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The Local Govt. Commission must function without political direction
DEAR EDITOR,
The Local Govt. Commission (LGC) Act was passed in parliament in 2013, after which the LGC was formed to address and solve Local Government issues in the various municipalities and NDCs in Guyana. The LGC is mandated under Section 19 of the LGC Act 2013 to recruit (by the prescribed procedures in keeping with the law), discipline and dismiss staff at all Local Authority Areas (LAA) as one of its many tasks.
With these powers bestowed on the Local Government Commission, can this body fulfill its mandate effectively and without impartiality?
Recently, I noticed in the media, numerous amount of corruption was highlighted by Cde. Neil Kumar, who asked the Local Government Commission to investigate. How quickly can these matters be addressed, and will there be any cover for certain matters or individuals? The Ministry of Communities and the Local Government staff of the RDCs are ensuring that they control and manipulate the Council of the LAAs that are being chaired by the PPP.
The issue pertaining to the hiring of the Town Clerk at the Rose Hall Municipality was dealt with in a timely manner by the Local Government Commission, despite overruling a unanimous decision of the municipality. I do hope that other issues raised by Cde. Neil Kumar will be given the same preferential treatment to be resolved immediately.
Because of the composition and the way that a specific commissioner was chosen, I am of the view that this commission will be using its power to hire persons who are working in the best interest of the Coalition Government to derail and destabilise the LAAs managed by the PPP. I am confident that the PPP nominees are fighters who will highlight the deficiencies to ensure that the mandate of this important independent Commission is not politically hijacked by the APNU/AFC Coalition Government.
Zamal Hussain
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