Azerbaijani Parliament discusses draft law on municipalities at plenary session

At today's meeting of the Regional Affairs Committee of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament), the draft law on merger, separation, and abolition of municipalities was discussed, Azernews reports.

After the discussions, the draft laws were put to a vote and recommended to the plenary session of the parliament.

To recall, at today's meeting of the Regional Affairs Committee of the Milli Majlis, the draft law on merger, separation and abolition of municipalities was discussed.

The agenda of the meeting included the discussion of 3 issues.

Those issues are discussed:

1. Draft amendment to the law "On joint activity, merger, separation, and liquidation of municipalities" (first reading).

2. Draft amendment to the law "On the status of municipalities" (first reading).

3. Draft law "On making partial changes in the administrative territorial division of Absheron region".

According to the draft amendment to the law "On the Status of Municipalities", as a result of their organisation or reorganisation, the creation of municipalities with a population of less than 3 thousand people or less than 1000 households will be allowed, taking into account the socio-economic situation, history, and other local characteristics that arise in them. Accounting of the intended households will be carried out in accordance with the procedure determined by the body (institution) determined by the relevant executive authority.

With another proposed amendment to the law, municipalities with a population of less than 3,000 people or less than 1,000 households during the last 2 years of the 4 years following the year of the last municipal elections in the country and taking into account the socio-economic situation, history, and other local characteristics will be merged with other municipalities by the decision of the Assembly.

As a result of merger and separation, the establishment of municipalities with a population of less than 3,000 people and (or) a number of households of less than 1,000 units will be allowed, taking into account the socio-economic situation, history, and other local characteristics that arise in them.

In the above-mentioned case, the merging of municipalities will be carried out in the following manner:

- Each merging municipality will submit its opinion on the merger to the Milli Majlis for consideration;

- The Milli Majlis will decide in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the merger of that municipality with another municipality, taking into account the socio-economic situation, history, and other local characteristics of a municipality with a population of less than 3000 people or a number of households less than 1000 units. The name of the newly created municipality will be determined according to the name of the municipality with the largest population among the merged municipalities.