No Result
View All Result
Thursday, May 26, 2022
27 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Fri
22 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
27 ° Mon
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
 
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

In historic meeting, mayors agree to work together for Libya

byMichel Cousins
December 9, 2017
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
In historic meeting, mayors agree to work together for Libya

Salame mayors 2

12
SHARES
50
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Libya Herald reporter.

asd
Mayors meeting in Hammamet (Photo: HD)

Tunis, 9 December 2017:

In what is being seen as an historic event, almost all Libya’s mayors taken part for the first in a forum on the numerous challenges they face and declared that they will work together to end the crisis in the country.

Mayors and representatives from almost all the existing 94 municipal and six remaining local councils took part in the three-day forum ending yesterday, held in the Tunisian resort of Hammamet and organised by the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). With over 90 mayors attending, there has been no such gathering before. It included not only elected mayors but also those in the east of the country who had been appointed by Major-General Abdul Razzaq to replace those who had been elected.

“It shows that we can sit down and work together,” said one western region mayor.

RELATED POSTS

Aldabaiba proposes new Road Map for holding elections, loans and land for youth and money for healthcare for war wounded

Cooperation agreements reached between Libyan and the Greek pharmaceutical and medical companies: Tripoli Chamber of Commerce

“Historic” was the description of UN special envoy Ghassan Salamé, who addressed the event, saying that the UN had duty to support and work with local government.

Preparations to convince all the mayors and other officials of the importance of such a gathering had taken over six months, an HD official said, and had had to be discreet.

“That is why they succeeded,” he explained.

The various authorities in the east and the west had given their blessing to the meeting with a single proviso, he added, that there be no attacks at the event against officials, ministers, leaders or anyone else. That condition had been scrupulously adhered to during the forum, he said.

The mayors concentrated on the problems of delivering local services and running their municipalities, as well as people’s declining living conditions and the need to ensure that the tens of thousands of displaced people can return home. They also noted that their legitimacy was accepted throughout the country and that as “one voice emanating from the depths of Libya”, they would do their utmost to help the country out of its mess.

“We are determined to exert our full national role in bringing Libya out of the situation of division and disintegration and in pushing for the earliest possible solution to alleviate the suffering of the Libyans”, a statement from them read.

“We look forward to overcoming the transitional stages and incomplete legislations by hastening the organisation of parliamentary elections,” they added.

They also insisted that decentralisation had to be the basis for the administration and distribution of basic public services, calling for the implementation of the 2012 local government law in its entirety, but also amending it in order to enhance the role of local government. This was a reference to the fact that many local services, such as refuse collection and street cleaning, currently are not under the municipalities’ control.

They furthermore said that they should be part of any international initiatives aimed finding a solution to the crisis.

Salame mayors 2
Salamé addresses Libya mayors (Photo: UNSMIL)

 

The lack of money was one of the main areas of discussion and consensus. Funding for 2017 and 2018 had to be a “top priority” for the central authorities, they insisted. Moreover, in future, the transfer of their budgets had to be on fixed dates. They had to be no delays, they declared. Additionally, the central authorities had to provide the municipalities and local councils with additional financial resources in cases of emergency. As for the amounts, they had to be based on various criteria, such as population, size of area, distance from basic facilities and degree of inequality in economic development and infrastructure.

Regarding any taxes that required to be collected locally, the mayors said that should be allowed to take off any amounts due to the municipalities before remitting them to the central authorities.

They also want municipalities to have a greater role in local security and in combatting crime in their areas. Currently policing is the exclusive affair of the interior ministry.

One other demand was that in order to ensure that there was continuity of service locally and no vacuum between current local administrations and new ones at the time of the next round of municipal elections, these should take place ahead of end of the present councils’ term of office.

Because of divisions among councillors, some councils were left in limbo, without an elected mayor and administration, for months after the municipal council election.

The mayors also said that they wanted their next meeting to be “on Libyan soil”.

Responding to the meeting, Salamé said Libya needed a strong central government and strong local government. “These two things a complementary, not contradictory” he noted. “Today we have a weak central government and lack the requirements that allow municipalities to function.”

Tags: Centre for Humanitarian DialoguefeaturedGhassan SalaméLibyamayor
Share5Tweet3Share1

Related Posts

UNSMIL: Warring parties invited to begin negotiations on 29 September
Libya

HoR-HSC’ Joint Committee second round of Cairo talks reach initial consensus on 137 articles of constitution

May 21, 2022
Coronavirus deaths rise to three in Libya
Libya

Trial run of the Unified Electronic Health File System inaugurated

May 19, 2022
GECOL warns of more power cuts as some contractors quit over security
Libya

Damage from Janzour militia clashes will result in power cuts and delay in Tripoli West power station coming online this summer: GECOL

May 18, 2022
“Aquaculture, Maritime Fishing and the Blue Economy: Reality and Hope” workshop held at Tripoli Chamber of Commerce with Indonesia
Libya

“Aquaculture, Maritime Fishing and the Blue Economy: Reality and Hope” workshop held at Tripoli Chamber of Commerce with Indonesia

May 18, 2022
Germany’s GIZ launches Libya IT sector survey to assess employment potential, identify training gaps
Libya

GIZ ”Kick-off workshop” in Tunis to launch solar energy in Libya

May 17, 2022
Benghazi Municipality announces project to update the general plan and expansions of the city’s metropolis
Libya

Benghazi Municipality announces project to update the general plan and expansions of the city’s metropolis

May 17, 2022
Next Post
Wintershall’s BASF and DEA-LetterOne sign Letter of Intent to merge their oil and gas businesses

Wintershall's BASF and DEA-LetterOne sign Letter of Intent to merge their oil and gas businesses

ACA reminds of regulation prohibiting Libyan dual nationals from holding top positions

 

Advertise on LibyaHerald

Reach thousands of our site visitors daily

240 x 400px

Advertise Here
ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Malta-based Libyan carrier Med Sky to start chartered flights from Misrata to Malta from 5 May

    Malta-based Libyan carrier Med Sky to start chartered flights from Misrata to Malta from 5 May

    513 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Two leading Tripoli militias clash in town centre

    433 shares
    Share 179 Tweet 106
  • Bashagha reveals proposed government of 41 – with 30 ministers and 8 ministers of state

    352 shares
    Share 143 Tweet 87
  • Hafter’s representatives in the 5+5 Joint Military Commission announce suspension of their participation in the commission

    342 shares
    Share 143 Tweet 83
  • Bashagha enters Tripoli briefly before being forced to exit swiftly in the face of determined militia opposition

    313 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

Turkey’s Albayrak Group to establish cold storage facility at Misrata Free Zone

Libya Health and Beauty Exhibition 2022 to be held from 17 to 20 September in Misrata

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Cart
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Sign In with Facebook
    Sign In with Linked In
    OR

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Sign Up with Facebook
    Sign Up with Linked In
    OR

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?