Triggers for postponement of municipal elections

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The statement of the Minister of Interior provoked strong reactions from parties


Proposal for extension of the term of office of the existing mayors and municipal councilors for three years, in order to complete the reform of the Local Government

The announcement of the Minister of Interior, Socrates Hasikos, that he is taking the initiative to postpone the municipal elections, by extending the term of the incumbent mayors and municipal councilors for three years, in order to complete the reform of the Local Government, caused unrest.

Both the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens 'Cooperation and the Citizens' Alliance state that they are strongly opposed to this possibility, while at the same time the Union of Municipalities is sounding the alarm regarding the economic aspect of the Local Government reform, as well as the transitional period.

For its part, the Democratic Alarm welcomes the statement of the Minister of Interior for the postponement of the upcoming municipal and community elections, in order to make the reform in the Local Government more easily applicable.

Ecologists: Hasiko bomb


Specifically, at a press conference of the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation, the member of the Central Committee Alexia Sakadaki stated that "after two and a half years of hearing from the Anastasiadis government about local government reform and reform, we do not see any elections until a few months ago. Mr. Hasikos to think and drop the bomb of the postponement of the elections for 2019 ".

He added that there is no planning in the Government, as Mr. Hasikos had all the time to bring the issue to the Parliament in time, to be discussed and for the parliamentary parties to reach a right decision for all. Instead, stressed Ms. Sakadaki, they will be called again with their souls in their mouths to run at five o'clock to decide on such serious issues.

Alliance: Amputation of democracy


In a more intense tone was the statement of the Vice President of the Citizens' Alliance, Stelios Stylianos, who stated that his party is strongly opposed to any attempt to cripple democracy.

"It seems that some people in our country are bothered by the election process, which is the means of exercising the right of citizens to elect their representatives in state institutions," said Mr. Stylianou.

He added that after the unsuccessful attempt to postpone the parliamentary elections, now some are trying to postpone the municipal elections, citing as an argument the non-completion of the debate on local government reform and the idea that they coincide in the future with the European elections.

"As a Citizens' Alliance, we will not accept the restriction of the democratic rights of the citizens because the Government is regressing and postponing the issue of the reform of the Local Self-Government", he stressed.

DISY greets


At the same time, in a written statement, DISY MP Nikos Nouris welcomes the statements made by the Minister of Interior made in the context of the briefing of the Parliamentary Committee on Interior on the reform of the Local Government.

It is added to the announcement that DISY unreservedly supports the statements of the Minister of Interior for the postponement of the upcoming municipal and community elections, in order to make the reform in the Local Government more easily applicable.

Mr. Nouris also states that his party supports the Minister's suggestions for an evolutionary reduction of the number of Municipalities from 30 to 22 over a period of three years, and the transfer of responsibilities of provincial urban planning authorities to the provincial complexes.

DISY expects and hopes that in the discussion that will follow there will be the necessary convergences, so that the plenary session of the Parliament has a complete and agreed proposal before it in time, the announcement concludes.

Union of Municipalities: Suggestions in the bills

In another development, the Union of Municipalities sent a letter to the Minister of Interior, Socrates Hasikos, with remarks on the bills, as well as remarks regarding the financial aspect of the reform and the transitional period.

According to the letter, which was made public, the Union of Municipalities initially emphasizes that clear and specific provisions regarding the economic aspect of the reform should be introduced in the Bills on Municipalities, Communities and District Complexes.

These provisions should regulate the agreement regarding the compulsory grouping and the common services, the assignment of specific financial resources to the Local Authorities, the settlement of the debts of all the Local Authorities, as well as the creation of a special fund for early voluntary retirement of municipal to deal with the surplus.

Also, according to the letter, a special transitional provision should be introduced in the bills, in which the case of merging Local Authorities should be determined, after evaluating the results of the operation of the Local Complexes, in a defined period of time to be agreed.

Source: SigmaLive