The high-rising buildings that are to be built on the parking lot across the City Shopping Center will create more pollution, and this area will be the most densely populated region in the world with extremely inhumane living conditions, said “Green Humane City” and the civic initiative “Chance for Center” at yesterday’s peaceful protest in front of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office.

They sent a message to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the initiative that is submitted by the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption regarding the construction of the high-rise buildings to finally have a conclusion.

• The public has not been notified since May, namely, there is no progress in the case. If we want to prevent corruption, if we want to prevent abuse and harm to the citizens in this country, the state bodies simply cannot act in this way and protect the investors. They must not protect the big capital to work at the harm of the people of Skopje. This government allegedly fought against Skopje 2014, but seems like in order to be able to serve us Skopje 2021, said activist Dragana Velkovska.

At the protest, it was outlined that there is suspicion of corruption and abuse of official position.

– What is starting to be constructed opposite of Holiday Inn, according to the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, is illegal, and there is suspicion of abuse of official position. No one knows how the Ministry of Transport and Communications in 2018 sold over 9,000 square meters of state land at a time when the Detailed Urban Plan was not implemented for that plot. We are demanding those answers both from the Ministry of Transport and from the State Inspectorate for Construction and Urban Planning, added Velkovska.

According to architect Danica Pavlovska, this problem emphasizes the weaknesses in the legal system and at the same time builds a culture of disrespecting the state.

Part of the residents of Novo Maalo, on the other hand, with a public announcement reacted to the protest, pointing out that the projected solution by the investor guarantees urban and green housing, but also fair compensation, as well as that the protest is for political purposes.

-We remind once again that the three-year moratorium signed in 2017 by then President of the Council of the Municipality of Center Jana Belceva was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court in December 2020, and at the same time also that the Ministry of Transport and Communications already once made it clear about the initiative for suspension of the DUP as being unfounded. “Green Humane City” and other fake environmentalists have absolutely no right to decide on behalf of our property, nor is there a legal basis on which the project could be prevented, is said in the announcemet.

They add that the pressure on the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Municipality of Center and the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption should stop.

Translation: N. Cvetkovska