‘Systemic campaign’ on Local Government Elections to begin February

Jan 14, 2018 News

The Ministry of Communities will undertake an awareness campaign for both councillors and voters ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled for later this year.
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, said the campaign commences in February and will engage various levels of existing and prospective candidates of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) across the country.
“Essentially, it’s a systemic campaign, one that will have training material and personnel, and that will allow for an engagement at various levels with NDCs probably via our RDCs where this level of voter education and greater details with regards to what are the expectations and the responsibility, various responsibilities of councillors.”
The Minister said that the administration is determined to restore the system of local government to ensure the proper delivery of services to residences.
“Those councillors will, in keeping with the strategic policy of this administration, be empowered to manage that community without undue interference from -Central Government and this is the message we will be taking to people in communities all across our country”, he explained.
It is critical for councillors and voters to understand the importance of the election the minister noted. “If you do not vote then you’re surrendering the management of your community only to persons who participate.”
The awareness campaign is also intended to improve voter turnout. Minister Bulkan said the government has a target of “a minimum 50 percent turnout” at this year’s election.
“We have a very important responsibility and we have a programme where we will go into communities across our country to educate our citizens of their need to participate and for them to have a fuller understanding that these councils that will come into being will have lawful responsibility to undertake all activities on their behalf.”
The government has allocated $2.9B for the hosting of the LGE slated between the beginning of November and early December, this year.

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