Tens of representatives of Local Councils gathered in a discussion table organized by the DEMOS project, to discuss the functioning of Local Councils, challenges faced and possibilities to address them. The discussion was preceded by the presentation of the analysis done by DEMOS on this issue, carried out at the end of last year in 14 municipalities of Kosovo.
The analysis found several challenges that hinder full functionality and inclusiveness of local councils. First, only 50% of municipalities have consolidated local councils. The lack of financial compensation for council members has been identified as a major challenge, as it negatively affects the exercise of their role. One of the most important findings of the report was the under-representation of women in local councils, with only 1% of council members being women.
Ms. Xhylë Korpuzi, leader of the village of Shale of Lipjan and one of the few women to lead a local council, considers that women are underrepresented due to traditional and patriarchal aspects, as well as a lack of support from the family. She emphasized the importance of raising men’s awareness for supporting women to participate in decision-making.
Ambiguities over financial compensation for local councils dominated the discussion, as municipalities use non-uniform payment forms. Mr. Daut Azemi, Chair of the Municipal Assembly of Lipjan, stated that new ways should be found and that compensation should be provided for all members of local councils, and not just for the leaders.
During the discussion with other members of local councils and representatives of civil society, it was emphasized that the different approaches regarding financial compensation also negatively affect the annual audit reports of the municipalities. The Director of Administration of the Municipality of Kaçanik, Dardana Dauti, explained that after receiving clarifications from the Ministry of Finance, specifically from the Treasury and the National Audit Office, they found a solution for the financial compensation of local councils.
Gresa Berisha, representative of the Civikos platform, emphasized that their legal analysis revealed that there are no legal obstacles for the financial compensation of local councils, but municipalities require guidance on where to allocate funds for this purpose. The participants also addressed the request for the revision of the legal framework that governs the functioning of local councils.
The deputy manager of the DEMOS project, Shpend Emini, expressed the project’s readiness to, in cooperation with other non-governmental organizations working in this field, convey the concerns and recommendations of the local councils’ representatives to the relevant institutions for consideration and further action.
The DEMOS project, co-funded by the EU, Switzerland, and Sweden and implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, has engaged for years in increasing citizen participation in local governance and better cooperation of municipalities with the community. Local councils are institutional mechanisms to achieve this goal, therefore their proper functioning and inclusiveness is very important for building a more responsible, transparent, and community-oriented local government.
For a complete overview on the functioning of local councils, read the analysis prepared by DEMOS here. To see the video explaining the role and successes of local councils, click here.
