AFC wants process to establish LGC fast-tracked

– nominates party General Secretary for the Commission

By Samuel Sukhnandan

After numerous calls and much clamouring from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), a major party in the coalition Government has said that it wants the process of establishing the long-awaited Local Government Commission (LGC) fast-tracked so that Guyanese from across the country could see their local government systems become more effective, and which will bring about development in communities.

Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan said his party is keen to have the LGC fully constituted. “It is the party’s position that the nominees for the Commission should be fast-tracked and that the Guyanese people benefit from a fully constituted LGC,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Ramjattan, a senior Government Minister, said the AFC is fully tuned in to the need to have this Commission constituted and will continue to play its part in ensuring that it does all is required to ensure that is done. In fact, the AFC has nominated a senior AFC party member.
He said, “We have already gone through the gamut as a party to nominate Marlon Williams (AFC General Secretary) for that process and we have already gotten some names from the Cabinet as to who should be members on that Commission and the Opposition nominees.”
While acknowledging that the process has gone a far way, Ramjattan said Cabinet is now in the process of looking at two other names to finalise the team for the establishment of the LGC.

“The impression is being given by some of the naysayers as if we do not want LGC. The AFC has made it quite clear; we want as early as possible the LGC. We have named our names and we would expect that Cabinet would come up with the names as early as possible,” he argued.
At the last Cabinet meeting, the Minister said he raised the issue again and has been given assurances that it could be addressed in a matter of weeks. “There were names given and we indicated that there were some persons who ought to be named on it, and we are trying to rectify that and get confirmation from some of the people that we have considered,” he opined.
Despite these efforts, members of the Opposition have accused Government of deliberately delaying the process of establishing the Commission and attempting to trample on local democracy. While the AFC has indicated that the process could be completed soon, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had told this publication that Government will be working to meet the deadline by the end of this year.
Bulkan said while Government had set previous deadlines, it will work hard to ensure that the next deadline is met. He said the appropriate site to house the facility is still being sought after, explaining that the problem is trying to get a suitable location. However, he said there is no intention on the part of Government to abandon the setting up of that body.
Former Local Government Minister and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Ganga Persaud has, however, argued that it is extremely disappointing that after all the statements and concerns expressed by the coalition Government to enhance democracy and to rush bills while promising to give more autonomy to the local government bodies, the LGC is yet to be established.
The former Minister also chastised Government for its delay in appointing nominees for this important body, claiming “it’s a deliberate ploy, because the Minister wants to use their terms, he wants to be the control freak, to hug up all the sources of power and roll them up under his thumb.”
Persaud went on to state that it is most unfortunate, given all the major promises made by the now Government to restore local democracy, give greater autonomy to people, and allow them to manage their own affairs, so that local government can grow to the benefit of all Guyanese.
Another PPP Member of Parliament, Neil Kumar, has also accused the coalition Government of trying to do everything in its power to frustrate the smooth running of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) after that party had been soundly thrashed at the March 2016 Local Government Elections.
Kumar had also said that if the LGC is not established soon, the entire machinery of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) would be shut down, and the only function of the Elections Commission would be that of identification cards’ distribution at all the permanent centres.
In the 2016 budget estimates, some $30 million was allocated by the Government to the non-functioning LGC. When asked, Bulkan had stated that this was to allow the Commission to operate independently of Central Government.
The LGC, when established, will have oversight over the various Local Authority Areas in the country. It would also be responsible for appointing officials in the NDC and Local Authority Areas, as well as approving budgets for the NDCs.
By law, the Commission is to be made up of eight members – four nominated by the Government, one from the unions, and three from the Leader of the Opposition.
Former acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba and former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore were nominated as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) representatives on the LGC.
In addition, the Committee on Appointments had recommended that Andrew Garnett of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union be appointed as the union representative. Government is the only stakeholder yet to fulfill its responsibilities to nominate representatives to the Commission.