Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud’s revocation of a 1983 Order that had allowed Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) to oversee Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) is a “retrograde” step and goes against the grain of what the parties are trying to achieve through local government reform, representatives from the opposition parties have said.
The move which was only recently revealed has drawn the ire of various actors in the political arena. Minister within the local government ministry, Norman Whittaker when asked about the rationale for the revocation of the authority, had explained that decentralisation of the authority to RDCs was intended to provide more opportunity for leaders at the local level to be part of decision-making on matters that contribute to people’s development, but this has been “abused.”
The revocation was publicly disseminated after Whittaker met with Region Ten officials earlier this month in an unsuccessful effort to stave off efforts by citizens to hold elections for a
