As Local Authority is Sabotaged by the Local Authority Law Project WHO’S SPEAKING OF DECENTRALIZATION? [Archives:2000/04/Front Page]

The Parliament has on Saturday January 22, 2000 continued its discussions of the draft law of local authority. In the meeting members of Parliament ascertained in their discussing of the second article, pertaining to the executive institutions in the governorate, that each governorate should have a governor holding a minister rank. He is to be appointed by a Republican Decree after being nominated by the minister after being accepted by the council of ministers. His term of office would be four years starting from the date of his appointment, renewable to only one similar term. 
The members of the parliament have affirmed in the meeting that the governor is the President of the Local Council in the governorate. He is also the senior official in it as a representative of the executive authority. He is also responsible and accountable to the President of the Republic and the Cabinet whose decisions are binding. He is also responsible to the Local Council of the governorate. 
A number of Parliament members have expressed in statements that the draft law of the local authority would not be discussed unless the Presidency and the government committed themselves to constitutional texts, particularly those related to selecting governors and directors general. Other conditions have stipulated granting the governorates wide-range authorities embodying administrative decentralization enabling them play their active role in the development without the guardianship by the central authority. 
In this regard Dr. Sa’ad Al-Din Bin Talib member of the PGC permanent committee, chairman of Hadramout PGC Bloc, said in a statement to Al-Ayaam newspaper just before the new decisions taken by the Parliament said that “The Local authority law was extensively discussed by the PGC Block. Talks have been conducted with representatives of the government to make the law more satisfactory. However, there are still some controversies within the bloc especially in regard to the selection and appointment of governors. The majority in the Bloc, of course, is for article number 143 which stipulates their being elected.””Other blocs are facing some political pressures that might affect their stand. However, the majority will be for the constitutional article mentioned above,” he added.

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