Activist: Constant Pressure Against Lithium Mining Necessary, Authorities Waiting for Elections to Pass

Savo Manojlovic (Beta/Luka Filipovic)

Savo Manojlovic, a representative of the Get Going For Change campaign, has said that the company Rio Tinto -- intent on mining lithium in Serbia -- has adopted the tactic of playing down this issue prior to the country's spring elections, only to resume its activities afterwards.

"Those of us against the opening of the lithium mine have to adopt the opposite tactic: we must apply constant pressure, and after every battle won, and every short respite, must come forth with a new, meaningful and legally sound initiative to create pressure from citizens, which is [our] only guarantee of success," Manojlovic told the Dec. 27 edition of the Danas daily.

Manojlovic announced that Get Going For Change would launch a new campaign following the holidays: collecting 30,000 signatures for a people's initiative against lithium mining in the country -- an official document to be composed by a working group of ecologists and lawyers and submitted to the Serbian Parliament.

"So far, over 3,000 volunteers have signed up for [collecting signatures] through the Get Going For Change platform and we believe we are ready for the next step in combating Rio Tinto," Manojlovic stated.