Pljevlja's Vaso Knežević responded to the claims made in today's statement by the President of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, when he told non-governmental organizations that he would not govern the Municipality of Pljevlja.
Knežević says that today's statement by Vraneš is full of unfounded accusations and attempts to discredit non-governmental organizations that have been working dedicatedly for years to improve the state of the environment and implement the concept of sustainable development.
"This position of the President is not only unfounded, but also deeply concerning for the democratic development of our society. The non-governmental organizations, which initiated yesterday's meeting on the removal of outdated barriers from the Glisnička River, are dedicated to fighting illegal actions and protecting the public interest. Our results in the field of environmental protection and improving the quality of life of the citizens of Pljevlja speak for themselves. We remind you that the right to a healthy environment is guaranteed by the Constitution of Montenegro, and our activities are aimed at realizing precisely this right," Knežević stated in his response.
He also claims that the invitation for a meeting on removing barriers on the Glisnička River was sent to employees and the cabinet of the Mayor of the Municipality professionally and timely, in accordance with all protocols.
"The employees responded to the invitation and announced their active participation in the meeting. However, Mayor Vraneš instead decided to ban his employees from attending, thus showing once again that his priority is control, not dialogue. If our initiative to remove barriers on the Glisnička River, which aims to preserve and improve the condition of the Glisnička River, which is a natural spawning ground for brown trout, disturbs Mayor Vraneš, the question arises: what is the real reason for his dissatisfaction? Are these our arguments or the fear that his possible machinations, manipulations and lack of democratic capacities for managing the municipality will come to light? If the Mayor claims that he will not allow non-governmental organizations to "manage" the municipality, then why does he not allow his employees to attend meetings within their jurisdiction? Who is he actually afraid of - arguments or the truth about his (in)work," said Knežević.
He said that this is not the first time that the mayor has banned employees from attending certain meetings.
“The citizens of Pljevlja should ask themselves – why is the Mayor sabotaging every attempt to improve living conditions in this city? Does this mean that he is not interested in progress, that he is not interested in the public interest, or that he is simply afraid that the non-governmental sector will show more abilities and integrity than him? While non-governmental organizations invest years of effort, knowledge and even their own financial resources (as in the case of the hatchery mentioned by Mayor Vraneš) to solve problems that the Municipality ignores, the only thing we get in return are bans, manipulations and blockades. Mr. Vraneš, what is your concrete contribution besides obstruction? This is not the first time that the Mayor of the Municipality has banned employees from attending certain meetings organized by eminent organizations. The Municipality of Pljevlja is not the private property of Mr. Vraneš, but a service for citizens and all interested parties in discussions about the future of our city and the nature that surrounds us,” Knežević stated in his response.
He claims that every time he has activities in front of the NGO he belongs to, he takes a day off, which, he points out, he can easily verify.
Knežević is employed in the Municipality of Pljevlja in the Ecology Service and is also active in the NGO "Bringing the Village to Life".
"If I had complete freedom to work within the Municipality of Pljevlja, both before and now, I would not have engaged through an NGO, through which, by the way, I also have freedom of my own, unlike the majority of employees in local government who you and your ilk determine what they can and cannot do. President Vraneš, you must be the president of all citizens of Pljevlja, not just those citizens whose image and likeness you are! You show every day that you are not the president of all citizens, and in this way you are disrupting the social community with your ideological, deviant and unbalanced behavior. Pljevlja does not belong to the President of the Municipality, but to the citizens. A democratic society does not function on bans and censorship, but on dialogue and joint work for the common good. In the hope that it will be better, one day...", concluded Knežević's response.
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