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Govt. must expedite commission to show it’s serious about local democracy – PPP
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is contending that if the David Granger-led Administration is serious about strengthening the Local Government System and is hell-bent on enforcing local democracy, then efforts should be
PPP/C Executive,
Dr. Roger Luncheon
expedited to establish the Local Government Commission (LGC).
The source of this assertion was PPP/C Executive Member, Dr. Roger Luncheon, in the presence of other party executives including Members of Parliament (MPs): Irfaan Ali and Dharamkumar Seeraj at a press conference hosted at the party’s headquarters, Freedom House, yesterday.
Guyana’s Constitution was revised in 2001, thereby strengthening the role of local democracy. New constitutional provisions came into being guaranteeing the authority and independence of local democratic organs which include the nine municipalities and over 65 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
The Local Government Commission – provided for under article, 78A – stated: “Parliament shall establish a Local Government Commission, 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.
The Commission will comprise eight members: four nominated by Government; one from the unions operating in the local government sector; and three from the Opposition.”
The PPP/C has already submitted its names and is questioning Government’s delay in similarly announcing and appointing its Commissioners.
Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan told media operatives earlier this year that the process is being stymied due to the “non-adherence” by the Leader of the Opposition to the requirements stipulated in the Local Government legislation.
“Under the legislation, the (names of) persons submitted need (to) be (done) following consultations by the Leader of the Opposition with the other parties in the National Assembly…So I made it clear in the National Assembly and by extension, the public, that in the absence of the clarification from the leader of the opposition, the process could not go…So it is one of the factors that is contributory to us not being able to go forward,” Bulkan said.
Dr. Luncheon said yesterday that despite the importance of Local Government that was being touted by the Government, the administration ‘has not moved an inch’ in putting up its nominees.
He said that the operationalisation of the LGC requires a Commencement Order issued by the Minister of Communities which is gazetted before it comes into operation. Until this happens, the powers of the commission continue to be exercised by the Minister.
Bulkan had told the National Assembly that the order would be given “in the year 2017”.
Dr. Luncheon said that the PPP/C suspects that something “sinister “is going on
“Something is yet to be revealed why the ministry, specifically the minister, is not giving effect to the Local Government Commission. And still they speak of local democracy and still they speak of social cohesion and these specific examples are surfacing time and time again and remain unaddressed.
This reluctance is almost overbearing to address public opinion to confirm with actions that are in keeping with what they have said; to which they have made commitments. This is a disturbing trend and (should) it to continue, it would lead to inevitably great loss; increasing lost of trust, “Dr. Luncheon stressed.
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