St Helena : St Helena Council Committees
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 05.11.2008 (Article Archived on 19.11.2008)
One of the benefits that a revision of the Constitution will give us is the opportunity to improve the present system of Council Committees. This existing system has been in use for many years and has a number of significant drawbacks:
ST HELENA - COUNCIL COMMITTEES
One of the benefits that a revision of the Constitution will give us is the opportunity to improve the present system of Council Committees. This existing system has been in use for many years and has a number of significant drawbacks:
Ø There are only 5 Committees and this means that many functions of government are not overseen by a Council Committee.
Ø The Committee Chairmen are always the EXCO members and thus EXCO has an unbalanced representation of the same 5 Departments for the whole 4 years of a Council.
Ø All 12 Councillors are elected to provide political leadership and yet 7 find themselves in perpetual opposition.
We have given a great deal of thought to the kind of system that could replace the existing one, and it is felt that one where all 12 Councillors have specific responsibility for a portfolio would be a very positive step because:
Ø All the functions of government would be able to be monitored by democratically elected Members.
Ø There could be more mobility in EXCO membership, thus balancing the interests of all Departments, and
Ø Councillors would have a far wider spread of influence and knowledge. The atmosphere of LEGCO would become more collegiate and strategic.
The attached Question and Answer Paper provides the details of how this system would operate. The revised Constitution does not force this particular system; it provides the flexibility to allow it as well as to adapt it subsequently.
A.M.Gurr
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