8-member Local Govt. Commission named

Oct 20, 2017 News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...vt-commission-named/

– Two former ministers, regional chairmen and a Town Clerk among appointees

The names of members of a critical watchdog body to oversee Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities have finally been announced.

The names of the eight members of the Local Government Commission (LGC) were announced by Cabinet Secretary and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday, during the post-Cabinet press briefings.
According to Harmon, the appointees approved during the Cabinet meeting Tuesday were former Region 10 chairman, Mortimer Mingo; former Region Four chairman, Clement Corlette; senior executive of the Alliance For Change, Marlon Williams; educator, Joan Ann Ramascindo; union leader, Andrew Garnett; former city Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, and former ministers, Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore.

Harmon disclosed that Cabinet, by a memorandum submitted by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, approved the appointment of eight persons to serve on the LGC.

Harmon said that this is in accordance with the requirements of Section (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Local Government Commission Act, Number 18 of 2013.

According to Minister Harmon, the members will be sworn in by President David Granger shortly. Arrangements in relation to office, staff and other facilities to be used by the commissioners are to be finalised.

“I am advised by the Ministry of Communities that work had already started in that regard and therefore …once they are sworn in, they should hit the ground running,” the Minister noted.

There has been pressure on the administration to appoint the members of the LGC, with the Opposition saying it has submitted names.

Minister Bulkan had vowed that the constitutional body would be established by year end.

The Commission, through the Ministry of Communities, is mandated to oversee, monitor, investigate and examine the actions of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the municipalities.

Local Government Elections (LGE) are slated for 2018. They were held last year, after more than two decades without any.

With the Coalition Government promising to place more power in the hands of the local government organs, the appointment of LGC members have been seen as critical as part of the process.

The job of the LGC is to, among other things, deal with as it deems fit, all matters related to the regulation and staffing of local government organs and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs.

Parliament’s intention was to reduce the influence of the central government by placing the oversight of local democratic organs under the purview of a Commission and not a government Ministry. The objective was to allow for the management of towns and communities, free from central government’s control, which in the past frequently proved oppressive or suffocating. Citizens, in this way, were expected to play a more meaningful role in addressing local issues and solving problems.

The Bill to enable the establishing of the Commission was eventually passed in the National Assembly in August 2013.

Among other things the Commission shall have power to deal with all matters relating to the regulation and staffing of local government organs including employment and dismissal of staff and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs, and in particular, shall monitor and review the performance and implementation of policies of all local government organs, including policies of taxation and protection of the environment.

It will also have the power to monitor, evaluate and make recommendations on policies, procedures and practices of all local government organs in order to promote effective local governance and investigate any matter under its purview and propose remedial action to the Minister.

The Commission, once established, will take over most of the current oversight role exercised by the Ministry of Communities. The Ministry, therefore, will no longer have the ability to degrade the capacity of local government organs which will now be able to exercise executive authority in keeping with the autonomy guaranteed by the constitution.