The Ministry of Communi-ties yesterday advertised for Regional Executive Officers (REO) in what could be in keeping with Minister Ronald Bulkan’s public position that the operations and management of the regions should not be politicized.
In yesterday’s edition of this newspaper there was an advertisement for REOs for regional administrations. Applicants must have a master’s degree in administration with five years managerial experience or a first degree in management or public management or any other related field with 10 years’ managerial experience in the public sector. The applicant must also have a knowledge of the Local Democratic Organs Act 1980 among other related Acts. Experience in auditing/knowledge of regional administrative systems would also be an asset.
The advertisement said that the duties of the REO include implementing and executing the council’s budget, executing the programmes of the council and chairing the regional procurement and tender administration board.
Applicants were asked to submit their applications by July 31st to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities, De Winkle Building, Fort Street, Kingston.
When in opposition the present APNU+AFC government and more so Minister Bulkan had criticized the manner of appointments of REOs. Bulkan had charged that they were appointed to carry out the bidding of the then PPP/C administration.
Since becoming minister Bulkan has indicated his intention to let go of most of the REOs adding that they were on contracts which were expected to expire shortly. Later, he had disclosed that Peter Ramotar-brother of former President Donald Ramotar-had his contract renewed as REO of Region 7.
Shortly after taking up his ministerial position he sent Region Nine’s REO Claire Singh on leave stating at the time she understood “that she was playing an overt political role and that with a change in administration it was untenable for her to remain there.” Region Three’s REO Donald Gajraj was also sent on leave. The Minister had stated that the fate of the remaining REOs would have been determined case by case as most if not all of the REOs were political appointees.
“In the tenth Parliament the APNU was very critical of … what we saw as the politicization of the operations and management of the regions and we criticized and condemned that political dimension…that was being practised in the management of our RDCs and the management of the regions,” the minister had told this newspaper in an interview.
He had contended that the political appointees as REOs were usurping the authority of the councils which he said was “perverse”.
“It was undemocratic and as I said it was perverse,” the minister had said. He added that he would have spoken repeatedly against this situation and that having condemned it the coalition government is duty-bound to reverse those conditions.
Asked how he was going to go about appointing new REOs in light of the fact that a campaigner for the APNU+AFC, Carl Parker is now the acting REO of Region Nine, the minister had stated that Parker was a member of the regional administration as an officer of the Ministry of Local Government but was forced out “as a result of political interference.”
“This was a professional officer who was prevented from executing his duties and was forced out from the public service because he sought to bring professionalism and not partisan political considerations so I think we need not to forget that the current acting REO was an officer within the public service and based in that very jurisdiction,” the minister had said.
He had emphasized that criteria would have been established for the hiring of new REOs which among other things would have encompassed qualifications and experience.
