NGO statement on the launch of the decentralization process and the situation regarding the local authorities
December 28, 2012, Tbilisi, Georgia
A new political force that came to power following the October 1, 2012 Parliamentary Elections has declared the self-government reform as one of its key priorities.
Reform efforts made in the field for the past 20 years have failed to serve their declared purpose of strengthening the local self-government. Instead, it has contributed to the formation of the government vertical, in which local government has become an addition having no functions. Because of the gaps in the existing system, people from the former ruling party start moving to a new ruling political party both willingly and unwillingly following the change of the central government. This was the case when Round Table, Citizens’ Union and Revival lost their political power.
Unfortunately, the trend has been maintained. There have been a number of cases of people elected from the National Movement party list moving to the Georgian Dream coalition. We think that if the existing local self-government system and practice is maintained, this will create similar problems for the country and society generally and the ruling party specifically.
It is a fact that the development of democracy and law-governed state as well as the formation of free society is impossible without having actual self-government. Therefore, before the 2014 local government election, we consider necessary to:
We, non-governmental organizations welcome the statement made by the Prime Minister of Georgia on 24 December, 2012 on launching the comprehensive decentralization process and hope that the current government will not repeat the mistakes made by their predecessors.
Moreover, we call on the government and political parties to prevent further increase in tensions on the local level, make urgent measures to avert any attempts of manipulation of public interests and to introduce the European type of self-government.
Signatory organizations:
International Center for Civil Culture
Open Society Georgia Foundation
Local Democracy S Network
Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research
Human Rights Center
Civil Society Institute
Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association
Coalition ‘Healthy Universe’
Public Movement ‘Multinational Georgia’
‘Tiflis Hamqari’
Regional Media Association
Coalition ‘For Freedom of Choice’
Civil Integration Foundation
Democrat Meskhs’ Union
Lanchkhuti Information Center
Gori Information Center
Georgian Media Club
Youth Center ‘Georgia’
Association – Public for Development
‘ArgoMedia’ Association
Non-Formal Network of Lentekhi and Tsageri Women
Association ‘Media & Society’
