We are more than willing to publish the opinions of various political parties that wish to express themselves on this topic.
Prohibition of the consultation in Roya? A denial of democracy!
If a prefect has the power to impose his interpretation of the law on municipalities wishing to organize a local referendum, he does not have the right to dictate their actions to citizens’ associations wishing to conduct a consultation with the population, which would have no legal value unless it is likely to disturb public order.
The citizen voting on the future of La Poste organized by parties, unions, and associations in October 2009 did not raise any debate about its legality.
The consultation scheduled for September 4 in Breil, Saorge, and La Brigue regarding the attachment of these municipalities to the CARF is of the same nature since it will be implemented by the Roya Citoyenne and Robila associations.
Should the Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes decide to prohibit it, he would clearly infringe on the freedom of association and democracy.
Instead of trying to stifle it, he would do better to question the reasons behind this civic mobilization, particularly his own departmental plan for inter-municipal cooperation which has already been rejected by the vote of 112 municipalities out of 163, 35 inter-municipal unions out of 38, and 11 public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation out of 14.
Patrick Allemand 1st Vice-President of the PACA Region
We warned some time ago about the dangers that the authoritarian drift of the current government and its local representatives pose to public freedoms.
The Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has just produced a worrisome illustration by threatening communes in the Roya Valley and their elected officials, as well as associations and their representatives.
What grave crime have they committed to be thus threatened with ruthless punishment by the representative of the State? The crime of wanting to organize a consultation with the population of municipalities affected by the new Departmental Intercommunal Cooperation Scheme, seeing the forced inclusion of their communities in the French Riviera Urban Community, and perhaps tomorrow in the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, as a threat to local democracy and their territorial autonomy, while wishing to organize themselves within a community of communes in Roya.
This is the offense that leads the Prefect to threaten sanctions against anyone who dares to engage in this exemplary democratic exercise; without any legal basis since he even threatens associations that have proposed, in the face of pressure exerted on mayors by the Prefect, to assist the municipalities in organizing this consultation.
Not only is opposition to the new law dismantling local authorities not tolerated, but the State does not hesitate to restrict the scope of public freedoms to prevent the expression, in the most democratic and republican way possible, of the opinion of populations directly affected by the guardianship of local authorities, primarily the communes. The loss of essential prerogatives by local authorities and the frontal challenge to their fiscal autonomy and all maneuvering room will evidently have consequences on the lives of each inhabitant of our communes.
On behalf of the Departmental Association of Communist and Republican Elected Officials, I call on all citizens, my fellow local elected officials, all associations to mobilize, beyond the diversity of convictions that animate us, to oppose this assault on the Republic and its fundamental values. The petition we launched at the end of June has already gathered thousands of signatures. Let us amplify the expression of our protest against this abuse of power and demand that these consultations be held so that local democracy is not gagged and scorned.
Francis TUJAGUE Mayor of Contes President of the Community of Communes of the Pays des Paillons General Councilor
Why so much hatred?
Two associations wish to organize a citizen voting intended to gauge the residents of the five municipalities in the Roya Valley about the project to integrate them into the French Riviera Urban Community…
It seems that the Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes wants to prevent, by all means, any consultation on this subject.
This stance leaves one bewildered…
First of all, the arguments he defends are perfectly inept from a legal standpoint. Moreover, the legality of citizen votings organized by associations has been recognized by case law (decision of the administrative court of Nîmes on September 30, 2009, regarding citizen voting on the future of La Poste).
Above all, one can question the utility of such obstinacy. Indeed, it is up to the Prefect, and him alone, to finalize the departmental scheme of intermunicipal cooperation. Therefore, he will not be bound in any way by the opinion expressed within the framework of this citizen voting.
Beyond the question asked, one can legitimately worry about the new prefect attacking so violently at the freedoms of association and expression. He seems afflicted with a phobia of democracy that bodes no good for the future.
Jean-Christophe Picard President of the PRG 06
Roya: will citizens be gagged?
For over a year now, the MoDem of the Alpes-Maritimes has been following the planned administrative reorganization of the five municipalities in Roya alongside the « Roya Citoyenne » association.
The work of this association has gradually imposed the difficult question of inter-municipality in the public debate. Today, two-thirds of municipal councilors and three mayors out of five are in favor of creating an autonomous community of communes in Roya.
While departmental decision-makers intend to lock the debate and maintain partisan control over all future institutions, the MoDem remains committed to highly democratic principles. This is why we were among those who worked for the disengagement from CARF, then promised to Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur, without any consultation of its inhabitants. This is why we support today the “popular consultation” planned for September 4 in Roya at the initiative of associations, since its organization was banned from the municipalities.
We call for the national and impartial arbitration of the Prefect, because it is up to him alone to finalize the departmental scheme of intermunicipal cooperation, after the opinion of the CDCI, reminding that the consultation on September 4 will not have any decision-making value.
Philippe Briand Vice-president of the MoDem 06 Laurence Forestier and André Robilliart Managers of the 4th constituency
