Election is an important democratic competition through which leaders are chosen to serve their fellow citizens. Very often those chosen may view themselves as people with the authority to use power bestowed on them.
While we often hear of leaders as those who lead, we hardly hear of them as servants. I quite like the expression that leaders are those entrusted with the privilege to serve. At local government level, election results in the decentralisation of power and the implementation of transparent, accountable and responsive leadership in the community.
Since the concept of good governance in the 1980s, effective local democracy of which municipal elections is a fundamental component, has been increasingly recognised as a prerequisite for sustainable and equitable socioeconomic development.
For some, the attractions and value of strengthening democracy at local level lies in the opportunity for increased participation, which strengthens civic culture, builds social capital and enables people to be active citizens.
Others take a more instrumental view of the benefits of local democracy. They focus on the ability of local democracy to improve service delivery and developmental outcomes through increased public accountability.
In 2019, members of parliament debated on a motion to uphold the Local Government Act and approve the facilitation of municipal elections by October that year. This was after National Federation Party member Lenora Qereqeretabua, moved a motion to bring back local government election.
She argued that municipal elections would ensure transparency and accountability of government decisions and actions at local level. In defending the stalling of municipal election, former local government minister, Premila Kumar, who fought for accountability, good governance and democratic values during her tenure as Consumer Council of Fiji boss said Fiji’s system of local government needed to undergo “critical reform” before a return to elections to avoid the corruption and mismanagement that was rife in the past.
She told parliament, municipal councils had a history rife with scandals, corruption and squandering ratepayers’ money. She even listed a series of questionable land deals.
“By calling for municipal elections the opposition is actually calling for a return to corruption and inefficient development,” she had argued.
“We must not and we will not give in to these demands for the sake of political expediency.”
Ms Kumar said Fiji needed a system to fit its own development needs, citing places abroad which managed without elected local bodies. Ms Qereqeretabua questioned what had happened to the “fasttracked” review of the Act promised in 2017.
“Taxation without representation is tyranny,” she said. “Already the special administrators and CEOs of municipal bodies are toothless tigers.”
In 2014, the minister responsible for local government, housing and environment, Praveen Kumar, said his first order of business was to hold municipal elections. A former mayor and special administrator himself, Mr Kumar talked about visiting all the towns “next week” (after his appointment) to brief them about the upcoming municipal election.
“Municipal election is very important, now that we have an elected government – we need to have elected local representatives at the local level – so that is my immediate task,” he said.
However, by the end of FFP’s reign in 2022, local government election it had promised Fiji was never held. The legal basis for local government is not clearly found in Fiji’s Constitution but principally in the Local Government Act.
Local government elections are overseen by the Elections Commission established under Section 75 of the Constitution and Electoral Act 1998. Prior to 2008, local government elections were held every three years.
An amendment to the Local Government Act in February 2006 extended the term to four years; however this was subsequently reversed in July 2008 (promulgated in December 2009). Local election was not held in October 2008 resulting in the expiry of the term of the councils and the appointment of administrators in February 2009.
There are currently no appointed councillors overseeing our municipalities. The FijiFirst Government said over the years that local elections would only take place upon the completion of the review of the Local Government Act of 1972. Apart from elections, the Local Government Act and other related Acts make provision for involving and informing people and civil society.
These include publicising proposals for boundary changes, with objections being heard at public hearings, publication by the council in a local newspaper of its balance sheet, and a statement of income and expenditure, public notification of planning schemes and proposals for re-zoning land use and public consultation on specific issues.
Councils have also developed special initiatives to involve the public in particular programs, such as community safety and crime prevention, and for environmental management including clean-up campaigns. Despite its place in democratic systems and persistent calls for it, council elections have not taken place for almost 15 years.
The United Nations Development Programme, the UN’s lead agency on international development, believes municipal election plays a pivotal role in strengthening democratic governance crucial to attaining human development.
“For development and governance to be fully responsive and representational, people and institutions must be empowered at every level of society – national, provincial, district, city, town and village,” UNDP says.
“This comprises empowering of sub-national levels of society to ensure that local people participate in, and benefit from, their own governance institutions and development services.”
This means institutions such as municipal councils should enable people to exercise their choices for human development which among others, include taking part in city and town council elections.
In turn municipalities must bring policy formulation, service delivery and resource management within the purview of the people.
At the same time they have to be accountable to their local constituencies because at the end of the day, their performance, the manner they discharge their responsibilities, and the integrity with which they handle financial resources will be judged through local elections.
It is encouraging to hear that the Sitiveni Rabuka-led government intends to bring back local government elections. And many interest groups in towns and cities are already calling on our leaders to fasttrack municipal plans.
Why do we need things fasttracked? Municipal election is a mechanism closest to the people for accessing basic services and opportunities to improve their lives, for participation in public processes where decisions affecting their lives are made, and for exercising their rights and obligations.
The bottom line is municipal elections is key to development that is inclusive and sustainable. It is essential for improving the quality of life of the people both at the urban and rural settings, reducing inequality in all its forms across the society, and enhancing relations between people and public institutions
However, holding municipal elections and having an elected council headed by a mayor will not automatically solve our problems and is not a sufficient condition for improved governance in our cities and towns.
It will not guarantee equitable development, poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment and enhanced transparency and accountability. What is needed is a workable balance between public demands for local democracy and the practicality of local democracy in terms of efficiency, capacity and resources.
We need to ensure that local government is democratic and does not merely result in a transfer of power to unrepresentative, unresponsive and unaccountable local elites or citizens. We also need to protect local autonomy from the centralising tendencies of national governments and powerful private enterprises.
I believe citizens of our towns and cities have been eagerly waiting for over a decade to participate in local government elections and choose a council that best represents their interests. The ball is in Government’s court! Until we meet on this same page, same time next week, stay blessed, stay healthy and stay safe.
