DP platform for territorial reform
02/07/2014 00:00
The Washington Agreement Must Be Reactivated! 06/01 19:04
What the opposition presented as a cooperation offer for the
territorial-administrative reform is a 5-point resolution that is based
on the decentralization of the local government, a concept that is not
part of the plan made by the Parliamentary Commission in which the
opposition is not part of.
“The decentralization and increase of local autonomy should be the basic lead of the reform”, Basha declared.
The opposition’s offer doesn’t have a concrete map of the territorial division, because the map, according to the Tirana Mayor, is considered a trap and none of the real problems of the local government and citizens are mentioned.
“Map 37, Map 26, Map 47… a shameful game that is trying to create fatigue to citizens and let them out of the key decision making. How will be the school where they will send their children? Will there be room in kindergartens? Will there be heat? Will there be running water 24/7? Will they have access to meet with their elected people to complain about their problems?”, Basha declared.
This convention is considered by the opposition’s local electors as a chance that the government should not lose to cooperate with the opposition in favor of their citizens and not for electoral profits.
“An appeal to reason and good will for sitting and deciding together the real direction and how we will progress”, Basha declared.
Although the words “consensus”, “cooperation”, “citizens’ interest” were headr very often during the convention, it was clear that there was no room for optimism.
“Why are we skeptic? Because they have started the map alone and they want to end it alone. Because we haven’t heard a single word about how the local power can be empowered, become stronger, more accontable, more responsible and more responsive to the citizens”, Basha declared.
The opposition’s concept to start the reform with the decentralization and continuing with the territorial map requires more time that July 31st, when the Parliamentary ends, and which is the last chance for having a new territorial reform in the next elections.
But for Lulzim Basha, times is not the most important. He reminded Edi Rama how seven years ago he postponed the local elections decreed by the President.
“We have shown that when there is good will, time has been found even for less important problems, such as the certifications of 2007. We have good will, no caprices, and we want nothing more than the European standard, but we cannot accept anything less”, Basha declared.
Top Channel
