At a time when parliamentary parties, but mainly mayoral candidates, are implementing plans and procedures for the municipal elections in December, an informal dialogue on what should be born with the reform of local self-government and the future of municipalities under their current one is coming to the fore. form.
According to parliamentary figures, what is torturously worrying is the dire financial situation of the Municipalities and the risk of collapse, because the fund is minus.
It is recognized, as it was pointed out, the inability of most Municipalities to pay the salaries of municipal employees as well as the prospect of spending a new five years with the current financial data.
The reform, the same factors emphasize, is out of the question. At this stage, it is important to clarify whether there is room for convergence by the parliamentary parties to promote the necessary reform in the Local Government and the political will either for a 2½ year electoral process or to postpone the elections for 2½ years so that the ballots for mayors with the 2019 European elections.
Informally, there seems to be room for building an initiative in this direction, but there is no willingness to take steps as the fear of political cost looms, given what happened before the parliamentary elections and the change of the electoral law. And because fear brings hell, Democratic Alarm and AKEL have made it clear that they are not discussing a postponement of the municipal elections. Only if there is a universal mood do they leave room for opinions.
The ball is in the deck of the DIKO stadium, as a party official pointed out. The Democratic Party has no obstacle to take the initiative of the movements and to lead a dialogue with all parties and institutions after finding a universal mood, based on its proposal for the reform of Local Government, said the same source.
With the return of Nikolas Papadopoulos to his presidential party duties from the summer holidays, DIKO will "run" the initiative on the basis of its proposal to reduce the number of Municipalities and for a clear timetable that the reform will be implemented in 2 και years and The next electoral contest in the Local Government will take place with a modernized operating framework.
The reduction of the Municipalities finds favors. It should be noted that at the last session of the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs before the parliamentary elections, the Minister of Interior, Socrates Hasikos, had essentially appeared with the proposal of the Italian experts to reduce the Municipalities to 22, a position held by the Municipalities.
DIKO's proposal refers to fewer Municipalities, 14, so it is estimated that there is a prospect for common ground so as to overcome the prolonged impasse concerning local government. Disagreements do not seem to be found at this stage, nor with regard to the condition that there be clear provision and commitment in the reform legislation that the next electoral contest will take place after the reform is promoted with a horizon of 2. Years.
The whole scenario is expected to be clarified in the first week of September, a time horizon set by both the Democratic Alarm and the Democratic Party for the start of the procedures for the candidacies of mayors, municipal councilors and school registrars. Pindarou and DIKO have in the next few days scheduled sessions of their collective bodies to launch developments.
At the same time, an effort is underway by a cross-party committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Interior, under Eleni Mavrou, to seek common positions or to promote common positions in the bills before the Parliament. By September 1, indications of where they will move are expected.
Source: Liberal