Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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The Local Government Commission can usurp legitimate power
Dear Editor,
I read in the local news media that the Local Government Commission has launched an inquiry into the administration of the Mayor and City Council but, how genuine is it to really help the Council out of the economic doldrums it has found itself?
De doldrums is due to the accumulative neglect by the previous political administration. Let us examine the action of the commission. Based on reports I have read, the commission claims that it has received adverse reports from workers of the Municipality and other agencies about the administration of the Council.
The question then must be, did the commission share this information from workers of the Municipality and other agencies with the Council’s representatives? If yes, what was the result? If not, then why not? After all, the alleged complaints are about the Council and in all fairness and rationality they should be the first to know and given an opportunity to comment on them. Therefore, if that was not done it provides suspicion that, there is some other hidden agenda.
How can the Local Government Commission hold an inquiry based on alleged complaints against the Council?
Like Central Government people will always complain and give adverse reports about different aspects of the operations of public bodies because there is always room for improvement to provide better systems to serve people. In any case, people have always been complaining about the Mayor and City Council; this is nothing new.
What is worrying is the composition of the Local Government Commission. It is made up of two former local government ministers of the People Progressive Party/Civic, a former Town Clerk who presided over the destruction of the city, a member of Alliance for Change, two members of A Partner for National Unity and one from the Trade Union Movement.
It is clear for all to see that the commission makes it inherently unfair and biased particularly, when it comes to the Mayor and City Council. It is not difficult for individual members of the commission with their own political agendas to encourage people to write comments and send in complaints to the commission because it is all about politics, domination and the need to control the nation’s capital.
So, given the composition of the commission, its decision-making process, the approach used by that body to launch a commission of inquiry one wonders about the real intentions or agenda of the commission in itself and its inquiry.
Speaking about the commission of inquiry there appears to be no published Terms of Reference setting out the nature, scope, timelines and work of the commission. This allows for the commission to entertain all and sundry of anything and everything perceived or real and present the Local Government Commission with the opportunity to achieve its agenda.
Finally, when one looks at the nature, scope and broad ranging powers given to the Commission it is clear to me that it has the potential to usurp the authority of elected representatives of the people (Mayor and Councillors).
This by itself undermines the spirit and intentions of the constitution, which facilitates the Local Government Commission and submerge the active will of the people by limiting the action of their representatives to perform and act on their behalf.
This is a worrying situation. For local democracy to flourish in Guyana, the people’s representatives must be allowed to act freely on their behalf.
Regards
Mr. Winston Mc Donald
Property Owner
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