Makhlouf : Local administration elections mark the beginning of a new stage for selecting efficient local councils

On September 12th , the Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Hussein Makhlouf, confirmed that the high turnout for candidacy for the local council elections scheduled for September 18th, the scientific certificates that were submitted for candidacy, the diversity in the ages of the candidates, and the remarkable participation of women will contribute to the production of efficient councils capable of setting development plans for the next four years to advance their local communities. 

During a press conference at the Ministry of Information building, Minister Makhlouf said: Article 12 of the constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic states that the democratically elected councils at the national or local level are institutions through which citizens exercise their role in sovereignty, state building and community leadership. 

He said that the Local Administration Law No. 107 of 2011 fully enshrined the mechanism and organization of the work of administrative units, as Article 8 of it stipulates that the legal personality of the administrative unit represents the common public interest of all citizens residing in the administrative unit, including the interest of future generations. 

He added that the local councils of the elected administrative units are considered representative of the will of the legal personality and their legal responsibility is determined in accordance with the provisions of this law.

Makhlouf explained that the upcoming local council elections constitute the beginning of a new phase for the work of administrative units after the end of the previous phase, which began on October 2, 2018 and ends on October 2. 

He said that women will contribute to the production of capable and efficient local councils that assume their full responsibilities to set development plans for the next four years. 

He indicated that the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment has secured all the requirements required of it according to what is stated in the election law to ensure the success of the electoral process that is conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Judicial Committee and the judicial subcommittees in the governorates. 

He said that the number of upcoming local elections reached 7,348 centers, an increase of about 1,200 centers compared to the 2018 elections.

He pointed out that the elected local councils have full powers to develop and advance their communities, and that the new financial law for administrative units constitutes a strong support for the development of all service sectors. 

He pointed out that great strides have been made in completing the development of the national administrative decentralization plan in full coordination with all relevant ministries, in implementation of the Local Administration Law No. 107. 

He indicated that the previous financial law was hindering or limiting the ability of administrative units to provide better servicesand the Administrative Units Financial Law No. 37 of 2021 is a strong support for the administrative units by unifying all the financial laws related to the revenues of the administrative units with one law that allows them to supplement their budgets with new revenues to help them improve their financial situation and enable them to carry out their service role in local communities.

He stressed that the door is open for the return of all Syrians abroad, and they are invited to participate in the elections and contribute to the reconstruction of what was destroyed by terrorism. 

He said that after the Syrian Arab Army liberated most of the Syrian lands from terrorism, the battle of rebuilding anddevelopment, in which local councils play the largest role by practicing their work effectively by investing human energies and natural resources in development and investment projects. 

O. al-Mohammad