UCLG COUNTRY PROFILES
Kiribati
Capital: Tarawa Population: 92,533 Area: 726 km2
1. Introduction ni Maungatabu) and comprises 40 elected members, one ex-officio member (the attorney general) and one nominated member from the Banaban Community in Rabi, Fiji Islands. Each Member of Parliament is elected through a first-past- the-post system and represents a single consitituency.
The 2005 census determined that the total population was 92,533. This is a increase of 9.5 per cent or 8,039 persons compared
the population in 2000, which represents Kiribati is an island nation, also called ‘a an average annual rate of growth of 1.8 nation of water’, located in the Central per cent. Pacific, made up of 32 low lying atolls and
1 raised coral atoll. The islands are spread The majority of Kiribati’s population lives in over an ocean area of over 3.5 millions the Gilbert Islands group (90% in 2005, a square kilometers, with a total land area of decrease from almost 96% in 1985). The 849 sq km. Kiribati is divided into three proportion of the total population living in main island groups; the Gilbert Islands, the the Line & Phoenix Group has been Line Islands and the Phoenix Islands. The increasing since 1985 (when it was 4.2%) majority of the population lives in the to its current percentage of close to 10. In Gilbert chain. 2005 almost 44 per cent of the population
of Kiribati lived in South Tarawa Kiribati is a unitary republic with a (population 40,311) which has been unicarmeral parliament. The Head of state and government is the president steadily growing since the 1990 when (Beretitenti) who is elected following the population was 25,380. nominations of the three candidates, from amongst the Members of Parliament (MPs). According to the 2005 census data, The President appoints a vice-president, an the average population density of the attorney general, and up to ten more MPs total population of Kiribati was 127 to make up the cabinet. Parliament is persons per square kilometre. known as the House of Assembly (Maneaba However the population density varies
COUNTY PROFILE: KIRIBATI
widely by island (group), while the growth rate of about 7%. Kiritimati is Gilbert Group has almost 300 people considered to be the world largest atoll per km2 in, the Line and Phoenix comprising over 70% of the total land area Islands only have 20 people per km2 of Kiribati. inhabited.
3. Local Democracy
2. Territorial Organisation Local Government in Kiribati falls under the
portfolio of the Minister of Internal and Local Government was introduced in Social Affairs (MISA) and as part of the Kiribati with the establishment of 19 Ministry is a Division of Local Government councils in the 1960s and more recently, in headed by the Director of Local the 1990s, with the creation of 4 additional Government. The national policies relating island councils. to local government is therefore determined by Central Government The primary division in local government is through the MISA. Local between rural and urban councils. Both are Government is embodied by island and single-tiered. The urban councils are urban councils. referred to as town councils and the rural councils as island councils. Both have the With the amendment of the Local same legal standing but their individual Government Act in 2006, the Chief responsibilities vary according to those Councillors were re-titled Mayors, and granted to them at the time of instead of being elected by their fellow establishment. There are three town councillors they are now elected by popular (urban councils) and 20 island councils. vote for a four year mandate.
There are three Urban Councils; the Betio Councillors are elected according to who is Town Council (BTC), Teinaninano Urban first past the post on the basis of universal Council (TUC), and Kiritimati Urban Council adult suffrage. The council also includes (KUC). BTC and TUC are on South Tarawa the members of the Parliament, the in the Gilbert group, which is the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, who represent Government administrative centre and the the area of ex officio capacity, and co- Capital of Kiribati. South Tarawa is the opted members. However, the number of most densely populated atoll in Kiribati ex officio and co-opted members may not with its islet of Betio, which falls under the exceed one-third of the elected members. administrative jurisdiction of the Betio The leader of the council is the mayor and Town Council (BTC), being the most elected by registered voters on the island. densely populated area in the world. The remaining part of South Tarawa falls under The democratic system is uniform across the Teinainano Urban Council (TUC). the country. The decision-making process Kiritimati Urban Council’s (KUC) jurisdiction is as follows; selected committees is within Kiritimati atoll in the Line group, deliberate and make recommendations to which is located about 3,300km east of the the full council which takes the final Gilbert group. Kiritimati is the second most decision. populated island with an annual population II
COUNTY PROFILE: KIRIBATI
and local government, where the local government manages the activities and 4. Supervision by Central Government central government provides the funding.
