Mandić: I am starting the campaign for the referendum, some from NIP have been pretending to be false friends all along

(Patria) - A press conference was held at the premises of Naša stranka, addressed by Srđan Mandić, whose recall was finally confirmed today at the Municipal Council of the Centar municipality. The referendum in which citizens will express their opinion will be held on September 17. Mandić did not hide his disappointment, and he announced a more detailed address after the end of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

"This is not a decision in the interest of the citizens. I wanted to protect the budget. From this moment, my campaign for the referendum begins, I will not give up. I reject all the accusations we have heard, and for some, there will certainly be lawsuits for defamation. As for the claims that I come to work drunk and hungover, that is not true, and it showed the level of culture of my former colleagues. Until 15 days ago, nothing indicated such an outcome.

As long as I am in this position, I will not allow any project to stop. What will happen if and when an acting official appointed by them takes over, I cannot take responsibility for that part. I am convinced that the citizens have recognized what is at stake here. This is no longer a story about whether Mandić is a good municipal head or not, but I will not present anything negative in the next seven days. I will not poison the festival and the festival days, but rest assured that I will have something to say.

In all of this, Mandić is the least important. I cannot and will not withdraw because of the 16,670 people who gave me their vote three years ago. I worked in the interest of those who have now slandered and recalled me. Democracy and the citizens will make the final decision. I call on the citizens to think and to go to the referendum," said Mandić.

The head of the SDP BiH councilor club, Dragan Stevanović, also addressed the press at the premises of Naša stranka.

"Our advocacy for compromise was perceived as our weakness, not as wisdom. So they stabbed us in the back. I understand the disagreements between NIP and Naša stranka, but as a partner, we should have been informed. This is a disgrace to the NIP councilors. As for all others who participated in this scheme, it is clear why they are doing it. After the lies to which Mandić and I were exposed, I am not defending the principles of the coalition, but Srđan Mandić as a representative of the urban part of the city of Sarajevo.

Mandić said that the goal is to appoint one of the councilors as acting official.

"I have reason to believe that they are ready to do many things that I did not want to do," said Mandić.

He added that some have obviously been pretending to be false friends all along, and that he received a large number of messages from people in NIP, but he did not want to reveal names.

"As a minister in the government of the six-party coalition, together with Konaković, Forto, and Šteta, I worked on building the three-party coalition, while at the same time someone was employed by Mayor Skaka and in Eyof. Today, Narod i Pravda, Stranka za BiH, one SBB councilor, and one SDA councilor brought down the three-party coalition in Centar, Mandić did not do that," he said.