The fact that the reports on the work of the detained, now former president of the Municipality of Budva were not adopted at the last parliamentary session Milo Božović for the past two years, as well as reports on the work of key municipal enterprises, cultural institutions and companies founded by the Municipality, speak volumes that the current Mayor of the Municipality Nikola Jovanovic is not pulling the strings, but the Democratic Party of Socialists, whose frontal entry into municipal government has already begun.
This was stated by representatives of the Budva opposition in an interview with "Vijesti".
At the assembly session held last week, in addition to the report on the work of Božović, who has been in the Spuk Remand Prison since mid-April 2023, approval was not given to the work reports for the past two years by key municipal enterprises Vodovod and Komunalno, as well as cultural institutions, Grad Teatar, National Library, Museums and Galleries, and municipal companies Mediterranean Sports Center, Funeral Services, Sports and Recreation Center, and Academy of Knowledge.
Although councilors close to Božović from the ruling political group "Budva our city" led by Nikola Jovanović voted in favor of adopting the document, their coalition partners from the European Union, the Civic Movement URA, and the DPS, which provides them with so-called project support to govern the city, were against it. Councilors from the Democrats, PES, and the "Movement for the City" voters' group also voted against it, while councilors from the "For the Future of Budva" coalition do not vote for any decisions of the current government when they attend the session.
The Budva branch of the Democrats points out that "Budva, for the umpteenth time, is establishing practices unworthy of our city and our citizens."
"At the last session of the Budva Municipal Council, reports on the work of key municipal enterprises headed by the leaders and stalwarts of the "Budva Our City" political group, which is still in power, were not adopted, which speaks of all the illegalities in the conduct, abuses of official position and irregularities, excessive employment and other forms of unscrupulous business that Democratic Montenegro has been pointing out for years," the party emphasizes.
The failure to adopt two reports on the work of the Mayor of the Municipality, proposed by Jovanović, as they emphasize, would be sufficient reason for the removal of the proposer in accordance with the law or at least a verification of the trust shown to him by the DPS.
"Certainly, this will not happen because the coalition agreement envisaged this situation, as well as participation in the executive branch of government in the amount of about 40 percent. We are witnessing a frontal entry into the executive branch through numerous appointments of DPS personnel, and of course, with legal swindling, violating the Statutes of the companies where these personnel are installed, because this modus operandi is immanent to this political structure," the Democrats point out.
President of the Initial Committee of PES Budva and councilor of that party Dejan Rabrenović says that the failure to adopt documents by the Municipal Assembly is a serious signal of the institutional and political crisis that was present in the functioning of local self-government.
"This development of events indicates an obvious lack of trust among councilors, both from the opposition and the ruling DPS, in the work of the executive branch, but also in the transparency and legality of the operations of public services that have a direct impact on the daily lives of citizens. The failure to adopt the report should not be viewed only as a technical decision, but as a political message and an expression of deep dissatisfaction with the way the municipality is managed, which has been present over the past two years. "Budva our city" now seems to be looking to the DPS management model, and this is probably what these two political groups have in common, which certainly connected them to be coalition partners. Of particular concern is the fact that citizens remain deprived of a clear picture of the work of public enterprises and institutions, which further undermines trust in institutions and opens up room for suspicions of irresponsible and non-transparent management. We expect that concrete steps will be taken as soon as possible to clarify the causes of this situation and ensure full accountability of all holders of public office, in the interest of the public and the legal functioning of local self-government," Rabrenović emphasized.
A source for "Vijesti" in the coalition "For the Future of Budva", which is close to New Serbian Democracy, indicates that this session is the best indicator of everything that this coalition has been pointing to for several months - only those decisions approved by DPS are being and will be adopted, and all other claims do not correspond to the truth.
"The session is also proof that the group gathered around Nikola Jovanović will betray Milo Božović, despite the fact that he founded them. Unfortunately, it became clear to everyone too late that all reports on the work of the former mayor could have been passed if the new and illegally appointed mayor, Nikola Jovanović, had wanted it. However, he actually did not want it because, as a careerist who does not choose the means for his advancement, it is important for him to urgently make a move away from everything he did in the past and to "prove that he has put on a 'new, democratic and European suit'", the source of "Vijesti" points out.
He stated that what is most disappointing is that we have received yet another piece of evidence that all the citizens' votes were given to Jovanović for sale and the only question is who will give more.
"We remind you that the trust of citizens was sold to the parties of the former Democratic Front a year ago in order to gain naked power, and now Milo Božović has been sold by the same group in order to curry favor with the DPS as much as possible. The worst thing for Budva and its citizens is that the Administrative Court and especially the competent Ministry of Public Administration silently watched the violation of the law when the seats in the Selection and Appointment Committee and the OIK were given to the DPS and Jovanović, but also when the sessions of the Assembly were illegally scheduled, and now the political savagery continues in a series of moves that are beginning to resemble the worst periods of the DPS OKG's rule," they point out in this coalition.
As they emphasize, Jovanović obviously intended to "distance himself" from Milo Božović and bow to the wishes of the DPS and SDP, which he tried to achieve by denying the former mayor the right to compensation.
“Council members of the 'Budva our city' list Dejan Božović i Srđan Pribilović they voted against his request at the Election and Appointment Committee. However, just a few days later, these same councilors vote to adopt the report on the work of the President of the Municipality of Budva, as well as the services for 2023 and 2024, which refers to the same Milo Božović. However, the failure to adopt the report on the work of not only Milo Božović but also the entire local government, because that is exactly what the Report is called, is also a very strong slap to Jovanović from the OKG DPS and its satellites and a warning to finally understand in whose "backyard" the real power and authority in Budva is hidden", concludes a source close to the NSD.
Leader of the citizens' group "Movement for the City" Đorđe Zenović, emphasizes for "Vijesti" that legally, failure to adopt the report is grounds for dismissing the mayor of the municipality and directors whose reports did not receive support.
"Politically, this means that the councilors in the Assembly punished bad policies in the previous two years, although individuals whose report did not receive support are still at the head of certain companies. But, this is a question for the parliamentary majority, specifically for the DPS and the European Union, who voted against the report and are in power. The Mayor resigned after the DPS returned to power in Budva, but the management of the Water and Utilities is still the same as last tourist season, and it is they who are the ones criticized the most by the public for the disastrously prepared tourist season. It is interesting that nothing is changing in terms of personnel, and we have heard for the umpteenth time that experts and professionals will manage companies and administrative bodies," said Zenović.
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