The Editor, Sir:

The Government seems to be on a course that will destroy our present local-government structure. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is another nail in the coffin of the present parish councils.

In the interest of furthering democracy, Jamaica needs to reform its system of governance. The problem is that there is no debate on the reform being implemented at present. The reform is hidden in what in essence is a bribe to the legislators.

The CDF was created in time for the 2008-2009 Budget period. For this period, each member of parliament (MP) was budgeted to receive $40 million for capital projects within each constituency. The amount the MPs would receive for any budget period would be proportional to the national budget.

Conflict of interest

This national budget was to be approved by the very same MPs. Is there a conflict of interest in this method of allocation?

A similar bribe was taken by councillors when their responsibilities were taken from them in the 1980s. At that time, they were offered a salary for not opposing the destruction of the powers of the parish council.

All councillors will be forced to try to access funds from the MP as they have none for themselves to implement development in the division.

Any councillor who represents a division with an MP from an opposing party will have the luck of a snowball in hell to get anything for his or her division. It should be second nature for councillors to oppose this fund going to the MPs.

The Jamaican Constitution dictates that legislators are to legislate - that is, make and/or pass laws. The Jamaican Constitution does not give legislators the power to spend money or to distribute money, as with the CDF.

The parish councils are given the power in Jamaica to spend for the parish. The parish councils should be the representative structure to receive the CDF, not the members of the legislature.

Is this the new policy?

Giving the MPs this allocation is tantamount to setting up a local-government structure in each constituency. In essence, the Government has created 60 new local-government administrations, using the CDF as the budgeted revenue.

It is no coincidence that the MPs' administrative allocation will be increased by some 300 per cent. They need the increase to administer, allocate and monitor the CDF.

The present reality is that legislators have taken on the role of executing policies. Within this new reality, are parish councils necessary?

Is there a plan to get rid of parish councils? Is this policy the government's local-government reform in action?

I am, etc.,

LOUIS BARTON

P.O. Box 144

Bridgeport P O, St Catherine