Download
1 / 82
E N D
Introduction • The founding principle of local government is that citizens have the right to influence the decisions that affect their lives and their communities. Sometimes they may exercise this right through personalized services and sometimes by influencing local services – for example, by having a direct say over how their neighborhood is policed. And sometimes it will be through lobbying their council.
But a key way in which local citizens are able to exercise that right is theirability to elect a strong local council which can lead and shape their area
LG has to be based on Local democracyBut To what extent LG represent Peoples’ preferences and rights .
There is a large and untapped pool of people who would like more say in what happens in their area. It is right that both central and local government do more to give them greater direct control over the decisions that affect their lives and their community and councils are doing much to help them explore the opportunities available to engage and participate. But we must also recognize that in today’s time poor society, citizens only have limited time to give.
So councils must be fully equipped with the powers they need to act decisively and effectively on behalf of their citizens: the powers and ability to scrutinize, influence and shape other services. This is a much stronger role for local government, placing it firmly at the centre of decision making in their community.
Legitimacy and Accountability • Representation Legitimacy is based on democratic election, but it also correlated with the accountability of LG, depending on the remoteness of the councils to the population , on the scope of the electorate and on the role of political parties.
Electoral Systems and Political parties Local elections tend to follow the pattern adopted in national elections except in the case of smaller communities.
Local government structure in UK • Across the country, local governmental bodies are organized into a mixture of one-tier and two-tier systems. How local system is arranged will depend upon where you live.
Mayor of London – Every 4 years Makes plans for London’s future and is responsible for London’s transport, economic development, culture, healthy living, police and fire brigade. 25 Members of Greater London Authority – Every 4 years Keeps check on Mayor Local Councillors – 600 Councillors across UK London – Borough or Metropolitan District Council (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool) England – County Council or District Council Scotland or Wales – Unitary authority Parish, town and community councils – 10 000
County and district councils • In most of England, there are two levels: a county council and a district council. County councils cover large areas and provide most public services, including schools, social services, and public transportation. • Each county is divided into several districts. District councils cover smaller areas and provide more local services, including council housing, gyms and leisure facilities, local planning, recycling and trash collection. District councils with borough or city status may be called borough councils or city councils instead of district council, but their role is exactly the same.
Unitary authorities • In most large towns and cities, and in some small counties, there will be just one level of local government responsible for all local services. These are called a 'unitary authority'. Depending where they are in the country, these may be called metropolitan district councils, borough councils, city councils, county councils, or district councils. • In London, each borough is a unitary authority, but the Greater London Authority (the Mayor and Assembly) provides London-wide government with responsibility for certain services like transport and police.
Cont., • In April 2009, the government introduced unitary governments in seven regions in England; reducing 44 local authorities down to just nine. The idea was to simplify the system, as local residents were increasingly confused about which local authority was responsible for local services. • In Scotland there is a unitary system with one level of local government. In Northern Ireland, there are local councils, but most services are carried out by other organizations.
Town and parish councils • In some parts of England there are also town and parish councils, covering a smaller area. In Wales, they are called community councils. • They're responsible for services like allotments, public toilets, parks and ponds, war memorials, and local halls and community centers. They are sometimes described as the third tier of local government. • In Scotland there are community councils with fewer powers. There is no equivalent in Northern Ireland.
local election • In a local election, They vote for the councilors who run for their local services. • Councilors are elected for a term of four years, though in some areas they're not all elected at the same time, so elections may take place more often. • Local elections will take place in some areas of England on 5 May 2011.
How to vote for local authorities • The way they vote for local councilors is similar to voting for Members of Parliament in a general election. In England and Wales, the candidate who gets the most votes wins – this is called a 'first-past-the-post' voting system. • When voting in a local election, the ballot paper will list all the candidates standing to be a councilor in each area. Everyone may be asked to vote for more than one candidate, depending on where they live. • In Scotland and Northern Ireland, voters are asked to rank the candidates in order of preference. This is called the 'single transferable vote' system, a form of proportional representation.
Generally • Councilors are elected by a majority vote for a single seat , and a single ballot. • The result is that party composition may be very unrepresentative of the balance of voters throughout the local authority area.
