CALM urges Tofan Government to abolish districts
The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) is urging the government to begin the process of amending the Constitution to eliminate districts. CALM views the current district structure as outdated and expensive, lacking genuine authority. Representatives from CALM argue that this reform would enable more efficient allocation of resources to local communities.
CALM's request comes shortly after the inauguration of the Government led by Vasile Tofan and is based on the Prime Minister's previous statements regarding the inefficiency of district councils.
"Following the Parliament's vote of confidence in the new Cabinet of Ministers led by Vasile Tofan, given that the current Prime Minister previously spoke publicly about the inefficiency of district councils, in the context in which this proposal was voiced during the CALM meeting with the designated Prime Minister and that it fully corresponds to the vision of the new head of the Executive, the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova requests the initiation of the procedure for revising the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova in order to eliminate the second level of administrative-territorial organization: districts", the CALM press release states.
Representatives of local authorities claim that the current administrative system is inefficient and generates unjustified expenses for the state budget.
"Like the Prime Minister, CALM believes that districts represent an outdated structure, lacking real powers and consuming millions of lei from the state budget annually. Maintaining this artificial administrative level generates unnecessary expenses and slows down the development of local communities", CALM also points out.
CALM argues that the most appropriate solution is for the Government to initiate the draft amendment to the Constitution, which would subsequently be endorsed by the Constitutional Court, adopted by the Parliament and promulgated by the President of the Republic of Moldova.
"Achieving this objective represents a test for Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and a solid basis for building a general consensus on the LPA reform", the press release states.
We recall that, previously, CALM accused the authorities of forcing the administrative amalgamation process through pressure, stating that mayors are being blackmailed with blocking development funds if they refuse the merger. In response, the State Chancellery described the information as false and assured that the reform is fully financially secured.
Recently, the Secretary General of the Government, Alexei Buzu, stated that the deadline for the voluntary amalgamation of local public administrations, which expires in a few days, will not be extended, and that the Government will, from August, begin the normative amalgamation procedure for mayors who refused the voluntary union.
The administrative-territorial reform must be completed before the local elections in 2027, Alexei Buzu said.
To date, approximately 60 mayors have completed the amalgamation process, and another 623 local authorities are close to completing the procedure.
In total, 758 mayors have made decisions on amalgamation, which represents approximately 85% of the existing mayors in the Republic of Moldova.
