Human Rights NGO: Local authorities do not inform citizens enough, citizens stay away from making decisions
- 15.10.2008 15:35
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The local authorities attach little attention to the decision-making process, while the citizens do not sufficiently get involved in adopting public decisions. The conclusions have been drawn by the Human Rights Defending League (LADOM), which rolled out a project of public monitoring of the decisional transparency of the local public authorities in 9 localities, during 9 months, Info-Prim Neo reports.
LADOM president Paul Strutzescu told a news conference Wednesday his monitors had watched the way in which local councils adopt decisions, in which they are executed and in which the public money is used.
According to Paul Strutzescu, the monitors find there is no cooperation between the local administration and citizens, but also the people's passivity is there. “The citizens do not duly involve in adopting decisions, do not attend the sittings of local councils, do not check up the way in which the public money is spent,” he said.
The weakest link in terms of informing citizens is using a single means of information – posting announcements at the mayor office quarters. Another negative aspect is considered to be the lack of an official to communicate with the citizens.
LADOM has also wanted to uncover corruption within local administrations and held a poll. It shows that although the citizens are aware of the phenomenon they do not appeal to courts, because they do not have where, or because it dies not affect them personally.
During the monitoring session, the local authorities were handed a set of recommendations to increase the transparency and integrity of the local public administration.
Three mayor offices from Soroca district (Stoicani, Badiceni, Tatarauca Veche), three mayor offices from Orhei (Putintei, Donici, Zahoreni) and three mayor offices from Cahul (Manta, Vadul-lui-Isac, Branza) have been monitored and only the mayor of satul Zahoreni showed hostility with the monitors.
The project on the transparency of the decision-making and on spending the public money is part of the larger program “Strengthening the monitoring capacity of the Moldovan civil society” financed by the U.S. Government.
