Georgian president says local self-government “crucial” for Georgia's future to be democratic, strong

If Georgia wants democracy, Europeanism and to be a strong state, it needs strong regions. Local self-government is one of the crucial issues for the country’s future, Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili said on Saturday at the international conference on Efficiency and Challenges of Local Self-Government in Georgia.

In order for the region to be strong, self-government must be real, carried into effect, and not just a mere legal framework and strategy”, Zourabichvili said while addressing guests from Poland, the United States, Canada and Israel.

The president noted “a lot” had been done in this direction, including adopting the local self-government code and decentralisation strategy that still require to be implemented in three “main” directions - finance, transfer of property to local self-governments and involvement of citizens in the process of decision-making and budget allocation. 

Zourabichvili stressed that Georgia had to return to the “foundation” of its strength - “strong” self-governing units, which had been “broken” by the Soviet system in the past and had moved the country to an “ultra-centralized” system. “This unity, self-government and their independence are our niche”, she added.

The main task of the platform, organised by the Solidarity Fund PL branch in Georgia and the Financiers Association of Local Self-governing Units, was to assign priority strategies to Georgia's self-government bodies, which would allow them to better serve their citizens, improve sustainability and better guide the collective vision of local self-government in the country.