Women not represented in local councils: out of 740 chairpersons, only 7 are women

 

Pristina, March 1, 2022 – The FOL movement with the financial support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund held a press conference today where it published the monitoring of the report “Municipalities do not implement the Administrative Instruction of the MLGA No. 02/2019”.

FOL has monitored the level of implementation of Law No. 03/L-040 for Local Self-Government and Administrative Instruction (MAPL) no. 02/2019 on the Organization, Operation and Cooperation of Municipalities with Villages, Settlements and Urban Neighborhoods where the issue of selecting local councils is elaborated in detail.

Ardi Shatri said that “according to the administrative instruction in force, municipalities must adopt new municipal regulations for the regulation of local councils in compliance with the requirements of this administrative instruction within 6 months from its entry into force”.

Shatri said that “according to the monitoring of FOL, of the 38 municipalities of Kosovo, 14 municipalities (Prizren, Pejë, Ferizaj, Gjakovë, Mitrovica, Skenderaj, Kamenica, Hani i Elezit, Lipjan, Klinë, Kaçanik, Viti, Kllokot, Graçanicë) have published on their official websites the new versions of the municipal regulations for the organization and operation of local councils, which are in compliance with the requirements of the administrative instruction in force”.

Of the municipalities that have published the new regulations, only 2 municipalities (the Municipality of Gjakova and the Municipality of Peja) are fully implementing the new regulation in practice, he said. In addition, 13 municipalities (Deçan, Istog, Dragash, Obiliq, Leposaviq, Rahovec, Prishtina, Suharekë, Vushtrri, Gllogoc, Podujevë, Gjilan and Novobërdë) are operating with the old regulations, which are not in compliance with the administrative instruction in force. 11 municipalities (Fushë Kosovë, Partesh, Shtime, Shtërpcë, Zveçan, Zubin Potok, North Mitrovica, Junik, Mamushë, Malishevë, Ranilluge) have not published any version of the regulations.

According to Shatri, “the municipalities that have published the new municipal regulation in compliance with the requirements of the administrative instruction are the Municipality of Mitrovica, Gjakova and that of Peja”, while the municipality of Podujeva has indicated that the regulation is still in the stage of public consultation”. Meanwhile, the municipality of Gjilan has published the old municipal regulation that is not in compliance with the requirements of the administrative instruction.

Shatri said that regarding the status of the selection of local councils, according to the data sent by the responsible officials of the municipalities, out of the total of 38 municipalities of Kosovo, 18 of them (or 47%) have established local councils which are functioning normally , 8 municipalities (or 8%) have reported that the mandate of the local councils has passed, or that they have not yet been elected, while 12 municipalities (or 31%) have not responded at all about the status of the establishment and operation of the local councils.

According to data provided by FOL, of the 740 elected chairmen of local councils, 733 of them, or 99%, are men, while only 7 are women (respectively only 1%). The municipalities that have elected female chairpersons of the local councils are: the Municipality of Peja (with 3 female chairpersons of the councils), the Municipality of Shtime and the Municipality of Prizren (with 2 female chairpersons of the councils), said Shatri.

FOL recommends the Ministry of Local Government Administration to coordinate with the Association of Kosovo Municipalities regarding the approval of new municipal regulations for the selection of local councils, as well as the establishment and operation of local councils in compliance with municipal regulations, administrative instructions and the law on local self-government.

For more please find the attached report link: .