Ramallah: Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS” organized a study day about integrity system in the work of local authorities, which is funded by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom FNF, and attended by members, staff and representatives of local authorities’ councils in the West Bank governorates. Advocate Salah Mousa initiated the event and assured that holding the study day is a part of a project implemented by the center in the West Bank governorates. That is pertaining to the basics of good governance in the local government’s sector and services delivered by local authorities to emphasize the best practices in the field of tenders and purchases according to the law, equality, equal opportunities, access to the best services with least prices and preventing conflict of interests.
Mr. Suleiman Abu Dayya the representative of Friedrich Naumann Foundation FNF welcomed the attendees and organizers of the event. He spoke about FNF, its establishment and goals as it has offices in several countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Latin America. It has been existing in Palestine since 1994, and established good coalitions and connections. FNF works with Palestinian civil society organizations. He put emphasis on the study day, and the importance of distribution of powers within Palestinian local authorities.
Dr. Azmi Shuaibi, consultant of Coalition for Integrity and Accountability – AMAN addressed the code of conducts for members and staff of local authorities. He assured the importance of enhancing integrity and transparency in the work of local authorities so as to deliver services for citizens and fulfilling citizens’ needs. Also, the importance of the code of conducts as a mechanism applied in local authorities as code of conduct represents good behavior and a way for law enforcement within correct ways and certain criteria such as handing with information. Code of conducts includes information, details and concepts that should be phrased in details that local council expresses within its language and in its name, and then a decision is made to generalize it and train the employees about it. Moreover, he explained the need to raise awareness on some concepts like accountability, integrity and transparency since peoples’ trust is fundamental in the work of local authorities, while public interest is more important than private interest.
Additionally, the engineer Faeq Aldeek, Head of the High Council for Public Purchase Policies and the Deputy-Minister for Ministry of Public works talked about the decree-by law no. (8) Of 2014 and its amendments regarding public purchase. In terms of (best practices in the field of tenders and purchases according to the law, equality, equal opportunities, access to the best services with least prices and preventing conflict of interests). He clarified that these is a real problem since laws should have regulations however, the Law of Purchases System has no regulations, rules of mechanisms for complaints. He also tackled the purchases council, its tasks and terms of reference like collecting and analyzing information, besides assessing the performance of purchasing entities, outlining and developing national policies for public purchase and submitting it to the Cabinet to be ratified and upgrading human resources in public purchase.
Advocate Salah Mousa addressed Law no. (1) Of 19997 regarding Palestinian local authorities and discussing its articles. Furthermore, addressing the law of local authorities which has been amended twice before as there has been a law amended in 2008 which is considered the gravest amended law since it has permitted dismissal of employee. In addition to the laws which have been amended related to water and electricity that draw back municipalities’ authorities in distributing water and electricity and law of joint services’ councils.
At the end of the event, participants recommended the importance to generalize the details of the study day among all municipal councils due to the important topics which have been addressed. Also they recommended the need to identify legal affairs and legal empowerment for members of municipal councils, establishing integrity and transparency in each municipality. Besides, printing laws & regulations and circulating it between municipalities, giving privacy for each municipality when issuing and establishing laws, regulations and instructions. Municipalities should also apply the law of access to information for the citizen, laws and regulations should be consulted with municipalities and members when issuing to be discussed before being endorsed. Furthermore, they recommended the need to establish a joint mechanism between participants of workshops to assure good follow up and to hold specialized workshops on laws and regulations issued by Ministry of Local Government. In addition to develop a mechanism to monitor policies and violations of the municipal councils’ members by various bodies, and prepare a position paper to clarify the legal position towards regulations in collaboration with specialized entities.