Dear Editor,
I read with great delight in your newspaper dated July 31, that local government elections will be held sooner rather than later (December was touted as the tentative month). This as many have said before is long overdue.
Having read the article I must congratulate Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan for not just fighting for LGE while in opposition but for ensuring the early holding of local elections under his watch as the subject minister. This shows honesty and trustworthiness on the part of the minister and of the Granger-led government. What is even more delightful, is the fact that the real power will be in the hands of the local bodies which would be elected by the people for the people. The passage of the most recent local government bill in the National Assembly shows that this administration is not about absolute or maximum power, but rather giving the people power.
In addition to the above, now that the people have been given the power to elect local representatives of their choice to manage the affairs of their communities without central government’s interference, they must choose competent and well-educated persons who are driven by hard work to success, and who are determined to champion development. Voters must screen the prospective candidates to ensure that they are more than capable of doing the job and doing it right. Two good traits to look for are their level of activism in the community and how much they have been fighting for good governance with honesty during the previous PPP regime.
In conclusion, I say without any fear of contradiction, let us be cognizant of the fact that this is a more serious election that the one recently held. It is more serious because we would be electing people to be servants who would be controlling resources that would have a direct impact on our lives. We must elect those who support change and not just change, but change for the better. We should vote for community leaders who are honest, reliable and willing to go beyond the call of duty to serve the people’s interest. Remember a good leader is a great servant.
Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Mahipaul
