a few seconds agoState Officials Abandon Offices, Search for Votes
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)Since announcing the date of the October 6th parliamentary elections, the efficiency of work in central and local institutions has dropped markedly, civil society representatives say. According to them, the impact of elections on the work and efficiency of institutions has increased markedly, as officials -- both municipal and outgoing -- are [...]
According to civil society, both at the central and local level, it is evident even the failure of officials in their jobs, which is believed to be “testifies to the politicisation of institutions in Kosovo”.
The election campaign is expected to begin on 25 September and will last ten days. But, parties and coalitions have already started election activity, as well as come up with the names of their candidates for Kosovo's next prime minister.
Organisation director “Arise”, Arton Demhasey, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe, has criticised institutions from the ranks of political parties participating in various election activities, saying they are putting aside their jobs, duties and legal obligations.
This is an indication of how politicised public administration is. And that's the main reason that the organisation get up requires this administration to be depoliticised and not influenced by political parties, because when elections are announced, a large part of the staff is engaged in political party campaigns. This could greatly damage even the work of institutions, since they do not appear in their offices to finish the jobs they meet you with, running on the ground in an attempt to secure votes for political parties they belong to”, Demhasaj said.
Even Medjide Demolli-Niman, director of the FOL Movement, in a campaign for Radio Free Europe, said that the participation of state officials in election activities, even without formalising campaigns, is harmful to their institutions and performance.
It calls the candidacy of several mayors for the MP's position in the Kosovo Assembly as unrealistic.
“Although legally allowed such a thing, so running for MP even though they're mayors of municipalities, I can say this is not ethical. To run only to win more votes to the party and finally to release the MP's post for someone else, this move is not ethical or moral”, Demolli-Niman said.
The start of the campaign since the date of the election declaration, according to her, is negatively affecting the daily affairs of central and local institutions.
“cannot be at the same time in two different countries”, Demolli- Nimani said.
In contrast, Arton Demhay, says the most alarming situation in terms of work in institutions is presented at the municipal level.
And if the central administration is politicised 60-70 percent, the local administration is 100 percent politicised. Thus, the negative effect can be seen in municipalities because politicisation there is extreme”, Demhasaj says.
Meanwhile, Medjide Demolli- Nimani says authorities have had to create mechanisms that monitor state officials' behavior during the election process. During work hours, it says, participation in party gatherings should be strictly prohibited.
But political parties, when it comes to votes, are not recognising either ethics or morals, because this freely I can say is a fraud to citizens”, she points out.
“As long as there are currently no mechanisms that control these and act freely”, Demolli-Niman says.
The Law on General Elections in Kosovo says that “political entities cannot exploit civil servants using position, resources, or campaign personnel during elections”. It also notes that “the use of public offices, resources or personnel to any institution at the central or local level, with the aim of supporting a political subject in the elections, is strictly prohibited”. / REL/
