Kmetstvo and Obshchina

[FRISON Philippe]

Dear SEELangers,

I am very grateful to all those who gave me insights on 'Kmetstvo'

The problem I have is to understand the structures of local powers in
Bulgaria in order to translate into French a English text on this
subject.

I received today explanations, whereby

Municipality means 'Obshchina'
Ward or district, 'gradski rayon', and
Mayoralty (the word I do not understand), 'kmetstvo'

There would be mayors of municipalities, of wards and of mayoralties
(that is in the latter case 'kmet na kmetstvo').

The fax I received states that Sofia and cities with more than 300 000
inhabitants are divided into districts.
On the contrary, a 'mayoralty' would consist in one or more built-up
areas (villages) adjacent to a town. and a town would have one or more
mayoralties.

Does this mean that 'kmetstva' are the Bulgarian equivalent to Russia's
'Sel'sovety' ?

Best regards

Philippe FRISON

E-mail: Philippe.Frison at Coe.fr
Conseil de l'Europe
Bur. EG 104
F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex