The LGE puts power in Citizens’ hands

Oct 07, 2018 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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The last Local Government Elections (LGEs) held in March 2016 was historic especially because it has restored a most vital component of democratic governance in this country. LGE’s were brought back after two whole decades of absence.
There is very little debate as to why the PPP Government had refused to let the People speak through LGE’s. The absence of municipal elections (as it could also be called), had provided the environment for the vicious system of party control over the neighbourhood councils before 2016. The absence of LGE’s for 16 years robbed every citizen of many of their democratic rights and created the environment for the chosen few to access all the benefits, leaving everyone else out in the cold.
This Government restored LGEs in 2016 with one expressed purpose, i.e. to ensure that your voices, the voices of the people at the grass roots, are heard too!
Some Guyanese are not yet convinced that they owe it to themselves to choose for themselves the persons who will represent their interests when the Neighbourhood and Town Councils meet to discuss e.g. the clearing of canals; or to repair community roads.
That is the fundamental purpose of LGE’s. Your own local matters are supposed to be deliberated at these Council meetings. Your communities’ need, e.g. a new bridge or a rehabilitated playground must be counted among the important projects that your NDC has to implement.
We understand that most Guyanese consider the National and Regional Elections to be more important. But, the AFC would like all citizens all over Guyana to see that your local government elections are just as important. In fact, the LGE lets you select the actual persons who will attend the NDC meetings, the Regional council meetings and sometimes represent your neighbourhoods’ issues at the level of Central Government.
In many modern states there are two systems of government to ensure that democracy is real and not just words spouted by the government to fool people into thinking that they are working on their behalf. In our country, the LGE is one very important activity to ensure that our people can speak and be heard. Central government is for the management of national affairs. Local government is about the daily matters that affect the lives and livelihoods of citizens in our towns, villages, riverain and hinterland communities.
Look at it this way. It is not possible for a government to address the needs of all its citizens by itself, not in a country like Guyana measuring 83,000 square miles, with many of its citizens thinly spread out in the vast savannah lands and mountainous regions. The Government’s work has to be helped by the Neighbourhood and Regional Councils. These Councils guide the Government on building and repairing community infrastructure, facilities for agriculture, for health centers and hospitals, schools and Institutes, for the timber industry, in the gold and diamond mining districts, and for coconut, plantain, fruits and other farmers.
Here is another very important fact to consider: This Coalition Government brought back local government democracy in 2016 and another LGE is due this November. Just as in 2016, there will be no interference by the Government in the elections or in the selection of chairpersons and executives of the various Councils. Instead, Government will continue to work together with locally elected councils and dispense the necessary funds for projects.
We urge you to go out and vote, choose the people you want to handle your community’s affairs. Remember that your Neighbourhood and Regional Councils collect your taxes and other revenues from rental of machinery and other sales. Those monies are supposed to help fund your socio-economic activities e.g. your garbage collection, installation of street lighting, and dredging of canals to make your lives better and your communities healthier.
There are other very important public services such as banking, passport applications, registration of births and deaths, application for GRA Compliance certificates and other business documents which are supposed to be monitored by your NDC’s and RDC’s to ensure that you receive good, decent services at all times. It is the responsibility of your councils to report any failures in the quality of services you receive from both the public or private sectors.
The AFC remains very aware of our unique Guyanese challenges, some of which are race and cultural differences that lead to discrimination. The AFC will continue to ensure that you have access to many other opinions, news and views, not just from one source.
Let us continue to work together to grow our communities while we overcome those differences.
Voting for your own community representatives puts the power in your hands!

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