City corporations and municipalities are headed

by directly elected mayors and commissioners -

who serve for five years. Mayors are elected by
all eligible voters of a municipality/city
corporation. Commissioners are elected by
residents of a city corporation's/municipality's
territorial unit known as ward. A number of
wards constitutes the total area of a city
corporation/municipality. At the rural level, the
chairmen and councillors/members of sub
districts as well as union of villages are also
directly elected for a five-year period. The
functions and responsibilities between these
vary.

Urban local governments enjoy the highest

degree of authority amongst allthe subnational
government bodies. However, the national
government can exercise authority over any
subnational governments because it possesses
the legal basis to eliminate them. All
subnational governments are constitutionally
autonomous and hierarchical.