(2) For this purpose Parliament shall provide for the institutions of a country-wide system of local government through the establishment of organs of local democratic power as an integral part of the political organisation of the State.

72. (1) Parliament may provide for the division of Guyana (sane for any areas excluded by it) into ten regions and into such sub-regions and other subdivisions as it may deem fir for the purpose of organising local democratic organs.

(2) In defining the boundaries of any areas into which Guyana may be divided under paragraph (1) account shall be taken of the population, the physical size, the geographical characteristics, the economic resources and the existing and planned infrastructure of each area, as well as the possibilities of facilitating the most rational management and use of such resources and infrastructure, with a view to ensuring that the area is or has the potential for becoming economically viable.

73. (1) Members of a regional democratic council shall be elected by persons residing in the region and registered as electors for the purpose of article 159:

Provided that Parliament may make provision for any areas which do not form part of any region to be represented on the regional democratic council of any region near to which it is situate for such purposes as Parliament may prescribe.

(2) Elections of members of regional democratic councils shall be held and the councils shall be dissolved at such times as, subject to paragraph (3), the President may appoint by proclamation.

(3) The interval between any two successive dissolutions of a regional democratic council shall not exceed five years and four months:

Provided that, if at the expiration of that period the duration of Parliament has been extended under article 70(4), that period shall not be deemed to come to an end until the expiration of the period for which the duration of Parliament has been extended.

74. (1) It shall be the primary duty of local democratic organs to ensure in accordance with law the efficient management and development of their areas and to provide leadership by example.

(2) Local democratic organs shall organise popular co-operation in respect of the political, economic, cultural and social life of their areas and shall co-operate with the social organisations of the working people.

(3) It shall be the duty of local democratic organs to maintain and protect public property, improve working and living conditions, promote the social and cultural life of the people, raise the level of civic consciousness, preserve law and order, consolidate socialist legality and safeguard the rights of citizens.

75. Parliament may provide for local democratic organs to take decisions which are binding upon their agencies and institutions, and upon the communities and citizens of their areas.

76. Parliament may provide for regional democratic councils to raise their own revenues and to dispose of them for the benefit and welfare of their areas.

77. The development programme of each region shall be integrated into the national development plans, and the Government shall allocate funds to each region to enable it to implement its development programme.

78. Parliament may make provision for the election of members of local democratic organs (including the commencement of balloting before the day appointed for holding an election) and for all other matters relating to their membership, powers, duties, functions and responsibilities.

79. There shall be a National Congress of Local Democratic Organs which shall have responsibility for representing the interests of local government in Guyana and such other duties and functions as may be assigned to it by this Constitution or by any other law.

80. (1) The members of the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs shall be elected by and from among the members of such local democratic organs as may be prescribed by Parliament.

(2) Elections of members of the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs shall be held and the Congress shall be dissolved at such times as, subject to paragraph (3), the President may appoint by proclamation.

(3) The interval between any two successive dissolutions of the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs shall not exceed five years and four months:

Provided that, if at the expiration of that period the duration of Parliament has been extended under article 70(4), that period shall not be deemed to come to an end until the expiration of the period for which the duration of Parliament has been extended.

81. Parliament may make provision for all other matters relating to the establishment, membership and functions of the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs, for the election of the members thereof and for effective participation by them through the Congress in the decision-making processes of the State.