Competent community government?

Before I invoke the early warnings of former Member of Parliament, UG lecturer and knowledgeable commentator Sherwood Lowe, I offer anecdotal observations relevant – even if indirectly – to this lead topic.

In the evening of my public service days (around 2007-2014) I was (attached to the then Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Gail Teixeira had been competent, administratively professional and innovative then (especially in sustaining and widening the Republic’s anniversary Mashramani components); but I actually “experienced” Mr Xavier and Dr Anthony first hand.

Now, every year the Central Mashramani/Republic anniversary planning committee seemed duty-bound to respect the Region’s “independence” and status and would leave the planning and hosting of certain events to them. Alas, every year those regions would depend heavily on the Culture Ministry to execute even very simple tasks. Like where to locate a stage, acquire a generator, guarantee visitors’ accommodation or meals. Even after CARIFESTA 10 here (2008) the Regions did not seem to benefit from all the expertise and personnel made available for them to acquire and sustain the abilities to plan and host certain large events. To a significant degree, that situation still holds true. Which should tell us all something (unfortunate.) What?

That our community administrators – village and district “governments”, village/NDC(?) leaders and staffs were not sufficiently nurtured or financed to run their affairs efficiently. That lack of competence was not always of their own doing. From Burnham right through to Ramotar, Central Government and ruling party leaders – despite rhetoric to the contrary – preferred the authority and resources to intervene and interfere through effective, self-defeating remote control. Good old “politics” prevailed.

So up to the present 2017 time, inspite of Desmond Hoyte’s well intentioned Regional Ten and now supportive legislation, effective local/community government throughout Guyana is deficient and most challenging. The March 2016 Local Government Elections, so welcome after some two-plus decades, could not be any magic wand to create the personnel and competencies needed to administer the