2024-04-29 04:31:00
Incredible and regrettable what happened yesterday in the Deliberative Council of the city of Neuquén. Contravening the concept of citizen participation, established in the municipal organic charter, the neighbors who wanted to participate in an ordinary session where a very important issue that affects their interests and that of the entire community was discussed, found themselves with the access gate to the town house (his house) closed with a padlock! Citizens who want to exercise their right to listen to what their representatives have to say in the session saw it curtailed. Out of respect for the neighbors who approached, all older and without hoods or sticks, they should have treated them with dignity. Those responsible for such a decision should be punished for such a decision.
The place of debates, which is supposed to be the sounding board for what is happening in the city, is closed to the same residents who gave their vote to those who now turn their backs on them.
A separate chapter is what happened in the debate on something as simple as processing the request for a public hearing signed by more than 13,000 residents. They only had to approve their treatment and set a date for completion, however, it was given a political overtone that it really didn’t have.
False interpretations about the reason for the request motivated a long debate with ridiculous and contradictory arguments; others read without looking up from a prepared script, poverty in the ideas expressed and some arrogance. There were also very well-founded arguments by young councilors, which give a light of hope that all is not lost. Hopefully a new policy will come, with intelligent debates, innovative ideas, raising the level of discussion, that will not be resolved alone, by the force of the majority vote.
In short, a slap in the face to citizen participation.
I call for the active participation of neighbors to change this situation of democratic decadence that we are experiencing. Think, propose and participate!
Ricardo Dougall
10532537
Neuquen
1714365986
#Frustrated #participation