Vietos savivaldos raida Lietuvoje 1990–2010 metais

Šiame straipsnyje, kurį sudaro dvi dalys, apibūdinami svarbiausi dabartiniu metu Lietuvoje egzistuočios vietos savivaldos sistemos ir jos raidos per dvidešimt metų (1990–2010 m.) aspektai. Pirmoje dalyje rašoma apie vietos savivaldos teritorinį organizavimo pagrindą –valstybės teritorijos administracinių vienetų sistemą bei jos pertvarką, apibūdinama vietos savivaldos teisinė aplinka, jos formavimas (-is) ir reikšmė, kuriant demokratinę savivaldą Lietuvoje, parodoma vietos savivaldybės ir vietos savivaldos sąvokų apibrėžimų kaita.

The article reveals important aspects of current situation of local government and its development over 20 years (from 1990 to 2010): development and changes of the administrative division over past 20 years, the importance and place of the local government in the system of public government, as well as nature of relations between local government and state authorities over past 10 years. The article also deals with local government legal regulation and its changes over past 20 years and reveals the definition of local self-government and its basic changes. From 2000 there are functioning just 60 municipalities (lower administrative unit of the territory of the State with the guaranteed right to self-government) in Lithuania and in the 2/3 of them lives from 10 to 50 thousands of citizens. This situation is estimated positively in terms of financial capacity but it reduces the capacity of local democracy as well. Despite all the efforts, the reform of administrative division is not completed and the aims of the first and the second stages of the reform are not reached. [...]