Local government governance!

Another round of local elections! What a big deal! Considering our size and the way of doing politics we have too much of them and very too often. Notwithstanding all the good intentions, local councils do not instil a sense of civil commitment towards the common well-being of the citizen and the general welfare of the community. Their effectiveness in terms of decentralisation of authority and responsibility is rarely distinguished. More or less, their role is relegated to an extended portfolio of the programmes masterminded by the major political parties represented in our national Parliament. Their structure and organisational behaviour are very similar to the numerous committees set up within the political party clubs, football clubs, band clubs and other voluntary organisations active in the same locality.

Definitely, they do not demonstrate the devolution of power and de facto their institutional function of a local government is not even recognised let alone acknowledged. The citizen's dependency on the minister or the constituency MP in connection with matters of serious concern is still rampant. The mayor and the elected councillors are perceived as the "small fish" type of administrators with limited resources and very little say in decision-making. The majority of them are more interested to act as the local agents of the political party they support instead of representing the interest of the local residents who elected them.

As long as they are functional to the point that they generate a sense of civic duty among the local citizens, the concept of local government is commendable. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time and money down the drain. Local councils are not meant to be platforms for prospective or potential politicians. They shall not execute the political parties' agenda. They are not government tax collectors or agents for public departments. Neither are they "tenders' adjudication boards" or talking shops of the town!

The councils' priorities should be aimed at stressing the real needs of the community they represent and the citizen's quality of life standards. The people who sit on the council shall be elected on the basis of their integrity, ability, and service towards the community as a whole. Partisanship and popularity are not the ideal requisites for a respectful councillor.

Unfortunately, since the introduction of the local councils in 1993 we have failed to measure the level of success in an objective manner. Our accomplishment records are determined on the basis of percentage points allotted to the "delivery list" prepared by the political party that claims majority representation at the respective local council. We omit to take into account the council contribution towards the moral, social, educational and economic realities that our citizens are experiencing. I could not trace one single publication issued by a local council outlining the state of affairs, within the locality, in terms of the level of criminality, tourist attraction opportunities, cultural heritage availability, tertiary education participation, unemployment level, business activity and poverty level.

Looking at the periodic leaflets distributed by the council one finds many pictures of the mayor and the councillors at social gatherings but very few, if any, write-ups on the initiatives and projects undertaken on the council's own steam.

The truth is that our councils are far from being productive with the exception of their involvement in the general upkeep of the locality. It is therefore not surprising to talk about the misadministration galore of certain councils! This is also evident in the level of participation of the residents in the council's activities when compared to the town or village population.

The Nationalist government may be politically justified to claim credit for introducing the concept of local government, but as far as the councils' governance effectiveness and impact on the community goes we cannot boast of a success story. There is certainly ample room for improvement and we cannot hide behind the frolic, if not foolish, excuse that the necessary financial resources are lacking. The underlining denominator hindering our councils' good governance is the excessive dose of partisan politics that is so evident in whatever the councils say or do. It is therefore no coincidence that quite a number of candidates for the next round of local council elections decided to contest on the independent ticket. Whether they will attract majority support is beside the point, at this stage.

In a recent press conference, MLP leader Alfred Sant reiterated his strong belief that it would be better if the political parties' involvement in local councils will be withdrawn. He even declared that his party was prepared to overturn its decision of participating in local elections on condition that the Nationalist Party and the Greens, for that matter, will do the same.

Such a statement merits serious consideration. It is not a question of gaining political mileage and Dr Sant's statement shall not be taken with a pinch of salt. It reflects the thinking and feeling of the public.

The offer is now on the table and we must act on it. Should the other political parties accept the offer it would be a qualitative leap forward in the right direction. Local councils will be better off in terms of their administrative autonomy and loyalty towards the citizens they represent. The prospects of good governance administered by quality-conscious and result-oriented councillors would be there. Surely, there will be more accountability and transparency.

Fresh citizen-friendly initiatives could only be taken by an independent or neutral local councils. They could lead the way to develop further the concept of local government and eradicate the rampant polarisation in our towns and villages. Through their bottom-up approach they could also influence our legislators to extend the local councils' jurisdiction and portfolio in the best interest of their locality. They shall act as catalyst to promote new ideas in strengthening their governance. The introduction of the Local Government Ombudsman is one example.

The ball is in the political parties' court. They are morally bound to respect the will of the people. Sitting round a table to find an honourable solution is not a hard nut to crack. What they need is some political will to put in practice what they preach: politics is being of service to the citizens.

Alternatively, the citizen shall take the plunge and hold an abrogative referendum banning political parties from taking part in local government elections. It's in the interest of the citizen, after all!