Only minor quibbles with plan for 2 governors

Having two governors in each province will cost $820,000 per year, the Ministry of Finance reports. This is $390,000 just for cars, and $430,000 for salaries and related costs. This says nothing about building new offices and official houses. Which governor will get the governor’s mansion and the main offices? In a low key note, the parliamentary 4th Commission “recommends that the government take actions to identify and inventory installations and human resources that will be transferred.” Which suggests this has not been done yet.

A third government law on the role of the Secretary of State in the Province was debated last week, but with only minor concerns. The 4th Commission warns that “the Secretary of State in the Province should not be understood as the one that comes to be above the [elected] Provincial Governor”. Yet the law sets out quite clearly to do that. The draft law calls the new Secretary of State the “representative of the state in the province” but the 4th Commission wants this changed to “representative of central government”. This makes clear that this person is a political appointment and not a civil servant. Elsewhere the 4th Commission deletes statements that the Secretary of State is part of the “public administration”   At present the governor is appointed by the President and has broad powers. Under the new law, the Secretary of State is appointed by the President and takes over many of the powers of the old governor, including giving formal recognition to traditional and community authorities, which includes neighbourhood secretaries. The elected governor is given quite limited powers. The elected governor is given quite limited powers. In effect, there will be two competing governors in each province.   Conflict between the two is built into the law introduced last week. Both the elected governor and the Secretary of State are expected to create development plans with participation of the local population and civil society. Both carry out economic, social and cultural activities.   The new laws are creating two competing governors, one serving central government and the other serving the province’s voters. And which one will occupy the governor’s mansion?

By Joseph Hanlon