Today’s newspapers carried concerns about the likelihood of Local Government Elections not taking place this year – that according to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon there is difficulty relating to the National Registration Centre.
Let it be known that the public share his concerns, as well, as many other citizens.
However, there is an ominous silence on the more important issue, which is local government reform.
Concerns are being justifiably expressed about our Constitution and the present governance of the winner-take-all characteristic.
Local government offers an opportunity to ease this concern, but it will not if elections are held with the present arrangement, where the government through the minister can exercise almost total control over the municipalities. And this has been the pattern since the last local government elections were held.
Local government reform therefore has to come in line with new thinking, initially as seen in the United States, Europe and even the Caribbean, where local government authorities are given much more elbow room, for example, to raise their own revenues.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green JP
Mayor
