LOCAL EVENTS REPORT

From 3 rd to 10 th December 2003, public debates on the topic "Eyes Wide Open in..." took place in Skopje , Veles, Prilep, Stip, Kicevo, Bitola , Strumica, Struga, Tetovo and Kumanovo. The public debates were organized within the framework of the project "Citizens' Platform for Peace and Stability", co-financed by the Foundation Open Society Institute - Macedonia and the British Government through its Foreign and Commonwealth Office from the Conflict Prevention Fund.

The debates aimed at initiating local discussions on the following issues:

1. How do citizens see/evaluate the work of the Government in the course of last year;
2. How can citizens participate in the decision-making process, and
3. How can NGOs and authorities cooperate in light of democratic development of the State?

Part of the event was the promotion of the book "Citizens' Platform for Peace and Stability - Documentation".

More than 300 citizens participated on the local public debates, organized by non-governmental organizations (detailed list attached). Although invited, the representatives from the local and central government, including the media were few in number.

The general conclusions reached by the citizens on the above mentioned issues were the following:

Ø The Government of the Republic of Macedonia , in the course of last year, was not entirely successful in implementing its programme activities and resolving current societal problems;

Ø Opportunities for citizen's participation in decision-making should increase since currently they are limited and depend on the will of the authorities;

Ø Non-governmental organizations should monitor and rectify the work of the Government, but also act as a partner in the implementation of reform projects of common interest.

I. Evaluation of the work of the Government in the course of last year

Regarding the work of the Government in the course of last year, citizens emphasize the progress made in international relations and reforms in the defence system, while they express least satisfaction with the way social, economic and security issues have been tackled.

The activities undertaken by the Government in the light of integrating the Republic of Macedonia within Euro-Atlantic structures, as well as the improved bilateral relations with specific countries were stressed as the major success of the Government. Citizens expect greater efforts in resolving the dispute about the name with neighboring Greece. The efforts made in reforming the defence system of the Republic of Macedonia were evaluated as successful and they support the efforts for accession of the Republic of Macedonia within NATO and EU.

Concerning the security issue, citizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the partial restoration of peace and security in the former crisis regions and with the fact that the fate of the kidnapped and missing persons from the armed conflict in 2001 is still a mystery.

The enormous external debt, the increase of tax rates of the VAT, unemployment, and lack of investments, are just some of the reasons for citizen's dissatisfaction with the current social-economic state of affairs. In addition, citizens complain that the Government does not resolve the problem in the field of agriculture.

Citizens demand from the Government to pay special attention to the fight against corruption, organized crime, and rule of law. According to the participants of the public debates, the judiciary reforms are one of the most important preconditions for the development of the Republic of Macedonia as a legal state.

The decentralization process, according to the citizens, is not efficiently dealt with, nor is the implementation of the Framework Agreement.

II. Citizens' participation in the decision-making process

The feeling that prevailed was that citizens lack appropriate and accessible mechanisms to participate in the decision-making process as well as in local and national policy-making. Citizens feel that they do not control the authorities, thus they can hardly act as its corrector.

Citizens believe that governmental institutions are closed, both on local and central level, and that they are not transparent and interested in establishing direct contacts with them.

Several suggestions were proposed to overcome this problem. We have selected the following:

- enabling personal contacts with the MPs/councillors

- organizing various meetings between citizens and governmental institutions

- lobbying influential politicians and businesspersons

- active involvement of media in the discussions taking place on various societal problems.

III. Cooperation between NGOs and the authorities in light of democratic development of the State

Citizens believe that NGOs have played an important role in the democratic development of the Republic of Macedonia lately.

Their role in the future is seen in the field of monitoring and correcting the work of the Government.

Regarding the cooperation with the Government, citizens believe that NGOs should be involved in the implementation of specific projects, and able to initiate various meetings and discussions concerning the problems citizens are faced with, etc. A significant number of citizens think that the authorities should pay greater attention to the non-governmental organizations and consider the capacities within the NGO sector.

Project "Citizens' Platform for Peace and Stability"

www.gragjanska platform.mango.org.mk

Implementation

Foundation Open society Institute - Macedonia

Jane Sandanski Bulv. 111, 1000 Skopje

p.o. box 378

Republic of Macedonia

Contact

Neda Zdraveva, Project Coordinator

Tel. ++ 389/2/244-44-88 extension 220

Fax. ++ 389/2/244-44-99

e-mail: nzdrav@soros.org.mk

Roska Ilijevska, Project Assistant

Tel. ++ 389/2/244-44-88 extension 117

Fax. ++ 389/2/244-44-99

e-mail: riliev@soros.org.mk

LIST OF PARTNER NGOS