Kumanovo Municipality faces criticism over 600,000 euro cemetery morgue allocation

The AKI Kumanovo coalition has criticized a decision by the Kumanovo Municipality, led by Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski, to allocate 600,000 euros for a morgue at the city’s Orthodox cemeteries.

Critics argue that this expenditure is not a priority for citizens, noting that the city is currently struggling with a chronic waste management crisis. While the municipality claims it lacks sufficient funds and must seek loans to purchase garbage trucks, the coalition questions why hundreds of thousands of euros are available for religious site renovations while essential public services remain underfunded.

Furthermore, the coalition has raised concerns regarding equality, questioning why funds are allocated to Orthodox cemetery facilities while no such budget is provided for Muslim cemeteries. They have called for greater transparency and a budget that prioritizes functional public services, such as infrastructure and cleanliness, over what they describe as political luxury.