If the Civic Movement (CP) URA is the dominant factor in decision-making in Herceg Novi after the elections, the first and main task will be to change the governance system, which implies a series of initiatives towards the state parliament regarding amendments to certain legal solutions.
This was stated in an interview with "Vijesti" by the leader of that party's list in the upcoming local elections in that municipality, Nikola Radman.
He announced that GP URA, if it becomes part of the government, will also seek a concession from the state so that the management and supervision of the Blue Cave cave will belong to the Municipality, and that it will introduce a system of smart traffic lights and interactive boards to enable citizens and tourists to function more easily during the tourist season.
Radman said that they are ready for post-election cooperation with those who share the same or similar political principles.
Elections in Herceg Novi are scheduled for April 13th, and nine lists will compete for seats in the local parliament there.
What percentage of citizen support do you expect in the elections?
Our list expects to maintain the support it had in the previous elections. As part of the government in Herceg Novi, we have shown that what we promise - we fulfill, that both as part of the local government, but also as a party that at one time had a prime minister, we have done great things for this city, and I will only mention that the Government Dritan Abazović returned the Kamenari-Lepetane ferry line to state ownership. That's why we know that citizens will recognize this and support our list in the upcoming elections.
Which parties would you cooperate with after the elections, and which ones would you not?
On the local political scene, Novi Sad's URA is a clearly profiled political entity that has a program, principles, and a precisely defined strategy for the future development of the city. Only those who share the same or similar political principles can count on our support and partnership.
What will be your first move if you are part of the government?
In the event that we are the dominant factor in decision-making, the first and main task will be to change the local government management system, which includes a series of initiatives towards the state parliament regarding amendments to certain legal solutions. In the first 100 days of the new government, we will seek a concession from the state so that the management and supervision of the Blue Cave will belong to the Municipality, because it is one of the most important resources of our Municipality. Also, in the first 100 days, we will introduce a system of smart traffic lights and interactive boards in order to enable both the citizens of Herceg Novi, as well as tourists, to function more easily during the tourist season.
One of the big problems of Herceg Novi is traffic jams that intensify during the tourist season. A bypass has been proposed as a solution, as well as an underwater tunnel. Also, certain proposals threaten to lose the bay's UNESCO status. How, within what time frame and with how much money do you plan to solve this problem, if you are able to form a government?
It is completely unrealistic to expect that the municipality of Novi Sad can solve its crucial problems, such as transit traffic and even local bypasses, without the help of the state. These projects require enormous funds. What the municipality can and must do is to permanently put pressure on the Government of Montenegro in order to find solutions as soon as possible. At the same time, to prepare planning documentation from its capital budget, provide funds for expropriation and possibly certain corridors that are of a local character.
Herceg Novi is supplied with water from Trebinje via Croatia, but during the regular annual cleaning of the hydrotunnel in the pipeline from Plat in Croatia, there are frequent restrictions because the Regional Waterworks cannot meet the needs of the Novi municipality. If you participate in the government, what will you do to solve this problem, but also within what time frame and with how much funding?
The problem of the seven-day interruption of water supply from Plat is not as significant as the regular supply of water to the highlands, especially during the summer season. Herceg Novi has an overstretched system, and that is its drawback. There are two options that are currently being worked on. The first is to bring water through Sitnica, which would solve most of the problem, and the second - to connect the system to the regional water supply. With the construction of several larger reservoirs in the higher zones, which would be supplied from the previously mentioned pipelines, the entire problem would be completely solved. A rough estimate is that these projects would cost around 50 million and could be completed in the next two to three years.
The Meljine wastewater collector and treatment plant projects were supposed to be completed in 2014 and cost around 40 million euros, but they have still not been completed. Also, a large number of houses discharge wastewater directly into the sea. Will this facility be finished in the next four years and who do you hold responsible for its failure, given that you have been in government?
The main sewer collector, as well as the treatment plant, are par excellence examples of a dysfunctional local government management system. Even after almost two decades, the problem has not been solved, nor is there any end in sight. There are no responsible parties, new funds are constantly being pumped in, and there is no epilogue in sight. All those who did not have the guts to change the system are responsible, and I am sure that the citizens recognize them themselves.
Will you reduce the practice of party-based employment in local government and local businesses, and how?
Party recruitment is a cancer that eats away at the entire system. For years, we have been advocating for amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government, electoral laws, a different formation of local communities, and a number of other legal and by-laws in order to change this bizarre system. Obviously, this does not suit the dominant parties of the previous regime, as well as those from the current ruling majority, because it destroys the entire concept of exercising power. Until this happens, all talk is in vain.
Do you agree with the idea of building a new hospital near the tunnel in Meljine, or are you in favor of saving the existing facility?
We fully agree that a new city hospital is being built near the old tunnel in Meljine. The existing hospital is not a facility worth investing in for several reasons. First and foremost is the property and legal status, the resolution of which is very uncertain. Second and equally problematic is the age of the buildings, which are pavilion-type, and as such absolutely do not meet even the minimum standards of a modern city hospital.
The most successful sports team from Herceg Novi - the Jadran Water Polo Club - played European matches in Trebinje last season because the Simo Milošević Institute swimming pool has been out of service since 2021, when the roof collapsed. When will European water polo return to Herceg Novi? Why has the pool's reconstruction process not yet begun, even though it has been out of service for almost four years?
When responsible people of integrity take on key positions.
Are you satisfied with the government's restructuring plan for the Simo Milošević Institute? In your opinion, which solutions are problematic and which are good?
How can we be satisfied with the restructuring plan of the “Dr. Simo Milošević” Institute? That the minority shareholder (Zarko Rakcevic) did not react as he did, this 44th Government would have already sold half of the Institute's assets. The whole story about the spa is the same as the construction of a new elementary school on the site of the children's department. It's all a classic deception, we responsibly claim that.
Thousands of illegal structures erected
How many investments have been missed due to the lack of planning documentation, and what will you do to ensure that planning documents are adopted?
The lack of adequate planning documentation has contributed to the emergence of thousands of illegally constructed buildings in the municipality in the past decade alone. The lack of necessary infrastructure, overdevelopment in certain parts of the city, especially in the first zone where housing construction dominates instead of tourist facilities, as well as a significantly smaller investment cycle than expected - are also consequences of the lack of planning documents.
In our program, we have paid special attention to this problem. Given that the new Law on Spatial Planning was recently adopted, it is necessary to establish a company for the preparation of planning documentation as soon as possible, because the existing capacities of the Construction Agency cannot meet future needs in terms of personnel and technology.
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