Filenews 6 March 2025
The government heard them regularly from the chairman of the House Standing Committee on Internal Affairs, Aristos Damianou, but also from MPs from other parties regarding the appointment of community leaders, with Mr. Damianou denouncing intentions of the Presidential Council that hurt the reform.
Commenting on the government spokesman's reference to the parties' late interest, Mr. Damianou said that he had discussed the issue of the community leaders with the Presidential and added: I do not want to say and I will not say what happened between me and the President as to how they dealt with the issue of community leaders because I do not want to expose my interlocutors.
Damianou said the issue of certifications could be entrusted to deputy mayors, who also complain about limited powers, rather than appointing 209 community leaders. DIKO MP Panicos Leonidou also agreed with Mr. Damianos' position. Mr. Damianos' position is also that certifications could be carried out by the Citizen Service Centers.
DISY MP Nikos Sykas also said he was annoyed by reports from the government side.
Here are the new duties of the deputy mayors: cleaning, parks, sidewalks and so on
In the bills that have been submitted before the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs, the responsibilities of deputy mayors are defined, who react strongly because they believe that mayors cut and sew, with some assigning duties to deputy mayors and others not. Deputy mayors believe that their responsibilities should not be left to each Mayor individually but should be determined by legislation. The deputy mayors have already organized and will claim the definition of their responsibilities by putting pressure on the parties as well. The deputy mayors disagree with some proposed regulations (in the relevant bill that has been tabled) and demand an increased role.
According to the bill submitted by the government, the duties of deputy mayors are as follows:
-The supervision of issues of cleanliness and good condition of infrastructure, parks, green areas, road network, sidewalks and informing the municipal service for the purpose of taking appropriate actions
-Participation in sessions convened by the mayor, during which issues of the relevant municipal district are discussed
-Information in relation to correspondence concerning the relevant municipal district
-The supervision for the registration of the road network, in cooperation with the municipal service, within the relevant municipal district
-The supervision of issues falling within the field of social welfare and social cohesion, as defined in the paragraph, as provided for in the legislation
-It is understood that to the responsibilities instead of mayors may be added the exercise of any other competence that may be delegated to them by decision of the mayor.
