AKIPRESS.COM - Official opening of the posters’ exhibition dedicated to citizen participation in municipal life and transparency of local self-governments took place on November 2 at Aitiev National Art gallery in Bishkek.

Until November 19, guests of the Gallery will have a chance to see posters of artists who participated in the competition “Live better: here and now, 2017”. Around 180 posters were submitted for the competition by more than 80 authors, the Swiss Embassy said.

The competition’s aim was to visualize problems faced by local governments and local communities as well as to identify solutions and good practices.

Artists and authors of the posters from different regions of Kyrgyzstan, representatives of the State Agency on local self-governance and interethnic relations under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as representatives of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic participated in the opening ceremony. During the event, winners and successful participants received awards.

“I am convinced that the visual art works that we see today will encourage citizens of Kyrgyzstan, including women, youth and vulnerable groups, to actively participate in the life of their communities and get involved in local self-governance,” said Lucien Aegerter, representative of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The competition was organized by the “Municipalitet” magazine under the “Voice of citizens and accountability of local self-governments: budgetary process” project funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project aims at more transparent and effective management of local finances by local self-governments through increased accountability and citizen participation in decision making processes.