Filenews 6 December 2021
A strong backstory is underway on the issue of local government reform in an effort to reach five metropolitan municipalities across Cyprus, one per district. The processes take place behind the scenes and as "F" is informed, the Minister of Interior has also been sounded out.
The whole effort is not unrelated to the fact that while the Government favoured the creation of 17 new municipalities, members of the Interior Committee with their suggestions formed a new scene with 21 new municipalities. Today the number of municipalities is 30 and therefore the reduction attempted at parliamentary level is not desirable in the government camp.
According to information, there are processes in order to have an agreement for the five metropolitan municipalities between the parliamentary groups of DISY, DIKO, EDEK, DIPA and ELAM. If they find each other, then it is expected that today the debate on the reform bills will not continue in the parliamentary Committee on the Interior, but that the issue will come up after the holidays. In such a development, the interior ministry will be asked to formulate the new proposal and submit it for discussion after January 10, 2022.
The scenario under discussion foresees five large metropolitan municipalities per province. In this scenario, of course, there are also municipalities that will be exempted from mergers. This is the Municipality of South Nicosia-Idalion, which includes the neighbouring communities. Also, the Municipality of Lefkara will be special, which will include neighbouring communities. The Municipality of Athienou with the communities that will be added will remain separate. It is not foreseen that the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous, which will consist of the neighbouring communities, will be included in a metropolitan municipality.
The creation of five strong and viable metropolitan municipalities is one of the scenarios that the Interior Ministry had before it and worked it out in the past without reaching the legitimate result. Besides, the positives of such a development outweigh any negative ones with the creation of strong local authorities.
It should be noted that in 2014 a study by British experts on local government reform recommended the establishment of five metropolitan municipalities, one per province. It is noted that the aim is for the Local Government elections to be held simultaneously with the European elections of 2024, therefore all the processes should be completed in 2022 and all open issues should be settled.
