Título IV. Informacion y participacion ciudadana

The Municipal Councils shall facilitate the broadest information on their activity and the participation of all citizens in local life.

The forms, means and procedures of citizen participation that the municipal development councils establish in the exercise of their power to self-organize shall in no case impair the decision-making powers corresponding to the Municipal Council, the mayor and the other representative organs regulated by law.

All residents have the right to obtain copies and certifications evidencing the agreements of the municipal councils, their antecedents, as well as to consult the financial and accounting files and records, in the terms of Article 30 of the Political Constitution of the Republic.

When the importance of a matter warrants consulting the opinion of the neighbors, the Municipal Council, with the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all of its members, may resolve that such consultation be held taking into account the modalities indicated in the following articles.

Residents have the right to request the Municipal Council to hold consultations when it concerns matters of a general nature affecting all residents of the municipality. The request must bear the signature of at least ten percent (10%) of the residents registered in the municipality. The results shall be binding if at least twenty percent (20%) of the registered residents participate in the consultation and the majority votes in favor of the matter submitted to consultation.

When the nature of a matter particularly affects the rights and interests of the indigenous communities of the municipality or of their own authorities, the Municipal Council shall conduct consultations at the request of the indigenous communities or authorities, including by applying criteria inherent in the customs and traditions of the indigenous communities.

The modalities of the consultations referred to in Articles 64 and 65 of this Code, among others, may be carried out in the following manner:

1.1. Consultation by ballot designed technically and specifically for the case, setting forth in the call the matter to be addressed, the date and the places where the consultation will be held.

2.2. Application of criteria of the communities' own legal system in the case.

The results shall be binding if at least fifty (50) percent of the registered neighbors participate in the consultation and the majority votes in favor of the matter consulted.