AKEL on the government’s bill on Local authority reform

Statement of Stavros Gerolatsitis, Head of the Bureau on Local Self-government Affairs of the C.C. of AKEL

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 2nd March 2016, Nicosia

 

AKEL on the occasion of the beginning of the parliamentary debate on the Local authority Reform this Thursday feels the need to note the following:

• All that is taking place in the field of local self-government on the pretext of its Reform confirm AKEL’s position, which from the very outset had highlighted the seriousness of this institutional change. We had responded constructively to the dialogue with the Ministry of Interior and the Minister himself. We gathered a host of promises and pledges whose results we will subsequently assess. At the same time we want to stress that we consider that the problems local authorities are facing today are due to the policies implemented by the Anastasiades-DISY government, which are leading to the abolition of the institution, and destruction of an elected body that is closest to people.

• We believe that the local authority reform to be decided should aim at the economic, administrative and political autonomy of local self-government.

• It should aim to provide improved services to citizens and respond effectively to the contemporary demands of citizens and society in general.

• For AKEL, it is particularly important that the social and developmental role of local self-government is strengthened. The further development and expansion of local government infrastructures in the fields of culture, sports, social welfare, housing and the revitalization of deprived areas is needed. Equally important is the need to back initiatives and programs aiming at providing support to vulnerable groups of the population, especially the elderly, the young, working mothers, people with disabilities and the unemployed.

• AKEL notes that a local self-government body, as envisaged in the government bill for the creation of District Councils, cannot be converted into a second degree body, hence creating a hierarchical relationship with primary bodies. It is wrong for vital and crucial competences to be transferred to the District Councils, which up till now primary local government had, that is to say, Municipalities and Local Community Councils. It is for these reasons that we insist that the District Councils cannot be elected and be subject to the status of a legal person.

• AKEL considers that local authority reform must be based on the promotion of cooperation through the establishment and operation of Local Clustering services where the Municipalities and Local Community Councils will participate in.

• We express our displeasure about the fact that while Bills on important organizational and administrative changes in the institution of local self-government have been tabled, which affect hundreds of working people seriously in local authorities, there has been no social dialogue whatsoever with working people’s organizations to address the problems which will inevitably be created in the event of changes.

The waging of a dialogue and ensuring agreement with workers trade unions in local authorities is a prerequisite for any local self-government reform to proceed.

• We underline our insistence on the need to safeguard labour relations and express our determination to struggle with working people to combat any attempts to undermine them.

• We reject provisions which provide for the establishment of companies with the obvious aim of privatizing essential services which local authorities offer to people.
• Local self-government is at a crossroads. We want local government modernized, with its institutional completion and its political and economic independence guaranteed. We express our willingness to work focused, both inside and outside Parliament, on approving a Reform that will enhance and upgrade local government and allow it to look to the future with optimism.