LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING DEVELOPMENT MANDATE

Belize has a population of approximately 390,000. Its population is highly dispersed throughout the country. As Belize is a small developing country it has the challenge of ensuring meaningful inclusion of its citizenry into the political process. This is in part achieved via the local government framework and at the village level via the selection of leadership to represent the various villages. It is known that this selection process commenced over the past week with national village and community elections. This process is expected to conclude over the remaining 7 weeks.  On April 11, 2010 elections were held in the Orange Walk North and Stann Creek West constituencies.  Over the previous weeks there has been much public discussion and debate about the proper conduct of the election process for villages and communities and the role of the major political parties.  It is important for the Belizean citizenry to understand the implication and function of the political institutional framework and why political parties cannot be divorced from the process of local government.

In Belize, local governance is the remit of village, community and towns and cities throughout the country.  Their legislative mandate is one that charges these institutions with the responsibility of ensuring good governance and for the general improvement and development of their respective communities.  Village councils and municipal elections are conducted every 3 years; with general elections held every 5 years.  Of the 31 electoral divisions approximately half or 15 divisions are comprised of rural communities, which are dispersed throughout the country.  This reality therefore speaks to the synergies and collaboration that are required from area representatives and local government representatives. This recognition is paramount. It is inevitable and a necessity. Another challenge of course and that has significant impediment as to why the imperative of this cooperation is lost on governments is the fact of the overconcentration of area representatives in Belize City constituencies.  It is easy to deduce then, why the general mandate of fostering and promoting community based development through an active participation in the political process seem to be lost on politicians.  Imagine then if one were to further argue that there should be no involvement of the major political parties in this process, this would give politicians an excuse to walk away from a significant mandate in the process of bringing development to village councils.  This would be naïve and would fail to recognize that the local government at its various levels is a microcosm of the larger political framework in Belize.  Besides the two major political parties there will continue to be an increase in non-aligned individuals seeking public office.  Such a trust should continue to be actively promoted and supported, alongside, the meaningful participation of the political parties.  However, the role of the political parties in the development process is one of greater facilitation not marginalization; in that they ought to elaborate and encourage community based development that seeks to promote an active participation of the citizenry by ensuring that policy development is geared towards pro-poor development and risk management and mitigation.  For rural communities that are the backbone of the agricultural sector it is imperative that farmers are so facilitated to ensure improvement of small farmers ability to supply global demand and exports.

As the election process continues over the remaining 7 weeks Belizeans need to bear in mind that the citizenry within the 191 villages and communities are those who are feeling the brunt of the economic slowdown and the effect of government policy or lack thereof in the promotion of recovery efforts.  The resounding results from Stann Creek West clearly demonstrate the political maturity and understanding by the people to not be persuaded by high-paying television adds.

Belizean communities require more than all-weather streets and grass cutting from their area representatives.  The development of community programs is a shared responsibility between community leaders and elected public officials.  As the elections precede all persons should take a keen role in making certain that the engagement of area representatives are such that they are not using the people for their own self interest but rather that they are reminded of their responsibility to the development of these communities.

This writer suggests that the most significant statement made by Prime Minister Barrow in his commentary after the announcement of the results of the first round of village councils election is that if they were to lose significantly in these elections that it would by necessity indicate that a drastic change in direction would be need by his government. It is imperative on villagers to deliver such a message and in a resounding way send that message to the UDP government that Belize is bleeding and those villagers are the ones feeling the hurt.

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision – Helen Keller

Gwyneth Sydney Nah

Send comments to GwynethNah@gmail.com

| | | | | |