This is an assessment by the Central Office for State Administration, which is expected to submit to Parliament a report on the implementation of the Constitutional Law on Ethnic Minorities' Rights in 2006 in the next few days, the Office's public relations manager, Suzana Grizelj, told Hina.
Under the Constitutional Law, ethnic minorities which make up at least 15 percent of the population of a municipality or a town, and at least five percent of the population of a county, have the right to representation in representative, executive and administrative local and regional self-government bodies.
Sixty-two towns and municipalities are legally bound to ensure representation for ethnic minorities in their representative, executive and administrative bodies.
According to data sent to the Central Office for State Administration by county offices, minority representation in executive bodies has been ensured by 51 local self-government units, while 40 units have ensured minority representation also in their administrative bodies.
Since the necessary minority representation was not achieved in the local elections in May in six local self-government units, this problem was solved with another election held in October.