…Min. Bulkan says party does not believe in the system of local government

THE Opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has filed an injunction in the courts against Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan and the Chief Election Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) aimed at preventing the holding of Local Government Elections in several areas across the country this November.

According to court documents seen by this publication, the party alleges that the subject minister has failed to identify by name, boundaries, and number of members, each of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils it highlighted in court documents. The injunction was filed on the grounds that the said decision is “unlawful, illegal, in violation of the Local Democratic Organs Act, Cap. 28:09.”

The party, in the documents, called for the quashing of a decision by the Chief Elections Officer to fix the exterior boundaries in respect of several municipalities and NDCs on the grounds that the said decision “is ultra vires, unlawful, in violation of the Local Democratic Organs Act, Cap. 28:09, in excess of jurisdiction, failed to satisfy or observe procedures required by law, abuse of power, illegal and constitutes a usurpation of the statutory functions of the first Named Respondent under the Local Democratic Organs Act.”

The injunction, which was filed in the name: Bibi Safora Shadick – a commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission, also called for consultations to be held with the electors and stakeholders inclusive of the major political parties likely to vote and contest the election of councilors in the named local authority areas in relation to the establishment of constituency boundaries within the said areas.

It called for such actions to be held “with every convenient speed to enable the election of councilors to say Local Democratic Organs to take place on the 12th November, 2018 or any other date during the period statutorily provided for the holding of such elections.”
Among the areas named are the Municipality of Rose Hall, Municipality of Mahdia, Moruka/Phoenix Park, Kitty/Providence, Nile/Cozier, Lamaha/Yarowkabra, Hauraruni/Yarowkabra, Plegt Anker/Kortberaad, Wyburg/Caracas.

The PPP alleges that in creating new NDCs and modifying and/or re-demarcating the existing internal boundaries of existing constituencies the named respondents “not only acted unlawfully but they did so unfairly, capriciously, whimsically and in a manner to prejudice and skew the elections in favour of one major political party and against the other.”

Minister Ronald Bulkan told reporters that to the best of his knowledge and based on statements made by the PPP, is that they acknowledge that he has the authority under the law to determine the size of councils. He said the opposition is positing that he acted undemocratically and that it invoked Article 13 of the constitution which speaks to inclusionary democracy.

“No. I don’t see why I should be fazed,” he said regarding the move by the PPP. He said that he acted “lawfully and legally” and he noted that there has been no claim to the contrary that he acted unlawfully. He said the PPP by their actions and track record, have demonstrated that they do not believe in the system of local government, “but we are forging ahead with reinstituting as well as expanding the system of local government.”
He said the government is convinced that when people are empowered and given the opportunity to manage their communities it will result in better managed communities. According to Minister Bulkan, the government is empowering people ultimately for their own benefit.