Local government reform must be implemented before elections

Mar 14, 2010 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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AGREEMENT BY ALL POLITICAL PARTIES
Over the past four years, the PNCR and, indeed, all political parties including the PPP/C, had agreed that the completion of Local Government Reform was a natural prerequisite for the holding of local Government Elections.
It is for this reason that the Parliament has continuously postponed the holding of these elections since 1997.
It is, therefore, amazing that, after all the time and money spent, the PPP/C, as the PNCR had warned, seems determined to maintain the old Local Government System while seeking to fool the Public with the implementation of only the reformed Electoral System.
The position of the PNCR on this matter has been regularly stated and is well-known to the government. Never the less, on Monday last, March 8, 2010, the Leader of the PNCR, Mr. Robert Corbin, MP, in a brief exchange with President Jagdeo, reaffirmed the position of the PNCR and presented him with press statements of the PNCR and the Joint Opposition Parliamentary Parties over the past three years on this matter.
Consequently, while the PNCR is ready and prepared for the Local Government Elections it will not be lured into a farce by the Jagdeo Administration.
WHAT ARE THE REFORMS?
In a press statement dated since April 19, 2007 the PNCR stated, “The continuous postponement of Local Government Elections which have been deferred for nine consecutive years was predicated on one main reason: an acceptance by all of the need to complete local government reform in accordance with the mandate of the revised Guyana Constitution.
It should be obvious that the Elections cannot be held unless and until the recommendations of the Task Force set up for this purpose are fully implemented. …….
The reform under articles 72-79 of the Constitution provides for:-
* a new electoral system
* autonomy for local government
* the establishment of a local government commission
* an objective system for fiscal transfers and revenue garnering
* re introduction of village/community councils
* a system of lower tiers representation on higher tiers
* a system of recall for malfunctioning Councillors”
UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF ELECTIONS WITHOUT REFORM
It should therefore be obvious to all that the reform of the Electoral System is but one small part of the requirements of Local Government Reform as required by the Constitution of Guyana.
Consequently, it is questionable whether any Elections in the absence of these Reforms would be Constitutional.
The People’s National Congress Reform, conscious of the proclivity of the Jagdeo Administration to engage in exercises of bad faith, has over these years continually warned the Guyanese people of the manoeuvres, of the regime, to prevent the reform of the Local Government system before the holding of Local Government Elections.
In a Press Statement dated 19 March,2009, captioned, “PPP/C WANTS LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS WITHOUT REFORMS” the PNCR reminded the Jagdeo Administration of the agreement with the Opposition Parties, that Local Government Elections would be held under the reformed Local Government system, using an Electoral List extracted from the new National Register of Registrants, produced as a result of the recent House-to-House Registration process.
AFC, GAP /ROAR, NFA & PNCR JOINT STATEMENT OF 2007
The Opposition Parties, AFC, GAP/ROAR, NFA and PNCR had earlier emphasized their position in a Joint Press Release, dated Monday 19 November 2007, which stated, inter alia, “… that the reform of the Local Government system, as recommended by the Joint Task Force for Local Government Reform, including the reform of the Local Government Electoral system, … should be fully implemented prior to the holding of Local Government Elections.”
The Parliamentary Opposition Parties had met on Friday 18 May, 2007, and were represented by Mr. Robert Corbin, MP (Leader of the PNCR-1G and the Opposition), Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, MP (Leader of the AFC), Mr. Raphael Trotman, MP (Chairman of the AFC), Mr. Keith Scott, MP (Leader of the National Front Alliance and PNCR-1G), Mr. Everall Franklin, MP (GAP-ROAR), Mr. Oscar Clarke (General Secretary, PNCR-1G), Mr. Basil Williams, MP (PNCR-1G and Member of the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform) and Mr. E. Lance Carberry, MP (PNCR-1G and Opposition Chief Whip).
That Release is being made available today for the benefit of the Media.
RELEVANT LAWS FRUSTRATED IN PARLIAMENT
Since then the PPP/C Administration has used every opportunity to undermine the Local Government Reform process, the latest being their approach at the Special Select Committee on the Local Government Bills 2009, after the National Assembly’s Recess, on Tuesday 27 October 2009.
The Parliamentary Opposition Parties expected that, after the shameless display of bad faith and dishonourable behaviour by the PPP/C, prior to the National Assembly Recess, the PPP would have returned to the Committee resolved to complete the expeditious consideration of the core Local Government Reform Bills. Regrettably, this never materialized.
Their claims of the urgency for the passage of the two Bills (The Local Government (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2009 – Bill No. 21 of 2009 and the Local Government Commission Bill 2009 – Bill No. 22 of 2009,) prior to the National Assembly Recess in 2009, was not borne out by the speed with which the Presidential Assent was given.
The Elections Bill was only assented to by the President on September 29, 2009 while as of Friday March 12, 2010, the LG Commission Bill had not been assented to by President Jagdeo.
In any event, the Local Government Commission Bill passed in the National Assembly is unacceptable since it merely removes the domineering power of the Minister of Local Government and transfers them to a LG Commission that is dominated by appointees of the President and the Minister of Local Government.
It should be recalled, that the participation of the Parliamentary Opposition Parties, in the work of the Special Select Committee on the Local Government Bills 2009, was premised on the understanding that the consideration of the five (5) Bills (No.21 of 2009, No. 22 of 2009, No. 23 of 2009, No. 25 of 2009 and No. 26 of 2009), which were laid in the National Assembly and referred to the Special Select Committee, would be expedited so that they could all be passed by the National Assembly as a “package” representing the agreed Reforms of the Local Government System prior to the holding of Local Government Elections.
The Parliamentary Opposition Parties, consistent with their commitment to work towards the expeditious consideration of the Bills, were very co-operative but have been frustrated continuously by the machinations of the PPP/C.
ELECTIONS BEFORE REFORM MUST BE RESISTED BY ALL GUYANESE
The obvious attempts by the PPP/C Administration to frustrate Local Government Reform must be resisted by all Guyanese. Consequently, the PNCR has commenced a series of consultations, commencing with the Parliamentary Opposition Parties and including Civil Society Groups, to determine an appropriate response to the PPP/C attempt to perpetrate a hoax on the Guyanese people.
The PNCR will make a definitive statement to the Nation on this matter after it has concluded those consultations.

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