Territorial Reform / Cërrik Opens Public Consultations, Doka: Our Position Will Be Based on Citizens’ Voices, Not Political Clashes

The Municipality of Cërrik has officially opened public consultations on the draft law on Administrative-Territorial Reform. With the document’s arrival from the Assembly of the Republic of Albania, the 60-day period has begun during which residents may submit their views and proposals on the new territorial map, which foresees reducing the number of municipalities in the country from 61 to 46.

Florenc Doka, mayor of the Municipality of Cërrik, announced the start of the process in a post on social media. He called on citizens to become actively involved, as the reform is directly linked to the community’s future and, he said, should not be treated as a political debate.

Doka announced that on August 3, 2026, the Municipality of Cërrik received letter no. 3573, dated July 31, 2026, from the Assembly of Albania.

This document also officially marks the opening of the 60-day public consultation period on the draft law on Administrative-Territorial Reform.

Over the coming days, consultation meetings are expected to be held both in the city of Cërrik and in all the municipality’s administrative units. The dates, times and locations of the meetings will be announced soon.

In his message, Doka clarified that the discussion should not focus on whether the Municipality of Cërrik will continue to exist as an institution. According to him, attention should instead be directed toward the concrete benefits that any new form of territorial organization could bring to citizens.

The mayor also stressed the need for residents to receive complete information before expressing their position.

According to him, the process should provide clear questions and answers about how the reform could affect daily life.

Among the issues that the Municipality of Cërrik seeks to address during the consultations is whether preserving it as a separate administrative unit would ensure greater economic development, investment and quality services.

The concrete benefits for residents if another organizational model is implemented will also be discussed.

Another issue concerns how Cërrik would be represented in decision-making structures.

The consultations will also seek clarification on the distribution of public funds and investments.

The discussion will also address whether the new units will be given broader powers or whether the changes will remain solely administrative.

“This is not a consultation about the fate of a mayor. It is a consultation about the future of our community,” Doka said, calling for the discussion to be conducted calmly, respectfully and responsibly.

He invited citizens to attend every meeting, ask questions, submit proposals and listen to the arguments. Doka guaranteed that, once the process is complete, the official position of the Municipality of Cërrik will be shaped on the basis of the citizens’ views and voices.

During the consultation period, the work of the local administration will continue as normal. “We have 500 things to do,” the mayor wrote, assuring residents that the reform process would not hinder the continuation of investments or the provision of services to the community.