APNU’s spokesman on Local Government and Regional Development, Ronald Bulkan, when asked yesterday whether the party would work with the IMC, said that it was not a legitimate stakeholder and according to him, was “illegally and illegitimately” installed. “The IMCs that were installed without proper consultations are illegitimate bodies,” he insisted.
An enquiry into the operations of the Bartica Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in March by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development saw residents speaking largely in favour of the NDC and calling instead for local government elections.
However, three weeks ago the Ministry- in what the former NDC chairman Gerald Joseph said was a stealthy move – dissolved the NDC and appointed an IMC.
Bulkan has condemned the installation of the IMC while Opposition leader, David Granger has also spoken out against it. Local government elections have not been held since 1994 and the opposition has been calling for these “overdue” elections to be held. Region Seven chairman, Gordon Bradford has said that he is open to working with all stakeholders for the future and orderly development of Bartica.
Bulkan yesterday said that he has not yet spoken to Bradford but said that APNU would not work with illegitimate bodies. He again called for local government elections to be held and said that the government is engaging in an undemocratic campaign by removing NDCs and installing IMCs. Bulkan said that the “frightening situation” is seeing the rights of citizens trampled.
He noted that it is government’s responsibility to hold the elections.
He added that it is perverse and obscene that government would remove NDCs and install IMCs without, at a minimum, ensuring that the same composition of members of the political parties as were elected is maintained.
Bulkan said that the law caters for IMCs but it was not envisaged that government would have used it in such a “perverse” manner. He said that it would not be easy to mount a legal challenge.
The actions by the government show a total disregard for stakeholders, Bulkan said. He said that it was an act of provocation and the government is engaged in an “undemocratic campaign.”
The government has been holding enquiries on NDCs and has replaced some with IMCs in recent times and APNU has been speaking out against the “surreptitious” removal of NDC’s and installation of IMCs in several areas.
