Law No. 3/2009 on Community Leaderships and their Election.

This Law, consisting of 37 articles divided into five Chapters, establishes Community Leaderships and their Election. This Law defines and governs the action limits of the community leadership structures, as well as the organization and implementation of the process for their election. In addition, it defines the community leadership as the collegial body aimed to organize the community people's participation in solving their problems, to uphold their interests and to represent them if required. The community leadership is exercised by the Suco Leader and the Suco Council, within the limits of the Suco and the relevant villages, elected in accordance with this provisions. The community leaders are not included in the Public Administration and their decisions are not binding upon the State. The suco is a community organization formed on the basis of historic, cultural and traditional circumstances, having an area established within the national territory and a defined population. The village comprises a population cluster united by family and traditional bonds and connected to the sucos by historical and geographical relationships. Powers to delimitate the number and areas of the sucos and the relevant villages shall lie with the Government.
The Suco Leader is the community leader elected to direct the activities carried out by the community within a given suco, in fields contributing to the national unity and the production of goods and the provision of services aimed at satisfying the basic life and development needs, in close cooperation with the Suco Council. The Suco Council is the collegial and advisory body of the Suco, intended to assist and advise the Suco Leader in exercising its duties, and shall operate for the benefit of the local community interests and without prejudice to the national interests. The Suco Council comprises the Suco Leader, the leaders of all the villages and other village members. The activities of the Suco Leader and the Suco Council may be carried out in the following sectors: Population census and registration; Economic development; Food safety; Environmental protection; Education, culture and sports; Assistance in the maintenance of social infrastructures, such as housing, schools, health centers, opening of water wells, roads and communications. The activities of the Suco Leader and the Suco Council shall be carried out without prejudice to such national programmes and plans as approved by the Government.