The Cyprus government is embarking on a new era, with the launching of the e-petitions, giving citizens the right to participate in decision-making and promoting transparency.
The citizens will be able to collect signatures by meeting the basic provisions and will be able to submit proposals on various matters. The government willg then either adopt the proposals by drafting bills or reject them after submitting its arguments.
The relevant draft bill provinding for this new process has already be sent to the Law Office of the Republic for legal vetting and after its adoption by the parliament, will be put into force. The website for the e-petitions is expected to be ready in two months and the bill will be passed after the parliamentary elections set for May 22.
The basic provisions of the bill were presented to the media by the Deputy Minister to the President Constantinos Petrides.
He explained that citizens will have five months to collect 8,000 signatures (number considered evidence of group representation submitting a proposal), with which they will call on the government to promote certain legislation and policies. The government then has an obligation to consider the proposal and give reasons for its positions within three months, ie arguments to explain why it accepts or rejects it.
Cypriot citizens or citizens of EU member states over 18 living in Cyprus and registered to vote have the right to submit proposals.
The citizens` initiatives are examined by a committee chaired by the Secretary of the Cabinet, a lawyer designated by the Bar Association, an academic nominated by the Conference of Rectors of Universities, two representatives of NGOs and a representative of the Internal Audit Inspector, as an observer.
As stated in the conference, if the initiative fulfils the conditions, one month will be given to collect a hundred signatures which will be published on the official Website of the National Citizens` Initiative and four months for the collection of a total of 8,000 signatures.
Petrides said that if a request opposes the government`s policy, it cannot be satisfied , however the overnment is obliged to examine it andg explain its reasoning.
Petrides also presented the new Website of the Unit for Administrative Reform (www.reform.gov.cy). The Website includes all necessary information for matters relating to reform of the public service (eg bills submitted with explanations, planning for development policy etc.).
The Deputy Minister said that the Website is a an extremely useful tool for the press and the citizens in order to assess the work done as regard the public sector reform.
He pointed out that the reform of the public service is a continuous process, adding that there was a delay and procrastination for several years and one cannot expect everything to take place within a few months.