THE holding of Local Government Elections in 2013 now appears even more unlikely; and substantive minister, Ganga Persaud is laying the blame squarely at the feet of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) which he said is deliberately stymieing progress.

The minister said the work of the committee tasked with dealing with the legislative amendments is yet to be completed; and coupled with the time that will be required for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to pull off the elections, it is making the event unlikely this year.
The Parliamentary Select Committee is chaired by APNU’s Basil Williams, and according to Persaud, the Opposition representative is seeking to reintroduce to the discussions issues that would have already been dealt with at the level of the Taskforce and already discarded.
The minister disclosed that there have been several meetings held by the Committee, “but the impediment to progress is APNU’s approach in bringing back to the level of [the] select committee issues that were dealt with at the taskforce and dismissed.”
The minister posited that it may just be a case of demonstrating might, given the Opposition’s advantage in numbers at the level of the Select Committee, and he accused APNU of a deliberate ploy to foster conflict.
This, he said, was a move by the Opposition to ensure that Local Government Elections continue to be delayed.
Among the issues that the opposition is looking to re-introduce as the parliamentarians seek to address the legislative amendments, is that of the composition of the Local Government Commission and where the persons to make up that commission are to be drawn from.
According to Persaud, this is a matter that had been cleared up, but it is now being reintroduced with a different formula for consideration.
As it relates to the Local Authorities (Amendment) Bill, Persaud said that what the Opposition is seeking to have reintroduced to the debate is the removal of the statutory legal functions of the minister.
He said that APNU is proposing to have some of the functions of the minister replaced by the Local Government Commission.
Persaud said  APNU is looking to also raise again the framework for fiscal transfers.
He said that what they are seeking to introduce is the notion of providing taxpayers’ dollars as subventions to the municipalities, without leaving options open, regarding the performance of the economy and the state’s ability to make such transfers
“So rather than make them much more efficient,” he said that the Opposition is looking to make the municipalities more “parasitic on taxpayers.”