Andesilić: Attempts are being made to discredit my personal and political activities with lies and manipulations

The head of the Europe Now Movement's parliamentary group in the Pljevlja Municipal Assembly, Radoman Andesilić, reacted to statements by members of the board of directors of the Pljevlja-based water company Vodovod published on June 28 on the Vijesti portal under the title "Bujišić and Ljiljanić: Stop playing political games behind the backs of Vodovod employees."

He said that attempts were being made to discredit his personal and political activities through untruths and manipulations.

We are reporting the reaction in its entirety.

"Regarding the statements made in public by members of the Board of Directors of DOO 'Vodovod' Pljevlja, Mr. Predrag Ljiljanić and Mr. Jovan Bujišić, I feel the need to address the citizens and point out the untruths and manipulations that are trying to discredit my personal and political activities.

First of all, I reject all allegations that call into question my personal and professional integrity. Everything I have achieved in my life I have gained through honest work. It is needless to say that as a citizen, parent and councilor in the local parliament, I have never used public office for personal gain, nor have I participated in any waste of public resources. My property record is public, clean and available to everyone – because I have nothing to hide. As a representative of the 'Europe Now' Movement, a party that has brought reforms to citizens through wage increases and the fight for a better standard of living, I have an obligation to defend the public interest – especially when it comes to a company such as DOO 'Vodovod', which is of vital importance to every citizen of Pljevlja.

At a time when 'Vodovod' is carrying a multi-year inherited debt that seriously threatens its survival and when citizens are faced with daily problems in water supply, I consider it extremely inappropriate and irresponsible for anyone to propose a salary increase for the executive director of as much as 30 percent. A company that is facing multi-million-dollar debts cannot afford the luxury of such decisions. Such proposals send the wrong message and show a basic misunderstanding of the situation in which 'Vodovod' finds itself.

In this context, the 'Europe Now' Movement's councilors' club launched an initiative to dismiss a member of the Board of Directors whom we delegated - not because of personal disputes, nor for the purpose of political scoring, but solely because of fundamental disagreement with a proposal that is contrary to the interests of citizens.

The Mayor of Pljevlja signed the motion for dismissal after being informed in detail of our positions and reasons, of which there is written evidence. All insinuations that he signed a document that he did not read or understand represent not only an attempt to discredit him, but also a direct insult to his function and personal integrity. I call on everyone to refrain from such frivolous and unfounded claims that contribute to nothing but additional polarization and the collapse of public trust. The document with the signature of the Mayor is clearly visible in the attachment, which unequivocally confirms that the claims of alleged ignorance are absolutely unfounded.

There is no claim that I targeted Mr. Jaćimović. On the contrary – I have publicly praised his work so far on several occasions. However, in a democratic society, praise does not mean waiving the right to critical review when moves that we consider unacceptable are proposed. If someone found themselves called out without basis – that was not my goal.

Also, the comments regarding the increase in funds for the representation of the Chairman of the Board of Directors and potential new employment require additional clarification and detailed analysis. I do not support such initiatives until the company stabilizes its finances and resolves key problems in its functioning.

The debt of DOO 'Vodovod' is an issue that we must treat seriously, because it is a matter of the company's survival, but also of the dignity of its employees and the rights of citizens to a basic life service - drinking water. I am convinced that the majority of employees in this company work honestly, responsibly and dedicatedly, and it is my obligation to protect them and their efforts, but also to insist on rational and responsible management.

"Finally, I do not want to participate in personal skirmishes through the media any longer. We owe citizens reasoned dialogue, responsibility and concrete solutions. Therefore, I call on all participants in public and political life to return to the merits - the interests of the people who elected us," Andesilić said in his response.