The PNCR said it would participate in local government elections as long as the agreed local government reforms have been completed and implemented in their entirety.
At its press briefing on Thursday, the party said it was necessary to state its position on the question of the promised holding of the local government elections, in view of the mischievous and misleading article, which appeared in the August 30 edition of the Kaieteur News, under the caption “PNCR still undecided on participation in Local Government Elections.”
It was stated that as far the voters’ list for local government elections was concerned, the party held the view that the new National Register of Registrants (NRR), from which any such list will be extracted, and which is being created on the basis of the just concluded House-to-House Registration, is yet to be finalised by GECOM.
It posited that in the finalisation of the new NRR, GECOM has yet to publish, for public information and scrutiny, the list of persons registered in the various districts during the House-to-House Registration process. Also to be undertaken is the cross-matching of fingerprints to remove potential duplicates.
The party said the completion of these processes, to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, was a necessary precondition for the production of any new and credible voters’ list.
With regard to the joint task force on local government, it was related that the PNCR has written to Co-Chairman of the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform Clinton Collymore expressing concern about the tardiness with which the government’s representatives have been attending its work. “The Task Force has rarely been meeting due to the failure of Collymore to call meetings,” the party said.
It was recollected that recently by letter dated July 22, Collymore informed members of the Task Force which comprise both members of the PNCR and the PPP/C, that owing to his responsibilities related to the holding of the 29th Congress of the PPP/C he was suspending the weekly meetings of the Task Force with effect from that day. “Despite the conclusion of the PPP/C’s Congress, no notice of resumption of meetings has been given to the PNCR members on the Task Force. The PNCR therefore registered a serious protest against the dilatory practices of the government side of the Task Force, contending they had crippled its progress. “
The party articulated that the PNCR’s concern was especially so in the light of the statements by Dr Roger Luncheon and Donald Ramotar purporting to suggest that work of the Task Force was proceeding smoothly.
The PNCR noted that the Task Force was yet to agree on the proposals for fiscal transfers and the modalities of the electoral system.
The PNCR reminded Collymore of its position that it would consider nothing agreed upon until all of the laws relating to the proposed changes in the local government system have been presented to and approved by the Local Government Task Force.
