The administrative branches of the country’s ten regions have not been instructed to withdraw advertisements from this newspaper, but they take their cue from what they observe happening at the level of central government.
Stabroek News has observed that from the start of the year to the present Region One (Barima/Waini) to Region Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) have placed a total of 38 ads in the Guyana Chronicle; 22 in the Kaieteur News; and eight in the Mirror. None have been placed in the Stabroek News.
This is in keeping with the withdrawal of ads from the Stabroek News by the government in November 2006.
However, this issue has been challenged by Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) which has directed that the regional administration place its ads in all media outlets in the interest of the region.
Contacted by telephone, eight Regional Executive Officers (REOs) and Deputy/Assistant REOs who work with the elected representatives of the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), said they had not withdrawn ads from the Stabroek News, but they would send them through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development or directly to the Government Information Agency (GINA).
They said they had not been instructed not to send their ads to the Stabroek News. However, one officer, who sought advice from the Ministry of Local Government on where he should send ads after noting the controversy that had erupted over government’s withdrawal of the ads, said he was directed to send the ads to GINA.
With the exception of the REOs of Regions Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) and Region One (Barima/Waini) who speak with the Stabroek News the other officers cautioned against being quoted and referred this newspaper to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Sewchan on the issue of the ads.
When contacted, Sewchan said he was not authorised to speak to the media, especially “on these sensitive issues”. He said that before speaking to the media he had to get the approval of Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall. To be on the safe side, he asked that this newspaper speak with Lall.
This is the first occasion in about two decades of reporting, that this reporter has found a permanent secretary who needed the approval of his subject minister to speak with the media.
With the exception of Regions Four, Seven (Cuynuni/Mazaruni), and Ten, the chairmen and vice-chairmen with whom this newspaper spoke said the ads issue was never discussed at the level of their RDCs. They all said that such matters were dealt with exclusively by the REOs who handle the finances.
The issue of the placement of ads and dissemination of information was brought to the fore in Region Four when it was brought to the attention of Chairman, Clement Corlette, that ads from the region had not been placed with this newspaper. He advised that they be distributed equitably in the media but this was not heeded and as such recommended that a directive be given to the REO to place ads in all media houses.
He recommended the directive based on the constitutional provision in Article 75 which states “parliament shall provide that local democratic organs shall be autonomous and take decisions which are binding upon their agencies and institutions, and upon the communities and citizens of their areas.”
However at a pres conference he hosted on Friday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said the regional administration was essentially an extension of central government, which was supported by legislation and by custom and practice. He said there seemed to be some confusion as regards the regional administration and its elected council and the notion that they were one “must be dispensed with forthright”. He said that autonomy should address specially “autonomy from where and wherein lies the autonomy that is being sought and encouraged when there are constitutional provisions that govern these bodies.”
Co-Chairman of the Joint Task Force on Local Government, Vincent Alexander told Stabroek News that constitutional provisions were in place for the autonomy of regions but they were never implemented in keeping with the role of local government.
For instance, he noted that REO were appointed by the Ministry of Local Government and as accounting officers for the region by the Ministry of Finance and as such took more seriously their instructions from these ministries. In addition, the REOs were clerks of the RDCs.
Corlette and Region Ten Chairman Mortimer Mingo told Stabroek News they felt that appointments of REOs should not be by central government but by an independent commission like the Local Government Commission for which the Constitution makes provision for all local democratic organs and which was still to be set up.
However, Alexander said the appointment of REOs by the Local Government Commission was not part of the current reform being undertaken.
AFC Councillor of Region Four Michael Carrington said he did not agree with government’s control of the RDCs and administrative arm of the RDCs since this stymied the development process as envisaged by the regional policymakers. He opined that there was too much interference by central government in Region Four by the REOs.
He quoted Article 12 of the Constitution which provides that “local government by freely elected representatives of the people is an integral part of the democratic organisation of the state”. He also cited Article 13, “the principal objective of the political system of the state is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organizations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.”
He said regional administrations and local government organs were governed by laws that gave them authority but central government continually undermined the workings of the RDCs and the NDCs through the REOs.
Carrington gave the example of the work programmes developed by regions which in most cases were not approved by the government. RDCs could make their plans but the REOs had to submit these plans to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. At the end of the process, the proposed budgets were slashed and often, the plans never materialise. He said though that some of the plans proposed by the regions were pulled out and later executed as central government projects.
While the development programmes of each region are to be integrated into the national development programme, he noted that Article 77 states that “government shall allocate funds to each region to enable it to implement its development programme.”
Stating that the RDCs were being undermined by the REOs because they were politically appointed and centrally directed, Carrington said the ruling party was using the RDCs as rubber stamps to proclaim democracy.
Only those regions controlled by the PPP/C have made no complaints about the workings of the RDCs and the REOs. Those controlled by the PNCR-1G find themselves in conflict with the REOs, who they claim did not work in the interest of the regions.
