Cyprus

There are two different types of local authorities in Cyprus: communities in rural areas and municipalities in urban and touristic areas.

Communities

The community council (koinotiko sumvoulio) is composed of members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. This legislative board is also composed of a president and a vice-president.

The president (proedros) of the community is elected by direct universal suffrage for a period of five years and chairs the community council.

Municipalities

The municipal council (dimotiko sumvoulio) is the municipality’s deliberative assembly and is composed of members elected by direct universal suffrage for five years. It is responsible for providing assistance and advice to the mayor with regards to the execution of his duties.  The municipal council also sets up different committees within the municipality, including the management committee responsible for the preparation of the budget and other ad-hoc committees that provide technical, cultural, environmental and personnel assistance.

The mayor (dimarchos) is the municipality's executive authority and is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year mandate. He/she represents the municipality in a court of law and before any state authority. The mayor also supervises the municipality’s administration and chairs the municipal council.

Competences

. Urban planning
. Protection of the environment
. Water supply
. Land development
. Household refuse