The Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform has completed its report which includes recommendations as to how the electoral system and system of fiscal allocation should be fashioned to give effect to the recommendations of the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC).
Co-chair of the Task Force Vincent Alexander said that the body has already settled the terms of reference of the experts, which President Bharrat Jagdeo has agreed to make available to it to design the systems based on the concepts in the report.
With respect to the electoral system, Alexander said that the expert would be required to advise the task force as to the system that would allow for the optimal amount of constituency-based seats as well as a mechanism that would address the issue of the top-up votes in cases where individuals participate in the elections. The Parliamentary Oversight Committee which gave legislative form to the recommendations of the CRC said that the electoral system for future local government elections below the regions must "be built upon the pillars of representativeness, proportionality and accountability", and "provide for the involvement of individuals and voluntary groups in addition to the political parties".
Alexander said that the US-based National Demo-cratic Institute (NDI) has already short-listed and approached a number of experts to explore their availability.
With respect to the system of fiscal allocation, Alexander said that the criteria have been agreed and a working group identified which includes representatives from the University of Guyana and the Ministries of Finance and Local Government. He said that a sticking point is whether or not an expert from the Andrew Young School of Government would return to work with some of the members who he said have an understanding but not in-depth knowledge of the issues.
Alexander's co-chair, Minister in the Ministry of Local Government Clinton Collymore had reported to the National Assembly during the budget debate that the report was completed and should be submitted soon to President Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition, PNCR leader, Robert Corbin. Collymore's report was made in the context of the government's push to hold local government elections this year even though chairman of the Elections Commission, Dr Steve Surujbally has indicated that they could not be held until May 2005 at the earliest.
Alexander says that he would have to go along with Surujbally's assessment.
Local government elections were last held in August, 1994 and have had to be continuously postponed.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President has been meeting with the donor community and the major political parties with a view to identifying what steps need to taken to hold the elections. Two meetings have been held so far and Stabroek News understands that the Elections Commis-sion has approached the Attorney- General's Chambers for assistance in drafting the required legislation that would provide for continuous registration.
At its weekly press conference on Thursday, the PNCR restated its position that local government elections cannot be held until after all the reforms to the local government system are in place.
It said that these reforms include the establishment of the constitutionally- mandated Local Government Commission as an independent and robust institution, the settlement and implementation of the formula for fiscal transfers to the Regional Democratic Councils and local government organs, which it said would prevent the government from denying Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) 80 per cent of its annual budgetary requests and a new electoral system and the passage of legislation to implement the system.
Meanwhile, the NDI has already contracted former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Keith Massiah SC to convert into legislative form the various recommendations that have already been agreed by the task force. (Patrick Denny)