Dimal Mayor Juliana Memaj has spoken out against the proposal to dissolve the local government unit as part of the new territorial reorganization. In a lengthy social media statement, she called for Dimal to continue operating as a municipality in its own right.
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According to Memaj, the arguments for preserving the municipality are tied to its historical heritage, the area’s identity and its economic capacity. She noted that Dimal dates back to the 5th century BC and that the territory has held significant strategic and economic importance over the years.
She stressed that the 2015 administrative-territorial reform brought together a community united by the same history, traditions and local economy. According to her, the decision to name the municipality Dimal followed an extensive consultation process with residents.
“This process once again confirmed that the will of this community, as established by the 2015 reform, is to remain together as a single unit, because they are connected by history, tradition and economic potential,” Memaj wrote.
The mayor also raised doubts about the basis on which the new territorial reform has been drawn up. According to her, it has not been made clear which criteria led to the proposal to dissolve Dimal Municipality and merge it with other local government units.
In her statement, Memaj compared Dimal’s financial indicators with those of Berat Municipality. She claims that Dimal has a higher level of investments carried out from the actual budget, as well as fewer employees per 1,000 residents.
According to her, during its existence, Dimal Municipality has generated more revenue, which was subsequently used for investments and services for residents.
“Why should a local government unit that managed to generate five times more revenue during its existence and made it possible for that revenue to be returned to residents through capital investments and services be dissolved?” she said.
Memaj also opposed the way the reform process is being conducted, stating that local institutions have not been provided with the analyses used to draft it so they could review them and offer suggestions.
She emphasized that changes to the territorial division must be based on clear criteria and go through a transparent and inclusive procedure.
“An administrative body is a living organism, so I believe that every change must be carefully considered, justified on the basis of universally accepted criteria, and emerge from an inclusive and transparent process,” the Dimal mayor wrote.
Memaj openly opposed the proposal by Socialist Party representatives on the Special Parliamentary Committee on Administrative-Territorial Reform, which calls for the dissolution of Dimal Municipality. She cited population growth, the development of the local economy, agricultural exports and the territory’s historical identity as reasons.
At the end of her statement, the Dimal mayor reiterated that the local government unit should not be dissolved.
“Ultimately, Dimal must continue to be a local government unit in its own right,” Juliana Memaj concluded.
