For administrative purposes the Dominican Republic has long been divided into provinces of which there are now a total of 31. The capital of Santo Domingo has a special status as a national district. Governors appointed by the president are placed at the head of the provinces. Below the provinces a further subdivision of second order administrative units exists. There are 112 municipalities corresponding with several cities, towns and villages, the 49 municipal districts correspond with the more rural areas of the country. At the municipal level a council is elected every 4 years in the congressional/ municipal elections, the mayor is also directly elected. Most recently these elections were held in 2010 and are due again in 2016 following an adjustment of the terms for elections. From 2016 onwards presidential, congressional and municipal elections will be held simultaneously instead of every 2 years.
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In addition to the establishment of the structure of local government, legislative texts also determine the powers of municipalities. These are in all limited as the central government holds the final say in areas such as education, social services, roads, electricity, and public works. Also municipalities have no independent power to levy taxes. Throughout the nineteen-nineties several attempts have been made to increase civil participation in national and local government in the fields of economy and poverty reduction. Structural changes in legislation to facilitate localities with more autonomy however have not been practically implemented yet.
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The development of local government is also steered by the national government. Workshops and training are being offered such as a workshop on "Socialization, Training and Adjustment of Municipal Offices for Planning" in 2010. This particular program has been executed by the Directorate General for Development and Land Management (DGDOT) in cooperation with a United Nations office. Another nationally coordinated program that is taking place in cooperation with international donors is the Dominican Republic Municipal Development Project which runs from 2010 to 2016. Some themes the project focuses on are the improvement of municipal administration and the development of rural infrastructures.
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