THE long-awaited Local Government Commission is expected to be sworn in soon with Government approving the appointment of the local government commissioners.

On Thursday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed that Cabinet, following the submission of memorandum by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, approved the appointment of eight persons to serve on the Local Government Commission (LGC).

He said the approval was made in accordance with the requirements of Section (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Local Government Commission Act, Number 18 of 2013.

Mortimer Mingo, Clement Corlette, Marlon Williams, Joan Ann Ramascindo, Andrew Garnett, Carol Sooba, Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore were named as the appointees.

According to the minister of state, appointed commissioners will be sworn in soon by President David Granger.

Arrangements in relation to office, staff and other facilities to be used by the commissioners are to be finalised.

“I am advised by the Ministry of Communities that work had already started in that regard and therefore… once they are sworn in, they should hit the ground running,” the Minister Harmon told reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The Commission, through the Ministry of Communities, is mandated to oversee, monitor, investigate and examine the actions of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the municipalities.

The approval of the appointees comes approximately a month after the Alliance For Change (AFC), a major player in the coalition Government, called for the operationalisation of the Commission.

Party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan had told reporters that the process in naming the persons to sit on the commission “has gone a far way.” Ramjattan had reiterated that the AFC supports the establishment of the Commission.

Local Government Elections (LGE) are slated for 2018.