Linden Mayor Sharma Solomon on Wednesday announced that the Local Government Commission (LGC) has backpedalled on its unilateral appointment of a controversial Town Clerk and has now advised that the position be advertised.
The LGC had caused consternation when on November 9th , 2023 it named Lennox Gasper to the position. Gasper is clearly affiliated to the governing PPP/C and had served in their campaign for the recent local government elections.
On November 17th, Solomon had denounced this move and called for it to be rescinded. In a follow-up statement on Wednesday, Solomon said that the LGC has advised that the position be advertised. He, however, also has a problem with this approach.
“We firmly believe that this decision undermines the authority and autonomy of the Council in matters about the appointment of key administrative positions within our municipality’, Solomon said on Wednesday
The mayor expressed concerns regarding the section of the LGC which has caused the council and municipality to not have a town clerk.
According to the release, the Linden Mayor and Town Council was placed in a position of uncertainty after the LGC unilaterally appointed the town clerk.
Solomon said that it is important to emphasize that the LGC respects and adheres to the democratic processes and procedures outlined for the appointment of senior staff for the Council such as town clerks.
“The Council has a responsibility to ensure that such appointments are made by established guidelines and regulations, taking into consideration the best interests of the community and the efficient functioning of local governance.
“We firmly assert that any decisions related to any appointment to the designation as Acting Town Clerk should be made through a collaborative and consultative process involving the Council, as stipulated in our governing laws”, he declared.
Concerning the resignation of the former Town Clerk which gave rise to this situation, Solomon said that the Council at a duly conducted statutory meeting decided –
That the file containing previous applications be revisited to select a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy;
The process commences, that is, application shortlisting, scheduling of interviews etc and the most suitable candidate is selected; and
The most senior officer at the Council acts in the position to allow the above to occur.
“This decision was communicated to the Local Government Commission. Unfortunately, the Commission continues to act in a manner which seeks to undermine the authority and autonomy of the Council, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Guyana”.
“The Local Government Commission’s handling of this matter is a blatant indication that the Commission is not concerned with the rule of law, it is prepared to disrespect and disregard the Constitution and take decisions which are politically aligned with the dictates of the PPP/C Government”, the statement on Wednesday said.
Solomon recommended that “The Commission like the Council ought to be autonomous and is required to act in a fair, transparent and unbiased manner in the execution of its duties.”
He continued “The Commission’s action on this matter continues to erode public trust and confidence in the Commission to act fairly and transparently.
“It is ludicrous, to openly appoint someone who was the main political rival to the elected members of the Council to be the Clerk of the Council which he opposes. Such action will give rise to a toxic environment as the Clerk will not carry out the lawful and legitimate decision of the Council”.
The Linden Mayor lamented that these actions have caused significant delays in the works of the council.
