Provinces to choose how to elect council presidents

Provincial governments will choose from two options how they can elect their council presidents.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told parliament yesterday that taking into consideration different cultures and societies and that each province was different, they would allow individual provinces to choose whether their local-level government presidents would be voted in by their people or by LLG ward councillors.
“But I also want to assure the governors and provincial governments that these changes will come after this year’s local-level government elections,” he said.
O’Neill told parliament that the Government had no intention of changing the system of provincial government. “The provincial government has played an important role in the formation of this country and helps to deliver services to the people,” he said.
“But it also has some weaknesses and our job is to strengthen it through the reforms so that we can deliver services to the people.”
O’Neill said reforms would be subject to the Constitutional Review Commission and there would be consultation involved.