Sweden • National and Local elections are held on the same day . • All elections are based on proportional representation. • This gives the political parties more influence over the composition of the Local councils. • The most elaborate party rules on the nomination of candidates are those of the conservative party which has an internal nomination procedure with secret ballot by party members.
France • It is the most complicated. • For each level of Local government , there is a different electoral system , and several at the municipal level, national pp dominate local elections too .
At the municipal level, there are 3 different electoral systems. • In communes under 3500 inhabitants : any candidate of the list is elected if he has won the absolute majority. • In communes of less 2500 inhabitants : individuals or incomplete lists can run for elections. • In communes with more than 3500 it is a 2 round ballot.
At the department level, G. councilors are elected on a uninominal majority ballot. • At the regional level, R. councilors are elected on a proportional representation. • In France , the local organization of pp is based on the level of the department.
Hungary • Municipal council under 10000 inhabitants is elected according to plurinominal majority rule. • In cities over 10000 inhabitants two electoral systems are adopted : ½ of the councilors are elected through proportional representation, and the other half is elected directly in constituencies according to a majority uninominal ballot.
Poland • Municipal councils are carried out in a single round through uninominal majority ballot in communes up to 40000 inhabitants. • In constituencies of more than 40000 proportional representation is applied.
The main point of the 1998 election law is that elections to local councils in municipalities with fewer than twenty thousand residents are won by majority, but in municipalities with more than twenty thousand residents a proportional system is implemented.
Under the new election law, candidates for councilor can be nominated by (1) voters (in municipalities with fewer than twenty thousand residents, twenty-five signatures are needed to nominate a candidate; in municipalities with over twenty thousand residents, one hundred fifty petitioners are required), (2) social organizations and (3) political parties.
The election law states that the basic territorial unit for local council elections is the constituency, which numbers between five hundred and three thousand residents. Constituencies form electoral districts. One electoral district (ward) is represented by between one and five councilors in municipalities with fewer than twenty thousand residents (in practice, usually one councilor per district) and by five to ten councilors in municipalities with more than twenty thousand residents.
Neither Hungary nor Poland provides for D. elections to the council at the intermediate level.
Scope of the electorate The voter’s right determines eligibility since each voter may run for election , subject to exceptions intended to avoid conflicts of interest and secure the independent position of the councilors.
France • Hot debate for year , where left pp support and right pp oppose it.
Sweden , Hungary and Poland • In Sweden, foreign residents are entitled to vote to local elections (if they’ve been registered 3y before the elections) • In Hungary, foreign residents who live permanently may vote to local elections ,but may not be candidate. • In Poland, only Polish citizens may vote at local elections.
Remoteness and Propinquity This has to do with the size of LG, the number of elected councilors and the duration of mandates , as well as with the electoral and party system
Sweden • Local councils are free to determine the Nb. Of seats they have but not less than a min. fixed by the law according to the population.
Legitimacy and Accountability • Direct citizen participation More direct citizen participation in LG is increasingly considered necessary to make LG more responsive to the population.
UK • Local authorities are required to consult the business community before passing the budget or levying new taxes , which enhanced the cooperation between the local government and citizens.
France • Since the 70’s , Direct Participation has been promoted 1st in the field of planning and education. • The planning law has provided for the right of registered associations to be consulted on land-use and structural plans. • Parents elected representatives to secondary school board , their associations appoint representatives to education councils.
Sweden • Participation is achieved through pp, or organization representing various groups within the local communities. • Special pensioners’ councils , immigrant councils among others are a common form of participation. • The Swedish legislation doesn’t contain any list of issues on which referendums may be held.
Hungary • The municipal council must organize a local referendum on the merging or division of communes. • The council may also organize a referendum on any matter within its competence to confirm or approve a municipal regulation.
Compared with the reluctance vis-à-vis the direct participation of citizens in decision making in most WE countries, former socialist countries seems to consider that institutions of direct democracy as basic element of LSG.
Balance of Power • All countries have developed their own institutional models of LG; the models differ on 2main points: • The relationship between councils and executives. • The relationship between elected officials and professional officers.
Despite differences within the model , there is a general tendency towards more political leadership, both with respect to the council and professional officers .
Councils and Political leadership • In England , all powers are exercised exclusively by the elected councils. • Councils operate through committees which supervise departments or groups of departments. • Departments are headed by professional executives led by a non-political chief executive. “There is no division of power between executive and representative”
