In Guyana, power greedy politicians have ensured the continued failure of the state to implement an inclusionary democracy, as is stated and required in Article 13 of our constitution. This failure is visible every day in the operation of our local neighbourhood democratic organ across Guyana which cannot mange themselves properly. The government has refused to truly implement local democracy, which would give the people full power to manage themselves.
Our constitution in words decentralizes the system of governance, by giving the local democratic neighbourhood councils the power to manage designated regions, towns and villages. The government is the one who continues to refuse to make these local democratic organs financially independent and therefore viable. It is clear that our country will not be managed properly if government continues to be greedy and refuses to financially empower these local democratic organs. Today our system is not working and it is the people of Guyana who are shortchanged and continue to suffer. This PPP Government are so consumed by this power that they are now attempting to make laws which will remove the Regional Executive Officer from being appointed by the Local Government Commission, which would be a violation of our constitution.
The Government has also deliberately refused to establish the Local Government Commission so that they can employ their party members as REO’s and have control over the financial resources of the Region. Parliament’s inability to establish this commission and to entrust the Regional Democratic Councils, who were elected by the people to manage the region is another serious failure which hinders the system.
The RDC’s must be charged with the power to employ, discipline or dismiss and the Courts must also have the power to reinstate any person who is dismissed wrongfully. The current trend that allows the Minister to hold power and dictate the operation of the commission is undemocratic. The old laws which give the Minister the power over these organs are now invalid given the amendment of the Constitution which made our local democratic organs autonomous. These organs are accountable to the people and the State and only the people through their representatives have the power over these organs, so let the people exercise it! When the Council fails in this regard the system must follow the laws of our land and ensure that our constitution is not violated.
For these organs to function properly the State must treat their Councillors with respect and as a paid servant of the state. The present Chairman of the NDC gets $5000 a month and the RDC Councillor gets $10,000. Most of these committees are not working because they are no incentives to work. A committed Councillor working hard to make a change cannot even get back his or her own money when you invest it to do RDC work in a timely manner, you are forced to wait for month. I had to move a motion for a better financial incentive for Councillor to work which was passed by the RDC of Region 4 on the 19 of December 2007, but they is no reply by the government. If these committees do not work, then the RDC cannot function properly as it is these committees, who do all checks and balances and report to the RDC.
We do not and should not have to wait until Local Government elections to put good systems in place.
Looking at crime I must say to my fellow Guyanese that it is a sad time for our people. Evil seems to be spreading in the minds of our people and our leaders in Government just don't know what to do. What they don't understand is that crime begins in the mind and it is only the mind that can stop the crime and poverty.
This is the essence of crime, crime starts in the home when they is no food to eat and fathers and mothers are not around to guide their children in the right direction, because both of them have to work, or they themselves do not have the knowledge and skills to guide they children in the right direction.
Most of our people are not educated to work in our current environment. Our education system does not look at our natural resources and educate person along those lines. Many of our young people out of school just don't know what to do because they come out of school with just the academic qualifications, lacking the skills to create jobs for themselves. They are too dependent on the state to create job for them. They find themselves waiting for years to find the perfect job creating a financial liability for the family in the process. Thousands of self employment opportunities exist, but these job opportunities are in the area of skilled trades, in which whatever you produce as long as the product is good, it will sell. Our main problem is the skills trade and marketing.
We need to educate our people in this direction. Our people also have to understand that when they get a job with a firm or company it is their duty to work to develop it because they earn from it. The business may not be yours but you still have to treat it as if it is. If the business fails then you have no job so any place we work it is our duty to see thing go aright. The only way out of poverty is to work so let us create people power for the development of our country. Do not allow the Government to do as they feel. Know your rights. Fight them in the Courts, the Court must work some times.
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