Hundred signatures sufficient for proposition of public discussion in local areas

Beginning with June 28, 2018, citizens of Serbia can propose a public discussion in their local areas with at least 100 signatures, concerning any topic, from the reconstruction of parks and streets, the founding of various events, to stopping the projects they believe are harmful to their municipality of town, Tanjug writes, as reported by Radio 021.

This has been made possible by the recently adopted amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government and it pertains to such situations in which a local self-government has already announced a certain decision, so that the decision could be discussed at the proposition of citizens prior to the adoption.

Members of local parliaments are not obliged to discuss these initiatives, but the competent authorities believe that “this kind of a citizens' initiative is a signal to members of local parliaments, who should know the opinion of a certain group of citizens before making the final decision”.

On the other hand, if the signatures of 5% of the citizens of legal age are collected, towns and municipalities oblige to make their position known within 60 days.

– The purpose of these provisions is for citizens to be stimulated to be more interested in becoming active in their municipalities, and not just once in four years, during local elections, or when they have a problem in their municipality – says assistant to the minister of public administration and local self-government, Sasa Mogic.

– Towns and municipalities now also oblige to carry out a public discussion when preparing the next year's budget, so that citizens can make their suggestions as to what they believe are the most important things to be financed, built, renovate or procure in the next year – Mogic says.

There are several options for a public discussion, whether stating one's position in designated places, at counters, on squares, or in local self-government offices, and also online.

The new features in the law also oblige towns and municipalities to notify citizens that, for example, they've started preparing certain documents concerning the functioning of local self-governments.

All these new features have been in effect since June 28, and local self-governments oblige to harmonize their statuses with the law and to adopt documents necessary for the implementation of this law in the next nine months.

Ministarstvo državne uprave i lokalne samouprave Republike Srbije

Law on Local Self Government

amendments to the Law on Local Self Government

Sasa Magic

public discussion in local self governments

proposition for public discussion in local self governments

public discussion on the adoption of budget in local self governments

citizens proposal

public discussion in local areas