Fifth Sunday in a row: Zenica residents demand accountability for Jablanica, higher pensions, end to violence...

(Patria) - The fifth Sunday peaceful march and rally organized by the Informal Group "Zenica Rises", which began at 12:30 PM at Alija Izetbegović Square in the city, started with a minute of silence for those who perished in last year's floods and landslides in Jablanica near Mostar.

Accountability was demanded, along with an acceleration of the investigation and the filing of indictments against those responsible, as well as presenting the situation in this regard to the public and the residents of Jablanica.

- I am primarily here for our pensioners, because they fought for our future, as well as our present, and we should not forget them. We should support them and be those who will help them live the life they deserve during their lifelong work - said Esmeralda Deranjić, a third-year student of Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zenica, who pointed out that about 20 students from her faculty attended the rally.

She also called on other students and young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the protests, as she believes they can achieve their desired goal.

- Of course, I think we can. The fight, therefore, does not stop. We have not yet fulfilled our demands. We have not received answers to our demands either, so on Friday we plan to go in front of the institutions and demand that our demands be met, that we be given answers. We will not give up - said Deranjić, who emphasized that they do not want to cause any unrest, but only to motivate others to fight.

The demands that have been sent over the past month from these rallies to the City of Zenica, the Government of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, and the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to accountability for Jablanica and the repair of damages and assistance to the residents of that city, also concern the increase of pensions and the improvement of living conditions for pensioners, especially in Zenica.

A demand related to the suppression of peer violence was also sent, which requires concrete answers, plans for resolution, and engagement on these issues, as well as a demand for the suppression of inflation and the difficult economic situation (FBiH), followed by an agreement on the construction of the Cantonal Hospital Zenica (City of Zenica and ZDK), the Cancer Registry in the city of Zenica (Government of ZDK), and the resolution of the issue of adequate heating in the city of Zenica.