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: Cantemir district
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Cantemir district has 51 settlements and 27 mayor’s offices. The district’s population totals over 60,000.
The local public authorities of Cantemir district and not only have a high level of politicization and this is a dangerous trend for a better local government, said Sofia Ursul, executive director of the public association “Citizens with Initiative” of Cantemir. To be able to cope, the mayors and councilors are tempted to join the political parties that are in power. The local authorities tend towards large-scale projects and neglect the opportunity of small projects and when they implement projects they ensure transparency selectively. A serious problem is the authorities’ low capacity to attract additional funds to the allocations from the budget.
“The local public authorities of the first level (villages) had been involved in a race for additional funds so as to bring about changes in the settlement. Some of them succeeded, while others did not. The mayors are disappointed because they always have to tell the people that they do not have money. The local authorities are face to face with the public order and with the natural hazards, with the cleanup and water supply and so on,” stated the expert.
Sofia Ursul also said that 18 of the 51 settlements of the district are small, with a population of up to 400 inhabitants. Two settlements are large, with over 4,000 residents. The largest territorial-administrative unit - Cantemir town, which is also the district center – has about 5,000 residents. The current territorial-administrative format leads to the development of the district centers, not yet of the settlements of the district. The population’s access to the services provided by the authorities is also reduced. The mayor’s offices do not have enough capacities to provide the necessary social, land and other kinds of services. The management of public money is also not efficient. Progress in efficiently managing the public money is seen only in the public health and education sectors.
“Such sectors as the environment, tourism, public roads, business and the production sphere are underdeveloped and emphasis on them should be laid first of all. The human rights, especially consumers’ rights, are also an exploration ground for the new projects,” stated Sofia Ursul. According to her, changes can be brought about by new, open people with integrity, with serious mentality and correct attitude. New administrative management is needed, which would allow for public, including civil control.
The expert said that some of the mayor’s offices achieved results after initiating water supply, recreation and cleanup services. These are the mayor’s offices of Tiganca, Carpesti, Porumbesti, and Gotesti.
According to Sofia Ursul, at least three changes are needed for improving the work of the local public authorities, namely increasing the taxation basis, which is a condition for having a more consistent budget, concentrating the number of settlements and adjusting the budgetary-fiscal policy by directing the incomes to the mayor’s offices of the first level, which is closer to the people. The structure of the local public authorities of the first level must meet the demands of the people.
As to the promises made in the previous election campaign, the expert said there are mayor’s offices where the electoral programs have been fulfilled. However, as for example in Cantemir town, the major promise to create and improve sewage services wasn’t delivered. In other settlements, the authorities promised gasification and didn’t keep their word. The local elected officials also promised to build a bridge over the Prut River and to create 2,000 jobs and a wood processing company, but nothing was done. After the local elections, the priorities of the local elected officials must be based on the basic problems of the people, namely the improvement of the local roads, lighting of streets, repair of institutions, financing of the local schools and nursery schools.
Elena Nistor, IPN
