Stabroek News has invited the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change to submit a weekly column on local government and related matters. The PPP/C has declined the offer. Only APNU has submitted a column this week.
The Ireng-Sawariwau Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) encompasses the border communities of Lethem, Tabatinga and Culvert City. The Amerindian Village of Parikwarinau and the Amerindian community of Quarrie, an annex of St. Ignatius Village though physically within its boundaries, do not fall under its jurisdiction.
Since its elevation to NDC status in 1994, the community has indeed seen incremental progress in the establishment, provision and maintenance of several services. That is up to 2012 when the duly elected body was arbitrarily replaced with an interim management committee (IMC).
The NDC under the stewardship first, of Mr. Tyrone Foo, then Mr. Terrence Boston implemented several projects and programmes. These include the construction and furnishing of office premises for the council; the construction and equipping of a Children’s Play Park; the purchase of a tractor and trailer; the implementation of a garbage-collection and disposal service; the construction of an adult recreation park; the construction and equipping of a Community Library; the demarcation and construction of internal streets; the identification of lands for the extension of housing areas; the establishment and fencing of a cemetery; the protection of waterways from environmental unfriendly activities and the identification of other income-generating projects, among others.
These were accomplished with the input of public-spirited citizens and, in the case of the library, with funds from the donor community. The NDC, which was denied permission to extend its revenue base accomplished all of this with an annual subvention of $3M which remained unchanged since 1994. This has served to accentuate the People’s Progressive Party/Civic commitment, or rather lack thereof, to the effective functioning of local democratic organs, especially when those councils are perceived as not being supportive of the government.
A Partnership for National Unity is committed to reasserting the autonomy and authority of local democratic organs as defined by the Constitution. Under democratically-elected councils, the solution to local problems will be the responsibility of community leaders elected by the community. The role of central government will be to partner with NDCs and municipalities, not to control, micromanage and dominate as the PPP/C is currently practising. The PPP/C’s attitude of confrontation will be replaced by cooperation and collaboration.
APNU commits to a covenant with residents to engage them in every aspect of community development. Hence the conceptualisation of projects and programmes will take on a ‘bottom-up’ character. Citizens will be encouraged to express their opinions without fear of reprisal.
Democracy will be encouraged. Partnerships will be the mechanism used to improve the quality of life of our citizens. These will include revamping the physical infrastructure; lobbying for an all-weather road linking the Rupununi to coastal Guyana and partnering with central government to establish a modern network of internal roads, walkways, pavements, and drainage; lobbying for the resuscitation of Moco-Moco hydro-power unit and the construction of the Nappi hydro-power unit, which should be an integrated network to provide cheap, renewable energy; lobbying for the construction of an industrial zone to facilitate and promote the manufacturing sector; lobbying for the revamp of the water production and distribution systems so that residents will have access to water of a very high quality and lobbying for the establishment of a regional technical institute so that our youths can be trained and equipped with developmental and life-empowering skills.
The council will also be able to open new housing areas so that our residents will have unhindered access to affordable housing opportunities; rehabilitate the abattoir so that high-quality meat can exit the facility; ensure the proper functioning of the market so that residents will be able to access agricultural produce in a healthy environment and revamp the existing garbage collection and disposal systems.
These projects, once implemented, will provide hundreds of jobs for our citizens who will now be able to afford rates and taxes to guarantee continued growth and development. These measures are in no way exhaustive but will be extended and refined with the implementation of the ‘bottom-up’ approach to governance.
One thing is certain: once residents are involved meaningfully, they will assume a level of ownership of the process which will lead to better communities. Residents within the Ireng-Sawariwau NDC and indeed all communities throughout the country will benefit from local democratic councils that are empowered to address local issues. Citizens have to continue to demand that the PPP/C hold local government elections as dictated by the Constitution.
Rupununi residents say yes to local democracy and no to PPP/C dictatorship!
