TIRANA, July 31 /ATA/ The co-chair of the Special Commission on Administrative-Territorial Reform, Arbjan Mazniku, said on Friday that the draft proposal for the new territorial map is based on the principle of ensuring proportional representation for the towns and cities that will form the new municipalities, with the detailed implementation to be set out in the Electoral Code.
Mazniku said the draft does not specify the procedures for electing local representatives but instead establishes the principle that representation should reflect the relative size of the towns and cities comprising each municipality.
“This draft law introduces the principle that representation must be proportional, while the Electoral Code will define the mechanism for implementing it. The law itself is intended to regulate the territorial map and does not address how local representatives are elected, as that falls under the Electoral Code. Instead, it establishes the principle of maintaining proportional representation among the towns and cities that comprise each municipality,” Mazniku said.
Mazniku said adopting the new territorial map this year is essential to meet the legal deadline for the May 2027 local elections. He added that the map is only the first of four pillars of the administrative-territorial reform, with work on the remaining three components set to continue next year.
Mazniku said adopting the new territorial map this year is essential to meet the legal deadline for the May 2027 local elections. He added that the map is only the first of four pillars of the administrative-territorial reform, with work on the remaining three components set to continue next year.
Mazniku said the reform also envisages revising local government responsibilities by clearly defining municipalities’ powers and organisation, alongside overhauling local finances through changes to grant allocation, fiscal equalisation and municipalities’ ability to generate revenue.
Mazniku said another pillar of the reform is regionalisation, under which groups of municipalities would coordinate economic, infrastructure and territorial development strategies.
He stressed that the new territorial map is only one of four pillars of the reform and is being prioritised to meet the timeline for the May 2027 local elections. The remaining components—including revising local government powers, reforming municipal finances and introducing regionalisation—will continue to be developed over the next year.
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