Local government in the Arab Union

Local government occupies the tertiary tier of public administration in the Arab Union, below the level of governorates and central (federal) government. While the Constitution of the Arab Union provides for three tiers of government, it sets out in detail the structure, jurisdictional hierarchy, limitations on authority, electoral process and separation of powers–and the underlying legal framework thereof–pertaining to the upper two tiers only, leaving the nature and function of local government ambiguous. The formation, structure and duties of local government are thus prescribed by the Local Authorities Act, 2001 which, as an identical bill ratified separately by the governorates, effects a uniform local government regime across the 20 republics of the Arab Union.

The basic unit of local government is the baladiya which, as a formally defined territorial entity administered by a local authority incorporated under the Act, is analogous to the township in Canada and the US, the English district, French or Italian commune, Spanish municipio, etc.