Following the departure of Schifflange council member Admir Civovic and four commission members from The Left, questions have been raised as to which politician or which party rightfully holds the respective seats. Civovic and the others announced their decision to leave shortly after the municipal elections, citing bad vibes, jealousy, and lack of communication in the local Left section as reasons for their departure.
According to Raoul Albonetti from The Left, “communication was not substantial since Mr Civovic was absent most of the time”. For them, Civovic’s seat clearly belongs to the party, as does the representation on the local commissions.
Since legislation around commission positions lacks clarity, Schifflange Mayor Paul Weimerskirsch from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) forwarded the issue to the legal team at the Ministry for Home Affairs, who concluded the following: “Posts that have been voted on have not been declared vacant, which is why they remain with the people that held them before their departure.”
When asked about the situation, Mayor Weimerskirch stated that “my democratic understanding tells me that this is something that you don’t do.” He therefore recommends that The Left take the issue to the administrative court, which is exactly what the party plans on doing.
Marc Baum accordingly noted: “Our interpretation is clear, if we have the right to nominate people, then we also have the right to recall them. And that is what we will demand from the administrative tribunal if necessary.”
Civovic and the four commission members meanwhile prefer the interpretation of the Home Affairs Ministry and will not step down: “We want to help work constructively in those commissions. We cannot be forced to do anything. Last week, The Left sent us prefabricated resignation letters. We absolutely do not see why we should do that.”
For the time being, Civovic has not changed to a different party and remains an independent.
