Management Systems Development Center conducted a survey – “Citizen Participation in the Implementation of Local Self-Governance – Monitoring and Recommendations”. Representatives of the Center shared survey results with the Parliament of Georgia, NGOs and experts working in the field of local governance and self-governance.
The survey involves analyzing existing practice and municipal acts related to citizen participation in the implementation of local self-governance, and draft amendments to the local self-government code.
According to authors of the survey, problems were revealed in organization of general meetings of settlements and in decision making process. The local authorities do nothing to promote such meetings and to increase public interest towards this form of involvement.
Management Systems Development Center has also identified shortcomings and gaps in relation to the submission of the petition and to the list of issues to be submitted in this manner. The organization believes that legislative amendments are necessary to increase the efficiency of the petition.
As for the Civil Advisory Board, the organization believes that in most cases, the councils in municipalities are fictitious and dysfunctional, and that they are staffed by Municipality Governors/ Mayors at their own discretion. Procedure for submitting Board’s decision to the Municipality Governors / Mayors is not specified. Besides, attendance of stakeholders at the Public Advisory Board meetings is not considered.
Shortcomings were also revealed in regard to the citizens’ involvement in the activities of City Council. In particular, the subordinate act does not specify the rights of the interested person in the process of communicating with the members of City Council and does not specify the rules of response to the initiative of the citizen; Also, the person must register in advance in order to attend the council meeting, and there is no relevant mechanism for responding to his / her initiatives.
Management Systems Development Center has conducted survey in 15 pilot municipalities (Marneuli, Gardabani, Bolnisi, Tianeti, Tetritskaro, Dusheti, Gori, town of Gori, Mtskheta, Sagarejo, Lagodekhi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, and Telavi) with financial support of Open Society Georgia Foundation.
As a result of the survey, the organization has prepared recommendations that shall be introduced into the law. Authors of the survey believe that these amendments to the legislation will significantly improve citizens’ participation in local self-governance.
