CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________ a large number of rural dwellers, these authorities play an important role in the communes, districts and villages – which are the main areas affected by decentralisation. 177. From another standpoint, the numerous deconcentrated services (prefectoral administrations and sectoral departmental services) compete for power with decentralised services within the same space. This poses three types of problems: first, a conflict of powers and responsibilities; secondly, the not-soefficient administrative coordination; and thirdly, the weak institutional capacities of these administrations caused by the distribution of inadequate human and material resources. These resources could be pooled using regional centres that have the administrative and technical capacity to ensure more efficient management of local authorities. iii. Recommendations of the APR Panel 178. To improve democratic governance, the APR Panel recommends the following: 1. For electoral democracy and political competition: In the short term:  Implement all relevant provisions of the Charter of Political Parties strictly, especially those providing for sanctions on parties that do not comply with the provisions (government and competent authorities, with the help of civil society and Parliament).  Redefine the framework for financing political parties and electoral campaigns to ensure rigorous control of electoral expenditure. Also, greater sanctions should be imposed (government and competent authorities, with the support of civil society and Parliament).  Regroup the elections to ensure better control over election timetables and expenditure, which have become sources of corruption and moneymaking (government, Parliament and the Constitutional Court).  Establish a reliable voters’ register based on a permanent computerised electoral list. It is important to release funds urgently to conduct meetings in the countryside and villages to resolve, once and for all, the problem of identification for many Beninese nationals who do not possess identity cards (government and competent authorities, traditional authorities, elected local councillors, religious leaders, other civil society members and Parliament).  Establish the CENA for a fixed period of time, to be renewable once. There may be no need to establish its branches so as to streamline expenditure (government and Parliament). 83