Georgian Local Governance Bodies Urge for Reforms

(Tbilisi. March 14, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Representatives of the Councils’ Associations and Union of Cities of Georgia met the Monitoring Delegation of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on March 12.

The CoE’s delegation pays fact-finding visit to Georgia to observe the development of the self-governance in the country.

Representatives of the Georgian local self-governance bodies handed over to the delegation appeal which calls the Parliament and the Georgian central government to carry out reforms in order to improve local self-governance.

The Councils’ Associations and Union of Cities of Georgia urge to change in the current composition of the Central Election Commission and the District Election Commissions; to develop a program for determining the territorial-administrative arrangement of Georgia; to adopt the basic laws guaranteeing the independence of local self-government

“The government’s failure to address the above-mentioned points will impede the development of local self-governance, violate the basic principles of the European Charter on Local Self-Government (signed by Georgia), and create an obstacle to fair and democratic election conduct.  Finally, it will undermine citizen confidence in democratic values and local governance,” the appeal reads.