Press release
Active Citizenship Challenge for the Government and Municipalities
Prishtina, November 2, 2012 The Non-Governmental Organization Syri i Vizioni from Peja, has held a conference on the topic “Active Citizenship” where it has also published a report on the Active Citizen. The conference was held in Pristina, where representatives of the MLGA, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, the municipalities of the Dukagjin plain, civil society and representatives of the villages and neighborhoods of the municipalities of the region of Peja and Prizren participated.
The activation of citizens to be part of the decision-making processes and to address their problems to the institutions at the local and central level remains a challenge for the institutions at the local and central level, it was said at the conference.
Avni Sahiti, Director of the Department for Research and Reform of Local Government from MLGA has said that “Municipalities have all the legal mechanisms and their support to regulate their cooperation as municipalities with the leaders of villages and urban neighborhoods, as foreseen the law on local self-government and administrative instructions, so we as the Minister constantly offer you the help they are looking for”. Meanwhile, the municipal officials present at this meeting expressed their concern that they will not be able to implement the regulations for the cooperation of the municipality with the representatives of the villages and urban neighborhoods, since these people should be given some kind of payment or incentive for their engagement to be active.
Zekije Sutaj, from the Legal Office of the municipality of Istog, this municipality which drafted and approved the municipal regulation in July of this year, said that “We have approved the regulation, but we do not have any budget line, how can I pay the elected representatives in villages and urban neighborhoods, because neither the law on local self-government nor the administrative instruction specifies in what form these people can be paid, but the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Government should draw up a budget line so that the municipalities can an incentive for representatives or elected officials of local councils”.
On the other hand, civil society and representatives of some villages and urban neighborhoods have said that “These leaders or representatives should definitely be stimulated, because now no one wants to make a voluntary contribution anymore, but to have an active citizenry and active leaders who time address their problems towards the institutions should be paid or stimulated.
Officials from the Association of Municipalities and the MLGA have pledged to address the issue of payment to the Government as well, so that opportunities for improving the cooperation of municipalities with their citizens can be considered. At this conference, the report “Active Citizenship” was also published, this report drafted by the Non-Governmental Organization Syri i Vizioni from Peja, supported by the Olof Palme International Center and SIDA.
With respect,
NGO “Eye of Vision”
Tel. +377(0)44695650
Email: naser.lajqi@syriivizionit.org
www.syriiivizioint.org
________________
