ADVISORY COMMISSION ON RAKHINE STATE COMMUNAL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION Local communities from all ethnic groups in Rakhine State face barriers to participation in public life, and suffer from lack of political representation. As such, local communities are generally unable to influence political processes affecting their lives, and have few meaningful mechanisms to voice their grievances. Most fundamentally, these challenges derive from Myanmar’s current political system, including the relationship between the central government and the states, as defined by the 2008 Constitution. The majority of key policy sectors fall under the jurisdiction of the Union level, and – as in other states and regions – the Rakhine State Parliament has minimal influence over the formulation or implementation of key policies, such as the management of natural resources.16 The Rakhine State Government is primarily tasked to implement policies decided by Naypyitaw. The parliamentary elections in 2015 resulted in a state-level victory for the Arakan National Party (ANP), winning the majority of contested seats in the Rakhine parliament. Yet, the nomination of the state’s chief minister remains the prerogative of the central government. The decision to appoint a chief minister who was not from the largest party in the state alienated parts of the ethnic Rakhine population, and reinforced deep-rooted sentiments of exclusion. Under the 2008 constitution, the army controls a number of key ministerial posts, as well as the General Administration Department (GAD), responsible for executing the core functions of subnational administration. Much of the Government’s daily work is carried out by civil servants and security agencies controlled by the three ministries directed by the Tatmadaw. Local officials typically receive only scant detail about the rationale behind a given policy, or about the plans for its implementation. This leaves them unable to answer questions from communities, and unable to effectively respond to complaints that arise. While the military-nominated ministers function as part of the central government under the overall authority of the Union president, the civilian and military chains of command are separate. This ambiguity of authority makes it difficult to develop and implement holistic approaches that are needed to resolve the complex, multi-layered problems that face Rakhine State. Civil society in the Rakhine community is young, and only a handful of CSOs in the state have dedicated staff, permanent office premises, sustainable funding and ongoing activities. Access to international funding is limited 16 Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Schedule 1 and 2. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 2008. 46 Towards a Peaceful, Fair and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine