A large gathering of Botun residents and their neighbors from all over Zeta was held in Botun against the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in that Zeta settlement.
In addition to the president and MP of the Democratic People's Party, Milan Knežević, the Deputy Prime Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Milun Zogović, and his advisor, Predrag Bulatović, also came.
Asanović: The people of Zeća will not give up
The President of the Municipality of Zeta, Mihailo Asanović, said that "the people of Zeta will not give up."
"Do we need to lose our loved ones for the sake of jobs?" he asked.
Asanović suspects that sludge will be brought to Botun from Europe to be burned, "because no one wants to do that anymore."
"Yesterday I told (Podgorica Mayor Saša) Mujović not to send me intermediaries, various professors to convince us that this is good. This is not Podgorica's land. They don't want to transfer the land to us, precisely because of this plot where they planned the collector. I am offering these 140.000 square meters of land, and we also have interested companies, to open a Lidl or Nelt logistics center here," is Asanović's offer.
This would open, he claims, 400 jobs - half for the people of Zeća, half for the people of Podgorica, "let's make peace."
He said he was certain that 95 percent of Zeta citizens would be against the collector in the referendum.
"We don't believe in promises anymore"
Duško Stijepović, a resident of Botunja, emphasized that the people of Botunja have nowhere to turn in the fight against "large-scale Western crime and outdated technology."
"There is room for compromise. It is not too late for that. We expect such a response and invitation. Until then, we are not moving an inch from here. We will do it with dignity," he stressed.
Slavko Vukčević said that the people of Botunja want to "rest their lungs from KAP, red mud pools, asphalt bases."
Video: Tina Popovic
He referred to the offer from the Capital City.
"They are offering us that in the event of a failure, the inability of the plant to meet environmental standards, they will close it. Why don't they close the existing collector in Podgorica, when it is also a polluter? We all know that it is impossible to direct water to the existing plant again, given its capacity," Vukčević pointed out.
He said that the people of Botunja no longer believe in promises.
"We are certain that we will win this fight and set a good example for the younger generation on how to persistently protect the environment."
He called on the people of Zeta to vote against the plant in a referendum on December 14. "Zeta is united," he said...
He told Podgorica Mayor Sasa Mujovic that Botun was "a nut he would break his teeth on."
Krstović: The people of Zeća will not bother others, but they will look after themselves
Democratic councilor Luka Krstović said that the people of Botunja have been defending "our cradle, home and grave" for decades.
"Maybe these tents are not the most beautiful, but under them, around them and in Zeta resides the most beautiful idea that will save this region from new pollutants," he said.
He said that the people of Zeća "will not bother others, but they will look after themselves."
"If necessary, we will hold sessions of the Zeta Municipal Assembly here under a tent," Krstović emphasized.
"Spajić to do something positive for Zeta"
"This gathering is not for the party and party interests or personal interests, but for Botun and Zeta," said Miroslav Brajović and told Prime Minister Milojko Spajić to do something positive for Zeta.
"Stop this circus and order those you need to order to work in their municipality," Brajović said.
Video: Tina Popovic
"Botun is not another failed experiment. We have been living in fear for years. It seems that wasn't enough, now they are bringing in a collector. Another worry. Why always Botun, why always Zeta?" asked Milica Stojanović.
Her fellow citizen Anja Kažić said that she "can no longer tolerate the pressure on her soul, her brothers and sisters, and her people of Zeća."
"What did you do if the child is unhappy, and it's not just me who is unhappy, but the children of Zeta. Who is taking care of us? Shouldn't you have been monitoring the red mud pool all these years, didn't you get money for it? You still decided to sell it," the eighteen-year-old said.
She said that the children of Botun will make an effort to one day "make a study of our suffering and present an account."
"It wasn't Knežević who united us, it was Mujović"
Vuko Stojanović said that he warned Mujović that in Zeta there is no obedient government, but people. "Today is a holiday for Zeta, and the celebration will be on December 14th when we say 'No' to you," he said.
"I have been disappointed for a long time, I am pained by the lack of care for posterity and I am saddened by how much harm one person can inflict on another," said Jagoš Bećirović, a resident of Botunja.
He asked the Podgorica authorities to put themselves in "our positions."
"That's where we will best see your intentions. It was time for Morača to be treated for feces, and Zeta is polluting it... Come to your senses! Let us treat this environment," Bećirović appealed.
He thanked all the political structures in Zeta that unanimously stood by the people of Botunja. "It was not Milan Knežević who united us, but Mujović," he said.
Bojan Terzić from the neighboring settlement of Srpska said that they too will not allow the construction of the plant. "All together for a better, more beautiful and healthier Zeta and children first," he said.
Branko Noković said that participating in the referendum is an obligation to oneself and to future generations.
"Botun is not a space for other people's experiments. Zeta is home, and home is protected, respected and defended," said Noković.
"We will not give up any more lives. Enough, Mujović," said Mihajlo Ćetković.
The youngest residents of Botunja carried banners reading "The future in football boots, not with masks," and "Combine, waste, collector and there will be no conditions or place for us. We don't want a collector!"
The gathering began with a minute of silence for the deceased neighbor Zoran Vukčević, who, as announced, was with the Botunjani until the last moment.
A police patrol was parked directly in front of the Botun sign, and several security guards were present at the rally, provided by the organizers.
Dajković: Dialogue is the only correct way forward
Acting Head of the Citizens' Service of the Capital City, President of Free Montenegro Vladislav Dajković, who was also at the rally, said that locals are rightly expressing concern about the planned construction of a collector in their area.
"I believe that dialogue is the only correct way forward. Instead of unilateral solutions, an open, reasoned discussion is needed that will take into account both expert opinions and the views of the local population who will live with the consequences of this decision. The interests of the Capital and Zeta must be harmonized through conversation, not through imposition, and especially not through police repression," said Dajković, as reported by Slobodna Crna Gora.
He says that his obligation as a city official, but also as the president of that party, is to stand with "people who are fighting for what they believe in and what, I believe, everyone wants - a healthy environment."
Referendum 14 December
A local referendum will be held in Zeta on December 14th, where residents will be able to vote on whether they want a wastewater treatment plant to be built in Botun.
Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović previously said that the result of the referendum is not binding on them, but that they respect the people of Zeća and their desire to express their position in this way.
The President of the Municipality of Zeta, Mihailo Asanović, said yesterday that their offer is to open a company at the location planned for the collector.
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