In Bautzen, specifically in the rural districts of Kleinwelka, Niederkaina, Salzenforst-Bolbritz, and Stiebitz, new Ortschaftsräte have been elected on June 9, 2024. These Ortschaftsräte, composed of 23 individuals, will work towards representing the interests of the citizens in their respective areas for the upcoming five-year term.
The Ortschaftsräte play a crucial role in decision-making processes concerning measures that impact their specific district. Additionally, they are consulted on important matters affecting the entire city, such as determining contributions and fees, amending statutes, and police regulations.
In Kleinwelka, five parties and voter associations fielded a total of nine candidates for the Ortschaftsrat. The results of the election in Kleinwelka are as follows: CDU (3 seats), AfD (1 seat), Gemeinschaftlich für Kleinwelka (1 seat). Notable candidates elected in Kleinwelka include Holger Jatzke, Dorit Kumpe, Volker Böhme from CDU, Peter Neitsch from AfD, and Sonja Weißbach from GfK.
In Niederkaina, a unique situation arose during the election due to a formal error resulting in the CDU list not being admitted. Consequently, only two individuals appeared on the ballot for the six seats in the Ortschaftsrat. In such cases, voters are allowed to write additional election proposals on the ballot, and the six candidates with the highest number of votes are elected. Elected candidates in Niederkaina include Sven Elger, Olaf Haschke, Undine Wowtscherk, Maik Hoppenz, Maik Schiller, and Norbert Haupt.
Salzenforst-Bolbritz also experienced a peculiar circumstance during the election as only five out of the six seats were filled. This was due to the strong performance of the AfD, which should have secured two seats with 36% of the votes but only presented one candidate, resulting in the forfeiture of one seat. The election outcome in Salzenforst-Bolbritz includes CDU (3 seats), AfD (1 seat), and SPD (1 seat), with elected candidates like Daniel Mirtschink, Frank Schneider, Joachim Ziesch from CDU, Harald Mörbe from AfD, and Stefan Kieschnik from SPD.
Lastly, in Stiebitz, there was a joint electoral list with candidates from CDU and Bürgerbündnis. Voters had the opportunity to write their own election proposals on the ballot. The elected candidates in Stiebitz are Ronny Wollmann, Rainer Exner, Andrea Schmidt, Peter Kulke, Ina Neugärtner, and Danilo Roll.
These Ortschaftsräte will play a vital role in representing and addressing the needs and concerns of the residents in the respective districts of Bautzen for the next five years.