CPII donates to Municipality Council of Durres the online database of its decisions from 2007 till to date

Municipal Council of Durres held on September 29^th its most important session of the year, during which the budget was discussed and passed. The session started with a meaningful ceremony, where the Citizens’ Transparency Office and the Center for Public Information Issues handed over the electronic database of all Municipal Council acts passed during the years 2007 – 2011. This ceremony institutionalized the cooperation between the Municipal Council of Durres  and the Citizens’ Transparency Office, established by CPII on May 2011. The main objective of this cooperation is to enhance transparency and greater public access and participation in the local decision-making processes.

This initiative, supported by National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was well received by the Municipal Council. The ceremony was held with the full support and collaboration of Indrit Hamiti, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Durres. “The presence of the Citizens’ Transparency Office in our meetings is important to ensure the public legitimate expectances for a better and more transparent decision-making proces.” Said Mr. Hamiti while inviting CPII and CTO representatives to address the City Council in the very beginning of the session.

The Chairman of the Municipal Council invited Gerti Shella, the Executive Director of the Center for Public Information Issues, and the five members of the Citizens’ Transparency Office of Durres to take the floor. Gerti Shella addressed the Municipal Council and briefly explained the role of the Citizens’ Transparency Office. The motto of this Office is: “The Citizens of Durres must know what decisions are being taken on their behalf”- said Shella. “Democracy in local government is not an option, but it is a requirement and an essential component for achieving greater progress as envisaged in the Council of Europe Charter of Local Self-Government, which Albania has ratified.”

The ceremony continued with the handing over to the Municipal Council of the digitalized database of all the decisions taken during the 2007 – 2011 mandate. A demonstration was performed in video-projector, wdhere everal decisions were downloaded live for all local representatives to see how the system functions. “This database will enhance the transparency and give public greater access to the Municipal Council decisions. The Citizens’ Transparency Office and the Center for Public Information Issues will update it on regular bases.

The use of new and innovative technologies and ensuring greater public access is one of the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance of the Council of Europe. Through a link in the website of the Municipality of Durres, anyone can be directed to the Durres Municipality Acts Database, to consult / see / download , free of charge, the acts in Acrobat Reader (*.pdf)

The presence of the Citizens’ Transparency Office and the Center for Public Information Issues was well received by the members of the Municipal Council. They attentively followed the presentation and showed interest for the work done by the Center for Public Information Issues. In fact, this session of the Municipal Council was held especially to discuss the budget, which was an explicit request made by this Office some days ago in a event broadly covered by the national media.

CIP i dhuron databazen