Despite the call from the mayor of Podgorica to think again, the Prime Minister's belief that an agreement is possible, and the messages from Brussels representatives that this is a project of national importance, the people of Botunja are not changing their position.
A wastewater treatment plant will not be built in that Zeta village.
Therefore, they urge the Capital City, the executive branch, and the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro to respect the will of the citizens expressed in the referendum.
On the other hand, they have been living in tents for more than a month, and that could change as early as Monday when the Capital City Communal Inspection is expected to arrive.
"As we took over the city government in 2024, we were deeply aware of all of Podgorica's problems, we were aware that we were also inheriting that Gordian knot in the form of a wastewater treatment plant," Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović said earlier.
And, that Gordian knot will remain tangled even after Mujović's call for the people of Botunja to think again and allow the construction of the collector. The locals are telling him today that the Capital City had a full 21 years to think.
"We thank the mayor for his kind words, care, attention and gifts during all these months in the settlement. We stand by what we said in the referendum," said Botun resident Bojan Bašanović.
They were not softened by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić's claim that he believes in an agreement with the citizens of Zeta and a quick start to the construction of the collector.
"We have always been in favor of an agreement, dialogue is the best solution to overcome this problem. Of course, our positions are clear, the wastewater treatment plant will not be built in Zeta. We have constantly insisted that this plant, this collector with an incinerator that will emit dioxins and furans, is certainly not safe," said Bašanović.
The President of the Capital City Assembly held a different view yesterday, saying that the collector in Botun is ecologically necessary. The Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Johan Sattler, also said that the construction of the collector in Botun is an issue of national importance.
"I completely agree with Mr. Satler, by 2035, every municipality in Montenegro will have to have a wastewater treatment plant. The municipality of Zeta will have its own plant. Also, the municipality of Podgorica should have its own plant. We are looking forward to that plant in Podgorica and we believe that it will be built on the territory of the municipality of Podgorica," said Bašanović.
He expects that the capital, the executive branch, and the European Union delegation in Montenegro will respect the referendum will of the people of Zeća, who are still being replaced in the same position.
"Even after more than a month since they erected the tents, the residents of Botun announce that they will stay here until the very end. However, they expect the Capital City Communal Inspection to arrive on Monday, which has finally decided to remove the tents," said Bašanović.
And the tents, which the people of Botun will continue to defend, were not mentioned by the leader of the DNP, Milan Knežević, last night at a family celebration with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. On his Instagram profile, along with posting a photo of Knežević with his parents, Vučić thanked his friend for his presence, stating that the conversation at the table was not about Botun, but about the Skadar carp.
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