TRAVEL REPORT The Hon. Michael Atkinson MP Attorney-General ...

The Mayor of Cetinje, Mr Aleksandar Aleksic raised some of the issues thatare of most concern to them about foreign perceptions of Cetinje . The mostpressing issue for Cetinje is a lack of awareness and understanding frompeople coming from abroad . In 1989, Cetinje was the town that had themaximum number of visits to museums in the whole of former Yugoslavia .Now there is about 80% unemployment .Cetinje was the city most often associated with Montenegro . Now, all statisticsshow that Cetinje does not rate as a tourist or cultural centre . The real fact ofCetinje is that, in the last 15 years, the republican government is not keen topromote or assist this city . The rate of children entering pre-schools isdecreasing by10-15% per year. The international community has offered theirco-operation, specifically for the Urban Institute . The citizens of Montenegro,jointly with local government, prepared a document that has passedParliament, on the hostility of the Government towards Cetinje .The city has a famous icon called FILARMOSA - it is insured and valued at$160,000,000 . For nine years, the Republic Government did not include thisIcon on tourist maps . It took intense efforts over the last three years this wasfinally achieved with the election of a new local government . LocalGovernment is open for all kinds of co-operation, especially fromrepresentatives from democratic countries of the international community .They want good co-operation with the Republic Government, however, havenot been able to achieve this . In the 2004 Budget of the Republic, the totalamount set aside for this city was 300,000 lower and has failed the City ofCetinje again .The reasons for hostilities towards this City and region started at thebeginning of the 90s . In the period of Milosevic and after, Cetinje was astronghold of Liberal Alliance of Montenegro, of which Mr Aleksic is amember . This was the place where the first anti-war front was formed . ThisAlliance opposed the Government of any party, for 15 years, because theywere opposed to all wars .They have spoken out against privatisation ; sex trafficking, corruption, andcampaigned for inquiries into 20 murders that are yet to be unresolved . Oneperson was the adviser for National Security . They were the first to prominentlydisplay Montenegrin symbols and oppose their use for war . One of theirleaders was an instigator of I.C.T.Y .Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, power in Montenegro remains in the hands ofthe same people . There have been scandals over tobacco, the Telecomprivatisation, a sex-trafficking affair and an aluminium privatisation, all since1997 . Up till 1997, Djukanovic had no problems providing funds, because ofassociation with Milosevic . After that time, he received assistance from theinternational community, but it is believed he has misused it and he has closeassociations with Telecom, aluminium and hotels on the coast.All Montenigrins have rising gas, phone and mobile bills, and believe they arepaying Djukanovic's friends .Travel Report, Hon. Michael Atkinson, MP. and Ms. Vini Ciccarello MP ., August, 2004