in-cyprus 9 April 2023 - by Constantinos Tsintas
Following the Easter holidays, the digital governance ministry will be looking into ways of implementing electronic referenda for key issues of concern to the public, said President Christodoulides in a morning address in the Cyprus Forum Cities Conference, at the Cyprus Technical University, in Limassol.
‘The non-binding digital referenda was a pre-election promise that will be fast-tracked and announced as a new institution of digital governance in the near future’, the President added at the forum, hosting keynote speakers on more effective, collective and green local government.
Such referenda will be held at regular intervals and according to the President’s commitments, the public’s view will be strongly considered in the government’s final decisions.
‘It doesn’t mean we will always follow what citizens say’, he noted, but it was important to take their views into account, as society will be called upon to implement whatever is decided by executive authority.
In his speech, President Christodoulides stressed that following in the footsteps of a European trend, the government will be granting additional powers and responsibilities to local government officials.
‘Executive authority cannot respond as adequately as local government to the daily needs of cities and communities’, he added, pointing out that the relevant reform was a ‘major bet’ for the new administration and everyone should work collectively to make it work.
