Zeta resident Slavko Vukčević said that there will be no gathering of citizens in Botun tomorrow, because they will be attending the session of the Zeta Municipal Assembly, on the agenda of which is the Proposal for a Decision on the Prohibition of the Implementation of the Construction of the Podgorica Wastewater Treatment System in Botun, proposed by the President of the Zeta Municipality Mihailo Asanović.
Vukčević said that citizens gathered at that location today to protest against the construction of the plant, stating that the gathering aimed to warn the contractor and subcontractor to stop activities at the construction site.
"We gathered as a sign of protest and warning to stop the work and not allow democracy to be buried in this place," he said.
Police officers were also at the scene, as well as the president of the Democratic People's Party (DNP), Milan Knežević.
Vukčević stated that it seemed to them that yesterday's gathering had yielded results, because, as he said, the machines were not working at the construction site today.
"We hope that someone will come to their senses and make a fair decision, not only for the citizens of Botun, but also for the citizens of the entire Zeta region, to suspend this project and find another location for it," said Vukčević.
He emphasized that the locals will carefully follow the session of the Zeta Municipal Assembly, at which decisions are made that, according to him, are important for the future of younger generations.
Vukčević stated that they plan to take the conclusions from that session, together with the leadership of the Zeta Municipality and the residents of Botuni, to the Capital and hand them over to the Mayor of Podgorica, Saša Mujović.
"We are planning to do this on Friday at 11 a.m.," said Vukčević, inviting the residents of Botuni and the citizens of Zeta to join them.
Zeta resident Milica Bećirović addressed the crowd and the media, saying that her speech represented, as she said, the cry of the citizens.
"I am neither very literate nor learned, but I am honest. I ask journalists, as people, to consider whether it is possible that these people are wrong. Follow the trail of information we present and check whether we are not telling the truth and the other side is right in everything," said Bećirović.
She said that citizens had been deceived several times and asked the media to, as she stated, deal seriously and responsibly with information coming from Botun and Zeta.
"This is a cry. I am especially addressing Television Vijesti, which I know has literate, brave and responsible journalists," said Bećirović.
She stated that she had no expert knowledge about the project itself, but called on Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović to, as she said, publicly swear to the claims he makes about the safety of the facility.
"If it is true that he is saying that the plant will not be harmful, let him swear before God and people that it will not be toxic, as he said, like burning wood or two trucks," said Bećirović, adding that, as she stated, everyone is ultimately accountable for their actions.
At the end of her speech, she said that, in her words, a person's greatest asset is their face and that people remember them as a good person.
"The greatest wealth is when someone says about your son: I knew your father, he was a good man," concluded Bećirović.
Bećirović: This is not politics, this is a cry for our children
Botun resident Jagoš Bećirović called on the citizens of Botun and Zeta to gather in front of the Municipality in Podgorica on Friday at 11 am, in order to, as he said, take away the conclusions from the session of the Zeta Municipal Assembly, which will be held on Thursday.
"On Friday at 11 am, the entire Botun and the entire Zeta region should be in front of Podgorica, to draw conclusions from our session," said Bećirović.
He addressed the Mayor of Podgorica, Saša Mujović, stating that the locals were not violent and that, according to him, there was no need for a large police presence during previous gatherings.
"If he had seen that we were not savages and that we had not come to cause problems, there would have been no need for so many police officers," said Bećirović.
He pointed out that citizens gathered peacefully to express their dissatisfaction and that, as he stated, he did not understand why they were being treated differently.
"We came out honorably and fairly, peacefully, to express our dissatisfaction," said Bećirović.
Bećirović said that the protests have been going on for years and that, according to him, they are not politically motivated.
"This is not politics, this is a cry for our children and for a healthy environment," he said.
Finally, he stated that locals have long been warning about the consequences for people's health in Botun, asking how many more victims, as he said, need to occur before the problems are resolved.
"How many more people need to die before this stops," said Bećirović.
Ćetković: It is untrue that Vučić is directing the protests, various elements are being introduced who want to quarrel and divide us
Zeta resident Mihailo Ćetković rejected allegations that have appeared in some media outlets in recent days that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is directing the protests of residents of Botun and Zeta, describing such claims as untrue.
"These are big lies. We see that in recent days various elements have been intervening, trying to divide the gatherings in Zeta and to cause a fight between the people of Botunja and Zeta," said Ćetković.
He said that Botun and Zeta are united and that they will not allow the protests to be broken up or rendered meaningless, as he said.
"We are so united that we will not allow anyone to break this fight for a healthy environment, for our children and our posterity," said Ćetković.
He stated that the number of gathered citizens is growing day by day and that, according to him, the locals will not give up the protest.
"Every day there are more and more people from Botunja and Zeća and we will not give up as long as we have the strength. We will not allow this collector to be built," he said.
Ćetković also criticized the subcontractors, stating that, as he said, nothing is mandatory and that everything will be decided by the competent authorities.
"Nothing has to be done. There are those who need to judge, and we will continue the fight and we will not stop or give up the fight for a healthy environment for Botun and the entire Zeta," he said.
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