Residents of Sireti, Straseni District, actively participate in the community decision-making process, fostering collaboration between local public authorities and citizens, which results in the implementation of various community projects. This was highlighted by Leonid Boaghi, Mayor of Sireti, during the public debate “Citizen Participation in Community Decision-Making: Interaction Between Local Public Authorities and Citizens” organized by IPN news agency.
According to the mayor, citizen engagement in decision-making has improved over the past five years. Given that Sireți is a relatively large commune with 6,500 residents located in the Chisinau metropolitan area, it can be challenging to involve citizens in weekday municipal meetings. However, community members are more likely to participate in activities held on weekends. During the workweek, modern technology often facilitates their involvement in decision-making.
Leonid Boaghi noted that more than 200 neighborhood meetings have been organized over the last five years to discuss issues such as taxes, waste management, and energy efficiency with local residents.
In the mayor's view, consulting with citizens offers numerous benefits. Often, local public authorities (APL) have a deeper understanding of certain issues, but initiatives can falter without citizen involvement. For instance, when a road issue was raised, public discussions helped residents fully grasp the significance of the problem.
One of the major advantages of citizen participation, according to Boaghi, is social cohesion. In Sireti, residents participate in surveys, are frequently consulted on community issues, and are engaged during the planning of new projects.
The mayor cited many examples of citizen-driven initiatives that have contributed to local development plans. For example, a community-driven proposal to improve roads gained widespread support among residents. Over the past four years, approximately 30 road segments have been constructed, with costs split evenly between citizens and the APL. This year alone, over 5 million lei were invested in road infrastructure, including citizen contributions. Residents were involved in determining the surface area and length of the roads.
Leonid Boaghi believes that the lack of communication between local public authorities and residents could be mitigated if citizens had a higher level of political, legal, and civic awareness.
The public debate on “Citizen Participation in Community Decision-Making: Interaction Between Local Public Authorities and Citizens” was part of the project “IPN News Agency for Social Cohesion and a Pro-European Moldova,” funded by IMS.
