Introduction:Stabroek News has invited the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (AFC) to submit a weekly column on local government and related matters. Only the AFC has submitted one this week.
By David Patterson
AFC’s General Secretary
The deferral of our Local Government Elections since 1994 can best be described as the “Annual Local Government Merry–Go–Round”. Hansard will reflect annually different variations of this debate for almost two decades, and it appears we are no nearer the end of this ride than when we first started.
The Alliance For Change demands Local Government Elections and regard the delays in the holding of these elections to be most undemocratic and executive lawlessness by the powers that be.
Local Government elections are to be held every three years. Yet only two such elections have ever been held since Independence. One was held in 1970 under the PNC; and, one in 1994 under the PPP. This year should have seen us having our fifteenth such elections. This non-deliverance speaks volumes about our so-called democratic system, and the Parties which have governed in that period. This undemocratic trend commenced under the governance of the PNC; and, in an effort not to be outdone, it is now being championed by PPP/C.
The exercise of postponing local government elections continues to leave the citizens of this fair land at the mercy of dysfunctional and in some cases non-functional bodies. This state of disarray obviously suits the Minister of Local Government since it affords him the opportunity
to exert even more direct control over these bodies, by being able to remove and replace individual members or even the entire councils with Interim Management Committees. All, at his whim and fancy!
The AFC shares the opinion that the ensuing months up until August 2014 affords the Government ample time to resolve the outstanding issues which presently stalls this process. These include the commencement Orders for two of the Acts, and the Presidential assent of a third which President Ramotar, consequent upon bad legal advice by his garrulous Attorney General, has deemed unconstitutional.
The cry is unanimous throughout the country. The electorate is clamoring for a system whereby there is more direct participation from stakeholders. A system which give Councils greater autonomy to manage their affairs with greatly reduced political control.
The AFC notes the continuous registration process has commenced by GECOM and an updated electoral list is being compiled before the holding of these elections. However, the time frame required to do this, among other things necessary, may make this August 2014 Elections very tight indeed. We propose that a negotiated position be agreed between the political parties, which will result in elections being held shortly after the inclusion of new registrants and completion of the necessary legislative and administrative measures.
On an important unresolved matter, the AFC would be supportive of a formula that would allow Councils, without undue interference, to raise and retain resources internally, thereby ensuring that they are not wholly dependent on subventions, which indirectly makes them dependants of the Government. And on this score, we acknowledge the effort to revamp the valuation rating system currently being undertaken through the Urban Rehabilitation Programme. But we would like to caution that without adequate staffing and training these efforts will fail.Since 15th December, 2005, the then Hon. Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Member Clinton Collymore, in debating a Bill for deferral of Local Gov’t Elections, said: “Sir, I wish to commend that this Bill be given the necessary encouragement and support it desires. We pledge that once we are elected at the next elections of 2006, we will proceed with local government elections.”
The General elections of 2006 came and went. Local Government Elections did not happen. So too it did not happen in 2012 when the PPP/C won a minority Government in 2011.
The time for excuses and blame-throwing must now be over. It is time that the Government stop this ride, this merry-go-round, and give the citizens of Guyana what they are justly entitled to – the opportunity to elect their Councillors and Mayors – so that they can get on with the business of improving their villages and townships.
