Polling stations where citizens voted in a referendum on whether they were for or against the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in the Botun settlement have been closed.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that they are not doing the final turnout figures.
He added that they expect results from smaller polling stations to start arriving soon.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by 19 p.m. was 61,5 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
In Botun, over 90 percent of registered voters exercised their right to vote.
In the gallery of "Vijesti" photo reporter Boris Pejović, see how referendum day unfolds in Zeta.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by 17 p.m. was 48,4 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
In Botun, 83,5 percent of registered voters exercised their right to vote.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by 15 p.m. was 37,8 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
See photos from the polling station in Mahala:
The President of the Municipality of Zeta, Mihailo Asanović, told "Vijesti" that today is "a holiday of democracy in Zeta".
According to Asanović, citizens are participating in the referendum with dignity and directly expressing their opinion on the construction of the plant in Botun.
He says that "some people tried to reduce turnout by saying that this referendum would have no impact."
Read more about what Asanović said HERE
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by 13 p.m. was 28,2 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
"So far, there have been no reported irregularities," Cavnić told "Vijesti".
Watch the video footage from the Mahala polling station:
Video: Boris Pejović
Video: Boris Pejović
Video: Boris Pejović
Video: Boris Pejović
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by 11 am was 14,8 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
"So far, no irregularities have been recorded," Cavnić said.
Even today, the people of Botunja have not left the plot where the construction of the plant is planned.
"The referendum is underway. According to the information so far, we are satisfied. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Crmnica tribe who came to give us moral and human support," Vukašin Stojanović told "Vijesti".
He said that the people of Botunja will not give up "until a final decision is made and the location changed" for the construction of the plant.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that the turnout by nine o'clock was 4,6 percent of Zeta residents with the right to vote.
The President of the Referendum Implementation Commission, Pavle Cavnić, told "Vijesti" that all polling stations opened, in accordance with the law, at seven o'clock.
"There were minor technical problems at some polling stations, but they were resolved up to an hour and a half before the polling stations opened. All presidents and members of polling stations were at the polling stations on time. All the machines are working," Cavnić said.
He reminded that the residents of Zeta can exercise their right until 20 pm tonight.
"We will be the last to get the results due to the fact that large polling stations will probably take longer to process," Cavnić said.
He also emphasized that the Referendum Commission is responsible for any objections and appeals.
"The deadline for resolving complaints is 72 hours. We also have a deadline of 12 hours after receiving the last minutes from the polling stations to declare provisional results," Cavnić said.
He also pointed out that "this is his fourth election cycle in Zeta."
"We never had any problems," Cavnić said.
At the polling station in the regional department of the "Vladika Danilo" Elementary School in Botun, the polling station opened on time, and the first voters have already exercised their civil rights.
They say that this is a vital issue for their area.
"There are representatives of all parties here today, but, as you can see, we get along well," they say with a smile at that polling station.
The locals also brought them food to "refresh" them during the day.
Polling stations have opened in Zeta, and residents of the youngest Montenegrin municipality are voting today whether they are for or against the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in the Botun settlement.
Polling stations will be open until 20 p.m.
The Ministry of the Interior previously informed "Vijesti" that around 12.800 citizens have the right to vote, and in addition to 26 polling stations in Zeta, three have also been opened at the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (UIKS).
The municipality made the decision to organize the referendum in early October, a few days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the Capital City of Podgorica approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the project to build a wastewater treatment system, the construction of which is planned in the industrial zone of the Aluminum Plant (KAP), on urban plots located in the cadastral municipality of Dajbabe.
The people of Botuni do not agree with the decision to build the plant on these plots, despite the claims of the Podgorica and state executive authorities, as well as the domestic and international public, that it is not a polluter. The residents of Botuni, however, do not believe this and emphasize that they have more than a negative experience with the construction and operation of the former Aluminum Plant (KAP), and especially with the red mud pool, which is still polluting today and the question is when it will be remediated because it has been in the hands of a private company for years that does not care about either human health or the health of nature.
They also claim that the plant is a major polluter, that the planned sludge incinerator is particularly controversial, and that it is an outdated technology that developed countries are allegedly bypassing.
The Capital City has repeatedly stated that this is not a facility that will pollute, but one that will purify. They also explained that construction must begin by the end of this year, that there is no possibility of building it elsewhere, because repeating the process takes time, and Podgorica would also have to pay more than 100 million euros - the loss of a European grant of 33 million, a claim from a Turkish company of 47 million, with the possibility of the Capital City suing the second-ranked bidder in the tender, whose bid was 97 million euros.
To prevent the Turkish investor from entering, the people of Botunja first organized guards on the plot across from the one where the construction was planned. After being visited several times by inspectors from the Capital City Inspection Department, they moved the tents to the plot where the facility was planned.
Even the offer and guarantees offered by the Government of Montenegro from the middle of this week were not enough to make the people of Botunja give up.
The government offered to rehabilitate the red mud basin while the construction of the plant is underway, include representatives of that settlement and the Municipality of Zeta in the process, publish part of the contract with the Turkish consortium, constantly measure harmful gas emissions, and promise that Podgorica will suspend the operation of the collector if pollution exceeds what is foreseen by European directives... The offer also included a guarantee from the Parliament of Montenegro that everything promised would be fulfilled.
The European Union Delegation to Montenegro responded to the fears of the people of Botun and emphasized that "claims that the wastewater treatment plant in Botun poses a threat to public health or is based on outdated technology are completely unfounded."
"The project envisages a modern and safe facility, fully compliant with EU standards. Thousands of such facilities are operating successfully across the European Union and beyond, improving environmental protection and safeguarding community health. EU taxpayers have provided €33 million in grants for this project, helping Montenegro meet its obligations under Chapter 27 of the EU-Mediterranean Treaty, while protecting the health of citizens and the environment. Far from being a polluter, the facility provides a key solution to the long-standing problem of untreated wastewater for around 150.000 citizens, which pollutes the Morača River, the Zeta Valley, the Skadar Lake area and the Adriatic Sea," the EU Delegation said recently, responding to questions from "Vijesti".
They called on all stakeholders, including local authorities and public officials, to refrain from spreading false claims regarding the EU-funded wastewater treatment plant project in Podgorica.
"The claims that this facility poses a threat to public health or is based on outdated technology are completely unfounded. The project envisages a modern and safe facility, fully compliant with EU standards. Thousands of such facilities are operating successfully across the European Union and beyond, improving environmental protection and safeguarding community health," the EU Delegation specified.
Bonus video:
