The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs has entered the final stage of the discussion of the bills for the reform of the Local Self-Government.
The Commission will meet on 2 and 6 December to discuss and consult on a political basis and on amendments that may be tabled by the parties. It is expected that another session will follow within the first ten days of the month to complete the process before the Commission and the bills to be submitted to the Plenary on December 20th. If this is not possible due to the fact that it will be preceded by three days of discussion of the State Budget, the bills will be taken to the Plenary Session after the Epiphany.
At today's long meeting of the Committee on Home Affairs, aspects of the Law on Communities and requests made by communities were examined.
The Ministry of Interior is expected next Thursday to give answers to outstanding issues that were raised today, mainly regarding differences in community scenarios and the viability of the new schemes.
"We are not dogmatic in some possible movements in the entities, it is enough to ensure sustainability", said Nikos Nouris.
The Minister submitted to the Commission today a document from DG EPSA, in response to his own letter, concerning the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus to the Recovery Fund on the issues of the viability of the new entities. "They are clear from the answer that we should, and the European Union expects, to justify, at the end of the process, how the viability of the new schemes that will emerge is justified," he said. He stressed the need for the new schemes to be sustainable in order for the justification to be similar and to allow the disbursement of the eligible amounts received by the Republic of Cyprus from the Recovery Fund.
"We are moving at the expected pace. It is my assessment that most of the open funds will be closed next Thursday and with the answers that the Ministry will give, in order to try, if it is possible from the side of the Parliament and on the basis of the parliamentary regulations, to hold a special plenary session on "December 20 for the discussion of all three bills", said the Minister. If this is not possible, he added, then the three bills will be brought before the Plenary after the Epiphany.
Unified water management from 2029
The Minister of Interior stated that the Ministry accepted a transitional period of seven years, so that the responsibility of water management passes to the provincial bodies in 2029.
Without differentiating our basic principle that water is a national treasure and must remain under unified management, we have agreed to have a transitional period of delegating this responsibility to the provincial bodies for a period of seven years, he said, noting that the Ministry has once again shown a consensual approach.
That is, he continued, the transitional period given for the school tax authorities was also given for the issue of water management and the beginning of the unified management period will be in 2029, simultaneously with the differentiation that will occur in the issue of school tax offices.
In the final stage the discussion
Interior Committee Chairman Aristos Damianou is in the final stages of discussing the three bills, adding that the committee will meet on the 2nd and 6th of the month to discuss and consult on a political basis and on amendments that may be tabled by the parties.
"As a matter of fact, there will be another meeting within the first ten days to complete the process within the Committee on Home Affairs and we have proposed to the Speaker and the Directorate of Parliament that the bills be presented before the Plenary Session of the House on December 20, always under sectarianism of Parliament's capabilities, given the fact that the three-day debate on the State Budget for 2022 will precede it ", he said.
In case this is not possible, the vote by the Plenary will take place immediately after the Epiphany, he added.
Mr. Damianou expressed satisfaction, as, as he mentioned, to some extent some of the justified requests of the communities were adopted by all the parties of the Parliament and the Ministry of Interior.
"Throughout this period, both the political forces and the stakeholders have shown a consensual mood and the whole discussion has indeed been conducted in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation, even when there were disagreements, some of which were and remain intense.", said Mr. Damianou.
"But the compass of our action - and here speaking in the capacity of AKEL MP - was the completion of this effort given the fact that we postponed elections to complete the debate on this and not any other reform and, secondly, given considering that local government reform was and remains a social necessity ", write down.
"That is why voices that are heard mainly outside parliament, which create the feeling that the reform will stagnate or that invoke purely economic data to overturn the overall plan, at least are not accepted by us.", he underlined.
Apart from the economic dimension, said Mr. Damianou, there are also social, political and other implications that the parties take very seriously in shaping their final positions.
"For example, it is inconceivable to me that the maintenance of the semi-occupied Municipality of Deryneia or the Municipality of Athienos should be put on the scales of money, with similar and similar stakes. There must be a balance and we will keep that balance until the end. ", he said.
At the same time, he pointed out that In the future, many issues should be consulted in advance so that Parliament is not obliged to hold a social dialogue and consultation that should have been exhaustively preceded.
"However, we have the big picture that in a few days we will have completed the effort based on the commitments we have made to the Cypriot society and the Cypriot state.", concluded.
"Our assessment is that we are well on the way to the end of the vote for the Local Government reform and this is very important", stated the DISY MP Nikos Sykas.
Mr. Sykas noted that at the meeting of the Interior Committee a consensual atmosphere prevailed once again and stressed that the primary goal of DISY is the reform of Local Government and the well-understood interest of the citizen.
"We will prioritize the well-meaning interest of the citizen, with our political disagreements but in a climate of consensus and efficiency", he added.
He ended by saying that the next two - three meetings will be decisive both politically and substantively.
"It simply came to our notice then. There is admittedly a consensus in the Commission, there is conciliation and a good environment and we hope that it will continue in the next meeting, where some final decisions will be made. We are ready to support the whole effort and we will continue to support it until the end ", stated from his side the DIKO MP Panikos Leonidou.