Local Government Elections in 2023

On October 20th, the Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall announced that local government elections (LGEs) would be held on March 13, 2023. This was the earliest date signified by the chair of GECOM, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh in her correspondence to him on when the polls could be held.

If the elections for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities are held as planned next March they would have been overdue by about 15 months which is completely unacceptable and for which GECOM must take the blame.

On the night of October 20, President Ali in a video statement on his Facebook page welcomed the announcement of the elections.

“We urge all stakeholders to participate fully in this process. We ask all political parties in opposition to get ready, you have long enough notice to be part of this democratic process,” President  Ali said.

He added that the hosting of local government polls is a result of the commitment of the PPP/C to upholding the rule of law and following a democratic pathway to good governance.

“An important part of democracy is local governance. Local governance and [the] local government system [are] an essential part of our governance framework. We promised that as soon as GECOM would have alerted us that they are ready for local government elections we will spare no effort or no time in calling local government elections.

“Tonight I am very pleased to say to you as we received notice from GECOM on their readiness for local government elections with their earliest date being the 13th March, I asked the Minister of Local Government to inform GECOM that we are ready and will move to local government elections on their earliest date they would have sent to us. That date is March 13,” Mr Ali said.

It would be fair to say that the President’s enthusiasm for LGEs must represent a sea change in the PPP/C’s outlook on these polls. In roughly 25 years of PPP/C governance stretching all the way back to 1992 – and including President Ali’s two+ years in office – only one local government election has been held. By contrast, APNU+AFC held two LGEs in its five-year term beginning in 2015 and both before the successful motion of no confidence against it in December of 2018.

The President, in his statement, asserted that his party will spare no effort in working with every community, municipality and township to put together a slate that is reflective of its ‘One Guyana’ agenda. He added that their intended team will be built around the promotion of development and collaboration at regional and central government levels.

“March 13 is therefore an important date on which I call upon all Guyanese to work in renewing our effort in building the governance system, building our communities, strengthening our communities but importantly our municipalities [and] our townships. For long we have seen what mismanagement can do in townships, in some municipalities, in some areas. This is time for us to work together, this is a time for us to come together, this is a time for us to strengthen our governance system to work towards building a system that delivers to our people,” the President added.

With incumbency on its side and the benefits that come with it in this burgeoning oil economy, the PPP/C will no doubt pull out all of the stops in its campaigns to win NDCs and municipalities on March 13.

However, there are major problems in the local government system that will only be exacerbated if the status quo is maintained.

Many NDCs and municipalities have been poorly managed over the years and there is a multiplicity of reasons why this is so. First, many of the people elected to the councils and put in managerial and leadership positions are not fit for the task. In addition, many of them are part-timers so that even though some may have the ability to perform they also have to make a living and they are essentially moonlighting. Full-time, properly paid positions have to be introduced throughout the councils. The resources now exist to accomplish this.

Second, aside from all-too brief interludes, both of the major parties have sought to take national politics to local government organs. In so doing they replicate the battlefield at the national level with all of the enervations that that entails. One of the most ridiculous manifestations of this phenomenon has been the manipulation of town clerks/overseers or particularly at the regional level – Regional Executive Officers. So if the opposition is in charge of a particular council, the government can run interference and attempt to direct it by placing their appointees to control the day-to-day running (dysfunction) of the councils or alternatively to seize the purse strings. With a supine Local Government Commission, the governing party always has its way.

The Mayor and City Council (MCC) is the poster child for all that is wrong with the local government system. This present council is incapable and riven by interminable wrangling. Key officers are not responsive to the council. Nothing of substance will be accomplished. No aspect of the MCC’s recent history inspires any plaudits except perhaps for that brief period when the PPP/C inserted an interim management body largely composed of people with proven track records in business and other arenas.

Third, none of the major municipalities and councils has sufficient revenues to adequately discharge their functions were they even to have the relevant expertise. For the 25 years it has held power in the last 30 years, PPP/C governments have been parsimonious with the council running the city which has always been led by the opposition. Central government has also prevented revenue raising measures such as a lottery and property valuation rates have not changed for many years. The revenue base of the city council is stagnant while its population and responsibilities rise.

In tough economic circumstances, governments could have made a reasonable case for limited subventions to the city. Given the revenue streams from oil, that subvention should rise significantly and the city should be able to raise adequate sums to discharge its primary responsibilities. By the same token the council will have to begin performing – not the current pantomime that is usually on display at statutory meetings. In essence, the election next year should see slates of professionals who will be well-compensated for their time, some of whom will hold full-time positions and with feasible revenue bases so they can deliver services and restore the pride of this benighted city. Party hacks need not apply or be presented.

If there is seriousness about respecting local government, President Ali will have to recognise that it is not acceptable for the Ministry of Works or Agriculture to usurp functions that should be in the remit of the city. The answer is to build the capacity of these organs otherwise local government will atrophy further and disintegrate completely.

The NDCs present much the same problem. Transfers from the centre are not enough, many councils have low collection of  rates and taxes and they depend on handouts from the state or visits by ministers declaring the launch of projects for bridges and roads etc. That, too, must come to an end.

Quite often NDCs are distant from their constituents and unaccountable. This is exactly what has now created a crisis at the BV/Triumph NDC. A section of that council conspired behind the backs of the people to sell lands that were not in their control for a pittance. What exactly inspired this horrendous transaction is not known but disengaging from it has become a legal nightmare. These NDCs require a serious analysis of their performance over the last two local government elections to determine what changes legislatively or otherwise are needed. Such an exercise should have ideally been undertaken via the Local Government Commission and the local government ministry but given the highly politicised outlook at these two bodies such an exercise would be futile.

The condition of the people in villages and municipalities will not see significant improvements under the current arrangements. In the months to go, President Ali’s government and Parliament should examine what is needed to give these councils a real chance of success.