2 years later, President yet to name nominees for Local Gov’t Commission

It has been over two years since the APNU/AFC coalition came into Government and promised to establish the Local Government Commission (LGC), but the Commission is yet to materalise; prompting observers to speculate that the process is being deliberately stalled, since President David Granger is yet to name his nominees for the commission.

Over one year ago, Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo submitted his nominees and re-submitted the list earlier this year.
On Friday, State Minister Joseph Harmon, at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, told reporters that the Government is anxious to have the commission established, in keeping with the administration’s commitment to the Guyanese people.
“We have seen recently the nominations from the Leader of the Opposition. Those nominations did not capture some other recommendations which were made to the Leader of the Opposition… He has submitted his recommendations, and we will work with what we have; and I believe that in the short space of time, his Excellency would make a pronouncement on that,” Harmon said.
He noted that when the APNU/AFC Administration came into office, the establishment of commissions, reintroduction of the Local Government Elections, and conducting commissions of inquiry were priority developments in order for them to understand the playing field in which they were operating.
Article 78 (a) of the Constitution of Guyana sets out that “Parliament shall establish a Local Government Commission, the composition and rules of which empower the Commission to 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.”
The Commission would, among other things, have control over who is appointed as officials in the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and other local authorities. In addition, it would have to approve budgets for the NDCs.
By law, the Commission is to be made up of eight members. These members will include four nominated by the Government, one from the unions, and three nominees 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 PPP/C’s representatives on the Local Government Commission.
In addition, the Committee on Appointments had recommended that Andrew Garnett, of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union, be appointed as the union representative. This means that the Government is the only stakeholder yet to fulfil its responsibilities to nominate representatives to the Commission.
In the 2017 budget, G$30 million had been allocated for the LGC, but it is almost the end of 2017 and the constitutional body is yet to be established. Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had told the Parliamentary Supply Committee last year that the commission would be operationalized by the end of 2017.
In November of last year, Harmon had said that background checks are being conducted on the persons shortlisted to function as Government Commissioners on the Local Government Commission. Minister Bulkan submitted the list of names to Cabinet. However, Harmon had said that the law requires the persons named be vetted, to ensure they meet the requirements to hold the office and to carry out the roles and responsibilities contained within. He noted that one of the requirements is that persons identified must be of “high integrity”.