
DPS councilors, at the session scheduled for emergency procedure held on December 26, 2023, were against the adoption of the Decision on the sale of construction land in the scope of the DUP "Lijeva obala Lim". During the session itself, we warned that it is pointless to sell land in the very center of the city, especially until a new mixed market is built, because a large number of sellers will be left without the opportunity to work.
What our councilors warned about at the time, these days received an epilogue in the form of protests by sellers on the market and tenants of land where temporary buildings are located. After the adoption of the senseless Decision, there followed a non-transparent procedure for the sale of land to the company "Lidl", which was mentioned as a buyer at the meeting of the Board of Directors itself, before the decision on the sale was made, which may indicate the potential corruption of the local government at that time. The non-transparency of the land sale procedure continued during the signing of the purchase agreement, which is still not available to the public today.
We asked the current President of the Municipality to publish the text of the contract, so that all citizens could see how it can be changed and if that is not possible, what are the consequences of its termination. The construction of a new indoor mixed market and a business and craft center is one of the priorities of our election program.
Bonus video:
