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| National Meeting of the Local Public Mediators
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 On April 26, 2007, the Center for The Study of Democracy in cooperation with the National Association of Public Mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria held a national meeting of the local public mediators. The event took place in the town of Veliko Tarnovo and was organized with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Local public mediators from throughout the country, officials from the Bulgarian ombudsman’s administrative staff and CSD experts attended the meeting.
 Dr. Maria Yordanova, Director of the Law Program of the Center of the Study of Democracy, started the discussion. She presented the goals of the national meeting – improvement of the cooperation of the local public mediators and the national ombudsman, and formulated the measures for recognition of their role for a better and transperant government and protection of the civil rights. She also talked about the improvment of the legal framework and the solving of the local public mediators' problems. Mr. Nikolay Tachev, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Veliko Tarnovo, welcomed the participants and expressed his expectations that having this meeting in the city of Veliko Tarnovo will contribute to the forthcoming introduction of a public mediator institution in the municipality, promising the support of the National Association of the Active Chairpersons of Municipal Councils, comprising 180 members.
 Ms. Rositsa Totkova, Director of Citizens’ Complaints and Alerts Directorate, Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, spoke about the role of the institution as a method for civil control over the administration and the imperious legal framework changes for the better functioning of the office. She stressed out on the necessity of the guarantees for the local mediators’ independence, including a financial one through the introduction of the so-called delegated budgets, by which the mediators will be able to make their own arrangements. She also pointed out that better mechanisms are needed for interaction, mutual assistance and exchange of information between the national ombudsman and the local public mediators, as well as more active participation in the development of rules and regulations within the municipal councils. Ms. Totkova declared the support of the national ombudsman Mr. Ginyo Ganev by saying that a big part of the citizens' complaints, sent to the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, refer to the work of the local mediators, which even more necessitates a better interaction mechanism to be elaborated. She reminded that the national ombudsman initiated a discussion for the right of good governance, which is not limited to observing the laws, and it needs to be incorporated in the Constitution.
 Mr. Ivan Dimitrov, Chairman of the National Association of the Public Mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria and Pazardzhik Municipality Public Mediator, emphasized that the institution of the ombudsman is getting more popular and it has been recognized as a guarantee for good governance when it comes to the civil rights. He mentioned some of the difficulties the local mediators face such as the lack of a preliminarily provided budget, of premises and appropriate work conditions, the need to be formally appointed by the local mayor, which puts them in a vulnerable position, etc. According to Mr. Dimitrov the legal framework has to be changed to give the opportunity of the public mediators to make suggestions during the sessions of the municipal councils. He also underlined the good interaction of his institution with the local offices of central governmental ministries and agencies.
 Ms. Valentina Taneva, Deputy of the Sofia Municipality Public Mediator, introduced the institution’s positive experience including the successful cases of mediations in the area of housing, the unification and observance of the criteria for renting municipal lodgings, the granting of financial assistance for heating to disabled people (as proposed by the local mediator), etc.
She also talked about the Sofia Municipality unsolved problems, including the ones with the heating company, and expressed the necessity of developing a platform/forum, so the local public mediators could exchange experience.
 Mr. Dimitar Markov, Project Coordinator in the Law Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy, greeted the successful creation of the National Association of the Public Mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria, and underlined the positive role it could play for improving the interaction between the national ombudsman, the local mediators and the NGOs. He also presented the possible ways of cooperation between the ombudsmen institutions on both national and local level and the civil society. Mr. Markov indicated that many civil organizations in Bulgaria have a significant potential in different areas, which successfully has been used by the national ombudsman. This potential, along with the accessibility of these organizations for the citizens, could be of a great use to the local public mediators, not only in their work on definite cases but also for raising public awareness on their operation.
 During the discussion that followed, the participants debated on the Draft Law on Local Self-Government, proposed by the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as on a wide range of necessary changes, consolidating the independence of the local mediators and their role of guarantees for better administrative services and observance of the civil rights. The idea of elaborating unified regulations, governing their status and activities, was referred to as well. Some other issues were also discussed, such as the standardization of the terms of office, the local ombudsmen’s legal status and the possibilities for the public mediators to participate in the municipal councils’ sessions.
 The public mediators participating in the event decided to prepare a statement on the behalf of the National Association of the Public Mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria on the Draft Law on Local Self-Government. They also highlighted the important role of the Center for the Study of Democracy for the introduction of the public mediator institution, for the permanent support of their work and for facilitating of the contacts between them and the national ombudsman.
Program (PDF, 117 KB)
List of participants (PDF, 132 KB)
Statute of The National Association of the Public Mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria (PDF, 185 KB, in Bulgarian)
Draft Law on Local Self-Government (PDF, 419 KB, in Bulgarian)
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