The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has once again accused government of refusing to establish the Local Government Commission (LGC).
In a press statement released yesterday, the party said it “wishes to remind Guyana that the Granger government continues to refuse to establish the Local Government Commission [and that] by default, the Minister of Communities is discharging the functions of the Local Government Commission.”
The party has on several occasions accused the government of delaying the establishment of this body. In October the party picketed both the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of Com-munities and charged that the delay is facilitating an attempt by the government to control local government bodies by completing the appointments of new Town Clerks and overseers in new local authorities.
Contacted by Stabroek News for a response to the accusation, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said that this was not the case.
He once again reiterated that he was awaiting clarification from Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo as to whether or not the leader believes he satisfied the requirements of the legislation and “consulted with all parliamentary parties” when deciding on the names he submitted as commissioners. The Minister has maintained this position for several months despite the opposition having claimed to have submitted a response to this query in July.
“The opposition Chief Whip has claimed that the Leader of the Opposition sent a letter to my office which my secretary signed for. That is an untruth,” Bulkan said.
He however did not give a timeframe for the establishment of the LGC. Bulkan had previously said that he would see the commission established in March then in June, July, September and finally by the end of this year but yesterday he restated the position that he expressed to the House in November that he could not give a date for the establishment of the commission.
According to the legislation, the commission will be made up of eight members: four nominated by government, one nominated by unions operating in the local government sector and three nominated by the Leader of the Opposition.
In April, the Committee of Appoint-ments named Andrew Christopher Garnett, of the Guyana Local Government Officers’ Union as the nominee from trade unions. This nomination was approved by the House in August.
In July, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo identified his three nominees as former Georgetown Town Clerk Carol Sooba and former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore.
The four government-nominated members are still unknown. Though Minister Bulkan has for months maintained that the government has a shortlist of suitable candidates it is considering, he told the National Assembly in November that the administration was consulting as it was “being exceedingly careful that its nominees can meet the test of the legislation.”
Yesterday, he reiterated that a shortlist exists though he would not reveal the names on the list.
Bulkan also denied claims that he had abused his power and called off a scheduled election yesterday of office bearers in the Farm/Woodlands Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
According to the PPP/C, Bulkan is reported to have given instructions for the scheduled elections of the office bearers of the Farm/Woodland NDC to be cancelled.
“The elected PPP/C Councillors of that NDC turned up for the elections and found that they, alone, were present. The APNU+AFC Councillors and the Over-seer were absent. When contacted, the disclosure of Minister Bulkan’s instructions was revealed,” the statement said.
Bulkan however says he does not know what the opposition is talking about.
“The only instruction that it can be claimed I gave was for elections to be held by December 16 in keeping with the legal provisions,” he said, adding, “I don’t know why that was not done and I don’t know why they are claiming that I instructed that an election be cancelled. I did not do so.”
The Local Government Commission is provided for in Guyana’s Constitution. Article 78 (a) reads: “Parliament shall establish a Local Government Commis-sion, the composition and rules of which empower the commission to deal with as it deems fit, all matters related to the regulation and staffing of local government organs and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs.”
Clause 13 (1) of the enabling legislation says that the commission shall have power to deal with all matters relating to the regulation and staffing of local government organs, including employment and dismissal of staff and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs, and in particular, shall monitor and review the performance and implementation of policies of all local government organs, including policies of taxation and protection of the environment.
It also has the power to monitor, evaluate and make recommendations on policies, procedures and practices of all local government organs in order to promote effective local governance; investigate any matter under its purview and propose remedial action to the minister, whenever or wherever necessary; monitor and review all existing and proposed legislation, and or policies and measures relating to local government organs and to make recommendations for any legislation or any amendments to any legislation and or policy to the minister; and examine and propose ways of enhancing the capacity of local government organs.
