The Document for the National Campaign of Municipality Autonomy
The Municipal Development Association organized a study conference to discuss the “Municipal Project Law”. The discussion revealed that the existing policy of the parliament counteracts with the principles and notions of the Local Administration .The policy also restrains the Independence of the municipal work. A number of recommendations were issued regarding the modification of several items to improve the municipal work and to strengthen the Local Administration. The participants suggested in the symposium, the importance of contribution of the civil foundations, the municipalities and the deputies of all the districts to demand the reformation of governmental policies concerning municipal work. The existing governmental project laws which were issued after the war, tended to restrain the Central Administration on the expense of the Local Administration. Besides, numerous governmental decisions opposed the Municipal Laws. As a consequence of the above-mentioned reasons, The Municipal Development Association along with the participants in the symposium from mayors, academics and deputies requested a campaign, which concentrates on the development and the strengthening of the municipal development in Lebanon.
Campaign Goals:
§ To work on the modification of some items illustrated in the “Project Laws” that are preventing the development and strengthening of the municipal work in Lebanon.
§ To focus the governmental policies on municipal work and to change the visions of the representatives regarding municipalities. And grant municipalities its esteem, morale, and independence to facilitate its role in central development.
§ Assure that municipality elections be done on time to preserve democracy in Lebanon because of the significance of the municipalities to democracy.
§ Foundation of a national municipalities' organization which role would be the voice of all municipalities in the Local Administration and the insurance of municipal independence.
The Committees of the Campaign :
1) Foundational Committee : this committee was formed during the first meeting that was held in the Alumni , Beirut on 20 December 2003, this committee is responsible for organizing the campaign and making all the communications needed for setting a meeting ,it is made of:
- MDA
-Deputies :
Mr.Gassan Mekhaiber
Mr.Nazih Mansour
Mr.Eile Aoun
Mr.Naamat Allah Abi Naser
- Municipalities:
Mr.Nouhad Noufal (Municipality of Zouk Mekayel)
Mr.Samir Shaarani (Municipality of Tripoli)
Mr.Mohammad El Khansa (Municipality of Goubeiri)
Mr.Sami Khouri (Municipality of Zahle)
Mr.Samir Khairallah (Municipality of Bhamdoun , representative of the union of the Municipalities of Aley and Baabda)
Mr.Rashed Sarkis (Municipality of Baalbak)
Mr. Adham Jaber (Municipality of Nabatieh)
Union of other Municipalities.
- Academics
Mr.Ziad Baroud
Mr.Hassan Hegazi
Mr.Adnan El Saheli
Mr.Abdel hamed Fakhouri
open committee
2)The Legal Committee :
It is responsible for the Legal part of the campaign , it studies the different laws , gives the suitable suggestions , and controls the work of other committees, it is made of :
Dr. Issam Sleiman
Mr.Ghassan Mekheiber]
Mr. Abdel Hamed Fakhoury
Mr. Ziad Baroud
Mr. Nouhad Noufal
Mr. Samir Shaarani
Mr. Sami Khouri
Mr. Hassan Hegazi
Mr. Khalil Barakat
Open Committee
3) Media Committee:
It is responsible for covering all the work of the campaign and putting a strategy to accompany the campaign with the needed media coverage.
Mr. Adnan El Sahele
Ms. Zeinab Yagi
Mr. Adnan Zein Eddeen
Ms. Nada Raad
open committee
4)The Planning Committee:
It is responsible for putting the strategy for developing the municipal work in Lebanon and setting the campaign on the right path in order to achieve this goal.
Mr. Rached Sarkis
Dr. Randa Antoun
Mr. Samir Kheirallah
Mr. Assad Labaki
Dr. Mehsen Al Amen
open committee