Council of Europe: Government in Cyprus ‘too centralized’

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Europe’s leading human rights organization says Cyprus remains a “very centralized country” where local authorities are too dependent on state hand-outs and not adequately financed to provide municipal services. The Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities said Wednesday that the sphere of local government on the east Mediterranean island nation “remains limited” relative to European standards. The report’s authors say Cypriot Finance Ministry officials acknowledge that many municipalities lack financial autonomy, cannot meet the needs of their populations and face “considerable financial problems.”  The report noted the Cypriot government has a local government reform plan that lawmakers are expected to eventually approve.