By Svetlana Marshall

Demanding that ‘good governance prevails,’ the Linden Mayor and members of his Town Council picketed the Office of the Local Government Commission today over moves by the Commission to appoint Government Political Activist Lennox Gasper as the Municipal Town Clerk. 

The protesters said the process has already been “botched” by the Local Government Commission and is not fair or transparent.

However, the Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Julius Faerber said the ongoing process to appoint a Town Clerk is in accordance with the Local Government Commission Act.

According to the Commission, Mr. Gasper, who was previously appointed Town Clerk, then Acting Town Clerk by the Chairman of the Commission, is now the lone applicant for the post.   

But the Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon, who led the group of protestors, told reporters that the Government, through the Commission, is attempting to impose its activists on the people of Linden by hijacking a democratic process.  

“After the last of the 12^th of June Election, at the instruction of the People’s Progressive Party, is prepared to hijack the Council. So, not only with one candidate and our objection is not to a candidate, our objection is to the process,” Solomon told reporters. 

He said upon the resignation of the last Town Clerk in October, the Council on November 1 put forward three recommendations to the Commission, including a recommendation for a senior official within the municipality to be appointed to act until a substantive Town Clerk is appointed in accordance with established procedures. But those recommendations were brushed aside. 

“Instead, what the Commission did on the 7^th of November was to imposed upon us an individual, sending to us a letter, giving a substantive position to this individual as town clerk. We objected to that,” the Mayor said. 

Mayor Solomon said it was not until after the Council registered its objection, that the vacancy for the position was advertised. 

Vanessa Kissoon, who was among Councillors on the picket line this morning, said while the Commission is contending that only Gasper applied for the position, there is evidence to suggest that at least three other persons did. 

‘We are here to say, let good governance reign, we want to see the process work and we want all applicants to be given a fair chance, because we know there are other applications, however, the commission only received four applications,” Kissoon said. 

Three other persons, reportedly applied for the Deputy Town Clerk position, but according to Kissoon, like Gasper, two of the three are PPP/C activists, and were listed on PPP/C Lists of Candidates for the Local Government Elections. 

But Chairman of the Local Government Commission said rather than protesting, the Mayor and Councillors should have had a sit down with the Commission to iron out the issue or any misconception. 

While the majority of the Council has argued that standard operating procedures mandate that the Council be involved in the process of hiring a Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk, the Chairman said there is no need for consultation. 

“Local Government Commission has the authority to employ. It does not have to consult with the Town Councils because the Act grants us that privilege to do that. It is like the other Commissions, the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission, they are all Commissions that appoint people and they do not consult in making appointments. So, I don’t see why the Linden Town Council should be treated differently from all the other Local Authorities. That is our authority at the Local Government Commission to employ and we used the process to employ,” the Chairman said. 

According to him, only Gasper applied for the position of Town Clerk. 

“The applications come here, and they are thrown into the box, it is opened by the administration and there are about four or five witnesses when the box is opened, and it was only one application that came here. So, I don’t know understand the Town Council is saying that we had more than one application, we have proof to show that there was only one application that came here. 

The Chairman, however, confirmed, that it was Gasper, who, upon being appointed to act, placed the vacancy notice in the local newspapers. However, he said the issue of conflict of interest does not exist.

“It cannot be a conflict of interest because remember he advertised and it was opened to the public for two weeks, after which persons, could have applied, anybody could have applied. When the box was opened it was only Mr Gasper application that was found,” Faerber said. 

He said the Human Resource Committee of the Commission met today to discuss Gasper’s application, following which he would be interviewed for the position. The Commission, will then, decide the way forward. 

 Commissioner Nicola Trotman, who is a member of the HR Committee, told the press that she objected on the grounds that there were other applicants, but the Administration of the Commission maintained that no other application was received. 

“However, it was acknowledged by the Secretary and the HR Manager that municipalities and NDCs can receive applications because they are the ones running the ads for the positions, can be received by municipality and the NDCs and then forwarded to Commissioner. If, however, Mr Gasper refused to accept the applications that were brought to him, then the process is not a free and fair one,” Commissioner Trotman said. 

Describing today as a sad day, Commissioner Trotman said she excused herself from the interviewing process based on her belief that applicants were disenfranchised because their applications were not handed over to the Commission by the Acting Town Clerk, who happens to be the only applicant for the post. 

Related posts:

Gasper still acting as Town Clerk in Linden; Mayor intends move to the Court Linden Town Clerk position to be advertised as Local Govt. Commission rescinds its unilateral appointment Linden Town Council rejects appointment of PPP activist as new Town Clerk Local Government Commission ratifies appointment of Acting Town Clerk by majority vote