The NGO Infocenter, in cooperation with partner organizations, and with the support of the international center “Olof Palme” from Sweden, within the project “Active citizens and participatory democracy at the local level”, carried out monitoring of the operations of the municipalities of Kumanovo, Sveti Nikole, Veles, Strumica , Kriva Palanka, Tearce, Debar and Mavrovo – Rostuše in the area of transparency of the municipalities.
1. Monitoring Transparency of Municipalities
Mayors, in general, want to hold meetings with citizens
In the first quarter of 2022, the mayors of the municipalities covered by the monitoring held numerous meetings with the citizens. The Mayor of Strumica held meetings with 240 citizens. The Mayor of Veles met with 120 citizens. The Commissioner for Mavrovo and Rostuse held meetings with 40 citizens. The mayors of Sveti Nikole and Kriva Palanka met with five to six citizens per day. The Mayor of Kumanovo, on the other hand, held meetings with representatives of nine civil society organisations.
2. Monitoring Gender equality in the Municipalities
In the seven municipal Councils, women accounted, on average, for 36.8% of all council members In three of the seven municipalities, the women account for 40% or exceed 40% of the total number of council members.
Kriva Palanka leads the way with women accounting for 42% of the Council members, followed by Kumanovo (40.62%) and Sveti Nikole (40%).
In Strumica and Veles, women represent 39% of the compositions of the two councils.
In the Council of the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostuse, 36,36% of the members are women.
Women are the least represented in the Council of the Municipality of Tearce – just 21%.
In four municipalities – Kriva Palanka, Sveti Nikole, Kumanovo and Mavrovo-Rostuse – the Councils are chaired by women.
3. Monitoring Transparency of Municipalities
Citizens uninterested in Council sessions
Few citizens and representatives of the civil sector demonstrate interest to be present in the sessions of municipal councils.
They choose to be present only when they have personal interest in a problem or an issue.
In Strumica and Mavrovo-Rostuse, from January to May 2022, not a single citizen was present in a council session.
In Sveti Nikole, citizens were present only in the session that discussed the dislocation of the municipal landfill.
The session was open for all citizens, members of associations, political parties and pensioners.
4. Monitoring Transparency of Municipalities
Numerous committees exist, including committees for awards, gifts and gratitude
Municipal committees are an important instrument in the functioning of municipal administrations.
Each municipality has established different types and numbers of committees.
In Kumanovo, there are 14 different committees, while Kriva Palanka and Tearce have 8 functioning committees each.
All municipalities have committees on mandates, on elections and appointments, on finances, budget and local economic development, on urban and spatial planning, on communal services, on environmental protection.
Strumica and Kumanovo have committees on education, culture and sports.
In Mavrovo-Rostuse and Kriva Palanka thera are committees on inter-municipal cooperation.
The Municipality of Veles also has a committee on protection of rights of children.
Mavrovo-Rostuse municipality has a committee on advancement of rights of patients.
The Municipality of Tearce, on the other hand, has a committee for awards, gifts and gratitude.
*The monitoring covered the municipalities of Veles, Strumica, Kumanovo, Kriva Palanka, Mavrovo-Rostuse, Sveti Nikole and Tearce.
*The monitoring was implemented under auspices of the “Active Citizens and Participative Democracy on Local Level”
