Regional Governments

- Constitution of Suriname

CHAPTER XXI THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS

First Section
IN GENERAL

Article 159
The democratic order of the Republic of Suriname comprises inferior government organs on the regional level, whose function, organization, competence and operation mode shall be regulated by law in accordance with the principles of participatory democracy and decentralization of administration and legislation.

Second Section
PARTITIONING OF THE TERRITORY

Article 160

The partitioning of the Territory into districts and of districts into departments shall be regulated by law. The following criteria shall apply for the partitioning in districts and departments:
- the concentration of the population;
- the potential for development;
- the feasibility of administering the territory;
- the availability of infrastructure;
- the location of the center of administration.
The boundaries of the districts are the boundaries indicated in the decree “Districtenindeling 1983" (S.B. 1983 Nr. 24).

Third Section
REGIONAL REPRESENTATION

Article 161

There are two representative bodies on the regional level: the district councils and the department councils.
The district council is the supreme political-administrative organ of the district.
The department council is the supreme political-administrative organ of the department.

DISTRICT COUNCILS

Article 162
The composition of the district councils takes place after general, free and secret elective franchise in the departments of the district concerned. The seats in the district council are given to the representative political organizations with a seat in the department councils of the district concerned, in proportion to the total number of seats they acquired in the department councils.

DEPARTMENT COUNCILS

Article 163
The composition of the department councils takes place after general, free and secret elective franchise within the department. The order of election of the representatives is determined by the counting order of received personal votes. All available seats shall be so granted. Without prejudice to other legal requirements with regard to eligibility in representative bodes, the candidates for a department council or a district council shall have their main and real residence in the department or district concerned.

Fourth Section
COMPETENCE

Article 164
The regional representative bodes and the regional administrative organs participate in the preparation, creation and the execution of the regional district plans and department plans. Other specific tasks shall be regulated by law.

Article 165
The financial provisions for the districts and departments shall be determined by law; they envisage among other things to promote the reasonable and equitable division of funds in the districts.

Article 166
The Government exercises supervision over the districts, in the manner and in the cases provided by law.

Fifth Section
MODE OF OPERATION

Article 167
The district councils and department councils express the will and the aspiration of the inhabitants. The district councils shall manifest those to the National Assembly, whereas the department councils shall do so to the district councils.

The district councils shall be bound to inform the department councils about measures taken or opinions that are held, which concern the department councils. This obligation shall also apply to department councils in relation to the district council.

Article 168

The opportunity shall be granted to the elected district representatives to participate in the formulation and the creation of the national and regional development policy.
The district council shall have the power to delegate its representatives to participate in the development council for the national development.
The district councils shall have the power to forward proposals that concern their own district for further treatment to the ministerial departments concerned.