Municipal council (Arab Union)

In the Union of Arab Republics (UAR; informally the Arab Union), the multiple municipalities/local councils, which make up all land area of all 20 republics, each have a municipal council (Arabic: مجلس البلدية majlis al-baladiyah; pl. مجالس البلدية majālis al-baladiyah), which depending on the form of municipal government is either a strictly legislative body or an executive–legislative authority.

In the mayor–council form of government, the more popular form (used by nearly two-thirds of municipalities), the citizens of the municipality directly elect a mayor, who appoints members to his cabinet (called an executive council), which acts as the mayor's executive authority; the separately elected municipal council acts as a legislative body at the municipal level, deliberating upon and passing bylaws, property and business taxes, and other civil and municipal laws; the municipal council elects a chairperson to moderate proceedings. In the lesser used council–manager form, which represents almost two-fifths of municipalities, the municipal council is elected and functions in the same way, passing all the municipality's bylaws, but the chairperson has the additional responsibility of appointing the municipal/city manager, who acts as the executive authority to enforce the municipal council's bylaws, with the manager forming his own executive council (cabinet) composed of members drawn from the municipal council.