Ward councillors deserve respect

I WRITE in protest over the decision by the Government and the provincial government PEC and general assembly for people to vote for presidents in the coming 2024 LLG elections.
It has been an issue since the 2012 LLG elections.
It seems that we have two sets of laws governing elections; one set for the National General Elections and the other for our LLG Elections.
According to section 34 of the constitutional amendments of 1995 and 1997, if I am correct, the Government has breached the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government Elections.
LLGs are the third-tier governments as stipulated in the constitutional amendments of 1995, and this is affirmative.
When did the Government review the constitution and make amendments to change the law on provincial and local level governments?
The Government has neglected the rights of LLGs and ward councillors to make decisions on how their LLGs should run.
Some years back, the Government preached about bottom-up planning but nothing has been done. Today, the top-down policy is still in existence.
The National Government doesn’t have the respect for ward councillors.
We are all voted in through the same process involving a secret ballot.
Ward councillors deserve respect for the important role they play in their respective areas 24/7.
I call on the Government and the minister responsible to review the Constitution on Provincial and LLG affairs.
LLGs have improved a lot when Gr 10, Gr 12 and tertiary-educated people became ward councillors. It is no longer like our father’s time when pidgin was the language spoken during meetings.
I wish to thank and pledge my support to Western Highlands governor for his questions in Parliament based on his experience as a councillor, a president and now governor.
The amendments must allow for the people to elect ward councillors will then elect the LLG president.
This is just the same as the people voting in members of Parliament who then lobby and elect the prime minister.
If this cannot be done, then it’s better to suspend suspend the LLG elections to 2027 and let the ward councillors continue to enjoy the privilege of being on fortnightly wages until then.
Over the years, ward councillors have been on monthly allowances which were never paid on time. It could be months or years before we receive our lousy K300 allowance.
Ward councillors are the third-tier government mandated by the people to deliver to them goods and services.

Emil Gambrow
Deputy President
Longest serving ward
Councillor AMSLLG