HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday that the Administration is pursuing consensus, at all levels, on local government elections and local government reform.

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, in Georgetown, he acknowledged that the matter of the elections continues to attract ongoing attention by almost all Guyanese, particularly stakeholders.

Emphasising that a commitment has been made by various stakeholders, the Cabinet Secretary said, in tandem with it, the Administration has acted to facilitate the implementation.

“However, we are aware and we are not unmindful that not all of the parties that intend to contest the local government elections are equally ready nor are we unmindful that not everyone is happy at the prospect of the changes that a successfully held local government elections would bring,” he said.

Luncheon added: “And the feeling is that therein lies the basis for some of the delays, the delaying tactics that, over the short term, have been experienced.”

Reiterating that the pieces of local government reform legislation would be taken to Parliament, he said: “The Administration’s intention is not to have this very important parliamentary exercise be anything but one of consensus.

“We will pursue consensus at all levels including Parliament, consensus on local government reforms and, specifically, local government elections.

“The Administration intends, today, to have all of the local government reform bills, including the already tabled Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill, sent to the same sub-committee for their comprehensive consideration.”

Luncheon said the five bills would, ultimately, be tabled at different times and placed under the consideration of the same Select Committee of the National Assembly.

The laws to be passed include the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill.

“It is an undertaking made on the assumption that such an intervention would not contribute to undue delay in having those bills enacted and, definitely, in having that enactment before the parliamentary recess.

“The political parties in Parliament, we feel, would uphold their commitment by working together with the Administration to meet this deadline, to utilise this offer and, thereby, allow the provisions to be used by the Elections Commission in their own contributions to having Local Government Elections in 2009,” he said.