Central government has a constitutional obligation to provide finances to local democratic organs. Municip-alities and neighbourhoods throughout Guyana – starting with the City of Georgetown – are generally dirty places. This might seem to be the failure of local democratic organs which are responsible for maintaining and improving the local environment. Citizens should appreciate, however, that the apparent failure of these councils to effectively discharge their responsibilities is not of their own making.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic –PPP/C – administration has determinedly pursued a course of undermining the authority of these local organs. This includes starving them of financial resources. Councillors who comprise the six municipalities and 65 NDCs were elected in 1994 for a 3-year term. Today, 20 years later, many find themselves in the same positions. They cannot be expected to have the same level of enthusiasm, energy and efficiency in performing what is largely a civic and community service. Their mandate to continue has to be renewed by the holding of regular elections.
A Partnership for National Unity – APNU – salutes the many honest, hardworking councillors who are still present in our local democratic organs. It is unfair for them to be labelled as the scapegoats for the failure which is a systemic one. It is the central government’s obligation – in accordance with
