Area Rep Ferguson also took the opportunity to complain about the appointments to water boards in several villages in the Stann Creek District.
Since the Village Council Elections, new water boards must be appointed in all the villages. But, according to Ferguson, Dr. Carla Barnett, the Local Government Minister of State, is attempting to stack the deck with UDP recommended persons in villages that voted for a PUP council.
Here's how he explained why that shouldn't happen:
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson - PUP Area Rep, Stann Creek West
"The life of a water board is the life of a village council, and the village council's life is 3 years. So automatically, after new councils, there is time for the appointment of new water boards. And the law specifically gives the Minister the authority to appoint the members of the water board. The law says that the minister, who is Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, is responsible to appoint the water boards, after consultations with the elected area representative, and the elected village council. So, I am putting pressure on the minister over the last 3 months, that she follows proper protocol. So, last week, I and some village councils received a letter proposing the names that she wants to appoint to the water boards in the different communities. But, in the recent village council elections, in the Stann Creek West constituency, and the Stann Creek on a whole. We won more than 85% of the village councils. All we are asking the Minister is for respect, that the people of that region have made a choice, and they voted for village councils of the People's United Party."
"Unfortunately, we understand that she is accepting the recommendations from an unelected standard-bearer. So, when we got the proposed list, none of the names myself and the village councils recommended were on the list. It was only the names of those of the unelected standard-bearers. I don't think the people of Stann Creek appreciate that, and I can assure you that they will register their dissatisfaction whenever the next election is called."
"While it is her prerogative, I feel that she should have had the decency to come and dialog with us, we have a meaningful consultation, sitting down face to face, not by writing us a letter, and saying that these are the people that we're going to propose to be on the water boards. We could have sat down with her and come to a conclusion."
We contacted Dr. Barnett for comment, but up until news time, she hasn't responded.
Four weeks ago she told us, quote, "All the water boards are about to be re-established (in line) with village council elections and new reps from them. Am in the process of communicating with all area reps." End quote.
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