Highway saga: Primitive, illiterate, ignorant

Infrastructure Minister Velimir Ilic Friday lashed out at Vojvodina politicians and reporters. Commenting on the recent controversy stemming from the government's reluctance to disclose the contents of the contract for the construction of the Horgos – Pozega highway, Ilic said those Vojvodina politicians who requested to know the details were "making election campaign noise" that would "drive the concessionaires away". Highway saga: Primitive, illiterate, ignorant "They [politicians] have done nothing for Vojvodina – not a meter of embankment, not a hectare of irrigated land, no roads. Serbia did everything," Ilic said, when journalist inquired when the contract will be made available in its entirety. Serbia signed the deal with Spanish – Austrian consortium FCC – Alpine Mayreder on March 30 this year. The contract and 14 out of 19 annexes have been published so far. Ilic was visiting the western Serbian town of Osecina when he said that the contract was available to the public, and that "those who needed to see it have seen it". "It's five annexes short, but that cannot be accessed anyway," he said. Ilic went on to accuse Vojvodina politicians who demanded the publication of the contract defining a deal reportedly worth more than EUR 1bn of being "primitive", while reporters were branded "illiterate". The minister, a member of the Kostunica cabinet from the DSS-NS ranks, also advised them to "learn something, so as to know to how to ask a question". Earlier this week, Serbia's leading watchdog accused Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s government of corruption in connection to the highway concession controversy. “The deal is a clear example of a corrupt system where political parties put their own interests above the interests of the state,” Verica Barac, the head of the government’s Anti-Corruption Council said in an interview with Balkan Insight. The portions of the contract made public do not make clear the length of time the consortium will collect tolls on the road, the percentage it will keep compared to how much will flow to the government, and what Belgrade will do with the road after the concession ends. The Serbian government will be held accountable for four out of 18 risks stipulated in the deal, and will share a risk from natural disasters with the contractor. The government will buy out owners of any property needed to build the motels and gas stations. Belgrade also will compensate the consortium for any delays. Barac said that reluctance of the top officials to make public all terms of the deal indicates it is unwilling to fully implement anti-corruption protections. “The key information were not available, not only now, but before the deal was made and six months after that,” Barac said. “The government has absolutely no will to initiate the rule of law.” Barac also said that with the highway passing only kilometers away from Ilic’s hometown of Cacak, Ilic was building "local support for his New Serbia party". "Ilic was investing in at least three election victories,” Barac said. “What we have in Serbia is the rule of political parties that are creating their own fiefdoms, their own territories.” Ilic described Vojvodina politicians and reporters as primitive and illiterate (FoNet)

Highway saga: Primitive, illiterate, ignorant

"They [politicians] have done nothing for Vojvodina – not a meter of embankment, not a hectare of irrigated land, no roads. Serbia did everything," Ilić said, when journalist inquired when the contract will be made available in its entirety.

Serbia signed the deal with Spanish – Austrian consortium FCC – Alpine Mayreder on March 30 this year. The contract and 14 out of 19 annexes have been published so far.

Ilić was visiting the western Serbian town of Osečina when he said that the contract was available to the public, and that "those who needed to see it have seen it".

"It's five annexes short, but that cannot be accessed anyway," he said.

Ilić went on to accuse Vojvodina politicians who demanded the publication of the contract defining a deal reportedly worth more than EUR 1bn of being "primitive", while reporters were branded "illiterate".

The minister, a member of the Koštunica cabinet from the DSS-NS ranks, also advised them to "learn something, so as to know to how to ask a question".

Earlier this week, Serbia's leading watchdog accused Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s government of corruption in connection to the highway concession controversy.

“The deal is a clear example of a corrupt system where political parties put their own interests above the interests of the state,” Verica Barać, the head of the government’s Anti-Corruption Council said in an interview with Balkan Insight.

The portions of the contract made public do not make clear the length of time the consortium will collect tolls on the road, the percentage it will keep compared to how much will flow to the government, and what Belgrade will do with the road after the concession ends.

The Serbian government will be held accountable for four out of 18 risks stipulated in the deal, and will share a risk from natural disasters with the contractor.

The government will buy out owners of any property needed to build the motels and gas stations. Belgrade also will compensate the consortium for any delays.

Barać said that reluctance of the top officials to make public all terms of the deal indicates it is unwilling to fully implement anti-corruption protections.

“The key information were not available, not only now, but before the deal was made and six months after that,” Barać said.

“The government has absolutely no will to initiate the rule of law.”

Barać also said that with the highway passing only kilometers away from Ilić’s hometown of Čačak, Ilić was building "local support for his New Serbia party".

"Ilić was investing in at least three election victories,” Barać said.

“What we have in Serbia is the rule of political parties that are creating their own fiefdoms, their own territories.”