Region Six RDC, REO clash over regional tender board appointees
Members of the Region Six Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are currently at loggerheads with the Regional Executive Officer (REO) over the selection of appointees for the Regional Tender Board.
The regional board previously comprised PPP/C regional councillors Zamal Hussain and Phillip Rose in addition to three members appointed by the National Tender Board, including the REO, Kim Williams-Stephen, who serves as chairperson of the board.
However, the RDC has since been told that Hussain is out and the new appointees would include Rose and another person selected by the “regional administration.”
The RDC members say they were informed via correspondence by Williams-Stephen, who cited Section 19 (2) of the Procurement Act, which states that each regional tender board shall consist of five members: three members appointed by the National Tender Board and two members appointed by the Regional Administration from among persons with qualifications not dissimilar to those required for appointment to the National Board.
Rose, however, has indicated that he will only sit on the board if he is recommended by the RDC, since he believes that is the “correct process.”
Hussain at last week’s statutory RDC meeting related that Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan has said that, “The Regional Democratic Council is the supreme local democratic organ in each region with the responsibility for overall management and administration of the region”.
He then noted that the REO of a region is the accounting officer and functions as the clerk of the Regional Democratic Council. “The main function of the democratic council is to administer all services required within the boundaries by the service such as health, education, public works etc,” he said, further citing Bulkan.
Against this background, Hussain maintained that it is the RDC that has responsibility for choosing two of the five board members.
He said from 2003 to now, the RDC has been appointing two members to sit on the tender board. “If the government of the day was very keen on scrutiny, keen on accountability and the rule of law then you cannot allow the chairman of a tender board to choose two members that they want,” Hussain added.
He questioned the fairness of Williams-Stephen having a hand in selecting two members.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan pointed out that the Regional Chairman of
Region 10 was appointed by the RDC to chair that region’s tender board. “So based on that precedent it is the RDC that sets the principle to which two members are elected to the tender board apart from those three that are appointed by the National Tender Board,” he argued.
He said this has been the practice over the years and he questioned for what “convenience” efforts are being made to change it now “So why all of a sudden at this period, when we are so close to the national elections, why has it become so convenient for a custom and practice that all of a sudden we are changing it?” he questioned.
Armogan noted that he wrote to Williams-Stephen on the issue and in her response she cited
Section 19 (2) of the Act.
He said, “That’s why I wanted this discussion to take place and do the right thing and if the authorities want to do the wrong thing, they can go ahead”.
It was then decided by the RDC that the two members, Rose and Hussain, who were recommended by the RDC to sit the last time on the tender board, would remain.
Williams-Stephen then interjected and said that when she came on the job in 2016 the RDC did not have a meeting to nominate two persons. “I would like to refer again to the act, 19 (2) [of] which stipulates the appointment for the board and I want to further suggest if there is need for clarity we should get that...”
However, PPP/C Regional Councillor Sheriann Beharry said that when Williams-Stephen arrived on the job the two tender board members were already selected.
Beharry further pointed out that it is fitting that the two members remain since they already have an idea about the projects.
The meeting ended with the council recommending the two appointees for the Regional Tender Board.
However, during the recommendation process APNU+AFC Councillor Shurla Scott indicated to the members on the government side that they should not participate in the process and they did not.