The Prime Minister, at the last Monday night forum, announced the call for candidates for Local Government elections, which are due later this year.The Mayor of Chaguanas has indicated that all his councillors in the Borough of Chaguanas have performed. As a voter in the local elections, I am attending political meetings during this local election season only if the meetings are so designed that each councillor gives an account of his/her performance in the electoral district which they have fed on for the last three years or more.
These meetings ought to be chaired by the respective mayors and chairmen of corporations and no member of Parliament should speak. We are tired of hearing a rehash of issues relating to national governance, such as the announcement of housing loans for citizens earning less than $8,000 or whether a minister should resign or not. The performance and projections of local election candidates must be articulated by the individual candidates so that the electorate can do an audit on their performance.
It is only if we, the electors, demand that political meetings for local election be centred on the performance of candidates, incumbents as well as prospective ones, that local government would become effective.Let us boycott all political meetings which are not centred on local government and the performance of its candidates.
Imaam Iqbal Hydal
Felicity