SDSM: No official document published proving Gostivar water is safe

Opposition party SDSM says there is still no publicly released document proving that Gostivar’s drinking water is safe, despite officials drinking from the municipal tap on camera. The party recalled that residents drank contaminated water for about a month and that thousands sought medical care.

Calls for tests, signatures and clear responsibility

“Citizens of Gostivar have the right to know. Which institution carried out the analysis of the water and what are the results? Who signed the report and who with their signature guarantees that the water is safe? For the health of the people there must be a professional analysis, a document, a signature and accountability,” SDSM said.

Maja Borozan, speaking for SDSM, said that although politicians and officials yesterday drank water from the municipal supply in front of cameras, no official document confirming the water’s safety has been published.

In her statement Borozan recalled that the town’s residents drank water contaminated with fecal matter for an entire month and that “5,000 people were ill.” She criticised the timeline around the testing, noting that authorities had originally said results would be ready on August 20, then — under public pressure — declared the water clean “six days earlier.”

“In Gostivar yesterday we saw an image that will be remembered. Politicians and officials raise toasts, drink water in front of cameras, say ‘na zdravje’ and that it is ‘very tasty’. And for a whole month citizens drank water contaminated with feces. The entire town was poisoned, 5,000 people were ill. First they announced that the results would be ready only on August 20. Now, under public pressure, suddenly they say that the water is clean — six days earlier. How yesterday, August 20, and today suddenly everything is fine? And there still is no officially published document confirming that the water is clean and safe to drink,” Borozan said.

SDSM said the episode demands responsibility rather than spectacle, because public health and lives are at stake. “For five weeks citizens listened to varied and contradictory information from those in charge — from Mickoski, Klekovski, Angelov… First the water was declared safe for use as technical water, then they said there were bacteria. Before the epidemic was declared the water was again announced as correct. And there was never a single report, analysis, result. Citizens of Gostivar have the right to know. Which institution carried out the analysis of the water and what are the results? Who signed the report and who with their signature guarantees that the water is safe? For the health of the people there must be a professional analysis, a document, a signature and accountability. Citizens are not asking for toasts. They are asking for clean water and a guarantee that it is safe. Be serious at least once — publish the document,” the party added.

Municipal and national crisis team representatives yesterday announced that the town’s drinking water had been declared safe after about a month in which it was banned for drinking due to bacterial contamination; officials drank from a tap in front of the municipal building to signal the conclusion.

Photo: SDSM