On June 14, the citizens of Moldova will vote the new local administration. IPN News Agency set the goal to determine how the local public authorities coped during the current term that is coming to an end. Experts, opinion leaders and representatives of civil society from different settlements will assess the activity of the local authorities of the country’s districts and municipalities. IPN series: Balti municipality
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The municipality of Balti includes three settlements. The total population is over 120,000.
Veronica Savin, director of the Regional Center “CONTACT- Balti”, said that over the last four years, the cooperation relations between the central administration and the local authorities of Balti municipality, the Balti Municipal Council in particular, were characterized by a high level of confrontation. An example is the Balti Council’s decision to hold a local referendum on the status of Balti municipality, which is considered anti-constitutional and dangerous by the opposition from the Council and by the central power. In response, the Government promised to adopt a new law on the status of Balti municipality, where there will be stipulated norms that offer greater local autonomy. However, the law on the status of Balti municipality hasn’t been yet adopted.
Owing to the tight budget, it was hard to manage the affairs in the municipality. At the same time, the local public authorities of Balti showed low capacity to attract internal and external funds to modernize the city.
There is no real decentralization of the public administration, which would allow better managing the public financial resources and providing services of a higher quality for the people. That’s why the municipality of Balti stagnates in attracting funds and implementing projects. The most serious problems refer to the quality of local infrastructure and the provision of public services of a high quality for the people. The largest part of the local roads are in a deplorable state, the sanitation services are of a poor quality while the air is permanently polluted by companies using outdated production technology.
The promises made in the previous election campaign were fulfilled to a very small extent. The electoral promises were exaggerated, while the capacities to attract funds were reduced. There is also a high level of corruption in different areas.
As a result of the June 14 local elections, the local power could be fully reformed following an electoral struggle based on geopolitical rhetoric and the coming to power of populist political forces that may destabilize the situation in Balti municipality and in other settlements and districts, said Veronica Savin.
Alina Marin, IPN
