Radošević: Smart investment in infrastructure or wasting 1.2 million KM on an election campaign?

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Municipality of Bosanski Petrovac has taken out a loan of 1.2 million KM from the Development Bank of the Federation of BiH. The funds will be used for asphalting local roads.

Zdravko Radošević, a councilor from Our Party, points out that the idea of this credit debt has been current since mid-2019 and had broad support from political parties that have managed all processes in the municipality for two decades.

"The problem arose with the selection of routes to be asphalted, specifically when the initial list of routes created by SDA and SNSD did not have the necessary majority and support from the mayor and councilors close to the mayor. An alternative came in the form of a second proposal, this time created by the mayor's DNS and SDA, and this proposal was considered at the council session held on December 18, 2019. Given that the municipality of Bosanski Petrovac spends between 60,000 and 80,000 KM annually on maintaining gravel roads, and that in just a few months due to adverse weather conditions, you have neither money nor roads, asphalting emerges as a logical and inevitable intervention that has been considered and discussed for the past 10 or more years," explains Radošević.

He adds that, on the other hand, there is always a dilemma and fear, especially in an election year, to enter into a million-dollar credit debt and invest over a million KM in roads without any elaboration on the economic justification of investing in any of those roads.

"The moment I realized that the decision was practically made, and only an agreement on the selection of routes was missing, I proposed conclusions at the Municipal Council session which, among other things, defined the following: - that a road asphalting program be adopted, which will contain clear criteria based on which the final selection of routes will be made - that local community councils submit proposals for routes, which will be included in the program - that each individual route be considered a separate project, for which the justification for asphalting that route will be determined based on the criteria. By adopting these conclusions at the Municipal Council session on December 18, 2019, the previously prepared list of routes, which lacked any information or argumentation, was practically annulled, and the process of selecting routes to be asphalted was returned to the beginning. However, the competent service ignored the conclusions and the Council's decision and initiated the entire public procurement procedure and process based on the initial inter-party list of agreed-upon routes to be asphalted. The violation of the law further convinces me that this is another pre-election asphalting, and not any substantial and economically justified improvement of the traffic infrastructure," states Radošević.

He says he will wait to hear what the authorities have to say.

"We will get their answer at the next session of the Bosanski Petrovac Municipal Council because I have nominated an agenda item at the Municipal Council's collegium to determine whether there has been a gross violation of the Municipal Council's conclusions, a violation of the Municipal Council's rules of procedure, the principles of local self-government, and non-transparent action by the competent service. The citizens of the municipality of Bosanski Petrovac are deeply aware of the fact that those who left in search of a better life will not return by these roads, nor will those who fled the area whose fate has been shaped by the same policies and the same 'players' for over two decades. That is why we must raise our voices and heads and fight for a fairer relationship in all spheres of life! If we give up and surrender, nothing will stop us from fleeing and seeking happiness elsewhere!" says Radošević and adds, "Isn't it, in the end, all a matter of CHOICE?"