 The constitution of the canton allows for the Grand Council of Ticino to promote and lead in deciding on mergers, and where it does so only "advisory" referendums are held in the municipalities affected.The municipality and city of Lugano is subdivided into 25 "quartieri" (quarters) which are grouped into three (cantonal) circles.Quarters 1–9 are the city's older quarters, which have been recently added to by successive enlargements of the municipality in 2004, 2008 and 2013; these enlargements involved previously independent municipalities becoming quarters of Lugano.