Kasumović: I will not give funds to Zenicatrans because the SDA stole them

(Patria) - Guest of Novi dan was the Mayor of Zenica Fuad Kasumović, who said on N1 program that the entire situation regarding the city's budget is actually an "early election campaign of the SDA".

"The SDA is systematically targeting me after Forto and Konaković," Kasumović stated for N1, commenting on reports that Zenica is blocked due to the failure to adopt the budget.

"The ruling coalition led by the SDA has been making a case out of Zenica for three years and three months. They started their election campaign very early this year. The citizens of Zenica and all of Bosnia need to know that the agreement within the SDA is that after the governments of Forto and Konaković, the only problem is Fuad Kasumović, who has great support throughout Central Bosnia, and they are systematically targeting me," Kasumović emphasized.

"Regarding the budget, there is a law and a budget calendar on when things should be submitted. The city administration submitted everything on time and there is no problem, however, since we are under a media blockade, I can only explain to citizens via social networks what is at stake. If the budget is not adopted by December 31 of the current year, the City Council adopts temporary financing to keep life going, but they refuse to do so. The citizens of Zenica know that Zenica has never been better off - in any sense - economic, cultural, financial, there are no problems except that they are creating pre-election problems using the money of the citizens of this state, buying media, portals, and the hardest for citizens and me are the public services of this state. I will call on the citizens of Zenica not to pay what they do not have to pay if this does not change soon," Kasumović stated for N1.

After that, the host of Novi dan, Ivana Crnogorac, asked the Mayor of Zenica if he was calling on people to knowingly break the law, to which he replied that "that law does not exist."

"Neither in Grude nor in Posušje do they pay because it is legally unresolved. The HDZ made its own television, if the SDA also wants to have its own, let them make it, but these are public services of all citizens. The people running them are high-ranking party officials. I will publicly say that one of them is Harun Bošnjak, who runs BHT1, he is highly positioned, not on the lists, the citizens of Zenica know that. The same goes for Federal Television. Ask the citizens - the city has never been better off - that is their problem and that is why they started an early election campaign," he said.

"I have managed various budgets and I am strongest in that area. There is a budget calendar. So far, I have submitted it to the City Council three times. I invited them twice to reach an agreement. What they want, and this is the main point, is for the city to continue financing cantonal projects and for the city to give 15 million for the rehabilitation of Zenicatrans. I want the citizens of Zenica and others to know: I took over the city according to the Law on External Debt and Debt, with a maximum debt of 64 million.

In three years, I have repaid over 20 million in debts, increased the budget by 20 million, and the question is where those funds went before. That is the problem. I respected the law three times, and they say they do not have a majority in the Council and did not want to adopt it, therefore, they are spending an enormous amount of citizens' money on media propaganda. Please, does anyone in this state think that one Fuad Kasumović, one man alone, can cause so many problems for the SDA, that they would not have imprisoned me by now. All procedures have been followed and from December 31, there must be temporary financing," Kasumović emphasized for N1, adding that the mayor is the only one responsible for the budget.

He said the reason he does not want to give money for Zenicatrans is that they want to use Zenica's funds to finance other cities.

"I was raised to first fix my own yard before helping others. The former government indebted citizens for 50 million, and I am now repaying that. Look at our roads - does anyone think I should build Kakanj or Tešanj instead of solving my own city's issues? That is my decision. I absolutely will not give funds to Zenicatrans because the SDA stole them, entered their union to block the city on December 31, and constantly lied that they had no fuel to create as many problems as possible, to make a case out of the city, but my City Administration is very literate. If the goal is for our citizens to have good buses and regular transport, why would I throw 15 million of citizens' money there. 

I offered and will no longer offer - for the world's strongest company to come in, carry out the rehabilitation of that company, say how many people can stay, they refuse, that is serious crime. I call on the competent institutions to go there. Even children should learn how theft is done there," emphasized the Mayor of Zenica for N1.