Linden Town Council rejects PPP activist as town clerk

Nov 18, 2023 News

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…slams unilateral, unlawful appointment by Local Govt. Commission

Kaieteur News – The Mayor and Town Council of Linden has expressed deep concerns over the appointment of PPP/C activist, Lennox Gasper as the town clerk of the municipality.

The council also said that the appointment which was made by the Local Government Commission (LGC) did not follow the prescribed process and without the Council’s involvement, consultation or approval. “This action directly contradicts the constitution of Guyana, the LGC Act, and the Municipal and District Councils Act. The LGC’s failure to follow the prescribed process in this appointment is a clear violation of established legal frameworks and undermines the principles of fairness, transparency, and good governance,” the town council said in a statement Friday.

According to the council the Constitution of Guyana guarantees the elected local government officials (the Mayor and Town Council of Linden, etc.,) the power to make decisions Article 75 of the Constitution of Guyana.  As the Council knows it the employment process involves several stages –

1. The Council notifies the Local Government Commission of the existence of a vacancy;
2. The Local Government Commission approves the Council to advertise for the vacancy, this advertisement is done either internally or externally or both;
3. Upon the receipt of the application(s) the Council and a representative of the Local Government Commission engage in a shortlisting exercise to select candidates which suit the requirements;
4. The candidates selected are invited to an interview;
5. The successful candidate is employed (approved by the Local Government Commission).

In the employment of Gasper,  the council said that, at the instant the Council notified the Commission of the vacancy to which the Council provided a clear three-point plan for employment it received correspondence under the hand of the Commission’s Secretary the imposition of Mr. Gasper as appointed Town Clerk.

“It is noteworthy that the three-point plan included– a. That the file containing previous applications be revisited to select a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy; b the process commences, that is, application shortlisting scheduling of interviews etc. and the most suitable candidate be selected; and the most senior officer at the Council acts in the position to allow the above to occur.”

The Council believes that any reasonable Commissioner would have agreed that in the interim the third option would have been employed while a selection process would be commenced and concluded. “However, in the case of this employment, the Commission chose to ignore even its circular and made a unilateral appointment. The position was not advertised, and no applications were submitted but an appointment was made, and worse of all the person appointed happened to be the PPP/C spokesperson for the region. How much more shameful can this be?” the council stated.

The LGC’s actions, the council said have undermined the democratic process and the rule of law, and have caused significant confusion and disruption within the Linden community. “The Council strongly rejects this political appointment and demands that the LGC immediately rescind it. The Council would like to assure the public that it is committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and good governance. The Council will not tolerate any actions that undermine the integrity of the local government system or the trust of the people,” the statement read. .

According to the council, in the days immediately preceding this appointment, it wrote the Secretary of the Local Government Commission, in an effort to find common ground. “The Council reiterated its position which was a resolution emanating from a duly conducted statutory meeting and is legally binding and enforceable as it is a decision of the Council. To date, the Local Government Commission has not responded and has not taken any steps to rectify this blatant, variation from the established and accepted norms and its employment process. The Commission for its part seems to be taking political directives and this can only serve to erode the democratic process and undermine the constitution of Guyana.”

The council said “in light of this malicious act of the Local Government Commission, the Council wishes to note that this same Lennox Gasper was the campaign manager and Mayor hopeful under the June 12, 2023, Local government Elections on the PPP/C slate. This slate lost. The Local Government Commission must know that making such an appointment constitutes a conflict of interest. This Commission is taking political instructions, as this act seems to coincide, with the recent utterances of the General Secretary of the PPP/C who said his government will not work with the elected officials but will work through persons and interest groups. The Commission has acted consistently with this direction.”

The town council said: “this action seeks to torpedo the successes and work of the Council in the short months since it was elected to office. The people of Linden can and will attest to the development works being done by the Council in all eight constituencies. The residents of this beautiful town must rest assured that this Council will continue to work for and with you to ensure that the service delivered continues to improve despite the antics and political moves by the PPP/C to hinder the progress and developmental agenda of this Council and Linden.”

“The Mayor and Council of Linden once again call on the Local Government Commission to immediately rectify this situation by rescinding the unilateral political appointment of Mr. Lennox Gasper as the Town Clerk of the Municipality of Linden and initiate a proper, transparent, and lawful recruitment process for the position of town clerk. The Council also wishes to put on record its call for all appointments within local government bodies to adhere to constitutional provisions and statutory requirements to ensure integrity and accountability in governance. Notwithstanding, these political overtures by the PPP/C through the Local Government Commission to put their people to manage the township through the backdoor will survive.”

Furthermore, the Linden Town Council urges all relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law and respect the autonomy of local government institutions. Any actions that undermine the legal framework governing local governance not only erode public trust but also jeopardize the effective functioning of local government structures. The Council said it is currently seeking legal advice and exploring all available options to address this situation. In the meantime, the Council urges all residents of Linden to remain calm and to continue to support the democratic process. “The Linden Town Council remains committed to upholding the principles of good governance, accountability, and transparency in serving the interests of our community. We will continue to advocate for adherence to legal processes and standards in all matters related to local governance,” the release ended.

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• Bharrat Jagdeo, Lennox Gasper and PPP/C General Secretary, Linden Mayor, Newly appointed Linden Town Clerk, Sharma Solomon

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