IT is really embarrassing that a foreign diplomat had to state what should be obvious to the opposition and the Guyanese people.

He said that it is vital to have local government elections this year, if people are to have the ability to elect or reject local officials who have the power and authority to ensure at the local level a clean and healthy environment.
Unless there are legal reasons and not just political ones, the President should set as late a date as possible this year for local government elections. This step needs to be taken to force action on the four bills in Parliament and to show who is opposing and why these elections. Regardless as to whether none or one or more of the legislative bills are passed, a local government election must take priority over drawn-out political wrangling.

It is even a greater shame that neither the leaders in the various local government bodies nor local residents have protested or called on the political parties for such elections.  On one hand, these local leaders may like having everlasting power, while the local residents have simply lost faith in the system. Whatever the reasons, it is a sad state of affairs for the nation.