Most of the local public authorities (LPAs) selectively and fragmentarily implement the law on transparency in the decision-making process. Among the most often deviations are the lack of a website with a section about decisional transparency; non-informing of the interested sides about the drafting of a decision; lack of public debates or formal consultations on draft decisions. Most of the documents issued or adopted by the LPAs are not made public in the community or are made public selectively. The conclusions were presented in a roundtable meeting of the National Business Agenda (NBA), staged by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul”, IPN reports.
“Viitorul” executive director Liubomir Chiriac said the decisions taken by the central and local authorities are not always made public. “We can mention here the secret meetings of the Cabinet, centering on the distribution of public money, the defective consultancy process and non-transparent implementation of budgets at local level. The creation of efficient dialogue platforms, especially at local level, between the authorities and the people will facilitate the access to public information and will increase the people’s awareness of involvement in decision making,” he stated.
NBA coordinator Tatiana Lariushin considers problems are faced in the process of implementing the Private Public Dialogue at central and local levels. The law on decisional transparency does not work and civil society and the business sector are often not involved in consultations. Therefore, the NBA set the objective to monitor the implementation of this law.
According to the NBA/”Viitorul” jurist Viorel Parvan, the non-observance of the law on transparency in decision making is due to the fact that the authorities do not appropriately know the provisions of this law and that there are no technical and financial resources as well as inspection and punishment mechanisms. Individual and institutional punishment mechanisms should be instituted for cases when decisional transparency is not ensured.
Executive director of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova Viorel Furdui said 80% of the adopted laws hadn’t been discussed with those who are to implement them, while the held consultations are formal and inefficient. Excessive politicization is another impediment.
Attending the event, the representative of the Council of Europe Ion Beschieru recommended promoting participatory democracy for the people to be involved in this process. ”The Council of Europe is the international institution that promotes and implements the largest number of bills concerning the LPAs, based on the multitude of conventions that stipulate the people’s right to become involved in local governance. We must increase the abilities of the LPAs, on the one hand, and educate the people, on the other hand,” he stated.
Launched by “Viitorul” in 2008, the National Business Agenda represents a common platform of over 30 of the most representative business associations and chambers of trade and industry of Moldova.
