THOSE who appreciate the strength of a democracy that works from the bottom up would welcome the renewed emphasis being placed by President Bharrat Jagdeo on the need for new local government elections in 2002.

The more the Guyanese people participate in the democratic process the better it would be for the political health and social, economic and cultural development of the society.

Democracy and electoral democracy in particular suffered most grievously under the political dispensation of the People's National Congress (PNC) when electoral rigging of local and central government elections was elevated to a fine art and some of today's critics of the PPP/Civic government had conveniently lost their voices.

Except for a few cases, regular local government elections had ceased to be the norm for some 22 years under the 28-year rule of the PNC. Then, within two years after the return to government, finally, of the PPP in October 1992, local government elections took place in 1994.

Those elections would always be remembered by the PNC, particularly for the loss of its traditional dominance in the municipality of Georgetown and the rise of its former General Secretary Hamilton Green as Mayor.

Since then, however, there have been many changes and developments and, of course, two national elections, both of which the PPP/Civic won. But no local government elections.

This cannot be allowed to continue, whatever may be the problems generally or specific to the National Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities. The 65 NDCs and the six municipalities should all be showing an active interest in fresh local government elections. As well as the political parties in and out of government.

President Jagdeo is quite on track in urging that the country be geared for new local government elections next year. As the government works on preparation of relevant legislation and the Guyana Elections Commission gets its act together well ahead of the date for such a poll, it is to be hoped that the interested and viable political parties as well as the NDCs and municipalities will be focused on local government elections 2002.

Naturally, the non-achieving local government bodies or officials allegedly involved in acts of corruption -- irrespective of the parties with which they are identified - would have no enthusiasm for new local government elections.

Nor would there be much interest among those who have become so partisan, undemocratic and incompetent in the functioning of some NDCs and municipalities that they cannot be sure of winning the confidence of electors anxious for change.

The political disagreements that have hitherto frustrated the holding of new local government elections, and alluded to last week by the President, must quickly come to an end. Once held, it must become the norm to have such elections every two years, or twice during the five-year elected term of the central government.

The PNC/Reform has rejected claims of having engaged in disagreements on the holding of new local government elections. It is therefore to be expected that the process can now move forward more rapidly.

The joint task force that includes representatives of the PNC/Reform and currently considering local government reform has an obligation to hasten the process towards the 2002 elections for fresh mandates for all of the NDCs and municipalities.