Final bills on local govt reform heading for vote

The law on local authority reform is inching closer to becoming a reality, despite delays and disagreements, MPs at the House interior committee said on Thursday.

Lawmakers said the final raft of bills will head to plenum on March 28.

In a dig against the government, committee chair and Akel MP Aristos Damianou said “it is unacceptable that the executive branch submitted [the bills] to parliament very late.”

Local authority reform has been a bone of contention embroiling former interior ministers who have slammed MPs for amending the legislation so much that it has ‘changed the philosophy’ of the reform.

Damianou underlined that for the most part, the majority of amendments have the support of all political parties and independent MPs.

Disy MP Nikos Sykas said that lawmakers are now focused “on the big picture of reforming local authority after so long”.

“After so many years, we are at the final stretch with the vote in next week’s plenum.”

Meanwhile Diko MP Panicos Leonidou underlined the discussion at the committee was done “in the spirit of cooperation”.