.jpg)
The Republic of the Congo adopted a new constitution in 2002 ending the turbulent nineties in which political and civil strife upset the country. The new constitution emphasized local authorities as the primary agents of the central government responsible for the protection of local population interests and needs. Institutionally the Congo is divided into a total of 12 departments headed by a prefect who is appointed by central government. Among these twelve departments are the urban areas of Pointe Noire and the capital Brazzaville. A further division of 86 rural districts and 7 urban communes exist, Pointe Noire and Brazzaville have a special double status being a district as well as commune. Local elections originally planned for 2007 are supposed to be held every five years electing local community councils. These elections were postponed for February 2011 and later to February 2012.
Â
Although the 2002 constitution provided for certain fields of responsibilities for local authorities such as education, health and policing ,the repeated postponement of local elections have weakened the position of local government. Issues such as lack of capacity, funding and training hamper national as well as local government to adequately implement legislation. The Republic of the Congo lacks a a comprehensive legislative framework to improve living conditions and the capacities of the Congolese population on the local level. Efforts to improve this situation are being coordinated in cooperation with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization.
Â
Development projects supported by national government in cooperation with various national and international stakeholders take form mostly as humanitarian aid. Providing better access to water and healthcare, improving agriculture and social as well as physical infrastructure take precedence over bolstering local government institutions. The Association des Maires du Congo(AMC) has recently called for a more active stance of mayors and local leaders to take matters of urban and rural improvement more into their own hands.
|
