In the frame if CPW and ELDW we organized several roundtables debates; campaign “From words to
works “; some international exchange - municipality members which participated in different programs
in Europe met with other members of municipalities as well as we conducted surveys within citizens to
improve municipalities services and results were disseminated within municipality members and staff.
Below is brief description of some of our activities:
Do we know our municipalities?
In the dates of 8and 16 October there has been held a survey on “Do we know our
municipalities?” in the frame of Citizen Participation Week by Uluchay SEIC. The main aim of
the survey was learning citizens knowledge about the local municipality. The survey has been
held among the citizens by the volunteers of Uluchay SEIC. In the survey there have been taken
68 persons as a whole. According to the result of the survey 50% participant doesn’t know the
chairman of local municipality. But when we came to the authority of local municipality 60%
was informed about its authority. But they concern to sell land and gathering land tax to the
authority of the municipality. Although the citizens were informed about the interfering to the
municipality they were uninformed about the mechanism of this procedure. But majority 5%
respondent noted that they are informed about the activities of the local municipality from the
newspaper and municipality information board, 45%from local television and 50%respondent
noted that they are not interested in the activities of the local municipality. Respondents didn’t
show interest in put forward their candidature in the municipal elections.
During the survey there have been distributed leaflets showing information about the authorities
of the municipality to the people who took part at the survey.
How spend crisis that shakes word from Azerbaijan?
In 8 of October it was organized round table on economical crisis by “Uluchay” Social
Economic Innovation Centre in the frame of European Local Democracy Week. There was
taking part about 50 participants from the North-West region of Azerbaijan which include
NGOs, business structures, media and municipality members. The chairman of “Uluchay” SEIC
Mais Safarov greeting the participants noted that the main aim of this meeting is the influence of
the crisis which happen in the world to Sheki people and basic problems of the region which
have arisen connected with it and find out its solve ways. Taking part in the meeting the deputy
of Sheki city municipality according to economic problems noted that such measures takes great
part in the development of the city and solving crisis.
During the meeting the participants divided into 3 groups. It was included government,
business, municipality, NGO and community interior representatives of the fundamental
organizations in each group. For the having effective group discussions it was appointment
leader moderators for each group. In the meeting which continued nearly 3 hours there was
discussed the crisis which happen in the world and its influence to Sheki. Economical expert
Vagif Camalov speaking noted that the economic crisis that shakes the world doesn’t race to
Azerbaijan ineffective. Already giving of hypothec credits have been temporarily stopped
Continuing long time of this prohibition will be able to be a cause for becoming bankrupt of the
banks. conversation goes about that the banks can meet with difficulty returning percentages of
deposits which has already accept from people and counted Stopping credits has shown himself
in coming down in the market of car and real asserts of the activity. According to the Sheki
craftsman association coordinator F.Azizbayov’s opinion the big and small projects which
realized in the country are also under risk. This project begun to implement basic on prognoses
that will enter big oil money. In such conditions coming down the oil prices many projects can
be stay unfinished. Although the government doesn’t strike its anxious some anxious define
himself toward this problem” It begin to show himself in our region too. So created different
production areas in the region during a few years for exc; “Sheki wine fabric”, “Sheki cannery
fabric” and etc have to stopped their activities. In its turn it push of increased the number of
unemployment.
At the end of the meeting the executor director of the SEIC Ilyas Safarli spoke and noted
that holding of such meetings plays an important role definite problems elucidate by different
organizations. Therefore it is necessary to spend such meetings often.
Already it is forming united cooperation between municipalities and NGA
In 17 of October it was organized round table on the theme of “Municipality budget
forming” in the conference hall of “Uluchay” Social Economic Innovation Center with
representatives of municipality, media state and NGO. Main aim of the held round table was
exchange of views about works carried out, the ways of to have more active participation of the
community in municipality budget forming and abolishing existing problems and investigating
the ways of getting arrangement about plans of future cooperation.
The leader of the round table were the deputy of the city municipality Aydin Khalilov,
member of city Sheki municipality Arzu Abdulhamidov, director of “Gunashli”firm Sadiq
Latifov and Gakh district Amircan fulfillment administrative agent Xazri Mammadov. Let us
note that these persons have been in Poland in the exchange of experience for 7 days with
financial aid of the Open Society Institute under the East-East program in Poland. They informed
participants of round table the difference of work principles between Poland and Azerbaijani
municipalities and about the project of “Transparency Poland”. In the round-table, there have
been also discussed “Do we know our municipality?”
The head of Sheki city department working with NGOs and political institutions Rafael
Manafov which took part in the meeting announced his thankfulness to all for giving wide
information about journey and he noted that municipalities must work much for the application
of this experiment here.
This round-table was organized in the frame of Citizen Participation Week of Citizens
Network and European Local Democracy Week of Council of Europe.