THE Minister of Local Government last week announced Local Government Elections for June 12.

This is a welcome move after repeated efforts by the official APNU+AFC opposition to derail the process. The local elections were scheduled for March but were postponed after a court petition filed by the opposition, the opposition concerns were addressed and a date has been finalized.

There should be no more delays in holding LGEs. Further postponement of LGEs will be an infringement of the rights of the people and an onslaught on democracy.  The incumbent administration has taken measures to enforce the public’s constitutional right to vote to elect their representatives.

Elections are critical for democracy and the pursuit of good governance as they serve as an avenue for discussion of public issues and participation as a measure of democracy. Local governments are very important as they allow communities to govern themselves – make key decisions relating to their neighbourhoods. They play an important role in providing services to communities.

LGEs and local councillors are integral to the smooth running of communities. They are responsible for the proper functioning of key community facilities, amenities, and activities.

They are also responsible for the collection of garbage, overseeing local parks and sporting grounds and street-cleaning, among many other important roles. Local elections allow communities to choose their leaders who will address issues affecting their neighbourhoods.

The law stipulates that local government leaders be chosen every three years. The last elections were held in 2018 and were therefore due in 2021.

The LGEs were put off because the voters’ list was not ready, and there was no Chief Election Officer (CEO) to prepare the country for a poll. The new CEO was appointed late 2021, and he began the process in earnest to prepare for LGEs. Update of the electoral list was not completed until the latter part of 2022 and a date was fixed for LGEs in March, 2023, but was put off to accommodate the opposition which filed a motion in court to delay the election.

A January opinion poll on the mood of the society showed that the opposition has a very poor approval rating among the public. While a local election may not impact national politics, its conduct is a barometer of public sentiment towards the parties.

People are not pleased with electoral delays. Any further delay in holding an election represents an unprecedented attack on democracy and the rule of law and poses a grave threat to future elections.

With the date now fixed, there should be no further court intervention. Preparation for LGEs 2023 should continue in earnest; these elections are a critical component in ensuring that everyone is allowed to choose their local leaders, giving them the power to change leaders if they so desire, and it also consolidates the nation’s democratic values.

The opposition may have devalued LGEs, but the current administration has shown and demonstrated that it respects the peoples’ right to choose their leaders in an election and so far has indicated by its actions that it is in favour of holding elections as it has announced the date, June 12.

The conduct of the government and an announced date clearly demonstrate a concerted effort to hold the overdue elections, thus enfranchising the people.

These will be the first elections for adult voters to exercise their franchise since the troubled March 2, 2020 elections. The announced date for LGEs is welcome as an act to help strengthen democracy!