2024-05-09 23:54:35
The MPs agreed to forward the bill for consideration in the first reading at the Saeima sitting on May 16. Deputies will be able to submit proposals for the draft law until May 22.
At the meeting of the commission, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa (JV) informed that she had visited Varakļani and Madonas districts and listened to the opinion of the residents. “An overwhelming majority of Varakļani residents believe that Varakļani should be added to Madonas and not Rēzekne county. Seniors in Murmastien told me that they have collected money for lawyers to prepare an application to the Constitutional Court,” said Bērziņa. She is convinced that members of the Saeima must not ignore the wishes of the citizens. The minister has made sure that Latgalian traditions are being nurtured in Varakläni and the residents are determined to continue them. “Latvia is one for all of us. There is no reason to worry that cultural traditions would be endangered if the administrative territory of the county changes,” the minister emphasized.
The chairman of the Varakļani county council, Māris Justs (LA), called on Saeima members not to hesitate with the decision on the merger of Varakļani and Madona counties. He emphasized that long-term life in ignorance of administrative affiliation creates difficulties for the municipality, specialists leave the work in the municipality, several planning documents expire and it is necessary to know in which administrative territory the county will be located.
Both Just and Madona County Council Chairman Agris Lungevičs (ZZS) emphasized that the two municipalities have already established a joint municipal police, there are preparations for the establishment of a unified construction board and an orphan’s court. Both regions cooperate in the field of education, culture and sports.
Justus reminded that the municipal election commission has ensured the conduct of two population surveys, in which 84% and 94% of the population have expressed the opinion that Varakļani county should be added to Madona county.
The mayor of Madona urged the deputies to make a decision on the unification of the counties as soon as possible, so that a single structure could be created by the next municipal elections next spring.
Deputy Anita Brakovska (ZZS) has gained confidence that the residents of Varakļani administratively want to belong to the Madona district and only a small number of residents would like the district to be added to the Rēzekne district.
On the other hand, deputy Juris Viļums (AS) called to allow Varakļani county to exist on its own. He believes that the last administrative territorial reform (ATR) has not brought anything to Latvia. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) has not conducted an economic evaluation that would allow a data-based decision to be made.
MP Māris Sprindžuks (AS) is also skeptical about the ATR result. “The consolidation of municipalities in larger areas is wrong. The well-being of residents in the newly created counties has not improved,” concluded Springjuks. In his opinion, cooperation between state and local government institutions should be established so that citizens have access to quality services, but this has not happened in previous years. For example, public transport services have even deteriorated, said Springjuk. He is convinced that the evaluation of ATR should not be postponed until 2029. “The mistakes must be corrected now, because the residents of Pieriga are currently very dissatisfied,” insisted Springjuks.
The former chairman of the Madona county council, Saeima deputy Andrejs Ceļapīters emphasized that, when deciding on the future of Varakļani county, the main argument for the Saeima deputies should be the will of 94% of the population – to join Madona county. He called on the deputies not to delay the adoption of the law.
Māris Pūkis, an expert of the Latvian Association of Local Governments, reminded that the development of the unification plan of Madona and Varakļani counties also requires funding, just like those municipalities that were united on July 1, 2021.
Oļegs Burovs, the chairman of the State Administration and Local Government Commission, promised not to hesitate with the amendments to the Law on Administrative Territories and Settlements and to adopt them before St. John’s Day.
As reported, the initially considered amendments to the law envisaged only one change – the long-planned connection of Varakļani and Madona counties, but there have been proposals for a much broader revision of the last ATR, for example, refusing to connect national cities with nearby counties and dividing a number of recently created counties.
The draft law under consideration by the commission indicates that Varakļani County in its existing administrative territory does not meet the goal of the administrative territorial reform and the criteria for the establishment of counties included in the annotation of the Law on Administrative Territories and Settlements. Also, there is no development center in Varakļani county, and it is also the smallest county in terms of population.
In order to promote the sustainable development of the territory, as well as taking into account the results of the public consultation organized by the municipality of Varakļļani district, the bill envisages merging Varakļani district with Madona district.
Varakļani county is the only municipality whose merger with one of the neighboring counties remained an unresolved issue.
Although initially responsible VARAM, after evaluating the goals of the administrative territorial reform, planned to merge Varakļani district with Madona district and the residents of the district also expressed such desire in several polls, the previous 13th Saeima decided to merge it with Rēzekne district. The Constitutional Court recognized that the decision of the 13th Saeima does not comply with the basic law of the country, therefore the Cabinet of Ministers, evaluating the goals of the administrative territorial reform, prepared a proposal for the 14th Saeima on the administrative territory of Varakļani County.
It is expected that the law will enter into force on June 30 of this year in order to regulate the continuation of the work of the municipality of Varakļani district and the municipality of Madona district until the municipal elections of 2025, as well as to determine the procedure for the conduct and announcement of the 2025 municipal elections in relation to the administrative offices of Varakļani district and Madona district. territories.
2024-05-09 23:54:35