The institutional division of Liberia consists out of 15 counties, the latest of which was created in 2001. The country is further divided into 68 districts and a large number of clans. Counties are headed by superintendants who are directly appointed by the president as well district commissioners and city mayors who form the last line of officials from the central government, within the districts so called paramount chiefs play a pivotal role. Like the government officials the paramount chiefs are appointed, not by central government but through existing tribal systems. Officials hold their positions for a period of six years. National parliamentary and presidential elections were most recently held in 2005 and are planned to take place again in 2011.
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Although local elections have never taken place in Liberia as of yet and no local government authority exists in the country, the national government in cooperation with several external organizations supports local government. Following the national elections of 2005 Liberia started a course towards decentralization with the comprehensive Liberian Decentralization and Local Development Programme (LDLD). This programme firstly focuses on the legal restructuring of the concept of local government in Liberia. Clearly demarcating responsibilities and roles of different institutional divisions, clarifying the role of central government administration and for example assisting in the management of local government subsidies. Although municipal elections were planned for 2008 the high court decided that the president was allowed to appoint mayors due to a lack of resources. The issue of appointed officials on district and municipal level remains to draw criticism from the public, showing the willingness from local populations to further develop local government.
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External aid organizations investing and developing in the fields of poverty reduction combined with a cooperative stance by the central government can provide the right context for further development. The LDLD with its specific focus on local government development requires this context to create a sustainable foundation for localities to build on.
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