Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday 28 May 2016 / No comments
The features of the Conciliar type of Local Government
Introduction
The Conciliar system of local government originates from
Britain. It is a three-tier (level) system. At the top is the County Councils,
best suited for big cities like London. At the middle level, there is the
District Councils and a third tier made up of parish meetings, suited mainly for
rural or village areas.
FEATURES OF THE CONCILIAR SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Representative
The Councillors are elected by the people through the ballot
box. The election may or may not be contested on party political lines. The
elected Councillors have four-year tenure of office.
Reliance on committee
The Conciliar system relies heavily on committees. Every Council
has the power to appoint committees, and in most cases, all important matters that
come before the full council are first discussed by a committee.
Legislative dominance
Under the Conciliar system of local government, for a local
authority to exercise any function, those functions must be specifically vested
in it by a parliamentary statute. In other words, the council derives its power
directly from the legislature. The legislature dominates the local council.
Use of Aldermen
The Conciliar system makes use of Aldermen. Aldermen are
people who are elected by Councillors into the council. Some retired
Councillors, who are unable to stand for Local Council elections, are elected by the Councillors as aldermen.
Principle of co-option
The Conciliar system also rests on the principle off
co-option. That is, all local councils can appoint people from the public who are not council members to serve on
Council Committees.
Election of Ceremonial Mayor
Every council elects a ceremonial Mayor or chairman to
preside over council meetings. The Mayor may be elected from within or outside
the Council. The Mayor serves a one-year term and is subject to re-election.
Non-hierarchical
Each of the tiers is independent of the other. For example, the
County Councils do not have any powers over the district countries. Each of the
three units has a direct link with the central government.
ADVANTAGES OF THE
CONCILIAR SYSTEM
Experience of Aldermen
The use of aldermen enables the councils to enjoy the
experiences and services of past Councillors who had served with distinction.
Reduction of workload
The Local Council is relieved of much of its workload. This is
as the result of the use of the Committees system.
It is democratic
Since the Councillors are elected directly by the people, it
can be described as democratic. Through Council elections, democracy is brought
to the doorsteps of the individual.
Choice of good representatives
The Conciliar type of local government, being
representative helps those at the grassroots to choose good people to represent
them.
DISADVANTAGES
Dangers of partisanship at the local level
The Conciliar type of local government allows election on
party lines. This introduces the dangers of party politics into local
government, such as rancour and divisiveness.
Undemocratic
The system where some members of the Council are co-opted
means that the electors do not directly elect them and therefore they are not accountable
to the local voters.
Co-option as a consolation
Co-option into the Council is a form of consolation to people
who was defeated at council elections and not based on experience or expertise.
It is often people who are rejected by the voters who are accepted as co-opted
members.
Position of Aldermen opposes the will of some people
Aspiring Council members, who are rejected by the voters in
council an election may be recruited as aldermen. This means their position as
aldermen is contrary to the desire of the voters.
Weaknesses of the Committee system
a. Issues go through the committees without much scrutiny.
b. The division of a council’s work among various committees
often raises the problem of efficient coordination of the activities of the
committees;
c. The committee system also encourages irresponsibility in
the sense that the committee members are collectively (not individually)
responsible for the decisions of the committee.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. a. How does the Concilliar system of Local Government
work?
b. Highlight five
features of the Conciliar system of local government.
2. Highlight three advantages and three disadvantages of the
Concilliar system of local government.
3. a. Describe the Conciliar system of local government.
b. Give five
reasons why some countries find it difficult to practice the Conciliar system
of local government.
