Government administration in Guinea is organized in several levels falling under the Ministre de l’Administration du Territoire et des Affaires Politiques.
This division comprises of 8 regions, 33 prefectures and more than 100 sub-prefectures. Communes and districts complete the division at the lowest level of administration. Districts can be found in the Guinean interior whereas communes are found in urban areas such as the capital of Conakry. The capital is a special zone and is a local authority as well as a decentralized constituency. Five different municipalities exist within the boundaries of Conakry. District leaders are elected by the local community, all other posts such as governors of regions are appointed by the president. Local elections were last held in 2005 and are valid for a period of five years. New elections are not yet planned awaiting a decision from the central government which was elected in 2010 following a period of military rule and political unrest.
Although local government has been stated as important since 1986 the actual implementation remains difficult. A 2006 document released by the National Directorate of Decentralization identified some recurring and persistent challenges. Among these were; resistance to decentralization from central government, lack of funds, expertise and coordination between different programmes. In reference to the recommendations made by the Directorate some attempts to improve the legal position of local government and cooperation with other stakeholders i.e. development organizations were made. No legally important reforms were initiated due to national political unrest. Since the march 2010 national elections which were deemed fair and open the political climate has stabilized.
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Local development in Guinea after the transitional period will be dependent on external aid and focus on themes such as poverty alleviation, health, sanitation and further stabilizing the political and economic situation. Several aid organizations have already showed their support for such projects. Further sustainable development of local government will however require localities to become more independent. To achieve a strong nationwide basis, organizations such as the Association des Maires de Guinée can support in for example lobbying to create a strong legal framework for local authorities.
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