The Ireng/Sawariwau Neigh-bourhood Democratic Coun-cil (NDC) was dissolved yesterday morning and an Interim Management Com-mittee (IMC) will be installed, just over a month after Lethem residents pro-tested against the move.
Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud confirmed to Stabroek News that the NDC was dissolved during a visit to the border community yesterday. While there, Persaud said that he met with members of the NDC, while noting that it was not an engagement for members of the public.
He noted that the relevant documentation was handed over to the regional officials regarding the dissolution of the council.
When asked about the members of the IMC, Persaud said he could not provide this information off-hand but pointed out that the relevant information has been communicated with the Permanent Secretary and this will be made available on Monday.
Asked whether local government elections will be held this year, Persaud said that he was “optimistic that it will be held before the year ends.”
According to the Minister, systems are being put in place so that officials can be elected by the populace to serve the communities across the country. Persaud noted that President Donald Ramotar and the Opposition Leader David Granger have been engaging each other on the issue and they both have made commitments to the election process being undertaken in the near future.
Meanwhile, Former Chairman of the NDC Terrence Boston said that the decision by the Ministry has surprised him, since he had raised several issues regarding the accomplishments of the NDC under his leadership.
He said that on Thursday he received a call from the Regional Executive Officer’s office and was told that the Local Government Minister would be visiting Lethem on Friday. Yesterday morning, he continued, he met with Minister Persaud and was told that based on a petition which was brought to the fore by residents of the community, the NDC was being dissolved and an IMC would be put in place to manage the affairs of the area at the community level.
Boston said that over the years the NDC, which is the only one of its kind in the region and which was put in place in 1994, had been responsible for many achievements. These, he said, include representation for the community library, the market, the collection of garbage as well as the establishment of a fire station, for which the plans are nearing fruition.
“People in Lethem would have a problem with an IMC installed because if you have a management like that, you would have corrupt people, you would have a corrupt accountant, a corrupt team and you would have collisions between them and it will not work,” Tedford Mitchell, a resident of Lethem for seven years had told Stabroek News while he stood on the picket line last May, when local government officials visited to discuss community level problems.
Residents had expressed mixed views about whether NDC was capable of effectively carrying out its duties although strongly opposing the installation of an IMC.
