-Town Clerk differs
The Mayor and Town Council of Linden (LM&TC) has expressed grave concerns regarding ministerial interference in local governance affairs and said that such actions serve to undermine the democratic principles that local councils were established to uphold.
Linden Town Clerk, Lennox Gasper however has disputed the LM&TC’s claims.
The LM&TC in a release on December 30, focussed on the recent actions taken by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag and opined that her actions constitute an overreach of her authority and undermine the autonomy guaranteed to local councils by the Constitution of Guyana.
The release highlighted several instances of these alleged “overreaches” by the Minister.
As far the LM&TC is concerned, Parag’s decision to halt the internal elections process of the Council reflects a blatant overreach of her powers, as she does not possess the authority to defer or postpone the internal election of the councils. It also stressed the importance of recognising that such internal democratic processes are constitutionally protected and should operate without external interference, pointing out that the law clearly states that the minister is required to notify the councils of a date for the holding of such elections.
The release noted that the Minister’s interventions regarding the Council’s internal decisions appear to be executed in a biased manner, which it feels not only jeopardises the independence of the Town Council, but also sets a dangerous precedent for the governance of local bodies across the nation. In support of this notion, it referred to Article 75 of the Constitution of Guyana which states: “Parliament shall provide that local democratic organs shall be autonomous and take decisions which are binding upon their agencies and institutions, and upon the communities and citizens of their areas.”
Further, LM&TC took note of the recent overreach by the Minister to deal with a matter which was ventilated by the Council and of the biased nature of the intervention of the Minister “which seeks to undermine the Council and bring the work into public disrepute.” Further, it contended that its concerns about, and actions taken against, the “politically appointed” Town Clerk have not been dealt with “fairly” by the Local Government Commission and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
The LM&TC expressed that it was “deeply troubled” by reports suggesting that local government officers “have been subjected to intimidation, incentivising them to act in favour of the political agenda of the ruling party over the interests and autonomy of the Town Council.” It too underscored that such tactics undermine the integrity of the local government structure and contravene Article 38(G) of the Constitution of Guyana which clearly states:
“(1) The integrity of the public service is guaranteed. No public officer shall be required to execute or condone irregular acts on the basis of higher orders. (2) The freedom of every public officer to perform his or her duties and fulfil his or her responsibilities is protected. (3) No public officer shall be the subject of sanctions of any kind without due process. (4) In the discharge of his or her duties a public officer shall execute the lawful policies of the government.”
As such, the LM&TC declared that its officers are guaranteed a right to act within the confines of the law and not to be intimidated or act in fear of being victimised by the government.
The release described the behaviour of the Clerk of the Council, who it described as “a political appointee associated with the PPP/C and who campaigned in the 2023 Local Government Elections,” as unacceptable. It stated that his actions have proven counterproductive to the work of the Council, further illustrating the influence of partisan politics over the effectiveness of local governance. The Council disclosed that it has made repeated attempts to ensure that this “errant” Town Clerk acts in keeping with decisions made by the Council and accused the clerk of being “protected and emboldened by the minister and the government to work counter to the Council.”
The LM&TC emphasised that the actions of the Minister are not only in violation of Article 75 of the Constitution of Guyana, which guarantees the autonomy of local councils, but reflect a broader trend of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government of seeking total control over local governance. “We believe that such actions serve to undermine the democratic principles that our local councils were established to uphold.”
As such, the release urged all stakeholders, community members, and other councils across Guyana, to join in advocating for genuine local governance free from political manipulation and interference.
“The Mayor and Town Council of Linden stand united in our commitment to uphold the rights and autonomy of our local governance structures. We call upon the Minister to cease her interference immediately, respect the rights of the Council, and allow us to operate in accordance with democratic principles and the laws of our nation.”
Timely
On January 3rd, the Office of the Town Clerk disputed the LM&TC statement.
The Town Clerk’s statement said that the delay in the timely submission of the Linden Municipality’s subvention plan for 2024 is solely the responsibility of the council.
“In January 2024, the municipality submitted a request under the subvention programme, proposing the acquisition of a 16-million-dollar mini-excavator for cleaning playfields, culverts, and overgrown vegetation, along with 2 million dollars for road aggregate material to address impassable roads. The ministry, in alignment with its policy to prioritize community-oriented projects, approved the funding for road aggregate materials but did not approve the purchase of the mini-excavator. This decision was informed by the observation that several derelict vehicles, previously purchased with subvention funds, remain unrepaired, demonstrating inefficiencies in vehicle management by the council”, the statement said.
Subsequently, the ministry formally communicated its position to the Mayor, emphasizing the importance of aligning the work programme with community needs. Despite this guidance, further delays ensued, partly due to disruptions in council meetings attributed to verbal conflicts initiated by the Mayor, the Town Clerk said. It was not until a statutory meeting on July 3, 2024, that the council proposed revisions, including replacing the mini-excavator with a diesel generator for the main office and a one-ton double cab canter truck with a hiab crane for municipal road patching. Once again, the ministry advised against these proposals, reiterating the necessity for community-focused initiatives, the Town Clerk said.
In collaboration with ministry technical advisors, the Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Works Supervisor recommended reallocating the subvention funds to the repair of the Wismar Market Roof, a pressing concern for vendors.
However, the Town Clerk said that the Mayor opposed this adjustment, asserting that the council would not be pressured into altering its work programme. Consequently, the council failed to finalize a revised work programme, resulting in the funds remaining unutilized as the fiscal year ended.
Regarding the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, the Town Clerk said that the Minister’s actions are in strict adherence to the law, which mandates her responsibility to fix the date or period for such elections. These elections are facilitated by Town Clerks and local government officers under her purview. Accusations of interference in this area are baseless and disregard the statutory framework governing these processes, the Town Clerk added.