Carter Center declares local gov’t elections key to development -President Granger commits to assenting bills passed in 10th Parliament -GECOM engaged in preparations
GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally
GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally

REPERCUSSIONS for development and the ability of Government to serve its people, as a result of the absence of local government elections, are visible at the local level throughout the coastal region, according to the Carter Center.In its preliminary report released on Thursday, the group noted that the current A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government should ensure that

His Excellency, President David Arthur Granger
His Excellency, President David Arthur Granger

Guyanese are able to head to the polls to elect local leaders.
“The Government should recommit to holding local government elections utilising the legislation that was approved in the last parliament as the foundation for a new consensus law,” the Carter Center said.
The legislation at reference are those that were passed in the 10th Parliament by a majority vote supported by APNU and the AFC – then the two political parties that constituted Guyana’s political Opposition.
BILLS PASSED
The bills included: The Fiscal Transfer Act; the Municipal and District Council Amendment Act; the Local Government Commission Act; and the Local Government (Amendment) (Elections) Bill 2014.
However, only three – the Fiscal Transfers Bill, the Municipals and District Councils (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill – were assented to by former President Donald Ramotar in November 2013 and became law.
Using their one-seat majority, APNU and the AFC approved an amendment to the Local Authorities (Amendment) (Elections) Bill 2014 for the holding of local government polls on or before August 1, 2014.
When the Bill was debated, the then Local Government Minister, Mr Norman Whittaker, had argued that December 1, 2014 would be a better date. Of consideration too was the fact that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) workplan spans 180 days to ensure the proper conduct of local government polls.
Also, the Local Authorities (Amendment) (Elections) Bill 2014 vested financial and administrative powers in the Local Government Commission, removing them from the subject minister, which was another point of contention.
All considered, the former president defended his position of not signing the bill into law by reasoning that it was unconstitutional.

Former President Donald Ramotar
Former President Donald Ramotar

In November, after assenting to the other three bills, Mr Ramotar said, “Before this Parliament [the 10th Parliament)] came into existence, we had an agreement with the PNC; we had a full agreement with the Opposition, the PNC then.
“In this Parliament, they have decided to change it [agreement]. Not only have they changed it, which in my view is unprincipled, but they have also made it unconstitutional. They have tried to take the authority of the minister and invest it into a commission. That goes against the Constitution, that’s why I didn’t assent to it.”
Additionally, current Head of State, President David Granger, in his first days in office committed to assenting to all the bills that were passed in the 10th Parliament. Notably, the current Administration in its 2015 manifesto committed to the Guyanese people that a date for local government elections will be named within its first 100 days in office.
Altogether, the bills are touted by APNU+AFC as the framework that would ensure full local government reform and ensure that local government elections are held.
WORKPLAN
As early as January 2014, GECOM officials had disclosed to the Guyana Chronicle that the Commission already has a workplan in place to facilitate the hosting of local government elections, once they are called.
However, it was reiterated that GECOM would need six months notice to operationalise that plan.
In July 2014, in a detailed statement, GECOM made it clear that the 180-day timeframe has nothing to do with GECOM’s “preparedness,” as this timeframe is largely a result of the sequential statutory requirements and other prerequisites for conduct of the elections.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker

CURRENT PREPARATIONS
Given the indications of a move towards the naming of a date for the hosting of local government elections, GECOM has already commenced preparations.
However, according to the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Steve Surujbally, the Commission is being careful to ensure that the necessary laws are in place, with which it will comply to deliver local government elections.
“There are several lacunas in the law that will have to be addressed if we are going to have it this year….it has nothing to do with GECOM, it has to do with the laws being

Hon. Ronald Azam Bulkan, Minister of Communities
Hon. Ronald Azam Bulkan, Minister of Communities

passed in parliament…you can go into local government elections with a format that has no legal basis,” he said.
Local government elections have not been held in Guyana since 1994; prior to that, the elections were last held in 1970. Subsequent to 1994, the elections could not be conducted because they had coincided with the general and regional elections of 1997.

By Vanessa Narine

 

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