Allegations of impropriety swirled around the Best/ Klien/ Pouderoyen Neigh-bourhood Democratic Council (NDC) as residents voiced their concerns in a meeting yesterday to determine whether the council should be dissolved.
The meeting came about as a result of PPP councillor on the NDC, Dindiat Singh petitioning the Ministry of Local Government to dissolve the council because it was felt that it was not doing its job. The meeting was held in the NDC’s boardroom in Phoenix Park, Pouderoyen and was presided over by Puran Persaud from the Ministry of Local Government.
A number of allegations were made and they covered financial irregularities, bribery, favouritism and divisions within the council among others.
Singh alleging financial irregularities within the council cited an example three years ago during which three million dollars reportedly went missing. The matter, he said, following a state audit was simply dropped. Another example he cited was when $300,000 left in a canister simply went missing. He declared that there was a falsification of the books and charged that “the possibilities exist that there are continuing financial irregularities which needs to be investigated”. He also noted that within the council there were several committees which were non-functional as a result of councillors not knowing which committees they belong to, adding that “in this council you have some people who bully the council and as a result they get away with a lot”. Citing other examples including a case where the price for demolishing a building was stated at $50,000 but later ended up at $278,000, a sum of money allocated for a Christmas party, a decision which some councillors were not a part of and decisions taken within the council which were not carried out or later changed. He then said that he meant no ill-will to anyone stating the community deserves a better service and that the council needs to function effectively. Soon after, he left, saying that he had to finish packing as he had to go overseas.
Mervyn Williams, PNC/R-1G Member of Parliament from Region Three who was also present declared that if the NDC was to be dissolved it would be “unfortunate because this NDC has the highest number of functioning councillors within Region Three”. He stated that local democracy is being threatened and declared that it was an attempt by the PPP to “hijack the democracy process in this community”. He questioned why there was no move being made to dissolve the Mora/Parika and the La Jalousie NDCs as in those communities there was only a chairman and one councillor still on the council. He also said that there was financial mismanagement in the Interim Management Committee that replaced the Tuschen/Uitvlugt NDC and “if this NDC is dissolved and replaced I don’t know what will happen to this neighbourhood”. He declared that the PPP has exhausted its list of candidates and was unable to replace them and that was the reason that the petition was presented. Regarding financial irregularities, he stated that investigations were undertaken by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), and “any action or inaction rests on the RDC’s desk and removes any doubts of collusion by the NDC”. He declared that the RDC had often intervened in the council’s affairs including hiring of personnel, saying he remembered an incident during which the RDC said that they would not hire the candidate with the best qualifications saying that he was likely to leave and opted instead to hire the candidate with the lowest qualifications. Also, he said theft should be investigated by the Guyana Police Force and declared that the RDC should itself also be dissolved and replaced by an IMC. He further declared that the Minister should place emphasis on holding local government elections before the end of 2007 and stated that the council should be given the necessary support by the RDC and local government.
He declared that the NDC should not be dissolved but rather the incompetent persons be replaced.
Vincent Bowman, the vice-chairman of the NDC and a member of the Reconstruction Committee which holds five seats in the council, with the PPP holding the other five declared that PPP councillors after raising their issues, leave, and as a result decisions by the other members cannot be made. Declaring that “the chairman dictates all the time”, and citing a number of examples, he stated that the Reconstruction Committee was the one that carried out all the decisions of the council. Commenting on Singh leaving the meeting, he said that he was leaving the country permanently and as he had made his presentation “satisfied his capacity for mischief-making”.
A few residents also raised their concerns giving numerous unflattering examples of the Chairman’s actions.
After discussions with the NDC’s members and staff, Persaud told them that he would write his report and his recommendations for submission to the minister.
Many NDCs have been dissolved and replaced by interim bodies. The NDCs were elected in 1994. Local government elections have not been held since then.
