September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: Major civil society organisations on Thursday vowed to resist any attempt by the government to roll back the local government (LG) system introduced by the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

“we will resist any attempt, manipulation or effort by any quarter to abolish or drastically change the (LG) system,” said a group of 16 NGOs at a discussion-cum-press conference on “Changes on the local government system and people's perspective” hosted by South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK).

They declared that the LG system must be retained with some necessary changes, which should make it more responsive, transparent and accountable.

They also asked the federal government to stop meddling in the affairs of the local government.

The NGOs said every provincial government must have all powers to frame their own local government system according to their ground realties and they should also be allowed financial autonomy.

“There should not be any amendment in the LG system without a debate in the provincial assemblies as the local government is a provincial subject,” they said.

The NGOs demanded the political parties to take clear position on the LG system and ensure its sustainability, efficacy and usefulness.

They also asked the government to immediately set up various LG system related structures, including LG commission and district ombudsman.

They said the local government system has enhanced the people's ownership and representation at large of the marginalised sections of the society like religious minorities, womenfolk, peasant and workers and made bureaucracy answerable to the elected representatives.

They also pointed out gaps in the system and said uniform local system was not viable to every province.

They said the gaps should be filled to improve the efficacy of the system. “We expect from the democratically elected government that it would use more of its energies and resources to strengthen local government system as democratic process is not complete without the presence of this tier of government,” they said.

The NGOs, including South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK), Aurat Foundation, Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO), SUNGI, Development Foundation, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Village Friends Organization (VFO), Insaani Haqooq Ittehad (IHI), attended the discussion.

Local government system has three tiers; distrcit, tehsil and union council and it is based upon on five fundamentals of devolution of political power, decentralisation of administrative authority, decentralisation of management functions, diffusion of power nexus and distribution of resources at different levels.