The departure of the GP URA councilor from the local government in Pljevlja is expected to have significant repercussions.

This was the remark made by the President of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, to “Vijesti” regarding the Pljevlja board of the Civic Movement URA’s decision to withdraw its support from the local government.

Vraneš asserts that the government in Pljevlja remains stable.

“The URA has a seat in the local government in Pljevlja represented by one councilor who hasn’t participated in local parliament sessions for over a year yet still receives his monthly councilor’s salary. Hence, I believe this decision is justified and perhaps overdue. The coalition in Pljevlja is operating effectively, the government is stable, and considerable work is being accomplished,” stated Vraneš.

Following URE’s exit from the coalition, the government in Pljevlja will be supported by 24 councilors instead of 23, out of a total of 34 in the Pljevlja parliament.

The Pljevlja board of the Civic Movement URA made a unanimous decision to retract its support for the local government.

They indicated they would continue advocating for the interests of Pljevlja from the opposition benches.

“In 2023, the Pljevlja URA backed the local government, primarily to provide a chance to a government emerging after a decade of DPS dominance in Pljevlja, intending to address issues vital for enhancing the quality of life for all Pljevlja citizens. Regrettably, after nearly two years of the local government’s operation, it is clear that the priorities of certain members of the government differ significantly. We did not replace the DPS merely for different individuals to occupy the same seats and official vehicles while perpetuating the same patterns of behavior. We aimed for projects that our city has desperately needed for decades, yet it appears that those who have garnered support for managing the city have diverged toward other priorities, often placing Pljevlja and its citizens in an extraordinarily negative light in the Montenegrin public eye,” the statement from the Pljevlja URA read.

They characterized the Pljevlja government as increasingly resembling a “crew without a helmsman,” noting that the continuation of the government sans a signed coalition agreement is likely a unique case not only in Montenegrin politics but possibly beyond.

“The actions, or rather the inaction, of the local government concerning the execution of capital projects related to the energy sector and environmental sustainability reveal a complete lack of vision and commitment to the city’s progress. Citizens of Pljevlja have observed that in its two years of service, the local government has yet to initiate work on developing the secondary network, which is essential for successfully launching the city heating project. The primary heating pipeline, frequently publicized as a major success, does not ensure that Pljevlja residents will soon have heating; in fact, it poses the opposite. Had the Municipality of Pljevlja and the local heating company coordinated their projects with those undertaken by the Electric Power Company of Montenegro, they would be progressing with the expansion of the secondary network across most streets in Pljevlja and constructing new substations. Such initiatives would enable citizens to connect the projected heating consumption of 44 MWth to the thermal power plant, thereby addressing the pollution problems by disconnecting approximately 4,000 individual combustion units,” the statement elaborated.

Furthermore, URA asserted that neither the local government led by Dario Vraneš nor the Government has made progress regarding significant capital projects, including a gypsum processing factory and a cement factory adhering to the highest environmental standards.

“Following the ecological reconstruction of the Thermal Power Plant, we will produce about 140,000 tons of gypsum annually from the desulfurization process. However, the Municipality of Pljevlja’s leaders and the Montenegro Government fail to perceive this as an opening for economic development and the potential creation of around 80 jobs in a gypsum processing facility. Due to a shortage of qualified personnel, gypsum is regrettably treated as a mere by-product rather than as a resource for building a new, green, and sustainable industry. Additionally, the local government has not earned a favorable evaluation in terms of staffing for vital positions in public institutions and companies. A prominent instance of this is the situation at the ‘Stevan Samardžić’ National Library, where the library director has reportedly been harassing employees and issuing illegal dismissals, all with no response from local government authorities. Moreover, they have rendered the project to subsidize pellet heating ineffective, leading to a scenario where, by mid-February, the Municipality had not yet disbursed subsidies to citizens utilizing this heating method,” URA added.

They stated that in light of all these issues, “and much more,” they decided to withhold their support from the local government.

“We will persist in advocating for the interests of Pljevlja from the opposition, believing that Montenegro and Pljevlja will receive a new, more professional, and capable government soon, which they duly deserve,” the statement concluded.

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