Human Rights Center protests decision of the Rustavi City Hall to refuse the nongovernmental organization to join the civic advisory council.
On March 19, 2016 Human Rights Center learned from the TV-reportages that a civic advisory council was set up in the Rustavi City Hall, which held first session. On March 21, Human Rights Center sent a letter to the Mayor and asked to join the Council.
In accordance to the July 22, 2015 amendments to the Code of Georgia on Local Self Governance, the Mayor is authorized to establish civil advisory council to ensure engagement of citizens in the implementation of local self-governance. According to the amendments, entrepreneur legal entities, NGOs and municipality residents shall be members of the Council.
Initially the Center could not receive an answer from the Rustavi City Hall. On April 13, the organization repeatedly addressed the City Mayor and requested written response to its letter. After two-month consideration, on May 17, the Center received a letter from the City Hall, where the head of the administration “clarified” that within the discretive power of the Mayor, he selected the members and established the Council; thus the request of the NGO was not satisfied.
There is not a single representative of the civil society organizations in the Civic Advisory Council, which was established by the Rustavi City Mayor, although it was his obligation based on the law.
Human Rights Center believes, the City Mayor has groundlessly restricted the right of Human Rights Center, as a nongovernmental organization, to participate in the work of the Advisory Council. Thus, the organization had its right restricted to present its proposals and opinions for the identification and eradication of problems in the municipality.
Human Rights Center appeals the Rustavi Mayor Davit Jikia to timely and effectively take relevant measures to properly implement the responsibilities under the Code on Local Self-Governance.
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