In Kiribati, local government is enshrined in the 1979 constitution but effectively 6. Local Finance governed by the Local Government Act, first passed in 1984 and revised in 2006. In Kiribati there is no set policy regarding Over the past decades there has been revenue-sharing between central and local gradual devolution of powers with the aim government: transfer payments are made of engaging and empowering people at the to ensure individual authority budgets are local level to take charge of their own balanced. Certain percentages are reserved development. Changes include election of for specific activities such as the the chief councillor by all the island maintenance of roads and causeways, population, but not from amongst newly offices, school buildings, hospitals, and elected councillors. housing for government-seconded staff.
In reality however, functions are shared Central government pays the full salary of between central and local government and seconded staff and contributes central government retains oversight substantially towards the salaries and responsibility. For example, the powers of wages of council staff. Assistance is also the Minister set out in the Local given for office stationery and provision of Government Ordinance 1966 and the Local ferries between main islands and islets that Government Act 2006 provide for oversight cannot be accessed by road. The minister of local government policy, assisting local retains the power to approve or reject local councils in drafting by-laws, undertaking authority budgets. internal audits, and compiling final accounts for the Auditor General’s scrutiny. Local government budgets and per In recent years there has only been one capita expenditure case in which the minister intervened and Local Population Annual Expenditure suspended a council due to Government (2005) Budget per capita 2009 2009 corruption/abuse of office. (AUD $) (AUD $)
Makin 2385 103408 43.36
Butaritari 3280 158934 48.46 5. Local Government Marakei 2741 130521 47.62 responsibilities Abaiang 5502 200661 36.47
North Tarawa 5678 213312 37.57 Local governments are responsible for the (rural) provision for many local services, Betio Town Council 12507 533017 42.61 specifically including: fire protection, early (urban) childhood education (kindergarten and Teinainano Urban 27808 701718 25.23 primary school), town planning, water and Council sanitation, waste collection, roads and local Maiana 1908 144028 75.49 transport, and primary health care. Many Abemama 3404 230273 67.65 responsibilities are shared between central Kuria 1082 70700 65.34
III
COUNTY PROFILE: KIRIBATI
Aranuka 1158 159096 137.39 which is to be reflected in their annual
Nonouti 3179 193865 60.98 budget and their By-Laws. The sources of
Tabiteuea North 3600 187087 51.97 revenue and expenditure are often raised
Tabiteuea South 1298 113782 87.66 questions since people mostly finance the operating budget. Beru 2169 131225 60.50
Nikunau 1912 111473 58.30 At most times the service delivery of local Onotoa 1644 132022 80.31 governments fails to respond to citizen's Tamana 875 77743 88.85 needs and demands. Arorae 1256 116430 92.70 ______Banaba 301 85715 284.77 Tabuaeran 2539 240686 94.80 Sources: Teraina 1155 116811 101.14 Kiritimati (urban) 5119 118543 23.18 1. UNDP Decentralisation and Local Governance practice area
3. Commonwealth Local Government Forum The presence of a formal state in local 2007, Commonwealth Local Government affairs is a relatively new phenomenon in Handbook 2011/12
Kiribati (Hassall and Tipu 2008). Local 4. Hassall, G.; Tipu, F. 2008. ‘Local communities view traditional leaders and Government in the South Pacific Islands’ mechanisms as the most legitimate and effective institutions for representing their 5. Kiribati census 2005 www.spc.int/prism interests and meeting their needs. The modern local governance institutions were established during or directly after the colonial era, with little regard for how they would integrate with pre-existing institutions.
In Kiribati’s outer islands, the Unimwane, or council of elders, continues to exercise considerable influence despite not being recognised under the Local Government Act. The Unimwane is a key pillar of an egalitarian culture that helps ensure that absolute poverty is virtually unknown in Kiribati (Asian Development Bank 2007)
The local Government Budget invites community participation to deliberate on their Plan that involves service delivery IV