Dear partners, readers and friends,

You are holding the Fourth Annual Newsletter Edition in English of the Foundation for Local Government Reform, as we continue our tradition of providing you yearly digested information about local democracy issues and local self-government accomplishments in Bulgaria. In this edition you will find a chronological selection of 19 articles, published in FLGR s monthly newsletter throughout the past year. We hope it is useful to you, as well as representative of our key activities.

The most significant event in Bulgarian local self-government in 1999 were October local elections, which introduced a third term of democratically elected mayors and council members in our country. Thus, ensuring continuity in local governance has been a principle commitment for all of us, working for and with local authorities. Disseminating best practice information is still one of the most effective ways to achieve that.

In addition to this traditional Annual Newsletter we already offer you a faster frequency tool to acquire more and in-depth information about us and Bulgarian local self-government issues. FLGR s web site, launched in 1999 and recently redesigned and renovated, is the source of which we encourage you to take full advantage now.

The entire FLGR team wishes you enjoyable reading and browsing!

Your comments, suggestions and further inquiries are always welcome.

Ginka Kapitanova,

Executive Director