On Wednesday Vilnius district the mayor of the municipality, Robert Duchnevič, wrote to the Minister of Justice, Ewelina Dobrowolska, asking her to consider adding mayors to the list of entities that can perform the marriage registration ceremony.
According to the mayor R. Duchnevičius, the marriage ceremony with the participation of the mayor of the municipality would become much more attractive, especially because the marriage registration ceremony can be organized not only in the premises of the civil registry office, but also in places chosen by the newlyweds in the territory of Vilnius district.
"We are asking the Ministry of Justice to evaluate the possibility of allowing municipal mayors to read the marriage record and thus marry the newlyweds. The practice of foreign countries shows that such a decision has worked. For example, in Poland marriages granted by the city's president or mayor are very positively received by the couples getting married, improve the image of the municipality and supplement the budget funds", says R. Duchnevič.
In the appeal to the minister, it is indicated that after the change of the Law on Local Self-Government from 2023, the mayor of the municipality is the executive authority of the municipality (the head of the municipality), who has the powers of municipal government and public administration, and is responsible for the direct implementation of laws, Government resolutions and decisions of the municipal council. In addition, this law establishes that one of the state functions (transferred by the state to municipalities) is the registration of acts of civil status.
The letter states that taking this into account, the mayor of the municipality could be given the authority to grant marriage.
Since 2016 in the current rules approved by order of the Minister of Justice, it is stated that a marriage is registered by making a marriage registration record. At the time of marriage registration, after an employee of the civil registry office or consular office has read the entry of marriage, the spouses and witnesses sign in the required sections of it.
According to R. Duchnevičius, the provision providing for employees who can read the record of marriage during marriage registration should be more flexible and give the mayor of the municipality the opportunity to conduct the marriage ceremony as well.
"We hope that the number of marriages will increase as a result, which would have a positive impact on the municipal budget as well." Each municipality could set a special holiday, an event during which the newlyweds, if they wanted, could use the opportunity to be married by the mayor", notes R. Duchnevič.
