The Solomon Islands are a constitutional monarchy with a three tiered structure of government, national, provincial and local. Sub national governments are specifically mentioned in the constitution of the Solomon Islands which makes it obligatory for parliament to make provisions for local government structures on the provincial level as well as in the capital city of Honiara. The country is divided into ten administrative areas, these are nine, mostly rurally-based, provinces and Honiara. The nine provinces all have provincial assemblies which are elected directly every four years. Elections for six of the nine provinces was moved forwards in 2010 following changes in the electoral procedures. The capital city Honiara has its own city council and is the only established local government institution on the Solomon Islands. Its council is part elected (sixteen out of twenty members) and part appointed by the Minister of Provincial Government (four out of twenty). Elections take place every four years most recently in 2010. Below the provincial tier of government many traditional laws and regulations are in action in villages and rural areas and these play an important role in the day to day lives of the people of the Solomon Islands.
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Main legislative text on which local government is based is the Local Government Act of 1996 which enables the Minister to establish local, regional and provincial council committees. As of yet the Ministry has made use of these powers to establish councils on the provincial level and in Honiara. The Provincial Government Act of 1997 and the Honiara City Act of 1999 were drafted as supportive legislation in the establishment of these provincial and city council(s). More recent changes in local government legislature concern the new periods for election developed in 2002 and 2005, carried out in 2010 as mentioned above.
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Although local government is well provided for in the constitution and subsequent legislation on the Solomon Islands its actual practice is somewhat limited. As of yet Honiara remains the only true local government institution. Provincial leaders and councils meet annually to discuss common sub-national issues with central government. The Honiara city council experienced some initial problems but is now focusing on increasing its capacity through among other things the CLGF Pacific Capacity Building Project in Honiara City Council. Another project initiated by the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination focuses on improving local and provincial agricultural and rural capacities. The goals of this development scheme are for example ‘Respond to rural communities demand for greater participation in political and economic development’.
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