Territorial reform/Mazniku to opposition: People do not want maps, but improved services from municipalities

Arbjan Mazniku, co-chair of the Special Commission on Territorial Reform, called on the opposition to take part in the process of discussing local government.

Speaking from the floor of Parliament, Mazniku criticized the opposition’s absence from the commission’s meetings, saying this had resulted in the loss of a considerable portion of the time available under its mandate.

Speaking about the new territorial map and the proposal to merge several municipalities, Mazniku argued that the debate should focus on the services citizens receive, rather than solely on the existence of administrative units on the map.

Mazniku listed the services that, in his view, should be at the center of the reform, from cleaning and street lighting in neighborhoods to drainage canals, rural roads, nurseries, kindergartens and public transport.

“They did not come to hold the first meeting for 112 days. Forty-one percent of the commission’s time and mandate was lost. Subsequently, we successfully managed to visit 12 counties and invite all the mayors. We had a joint group of experts that was supposed to provide the technical elements. On July 15, no agreement was reached to present the findings. At that point, we found ourselves in a situation where the paths diverged: either the reform would stall, or we would continue with the work, the hearings and, most importantly, the problems people face every day. Let us start working together on competencies, finances and analysis,” Mazniku said.

“When we come together, we become stronger. You told people that their municipalities would disappear and be merged. People do not live on a map; they live in their homes, where they want roads and water to reach them. People live in their neighborhoods, which they want cleaned and lit. People live in their villages, where they want drainage canals and roads to their fields. They live in cities, where they want nurseries, kindergartens and public transport.

Was the 2014 reform a success? In all the hearings and all the discussions, yes, the 2014 reform was a success. Not a single person from the DP said: We want the communes back. Neither that situation nor the proposal for 100 municipalities shows that what we had before was good. What followed clearly showed that the municipalities were strengthened, revenues increased, debts decreased and the municipalities’ investment capacity grew.

But this is insufficient for the aspiration the SP has regarding how citizens are served across the country. This is the answer to why we need to move forward,” Mazniku said.