“Leave politics aside because our health is at stake”, “Do you know how many Bitola citizens have cancer”, “Our children breathe dirty air, don’t involve politics”, “We want clean air”. These were the most common remarks at tonight’s debate in Bitola, “MPs and citizens for cleaner air in Bitola” as part of the project “Mobile Parliament” of Civic Association MOST.
Citizens, including doctors, teachers, and environmentalists, presented their views on the issue from their perspective, as well as the consequences Bitola citizens suffer because of the polluted air. Particularly impressive was the presentation of the pediatrician Blagica Temelkovska, employee of Bitola Hospital, who said that, in her decades long career, she has never faced with so many cases of children with lower aspiratory infections as in the recent period.
– Last year, the number of children suffering from bronchopneumonia, bronchitis and allergies is terrifying. It can be connected with the air pollution. It is not the same when a baby of five months suffers from bronchitis, and when an adult of 50 years suffers from bronchitis. We aren’t doing anything to stop it, we are just healing it. We are citizens of Bitola and we shouldn’t be politically subjective and fight for our city. Currently, the largest number of children with cancerous diseases is in Pelagonija – said Temelkovska.
The debate was attended by MPs from Bitola, Zoran Ilioski and Liljana Kuzmanovska, from VMRO-DPMNE and Vasko Kovachevski and Julijana Siljanovska from SDSM. While citizens were discussing that they fear for their health and the health of their families due to significant pollution of Bitola, MPs tried to lecture on what they have done and will do from now on this issue.
SDSM MP Vasko Kovachevski said that the opposition requested the preparation of a new Local Environmental Action Plan and that the Government didn’t conduct it.
– Our MPs from the last composition requested amendments for taking measures to improve the air in Bitola such as measuring sites, new buses and revival of the idea of a heating plant in Bitola, but VMRO MPs didn’t vote for it – said Kovachevski.
MP Liljana Kuzmanovska requested to retort to this and stimulated the reaction of the citizens.
Kuzmanovska previously said that this is politicization of the event, which is uncalled for.
– The question of who is to blame, VMRO-DPMNE or SDSM, is pointless for this debate. We, as MPs, try to create better legislation in the interest of improving the quality of life, i.e. the environment in our city – said MP Zoran Ilioski.
