The issue of Reform of Local Government is extremely important if there is to be a change in governance in Trinidad and Tobago. The question that must arise is: what is the nature of that reform? For the MSJ it begins with the philosophy of local government. The MSJ’s position has always been that “the relations of economic and political power must be changed”. This is because the institutions of state: the institutions established by the country’s Constitution and other laws (such as the Municipal Corporations Act 21 of 1990 which provides for local government) are essentially colonial in nature. As a result, power is centralized in the Executive (Cabinet) and local government bodies have little or no power.

Furthermore, the existing political culture of the two traditional parties – the PNM and the UNC – is also a culture of centralized leadership and power. This political culture contributes to the culture of decision making within the institutions of state – to borrow a phrase: the nature of the political institutions and the political culture of the PNM and UNC “double down” resulting in citizens being effectively locked out of the decision-making process.

This is why the MSJ starts with the philosophy of local government reform based on changing the relations of power. For the MSJ, “power must be in the hands of people where they live”. From this philosophical position, we have then developed our Policy Positions on Local Government, which were in our 2013 Local Government Manifesto and incorporated into our Policy Document on Governance produced in 2014. The MSJ goes much, much further in our proposals than either the PNM or the UNC.

In the case of the UNC, its position on local government reform is best reflected in the amendment to the Act brought to Parliament on the eve of the 2013 local government elections which introduced a system of proportional representation for the selection of Aldermen. This system was way too cumbersome as political parties – and even independent candidates – have to nominate names of persons to be Aldermen equal to the number of seats in the Corporation. Thus, although no more than four Aldermen positions exist, in what can only be described as an absurdity, each party and each independent candidate has to nominate in some cases (e.g. the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation) up to 13 Aldermen. Apart from a “Draft White Paper” on Local Government Reform the UNC while in government for 5 years did nothing else concrete to bring about change. It is to be noted that in 1999 the then UNC Government also did a “White Paper”.

The PNM now ironically touts itself as “THE” party to bring about reform of local government. While the PNM did propose reform in its Manifesto for the 2013 Local Government elections, the PNM has a woeful track record when it comes to reform. Thus, in 1983 the PNM Government produced a “White Paper” on Local Government Reform. In 2004 the PNM government produced another White Paper and this was downgraded to a Green Paper in 2006. To date the PNM’s boast of “Reform that is Real” is no more than a hollow promise.

The PNM is also wrong when it lays claim to be the champion of reform. The Tobago House of Assembly Act – which the PNM now says is their model for local government reform – only became a reality because of the initiative, efforts and struggles of ANR Robinson and his colleagues. It was Mr. Robinson who championed the THA in and out of the Parliament. In fact, the PNM never agreed to further empowering the THA and it was when Mr. Robinson was in Government in an alliance with the UNC in 1996 that the THA Act was further amended, giving greater powers to the THA.

It was also the Robinson led NAR Government that initiated and passed the current Municipal Corporations Act that was a significant improvement on the old local government law. So, the PNM has absolutely no track record of reforming local government. This is why the MSJ says that the reform promised by the PNM is not real, it is a promise. The MSJ’s proposals are not simply about reform. They are to fundamentally transform the relations of power by placing power in the hands of the people in their communities. We propose, for example: - Statutory funding of each local government body based on the needs of each community – thus, if a community does not have the required facilities – recreation ground, health centre, community centre, schools – it MUST be allocated funding to provide for these - The system of Village and Community Councils to be incorporated into the Local Government Corporations so that these Councils also have statutory allocations for community projects - Removing party politics from Local Government – to the point where candidates for local government are not nominated by political parties - Embedding Local Government in the Constitution - Establish the right of recall so that elected Councillors and Aldermen can be recalled by their constituents - Converting CEPEP and URP into community based co-operatives that there a culture of “community ownership” is developed.

No other political party goes as far as the MSJ in our proposals to change local government. This is because neither the PNM nor the UNC believes that “power should be in the hands of the people where they live”.