CABINET remains convinced that with the fullest cooperation and support, the holding of the long awaited Local Government Elections will be a reality this year.

This is according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon, at his post-Cabinet press briefing today at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.

“Cabinet at its meeting of June 9, noted the tabling in parliament of the remaining bills on Local Government Reform, that is the Fiscal Transfer and the Municipal and District Council (Amendment) Bills,” he said.

The Local Government Commission and Local Government (Amendment) bills were tabled before the National Assembly last Thursday.

“Astonishingly, the commitment to table the bills that were provided both personally and publicly to all on sundry, was obviously insufficient to allow the opposition in Parliament to attend the first sitting of the Select Committee appointed to examine those bills,” he stated.

He explained, “Actually, the main opposition party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) had even boycotted the committee of selection process rejecting that opportunity to name its members to sit on that important Select Committee.”

“Nonetheless, it is cabinet’s contention that the Select Committee has been properly constituted and it is anticipated to function in the context of the defined timelines for the widely supported Local Government Elections in 2009,” Dr Luncheon stressed.

“Cabinet also examined a different but equally important aspect which would be the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its contribution to hosting the Local Government Elections 2009,” he also disclosed.

He outlined that the main activities that would remain under Cabinet’s scrutiny would be the preparation of the list; production and the distribution of identification cards to voters; voters education, particularly with reference to the new electoral system; selection process; and training of the staff to be involved.

“Cabinet remains convinced, however, that with the fullest cooperation and support, the holding of Local Government Elections will be a reality in 2009,” he reiterated.

Replying to questions about the challenges and government’s insistence on the holding of Local Government elections, he replied, “We rise to the challenges.”

“I am not dismissing the challenges, but…the stakeholders have all taken principled positions,” the Cabinet Secretary emphasised.

Alluding to questions on the committee of selection, he said, “The PNC was not there. They neglected to appoint or to nominate members to the Select Committee.”

“The government made and put in writing a commitment that it had made quite some time ago, that we are going to go to parliament with these bills,” he reminded.

“The fact that the written, oral commitments and the consistency with which the commitment was maintained were not enough to overcome the skeptics in the ranks of the Opposition PNCR, is a matter for concern; but as I said we are not going to ignore the challenges that we are going to have to address as we move to Local Government Elections in 2009,” he stated.

The last Local Government Elections were held in 1994 and it is hoped that Local Government polls will be held before November 30 of this year.