Residents of the Kolašin village of Mušovića Rijeka appealed to the director of the Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović, to, as they wrote, "not allow police officers to abuse their powers and be used to protect interest and political groups, to the detriment of the public interest and the right of citizens to peacefully protest."
They warned that "any police assistance to contractors on the project to pipe the Ljevaja River would represent direct complicity in carrying out a controversial and potentially illegal project, which the local community is strongly opposed to."
"We have unofficial information according to which the police are under enormous pressure from certain Kolašin officials, in order to provide assistance to the contractor to begin work on the Ljevaja source. We also know that this pressure on the police does not come from all constituents of the Kolašin government. We remind you that this is a multi-million project that plans to redirect the natural flow of the Ljevaja River for the needs of water supply and artificial snowmaking for ski centers. We, the locals, believe that this is a project that has serious environmental consequences, and at the same time is accompanied by numerous irregularities in the planning and awarding of the work," the statement from the villagers of that Kolašin village reads.
They say that, following their criminal complaint, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) opened a case, and claim that "there are reasonable suspicions that this is an illegal business in which numerous laws have been violated, including the Public Procurement Law."
"We expect to wait for the outcome of the proceedings before the SDT. As long as there is doubt about the legality, no institution should assist the implementation of this project, least of all the police, whose task is to protect the law, not investors and contractors. Despite the pressure, continue with peaceful resistance and legal struggle until the project that threatens to destroy the river, disrupt the ecosystem, endanger the public interest and render meaningless the voice of the community that is most affected," the locals said.
They claim that "any institutional support for the execution of the works, including the presence of the police to protect the contractors, represents not only pressure on the locals, but also a serious violation of the rule of law". The police, they say, "must remain neutral and serve the purpose of protecting the constitutional right to peaceful assembly".
They explain that they are aware of the obligations of the state and local government towards investors in Bjelasica, but, as they say, these obligations must not be implemented to the obvious detriment of the local community, the environment and the public interest.
Locals once again demand "a detailed, professional and responsible examination of the hydro potential in the immediate vicinity of the ski resorts and hotels being built on Bjelasica."
"In this way, water for the needs of mountain centers would be provided in a cheaper and far less harmful way than the one currently planned. Decisions on the use of natural resources must be made based on serious expert analyses, and not under pressure from investors or in a hurry to fulfill contracts," the locals say.
Despite the pressure, locals say they will continue their peaceful resistance and legal action, "until the implementation of the project that threatens the Ljevaja River and the right of citizens to decide about their environment is stopped."
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