Filenews 10 February 2024
Former Interior Minister Nikos Nouris releases and takes a stand on the strong criticism of the progress in the reform of Local Government.
Mr. Nouris responds to the reactions by citing, among other things, the chronicle of the reform, while observing the government's attempt to claim an alibi, "in the event that it will not be able to manage the problems next summer".
The announcement in its entirety
Four months before the local government elections, instead of focusing on addressing the normal difficulties and problems of an admittedly colossal reform, the government chose to claim an alibi in the event that it will not be able to manage the problems next summer.
For more than a decade, all political parties, without exception, characterized the existing model of the Local Authority as bankrupt and demanded its modernization by reducing the number of municipalities, improving the services provided and reducing operating costs in favour of citizens. Europe has often pointed the finger at us about the need for this reform. The troika also made it a condition. But when the late Socrates Hasikos submitted the proposal for a model with only five municipalities, the entire political leadership rushed to lynch him.
The Anastasiades government, after exhaustive consultations and after the Council of Europe informed us in a letter dated February 7, 2020 that the proposal of the Ministry of Interior, as it was then formulated, is fully in line with what is stated in the Charter of Local Self-Government, proceeded on March 7, 2020, to submit a Bill to the House of Representatives.
This Bill provided, inter alia, for the establishment of 17 Municipalities (Article 3), the President of the District Organizations the Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality (Article 5), while the planning and building licensing would remain with the Municipalities (Article 43). In its entirety, the proposal aimed at introducing the concept of administrative autonomy of municipalities, ending state intervention, financial autonomy by abolishing state sponsorship, enhancing transparency and citizen participation.
What was finally voted on and what emerged is obviously not exactly what we envisioned. But it is a huge step forward that can be gradually improved when you have the will and vision. And since statements suddenly appeared that the model is bankrupt, it would be good to remember who distorted it.
In response to the government's statements, the ruling Democratic Party and its President said that when the reform was passed, it appeared "that Parliament was misled by the previous government and the former Minister of the Interior". So I want to remind Mr. Papadopoulos not only of his supportive positions on reform, but much more of his party's "distorting" amendments, which are indeed a major political issue, as he said.
Because it is a major political issue, a political leader who supported this reform, to adopt statements today that the reform will go bankrupt, when it is his own party that either voted against certain corrective amendments or tabled a host of other amendments that have both skyrocketed costs and caused dysfunction.
I mention only some of DIKO's interventions during the passage of the Bill:
>Vote against DISY's amendment to restore the original provision of the Bill for the merger of the Municipality of Pafos with the Municipality of Geroskipou and the communities of Acheleia, Konia and Timi
>Vote against DISY's amendment to restore the original provision of the Bill for the integration of Strovolos Municipality into Nicosia Municipality.
>Vote together with other parties for the amendment to dissolve the Akamas complex and transfer half of the communities to Polis Chrysochous and the other half to the Municipality of Pegeia, creating a highly uneven and dysfunctional scheme with the 14 deputy mayors in Polis Chrysochous. The government reacted to this distortion and the President of the Republic overturned the Law, but Parliament persisted, leading the reform to a dead end.
>Insistence on the secession of Agia Fyla from Limassol Municipality
>Amendment to Article 5 of the Bill on District Organizations for the direct election of the President of the District Organizations instead of the Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality
>Amendment to Article 13 and increase of Municipal Councillors from 26 to 30.
>Amendment to Article 70 so that if fewer than five councillors have been elected in a municipal district, the Commission shall be supplemented by those NOT elected who follow on the ballot papers
>Amendment to Article 8 of the Communities Act so that communities with fewer than 200 voters do not have the limitation of the terms of office of elected representatives
>Amendment to Article 18 not to count the current term of office of elected officials in the limitation of terms of office
>Amendment to Article 43 so that there is no transfer of school boards to municipalities
So, listening to Mr. Papadopoulos, one wonders who misled whom, who led to the increase in operating costs and the dysfunction of the institution!
On the other hand, it is unacceptable for the President of the Republic, being then a member of the government that submitted the Bill, to allow similar positions and to question key reform breakthroughs, such as the inclusion of Water Supply and Sewerage Councils and Solid Waste at District Level. Unless the government prefers the current mess of the many different tariffs imposed on citizens by various entities and which have led, among other things, to exorbitant unpaid debts to the competent Councils.
I do not think it is appropriate at this time to highlight real and non-existent problems in this way for reasons of internal consumption. Why were they not elected and why was no attempt made to resolve them immediately after the election of the new Government? Four months before the elections, the relevant services must only focus on intensifying their efforts to minimise the problems.
The reform was passed to be implemented and in the course of time the various distortions can and must be corrected.
