As the delay in the establishment of the Local Government Commission (LGC) continues, the nominees from
PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira
both Government and the Opposition are yet to be announced. In an interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Gail Teixeira stated that the Opposition’s nominees are still being considered.
“We haven’t concluded our names as yet, we are finalising [them],” she noted. The PPP/C Chief Whip expressed that in a “relatively short while” the names will be confirmed and submitted to the Commission.
When asked about the justifications for the delay, the MP reiterated that her Party could not trace the letter which would have informed Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on the submission of PPP/C’s nominees.
“The letter which was said to have been sent, we could not trace it, we had to ask back the Minister for it and we got it last week, so we are working on it,” Teixeira expressed.
Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan concurred being aware of the Opposition’s complaints that the “original correspondence” had been misplaced and noted that he is still waiting on the Opposition to submit their names for the LGC.
When asked about the names of Government’s selected nominees for the Commission, the Communities Minister posited that one collective announcement will be made as soon as the Opposition Leader submits his names for the Commission.
Government had promised that the Commission would be functioning from early 2016, but after months of delays and reiterated calls for the body’s establishment, Bulkan stated this month that the LGC will be operationalised by early July. Among its objectives, the Commission will be tasked with monitoring and assessing the performance of the local government organs, administering disciplinary action, and implementing policies such as tax collection. Minister Bulkan will no longer issue directives on local government matters, such as employment but rather, this will fall under the preview of the Local Government Commission.
Bulkan had told Guyana Times that nominees for Government’s side would have been known by last week Wednesday but he pointed out that he had not heard word from the Opposition on their nominees for LGC posts.
“We have not received a response from him (the Opposition Leader) as yet,” Bulkan told this publication last week.
In response, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told this newspaper that he suspected that the PPP/C nominees would have been chosen by Friday last. Chief Whip Gail Teixeira had earlier this month contended that although Minister Bulkan was “constantly reminded”, the Opposition Leader had not received a formal letter.
“The Minister of Communities has to trigger the action to write the Leader of the Opposition to say according to section so and so of the Act… I’ve raised this matter over and over again,” Teixeira had explained in Party press conference.
At that time, she noted that three sittings had passed but there were no moves on the matter. Guyana’s Local Government Elections were held in March.
