By Antonio Dey
Acting Town Clerk of Linden Lennox Gasper said that the town council didn’t follow the correct procedures concerning the submission of applications for the position of town clerk, which is currently “contentious”.
Gasper told Stabroek News that while the Linden Mayor and Town Council contends that there were six applications for the position of town clerk, they were not sent to the Local Government Commission (LGC) nor LGC Chairman Julius Faerber but instead to Mayor Sharma Solomon.
“The advertisement specifically stated that the applications must be sent to the address of the Local Government Commission which is 6 Oleander Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, Guyana and to the Chairman as well…” the acting town clerk told this publication.
He said it was quite appalling for the applications to be sent to the mayor when as per protocol they should have been sent to the LGC.
According to Gasper, Solomon received the six applications on November 9, but he and the councillors took a position to not consult nor communicate with him (Gasper), as they have said they would not recognize him as town clerk.
“I have copies of letters sent to the mayor concerning the subject [the six applications sent for the position of town clerk], but he never responded,” Gaspar said. “If he had any concerns about the status of the applications or the applicants who sent their documents, he had the opportunity to state verbatim what those concerns were. …I cannot see how he speaks about the LGC breaching the constitution and not following the process of consultation, [and] on the other hand is doing otherwise.”
Gasper said he was not sure if Solomon was referring to new or old applicants for the position. If they are new applicants then the LGC can review the applications consequent to the window period that the position was advertised. However, if they were sent before the date of advertisement, then it is the commission’s discretion whether it will review the applications sent or not.
“It is surprising that the applications were sent to the mayor and I was not in receipt of them,” Gaspar said. “However, after hearing these complaints, I decided to follow up with my personnel who clearly said that no applications were sent.
“Based on the information relayed to me, three persons applied for the position of deputy town clerk, which I am fully aware of because they sent their applications to the LGC. Now, I am saying the same procedures could have been followed when applying for the post of town clerk.
“How is it that the six applicants were not aware of this procedure, but the three applicants were? This is incomprehensible. The advertisement was given to me by the Local Government Commission; it was not usurped in any way and the correct procedures were followed and that is what was published.”
Gasper said the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) has itself to blame for not following the simple instructions outlined in the advertisement.
“The commission has a process, which was explained to me. When that application deadline was closed, they were there [the LM&TC] in front of the box with all the applications that were sent. Commissioner Nicola Trotman [and others] are aware of this. They were all there that day to witness the lists of persons who sent their applications while it was being placed into the box. I saw it too. We all did. So I don’t know why they are now trying to peddle misinformation,” the acting town clerk said.
Gasper, who campaigned recently at the 2023 Local Government Elections for the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), alleged that the majority A Partnership for National (APNU) council was making unilateral decisions without consulting elected members from his party.
He alleged that APNU elected councillors were deliberately avoiding statutory meetings using the argument that they don’t acknowledge him as town clerk since he was “unilaterally” appointed.
The LM&TC is considering litigation against the LGC over the “unilateral and unconstitutional appointment” of the town clerk, but Gasper said he will not be intimidated by this tactic as its purpose was to derail the works of the municipality. If he has to appear before the court, Gasper said, he is capable of defending himself with the aid of an attorney. Gasper said that Solomon should work with the government concerning the development of the town and stop playing politics.
The LGC is responsible for the regulation and staffing of local government organs and dispute resolution within and between local government organs. It is also the agency that deals with the transfer, discipline, dismissal, remuneration, superannuation, training, leave and promotion of staff.
The LM&TC had protested in the city over what it charged were surreptitious plans by the LGC to appoint Gasper as town clerk.
“We will not allow the Local Government Commission to conduct a process that is illegitimate as democracy must be respected,” Sharma had said during a protest outside the office of the LGC in Bel Air Park, Georgetown recently.
He was joined on the picket line by elected officials of the LM&TC who objected to a notice from the LGC that only one candidate had applied for the post of town clerk and would be interviewed. Solomon and Deputy Mayor Dominic Blair are of the view that this is a scheme by the LGC to appoint Gasper, while other candidates are overlooked. The last town clerk resigned in October 2023.
The Council on November 1st, put forward three recommendations to the LGC, including for a senior official within the municipality to be appointed to act until a substantive town clerk is appointed under established procedures. But those recommendations were ignored.
“Instead, what the Commission did on the 7th of November was to impose upon us an individual, sending to us a letter, giving a substantive position to this individual as town clerk. We objected to that,” the mayor said.
Solomon said it was not until after the council registered its objection, that the vacancy for the position was advertised.
Vanessa Kissoon, who was among the councillors on the picket line said while the LGC was contending that only Gasper applied for the position, there was evidence to suggest that at least three others did. “We are here to say let good governance reign. We want to see the process work and we want all applicants to be given a fair chance, because we know there are other applications…,” she said.
Faerber had told this newspaper that the LGC has the power to appoint whomever it pleases and has not done anything in contravention of Guyana’s Constitution concerning the appointment of a Linden Town Clerk.
