Transparency in the decision-making process didn’t become a norm for the local public authorities, consider representatives of civil society. In a roundtable meeting, PetruMacovei, executive director of the Association of Independent Press (API), said this happens because there are no penalties imposed, IPN reports.
”It’s not true that there is no participation interest. It is important that the local public authorities find methods of involving the people in decision-making. There are multiple original models that make the people to come to consultations, to submit proposals,” said the expert. According to him, the mayors are not stimulated to consult the people. If this thing is done, the situation will change rapidly.
VasileCioaric, program coordinator at “Contact” Center, said that in most of the settlements the consultations are reduced to the positing of approved decisions on boards in mayor’s offices. The civil society representatives informed the authorities that there are also such consultation forms as public hearings, debates, consultative groups, community organization.
StanislavGhiletski, senior consultant of the State Chancellery’s Policy Coordination Division, said there are no precedents when adopted decisions are challenged because they hadn’t been discussed with the people first, though the people have this right.
Mayor ofCalfa village of Anenii-Noi district LudmilaCeaglic said that she tries to involve more people in decision-making, but they are passive. They believe that they are awkward when they have to formulate a recommendation or a demand and thus prefer to keep silent. The local administration set up a box where the villagers can leave proposals for improving life in the community.
The roundtable meeting themed “Involvement of people in decision-making and monitoring of implementation of adopted decisions: realities of 2012” was staged by the API. The Association has carried out a number of similar projects.
