Few of the 31 councilors from the government and opposition in the Municipal Assembly (MA) of Kolašin will raise their hand against the proposed decision to erect a monument to the late Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije.
The proposal is on the agenda of the next municipal council session, scheduled for October 22nd, and according to what "Vijesti" was told in the councilors' clubs, the opposition does not have a unified position on whether Amfilohije should receive a monument in his hometown.
In the opposition councilors' club of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) - Social Democrats (SD) coalition, citizens also say that they will "vote on the day of the session". Earlier, one of the councilors from that club announced that she is in favor of erecting a monument. However, what they agree on in that councilors' club is that "it is an interesting moment when this decision was on the agenda".
"The local government is raising this issue three years after it began governing the city, with the aim of trying to mask the truth about the disastrous management of Kolašin. The fact that they are using the figure and work of Amfilohije Radović to deepen divisions among the citizens of Kolašin and to divert focus from the key problems that burden this city says a lot about the character of this ruling majority," the head of the councilors' club told "Vijesti". Matija Bulatovic.
He reminds us that "the government's constituents themselves stated that making that decision is not within the jurisdiction of the Kolašin Municipal Council", so, he claims, "it is clear that they are trying to score some political points in this way, that is, that this is an attempt to achieve petty political interests".
In addition to that coalition, the Kolašin opposition also includes two councilors from the Voters' Group "For Our Kolašin - Dr. Momčilo Vukčević". Mrs. Vujisic, a councilor of that political entity, told "Vijesti" that she would vote for the erection of a monument to the late metropolitan. She explains that there are several reasons for this, which relate to his biography.
"The late Metropolitan is primarily responsible for the transfer and burial of the remains of the King Nicholas and members of his family in Cetinje. He restored many churches and monasteries that are an important part of Montenegrin cultural heritage. He never said a word against the restoration of Montenegrin state independence... The late metropolitan was born in Kolašin. These are all reasons why I will vote for the erection of the monument,” explains Vujisić.
Ruling coalition undisputed
The position of the ruling political parties, including the Democrats, United, For the Future of Kolašin and the Socialist People's Party (SNP), has been known for a long time. The former mayor of the municipality from the ranks of the Democrats, Vladimir Martinovic, is the initiator of the idea of erecting a monument to Amfilohije in Kolašin, and during his mandate, in 2023, 50.000 euros were allocated from the municipal budget for that purpose.
The proposal for a decision to erect a monument will also be voted on Modrag Vlahovic, a councilor of GP URA, who also belongs to the ruling coalition.
"Regardless of whether someone liked Amfilohije Radović or not, it is inevitable that he was a significant historical figure and, due to the fact that he was the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Kolašin should remember him and be proud of it, especially its Moravians. I think that erecting a monument to the former metropolitan in the churchyard should not have priority over issues that are of much greater importance to us for the life and survival of the community, and first and foremost - the burning issue of the departure of young, educated and capable people from Kolašin, because long-standing wrong development strategies and such divisions and disagreements have led us to this disastrous situation in our municipality," Vlahović told "Vijesti".
Bronze statue
According to the draft decision, the monument will be placed in the courtyard of the Church of Saint Dimitrije. It will be a bronze statue 2,5 meters high, placed on a granite pedestal 1,28 meters high. The monument will be inscribed in Cyrillic script: “Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and Exarch of the Holy See of Peć Amfilohije (1938-2020)”.
The deadline for the construction of the monument is 2025, and, according to unofficial information from "Vijesti", the statue will be erected on October 31, on St. Luke's Day.
As stated in the draft decision, the Metropolitanate will be responsible for the protection and maintenance of the monument, while the implementation of the decision will be supervised by municipal authorities responsible for culture and spatial planning.
The explanation also states that the monument will be a "permanent reminder of the strength, wisdom and love of Metropolitan Amfilohije for Montenegro and the faith", and that his image and work will "remind us of a man who successfully combined traditional values and a modern worldview".
"His actions were not only local, but universal in character - he connected Montenegro with the world, representing it not only as a cultural, but also as a moral force on the international stage," the draft act states.
The late Metropolitan received a mural in Kolašin five or six years ago. The mural was created at the initiative of the Orthodox Youth of the Church of Saint Demetrius, and was painted by a fresco painter. Anastasije RadovicIt was painted on the facade of one of the hotels on Vukman Kruščić Square.
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