MEDIA RELEASES
Active Citizenship, Challenge for Local and Central institutions
Pristina, November 19, 2015-
On Thursday in Pristina, the non-governmental organization “Eye of Vision” held a conference on the topic “Development of Active Citizenship and strengthening the role of citizens in decision-making” where representatives of Kosovo’s municipalities, women assembly members, representatives of villages and neighborhoods of the municipalities took part. of the region of Peja and Prizren, civil society, with which the program aimed at promoting active citizenship in Kosovo is being developed.
The activation of citizens, the participation of women in decision-making processes and the addressing of problems in institutions at the local and central level are the challenges for the institutions at the local and central level, it was said by the participants in this conference.
Menduh Ulashi, the vice-president of the municipality of Han i Elezit, has emphasized that this year the mandate of the presidents of the local councils ends, and this process of their functioning remains a challenge for this municipality, since we still have not been able to secure a budget even for a daily wage. or on the basis of meetings. However, we will continue to make efforts to create better conditions for all representatives of these councils, even though we have so far only managed to provide mobile phones to communicate with each other officially free of charge, he said.
Meanwhile, the municipal officials from the municipalities of the Dukagjin region, present at this meeting, expressed their concern because even with the implementation of democratic and free elections for the councils, the issue of the municipality’s cooperation with villages, settlements and urban neighborhoods, it remains difficult since these presidents to be active must be provided with the conditions for work.
However, the participants suggested that the Ministry of Finance together with the Ministry of MLGA should make a choice to stimulate them for their work and commitment in addressing the problems and demands of the citizens, for which perhaps the best choice would be was the issuing of an administrative instruction that allows the payment of the daily expenses of these heads of councils to be made in the budget lines of the municipalities.
On the other hand, the women assembly members of the municipalities of the region of Peja and Prizren expressed their dissatisfaction with their representation at the local and central level in terms of key positions. Even according to them, women are not offered the opportunity and space to prove themselves in positions and departments of particular importance in their municipalities, but also at the central level. In any case, they have also expressed dissatisfaction about the participation of women in the local councils of the municipalities where the elections were held.
Arbresha Demaj from Syri i Vizioni has said that this organization has supported all these groups for several years to be active voices in representing the demands of the communities to which they belong. She also presented the publication that contains the work developed in this four-year period of the “Active Citizenship” program, which “Syri i Vizioni” implements with the support of the Olof Palme International Center and SIDA.
