NOMINATION Day, ahead of the June 12 Local Government Elections (LGE), was held last week, offering a glimpse of what we can expect as parties and candidates campaign over the next few weeks until the day of the elections.

Voter turnout at LGEs in Guyana and many countries across the Caribbean have generally been lower than in national elections. Still, one cannot overemphasise just how important Local Government Elections are and why we should carefully assess the candidates offering themselves up for elections and vote smartly.

Let’s take the management of Guyana’s capital city, Georgetown, for example.

The management of the city is often criticised. Garbage collection woes and flooding are two of the sore issues raised consistently, and many blame the Mayor and City Council for the poor management of these issues. But the City Council is made up of representatives elected by constituents of various constituencies across Georgetown. Therefore, if there is a persistent issue in a particular constituency (or across constituencies), I would imagine the councillor elected by the constituency and representing that constituency should be held accountable. If engagements and lobbying fail, that councillor can be voted out. I think the LGEs, at least in theory, promote a different level of accountability that positions elected leaders closer to the people they have been elected by.

Beyond that, it has been envisaged that the local government system allows community needs to be better satisfied. According to information from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the LGE is the mechanism persons use to elect members of their communities to represent their interests. It follows the reasoning that someone enduring the same community circumstances as other members of the community should be better positioned to herald in the changes or solutions necessary. So if a community needs beautification works, better infrastructure, and more efficient delivery of services or interventions to counter ills, the elected representatives should be au fait with community needs and work towards satisfying those needs. And local governance appears to be a more inclusive form of government by virtue of its makeup.

Independent candidates for Georgetown Malcolm DeFreitas, Juliet Julian, and Pearl McLean were among those who believe that community members, without links to larger political parties that dominate national politics, should be given the chance to help effect changes in their communities. Julian, for example, said in a Prime News interview that she believes she should be elected because she could embody the community spirit needed to transform her constituency.

Despite the aforementioned, local governance is complicated in Guyana. Local government bodies and representatives have raised concerns about their constraints, particularly their limited resources. These bodies, by and large, do not raise large sums of money and often rely on government subvention. So cash-strapped bodies are tasked with ensuring that their constituents are satisfied but often fall short. Central government, from time to time, steps in to solve problems when the local bodies are unable to. This may be necessary to remedy unfolding disasters (such as the Ministry of Agriculture intervening to mitigate flooding in the city) but does little to promote the devolution of decision-making.

It is reasonable to accept that local governance in Guyana is not perfect. Guyana is, however, a young country still trying to push forward its development. That means we have to believe that our local structures can work; we have to participate and we have to recognise where there are shortcomings so that we can advocate for improvements.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous work, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com