Egyptian: The draft local administration law proposes appointing members from elected backgrounds to provincial councils.

Minister of Local Administration Walid Al-Masri held a dialogue meeting to discuss the draft Local Administration Law with all independent MPs, in the presence of Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul-Moneim Al-Oudat.

 

The meeting comes in light of the outcomes of the Political Modernization Committee, and the series of dialogues launched by the government at the Prime Minister’s office regarding the development of the system of legislation related to local administration and taking notes and ideas before its approval.

During the meeting, which was attended by MPs Mohammed Al-Ghuwairi, Nassar Al-Qaisi, Hussein Al-Tarawneh, Ismail Al-Mashaqa, Abdul Raouf Al-Rabihat, and Mahmoud Al-Nuaimat, Al-Masri stressed that this dialogue comes as a continuation of the government’s approach of openness to MPs, parliamentary blocs, standing committees, and specialists in order to improve the draft bill.

He reviewed the most prominent proposed amendments aimed at strengthening the governance of municipal and governorate councils, raising the level of services provided to citizens, and dividing roles between the municipal council as the body for setting plans and policies and the executive body as the follow-up body, while ensuring effective representation of women and youth.

He explained that the draft law enshrines the principle of direct election of the head and members of municipal councils, while activating local oversight and development units, and strengthening partnership with the private sector through investment arms that allow municipalities to establish companies to enhance their resources.

He pointed out that the new approach gives the head of the municipal council a strategic role in setting plans and follow-up, while the executive body takes over the tasks of implementation, with the ministry retaining its supervisory role over the application of the provisions of the law, controlling spending and raising the efficiency of financial collection.

Regarding the governorate councils, the minister pointed out that the draft bill proposes appointing members from elected backgrounds, including chambers of industry and commerce, federations and unions, in addition to mayors, with the adoption of a two-year rotation mechanism in the governorates of Irbid and Mafraq due to the large number of their municipalities, in order to ensure the representation of everyone and the participation of young people under the age of 35.

He explained that the draft law includes raising the percentage of women’s representation in local councils to 30%, while giving pivotal roles to people with disabilities.

The minister explained that the law includes activating “neighborhood committees” and approving “participatory budgets” that allow citizens to determine the priorities of their areas, while enhancing community oversight through broadcasting council sessions and publishing periodic reports.

He revealed an ambitious digitization plan aimed at computerizing the majority of services within the next two years, noting that there are currently 42 electronic services activated.

He stressed the need to develop a needs assessment and timelines that are appropriate to the lifespan of each elected council.

For their part, the MPs submitted proposals that focused on the need for a balance of powers between the executive branch and the elected councils, and the formation of specialized governance committees for accountability.

They praised the idea of ​​neighborhood committees and digitization, and called for a study on separating some municipalities based on area and population density, stressing that improving services and speeding up decisions is the basic demand of the citizen.

The participating MPs appreciated the series of dialogues launched by the government regarding amendments to the Local Administration Law, stressing the importance of this law as it directly and daily affects the lives of citizens and the services provided to them.

They stressed the need for these discussions to lead to strengthening the capabilities of municipalities and the governance of their work, in order to ensure speedy decision-making and improved development and service provision in various regions of the Kingdom, in line with the outcomes of political, administrative and economic modernization.