Khaberni - Since the Parliamentary Administrative Committee launched its national dialogue on the Local Administration Law project for 2026, and launched an electronic platform to receive observations and proposals on it, it has become clear that the discussion has exceeded the boundaries of legal articles to deeper questions related to the future of decentralization, the limits of municipal powers, and the nature of the relationship between the elected administration and the executive administration.
In recent weeks, the Administrative Committee has held a series of extensive meetings in anticipation of the upcoming extraordinary session in the first half of next month, which will prominently feature the Local Administration Law project, according to tomorrow.
These meetings included former mayors, heads of provincial councils, and general secretaries of political parties, in addition to receiving comments through the electronic platform that was launched specifically for this purpose.
Despite the diversity of participants and their different positions, the overall reading of the discussions reveals the existence of a set of issues that enjoyed widespread consensus, against a limited number of points that are still subject to debate.
Rejection of Reducing Elected Authorities' Powers
Perhaps the most repeated observations in various meetings were reservations about any approach aimed at reducing the powers of elected bodies in favor of the executive.
Former mayors, as well as a number of deputies and parties, voiced their objections to granting the executive director wide powers that could practically weaken the role of the mayor and the elected council.
Calls have been repeated that the mayor should remain the head of the executive device and the administrative authority within the municipality, considering that his legitimacy is derived from direct election, and that any duality in decision-making could create confusion in local administration and weaken accountability before the citizens.
Consensus on Keeping the Elected Provincial Councils
The second issue that enjoyed the widest consensus was the insistence on continuing the elected provincial councils without returning to appointments or institutional representation as an alternative.
Participants saw that the experience of decentralization, despite its challenges, contributed to expanding popular participation and delivering the priorities of the provinces to policymakers.
Calls emerged for developing the experience instead of canceling it, by strengthening the powers of the councils and improving their operational mechanisms, and linking them more clearly to the developmental budgeting process.
Legislative Stability
Among the most significant messages conveyed by the dialogues, there were calls for the authorities concerned to stop the frequent amendments to the Local Administration Law.
Mayors and provincial councils pointed out that the legislations regulating local work had undergone numerous amendments over the past years, which reflected on the stability of local institutions and their ability to plan long-term.
It seems that there is a growing conviction that any successful model of local administration needs legislative stability that allows for accumulating experience and evaluating results away from continuous changes.
Objection to Dissolving Councils Before Their Term Ends
Another strongly present observation was the rejection of dissolving elected councils before their legal term ends except in exceptional and specific cases.
Those holding this opinion argue that frequently dissolving councils weakens citizens' confidence in the electoral process and affects the continuity of developmental projects and plans that need time for implementation and follow-up.
Enhancing the Financial Independence of Municipalities
Almost all meetings stopped at the financial challenge faced by municipalities. Participants from municipalities, parties, and deputies emphasized that any development of local administration will not succeed without providing stable financial resources.
Proposals were made regarding increasing government support, expanding local revenue sources, and preserving the investment powers of municipalities, enabling them to carry out real developmental projects instead of merely fulfilling traditional service roles.
Budgeting from the Bottom Up
An idea that garnered significant interest was the call for adopting an ascending approach in preparing developmental budgets, whereby priorities start from local councils and provincial councils before reaching the state's general budget.
Supporters of this approach believe that it enhances fairness in project distribution and ensures that spending is directed towards the actual needs of the provinces, rather than imposing central priorities that may not reflect the local reality.
Partisan Consensus on Linking the Law to the Political Update Process
Political parties clearly focused on the necessity for the draft law to be in accordance with the outputs of the Royal Committee to update the political system.
In this context, most party interventions highlighted the importance of expanding popular participation, enhancing the role of women and youth, and establishing principles of governance, transparency, and accountability.
They expressed their reservations on any articles that could lessen the representative character of the local councils or limit democratic competition.
What next?
After this broad dialogical movement, it appears that the Parliamentary Administrative Committee has succeeded in turning the draft law into one of the most debated legislations during the current period; and although it is too early to determine the final form that the law will take, the dialogues so far clearly reveal three main titles that enjoy almost complete consensus among the various parties: preserving elected powers, enhancing decentralization, and ensuring the financial and administrative independence of local institutions.
The challenge remains before the House of Representatives to translate this consensus into clear legal texts that achieve a balance between the requirements of modern administration and the right of local communities to manage their affairs and actively participate in developmental decision-making, making the new Local Administration Law a real step towards deepening political and administrative reform, not just another legislative amendment added to the series of previous laws.
