Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-20

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Inner cabinet approves revision of municipal code

[01] Inner cabinet approves revision of municipal code

Among the most radical changes introduced by the bill is the election of mayors and municipal councillors with over 42 percent of the vote during the first round of municipal elections in areas with over 5,000 registered voters.

In addition, Municipal Council presidents must henceforth come from the minority faction.

It also converts communities with more than 4,000 residents to municipalities and abolishes the disciplinary penalty of losing one's seat for elected local government officials, retaining only the penalty of being placed on suspension, while allowing the Municipal Council to call a local referendum for major issues concerning issues that fall within the municipality's area of responsibility with a two-thirds majority.

Other aspects of the bill set down the duties and responsibilities of municipal authorities and communities in detail, allow the minority faction to monitor the actions of the elected majority and give citizens the right to lodge queries and reports to the Municipal Council.

It also makes a bid for the reform of local government enterprises, which will henceforth be either non-profit companies that undertake specific social or welfare activities or "societe anonyme" (AE) companies taking three specific forms.

These can be either the usual type of AE company where the municipality is the majority shareholder, AE companies for developmental activities, in which both local government and state bodies participate, and single-share AE companies owned entirely by the municipality or community.

All these local authority enterprises will have one year in which to adjust to the new regime or else face liquidation.

The bill will be tabled in Parliament in January, following discussion with the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities (KEDKE).

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article