11/14/2018 Party control of Local Government: A mini-general election tomorrow – Kaieteur News

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Party control of Local Government: A mini-general

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election tomorrow
 Nov 11, 2018  Features / Columnists, Hinds' Sight with Dr. David Hinds 1 Comment

Tomorrow Guyanese participate in their second local government election in two years—the first time
in fifty years that there would be consecutive elections of this type. The PNC government of that time
discontinued them in 1970 and the PPP government of recent times discontinued them in 1994. This
Team Trinidad makes it three in three
current coalition government should be commended for keeping its promise not to repeat those
transgressions.
at CMRC – King and...
 Nov 14, 2018
One sincerely hopes that future governments do not turn back this process—after all, local
The 2018 Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor
democracy is as pivotal to democratic advance as other forms of democracy. It is at that basic level
Racing Championships (CMRC) came to a close
that citizens come closest to direct democracy, which, for me, is the most effective form of
officially Monday evening when the awards
democracy.
ceremony concluded at Guyana’s Ramada Princess
Having said the above, I still venture to argue that we should not be too quick to congratulate
Hotel at Providence,...
ourselves. I strongly believe that it is time that we move beyond the formal arrangements to a more
substantive local democracy. The basic question is this—how has the holding of local government Read More
elections led to improved democratic outcomes?
In other words, have there been any substantive changes in local governance since the return of Canadian based Dias
LGE in 2016? The answer to that question would determine whether the Coalition should view the gives back to ‘old’ club...
holding of the elections as a major accomplishment.  Nov 14, 2018
From all indications, the answer has to be a resounding no. The crisis that has continued to haunt
the Georgetown City Council is perhaps the most vivid manifestation that the democratic form
(holding elections) has not yielded democratic outcomes. While the Georgetown crisis is well
documented, similar problems plague Regional Democratic Councils and Neighbourhood New GVF President Levi
Nedd attends FIVB...
Democratic Councils throughout the country.
 Nov 14, 2018
We face a crisis of democracy, whereby local councils are not accountable to the local communities.
This is an inevitable outcome, as the councillors are not chosen by the communities. We have a
Local Government system that is local in name only—candidates are chosen and voter preferences
are driven by the national political parties. So long as political parties continue to monopolize the Turbo knockout
process, accountability to the communities and the issues, concerns, preferences and problems of tournament…
the communities would be undermined or totally ignored. Pouderoyen and...
This situation would not cease until the political parties agree to constitutional reform aimed at  Nov 14, 2018

decreasing the role of parties and increasing the role of local individuals and groups. It would be
impossible to remove parties from the process, but something must be done to remove central party
direction from local affairs. It is not that party members should not contest LGE, but they should not EBFA Senior KO….
do so as party representatives chosen by the party. Such a situation merely transfers the national Soesdyke needle
Timehri;...
party rivalry to local government, which in turn ensures that community concerns are ignored.
 Nov 14, 2018
So where do the parties stand on this issue? The WPA has long declared that it would prefer political
parties to play a minimal role in the process. In the few instances where WPA members held local
government seats, they functioned not as WPA representatives but as representatives of the Gold for Money capture
communities that elected them. While they kept the party abreast of their work, at no time did the Sunday in the Country...
party instruct them on how to do their jobs. The outgoing chairman of the Foulis-Buxton NDC is a  Nov 14, 2018
well-known WPA member, but he did not face the electorate as WPA, nor did he govern as WPA.
That is the model that I think should be adopted by local councillors.
The PNC, two decades ago, took a similar position to the one outlined above, and there are still
some active PNC leaders who currently hold that view. But the current governmental leadership of
the party has moved away from that position—it has situated the PNC in the heart of the process.
Features/Columnists
The PPP, guided by its ideology of ethno-political dominance, has never embraced the WPA-type
position—it treats the LGE in the same way it does general elections. The AFC never articulated an The AFC and the LGE results:
approach one way or the other, but during the 2016 LGE, it followed the PNC lead and attacked its
own Chairman who favoured a non-party approach.
Human are fated to destroy
I strongly believe that as a start we should pursue legislation that limits political parties to the at-large themselves
seats on the various councils, which should constitute no more than 20% of the total seats. This
would leave the constituency representation to local individuals and groups. I would also move

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11/14/2018 Party control of Local Government: A mini-general election tomorrow – Kaieteur News
towards the return of Village Councils. The NDC’s are not local enough. Maybe, there is a case for I walk my dog twice daily. In the
 them, NEWS EDITORIAL SPORTS LETTERS FEATURES / COLUMNISTS WHAT GUYANA NEEDS TO KNOW  FOLLO
keeping but not as substitutes for Village Councils. evenings I would take her next door to
However, in the absence of real local governance, not only do we have poor governance, but there is the AFC head office. The occupants of
little local interest in the process. And this feeds the unaccountability on the part of councillors. It is the house... more
well known that corruption is rife–councillors use their elected positions to obtain contracts for local
works. Citizens complain, but turn a blind eye out of fear of offending the party or because they
A Change of Fortune
benefit in some small way.
So, tomorrow Guyanese are really going to vote in a mini-general election. The cadre of independent He had come to the United States on
candidates has shrunk—some of them have joined the parties’ slates this time around. The political a visitor’s visa. But he could never
parties are bullish about their chances. For the PPP, the election is definitely a dress rehearsal for explain just how he managed to
the 2020 general election. And because it has framed it as such, the PNC and AFC have to follow convince the consular... more
suit.
My sense is that the PNC would rather not follow that script, but it has little choice now—boat done
gone a falls. The AFC would have been better off staying out of the election, but the logic of its post- Identity and dignity lost with the CCJ
2015 politics has taken them into the fray.
By Sir Ronald Sanders The referenda,
My sense is that the PPP would bring out its base to the polls in larger numbers than the PNC and
held individually in Antigua and
would win the popular vote. The PNC would have a hard time getting its base to the polls. If the
Barbuda and Grenada, on replacing
turnout by the armed forces is anything to go by, my prediction seems to be on track. If I were the
the British Judicial... more
PNC and AFC, I would be concerned about 2020. If they intend to go to the 2020 election as a
coalition and this is a dress rehearsal for that election, why on earth are they fighting separately?
Firemen cause the country
More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight:
Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. tremendous embarrassment
Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
Sometime back an individual sent me
one of those jokes that people usually
circulate on social media. It was about
a bird... more

Tomorrow is Local Government

Elections. Vote for….

The constitutionally-protected right

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Party control of Local Government: A

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mini-general election tomorrow
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and ignorance, not fear Democracy Project for Local Government Elections could Tomorrow Guyanese participate in
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In "Letters" January 5, 2014 politics in two years—the first time in fifty
In "News" August 30, 2013 years that... more
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11/14/2018 Party control of Local Government: A mini-general election tomorrow – Kaieteur News
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Martin • 2 days ago

You're not hitting the nail on the head. You are still supportive of the 'rigmarole' that
the 'farce' of a coalition must survive & continue with a lop-sided, inept & racially
divisive government & society by excluding the PPP/C from any part of the
government or solution.
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