Libyan municipalities demand reform of local administration law

   TRIPOLI, May 9 -- Reforming the local administration law will strengthen the role of local municipalities in providing services, said Libya's Minister of Local Governance Baddad Qansou here on Tuesday.
   Qansou made the remarks at a workshop on reforming the local administration law, attended by ministers of the UN-backed government, more than 70 local mayors, and dozens of legal experts.
   "The local administration law has many flaws that need to be reviewed and reformed. Through this workshop, we hope to come up with recommendations for reforming the law," Qansou told Xinhua.
   The local administration law, passed by the former General National Congress in 2012, consists of 133 articles. It seeks to transfer some responsibilities of the central government to local municipalities directly, such as providing employment within the municipality, collecting taxes and government revenues, and supervision and management of development projects.
   Qansou stressed that the mayors of the municipalities have complained about restrictions of the current law and "changing the law requires consideration by the legislative authority represented in the parliament."
   Khalifa Hawas, chairman of the workshops' preparatory committee, said there are many flaws in the law that must be reviewed, so that local municipalities can perform.
   "For example, the law lacks criteria for the establishment of municipalities. Many of them were established without taking into account the population and resources of different cities," he said.
   Hawas also demanded that officials of the municipalities meet certain requirements, including academic qualification and administration experience, "so that municipalities can provide services."
   Among its various recommendations, the workshop suggested that more power be granted to municipalities, and considering the possibility of establishing provinces under which the municipalities work.