By a majority, with the votes of AKEL, EDEK and DIPA, the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs decided to propose to the Plenary the rejection of the government bill to regulate the transitional period for filling the vacant positions in the Local Government, which will be completed by May 2024. before the Plenary for the final decision, the day after Wednesday.
The Chairman of the Committee, Aristos Damianou, reminded that the Parliament voted in favor of the government bill for the extension of the mandates of the existing municipalities and communities and the existing legislation as it was, has and will have the next day provides that in case of vacancy of Mayor, provided for in Articles 11 and 37, within 45 days elections are announced to fill the vacant position of Mayor.
Similar regulations, he said, exist in the Law on Communities.
We believe, he continued, that since the term of office of the incumbents has been extended from 5 to 7,5 years, this special regulation is activated for the last 12 months before the end of the term.
"That is, any vacancy that arises from now until the last year before May 2024, should enforce the existing legislation that provides for the electoral process and apply the exception provided by law for the last 12 months preceding the completion of the term, where there is no electoral process, but automatic replacement by the Deputy Mayor ".
Mr. Damianou stated that "it would be the greatest distortion of democracy and the will of the people if the government bill, which in essence and philosophy provides for the appointment, we accepted that an elected Deputy Mayor through the municipal council - who was not elected as Mayor - he will be in a legislative act, for two and a half years in the position of Mayor ".
We have already made a very painful arrangement, which was the postponement of the elections, we can not additionally enter into a logic of appointment system for Mayors or Common Mayors, at a time when the legislation provides for an electoral process, he added.
Aristos Damianou also said that parties will table amendments. AKEL, he said, believes that the government had and has the time to return in January with a more structured proposal "because as Chairman of the Commission I am sorry to note that there was a political and legal alalum in the positions of the government and legal service, to give them time to study the issues adequately ". "Because we can not play with the right to vote and to be elected," he added.
At the moment we are talking, he said, in case of vacancy of the position of Mayor, article 11 and article 37 are activated for elections, "something that was also confirmed by the Ministry of Interior".
DISY MP Nikos Sykas said that his party was in favor of extending the term of office in the Local Government, bearing in mind that the reform of the TA is an insurmountable national and social need.
Therefore, he continued, wanting to be consistent and to give time through a calm consultation and effort of all, "without electoral contests, introversions, conflicts and contradictions, to give the opportunity - not as a statute - not to hold elections, but to follow the replacement process ".
For DISY, he added, the essential thing is the transitional period of 2,5 years to be done in a climate of universal efforts and having in mind the particularities of each municipality and each community, the reactions that may be provoked, to be given the right to hold elections - which is entirely democratic - may create a deregulation with criteria of elections not of the law of necessity but by virtue of what it wants or not, each municipality and each community.
DISY, said Mr. Sykas, was in favor of postponing the elections, the Commission with the winning vote of the President rejected the bill and in Plenary the Parliament in its knowledge and wisdom will decide.
The DISY MP said that from the end of the year until May 2024 is the transitional period for the reform of the TA and the milder we go, the more focused the existing mayors are, "we believe the transitional period will be more effective for "Let's lead calmly to the final reform." Because some, he added, may not resign because they really want to, but because they react because in relation to the less good or the bad - there is no absolute good here - which is for the existing local authorities to implement the TA reform ".
DIKO MP Christos Senekis stated that his party on the issue considers that "since we have regulated the major by postponement, ie the general elections, the minority that is the by-elections until May should be regulated in a similar way. of 2024 ".
ELAM Spokesman Geadis Geadis stated that the issue discussed today in the Interior Committee confirms once again how right the party was, "that it wanted the Local Government elections to take place normally.
"Unfortunately, the elections were canceled then, for a bill that today seems to have no light at the end of the tunnel." if and when there is a case of vacancy for the position of Mayor, "there is already one of what we all know".
"If we did not keep our promise to the people to vote for the reform of the TA" and that is why we postponed the elections, "said Mr. Mousiouttas," we believe that we can not do the same thing for the second time. "
The current legislation, he added, stipulates that if there is a vacancy for the position of Mayor or Commonwealth, by-elections are held within 45 days, unless the vacancy takes place in the last year of office and the Deputy Mayor performs the duties of Mayor. the period of 29 months, from now until May 2021 "and we disagree".
Asked what will happen in the Municipality of Geroskipou, Mr. Mousiouttas answered that "based on our approach elections should be held" clarifying that the position of Mayor there was vacated on November 26 and according to the law, elections should be held (alternate ) until 10 January.