Local democracy is dead in Guyana, thanks to Central Govt.

Mar 04, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I am forced to write an open letter to my fellow Guyanese, the EU, the UK, and the United States departments for democracy, about the destruction of local democracy, by the central government in Guyana.

There is no such thing as local democracy in Guyana.  It cannot be, when you have the central government in the race for local government elections domination, utilizing funds from a $781.9 billion government budget for their hidden disguise campaigns, in the name of president’s outreach, because we care, and handout of money and other items which we know is a need, but the real reason is to entice the citizens, in local government authorities area to vote for them, just 4 months before the election, it cannot be right.

Editor, and my fellow humans, the 1980 constitution and its amendments created a political system which is called inclusionary democracy, which means the national representatives, are the President and Members of Parliament, Regional representatives, councillors of the Regional Democratic Councils, lower-tiered Local Government councillors, municipality, NDC village councils, and community cooperatives, all who have their functions.  But the central government is the dominant force, which is collecting the majority of the revenue of the country, withholds the finance needed, and financial autonomy from local governments, making it difficult for them to do their job, then coming like a Godsend to perform council’s duty, to get the praise.

Economics through hidden blackmail is what’s taking place, especially in the area where people are finding it very difficult to live, with the income they received.  Whether it is government wages, private sectors wages, or self-employed person wages, the money just cannot take care of a family, the money has lost its spending power in the last 3 years although it had not devalued against the US dollar, so the 8% which was given cannot cushion the lost purchase power of the dollar.

The game which is played is to spend big money on infrastructure and other development, but give little in wages and benefits to our people, although we are collecting hundreds of billion more in oil revenue.  The cost of living had risen by over 40%, when it was already high.  This low increase in wages of 8% will keep the people poor, then the government will run in with a handout telling the people we care, in their direct and in their subliminal messages, but if you read the hidden motive, you will realize it is for votes, and if you do not support them, future benefits may pass your home. The perception that people are getting is that if you speak out against the wrong the government is doing, you will be victimized in different ways, so to prevent the government victimization against you from getting contracts and other state benefits, people are forced by necessity to live, to give support to the dominant force who is trying to take all power at all cost.

The constitution and laws have to be amended to have a level playing field; if not, local government elections will continue to be dominated by the central government which uses the people’s funds to campaign against the local groups and individuals in local government authorities’ area.  No party, which has more than 3 seats in parliament, should be participating in a local government election, and it should be strictly a consistency election. It is not fair for the government and big political parties in parliament which already dominate the government and the regions should also dominate the lower-tier local government authorities.  At present, the greed for all power is so great that the present central government local government minister, had taken away two of the 8 council seats for the Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC, which were given to the council when it was established in 2018 under the APNU + AFC administration.

The reduction of the council seats by the government without consultation with the council or the electorate is because they think with 6 council seats, they stand a chance to win the council.  They only had got two seats on the council after the 2018 LGE, APNU 5 and AFC 1, they know the council or the electorate would not agree to the reduction of the council seats from 8 to 6, which would reduce the opportunity for 2 councillors.  It is so sad to see the people who spoke about one Guyana wanted to deprive an NDC of 2 seats just to win a council.

Editor, I was the one who was instrumental in lobbying for the Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC to be established and for the 8 councillors seats, since I was a councillor for the Region 4 RDC, between 2006 to 2011 and MP from 2015 to 2019.Since the order of the minister to reduce the council seats, I had emailed GECOM, messaged some commissioners of GECOM, messaged the Minister of local government on the matter, and emailed the President of Guyana and the matter was in the media, but with no positive reply on the matter.

Local democracy is dead because of the dirty politics of the central government, they need to have a shower when it comes to local government development.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Carrington

Former MP

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• Democracy, Government, Guyanese, Michael Carrington, United States departments

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