The functioning of a large number of municipalities will be under question as 45.000 employees in the local municipalities, municipality enterprises and the education sector will remain without salaries.
This was warning came from the Mayors of Skopje, Kumanovo, and Gostivar, and the members of the Association of the units of local self –government (ZELS), Koce Trajanovski, Zoran Damjanovski and Nevzat Bejta, because their mandate and the mandates of the councilors at the municipalities expires on the 15th of May, and a date for new local elections has yet to be set.
“The functioning of municipalities’ public enterprises will come into question as well as all cultural and educational institutions on a local level such as museums, theatres, cultural centres, firefighting services, sports centres, zoos, gardens, etc. Building licenses will not be approved. State land, that is managed by the local municipality will not longed be able to be sold or leased”, warned Trajanovski.
He said that all started and planned investments will be stopped, infrastructural projects at the municipalities and all other projects that fall under the responsibility of local government.
“Utility payments for electricity, water, and other items will not be able to be paid, and in all institutions on a local level, which means that the same institutions, kindergartens, and schools will have to be closed, and the children will be sent home. Marriages will not be able to be concluded in the state. Just to remind everyone that for each conclusion of a marriage, representatives from the municipality councils act as official witnesses”, said Trajanovski.
Therefore, ZELS urgently appealed to Parliament today, asking them to find a solution without further delay by Friday the latest. One possibility is an amendment to the Electoral Code.
“Instead of the first half of May, as the Election Code states, a new date for the local elections will have to be set. An initiative was submitted to the Constitutional Court on part of the Ministry of Local Self – Government to discuss certain articles of the Election Code and the Law for Local Self-Governing, regarding the mandates of the mayors and the representatives of the municipality councils” said Trajanovski.
