A cursory review of the Commonwealth's best practice in the area of local government reveals that The Bahamas is out of step with its sister Commonwealth countries in not providing constitutional protection for local government, failing to vest revenue raising powers in local government authorities and failing to expand the functions of local authorities to areas such as local economic promotion, training, environmental protection and cultural and touristic development.
In the following Commonwealth countries local government is entrenched in or mentioned in their constitutions, have revenue raising powers and have functions that include local economic promotion, primary healthcare, education and training, environmental protection and cultural and touristic development: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Jamaica (bill pending in Parliament), Kiribati, Lesotho, Maldives, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St. Lucia (suspended), South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.
It is interesting to note that in Malta and Tanzania local government and decentralization policy is placed in the Office of the Prime Minister to give monitoring and support to local government. Even in the following Commonwealth countries without constitutional provision relating to local government, there is nevertheless statutory provision for local government to collect real property taxes, levies and rents and play a significant role in local economic promotion, healthcare, education, environmental protection and touristic and cultural development: Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, New Zealand, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.
I fully appreciate that the full empowerment of local government authorities and its expansion to New Providence must come along with the strengthening of the mechanisms of accountability, transparency and integrity measures instituted. I adopt the recommendations of the president of the Exuma Chamber of Commerce, Pedro Rolle, when he proposed that the expanded local government structure should include: "(a) A clear system of accountability must be in place; local government leaders must be answerable to their constituents at all times through mandated community meetings; (b) fiscal systems must be transparent and must be automated. The temptation for graft must be almost absent as it relates to the collection of funds; (c) elected local government persons must be seen as a pool from which our national leaders are chosen. This must be a training ground that enables communities to make informed leadership choices in the future. This can only happen if local government is given the kind of platform it deserves."
The colonial state shaped, controlled, funded and delivered the policy and services in the interest of the colonizer. As a decolonized and sovereign democracy, we should have the political courage to redesign our governance structures and political practices to devolve power to the Bahamian people, through local government.
In this new paradigm there should be "a sensible division of powers and responsibilities, a fair allocation of resources and a significant degree of local autonomy in the use of those resources". Therefore, we should rely on the people closest to the problems to solve them and allow the creative imagination and intellect of the Bahamian people to create new opportunities for growth and development throughout our archipelago in the interest of all present and those who are not yet born. In this context, the central government could concentrate on the making clear and visionary national policies, executing national policies, ensuring accountability and transparency in public life, both at the national and local levels, and ensuring the proper harmonization between the practices of local authorities and national policies and the national development plan.
Having served as a member of Parliament for 10 years, both as a Cabinet minister and member of the official opposition, it is my observation that local communities are not best served by our highly centralized governance structure. While we have seen some extraordinary members of Parliament who are generally regarded as having been very present and effective in their constituencies, such as Cynthia "Mother" Pratt, Melanie Griffin, Fred Mitchell, Neko Grant and C.A. Smith, members of Parliament, generally, do not have the resources and infrastructure to attend to the myriad of local community needs within their constituencies. In just about all other Commonwealth countries, local government enables the citizens to have a direct role in solving community problems and in ensuring community safety, development and welfare. It enables members of Parliament to give more effective representation in Parliament and be more effective in the constituencies, through partnership with local government representatives.
I believe that if we were to empower local government in The Bahamas and expand it to New Providence, consistent with Commonwealth best practices, we would be better able to solve the persisting problems at the New Providence landfill; the flooding problems in Pinewood; the pervasive crime problems in certain communities of New Providence; and to facilitate economic stimulation in Freeport, East Grand Bahama, Eight Mile Rock, Exuma, South Andros and all of the Family Islands.
If local government authorities are properly funded and empowered they would bring more immediacy to solving community problems; increase innovation and entrepreneurial development of agriculture, the marine resources, the maritime industry and the cultural industries, with a sense of stewardship to protect ourselves and future generations of Bahamians. We must learn how to trust the creative imagination, intellect and wisdom of our people to govern themselves.
Moreover, empowering local government in the area of economic promotion will shift the current national investment policy paradigm away from the passive position of waiting for the foreign direct investor to come to us with a vision for The Bahamas, as the engine for national development, to a more self-determining and affirming posture where properly funded and empowered local government authorities, along with the central government, will pursue economic promotion, incentivizing Bahamian entrepreneurs and targeting and lobbying more appropriate and eco-friendly sources of foreign direct investment to their respective districts and towns to joint venture with local Bahamian entrepreneurs or in private/public partnerships.
The Bahamas, by not entrenching local government in its constitution, giving it revenue raising powers, expanding the scope of its functions and extending it to New Providence, is out of step with the Commonwealth and the public pledge of our national leaders since 1967.
I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for the Progressive Liberal Party to become, once again, the vanguard of progressive and liberal changes in The Bahamas by empowering Bahamians, through effective local government throughout The Bahamas, including New Providence, to exercise our democratic right of self-determination and democratic governance.
o Alfred Sears is an attorney and former member of Parliament and the Cabinet.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
