The recent actions by the opposition suggest that there are attempts to delay local government polls this year, according to PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar, who says there are no disagreements on “fundamental” legislative reforms.
“There seems to be attempts to try to delay the local government elections,” Ramotar said at a news conference on Friday, referring to the main opposition PNCR’s decision to withhold naming nominees to the special parliamentary select committee responsible for reviewing local government reforms.
The PNCR refused to name its nominees to the committee on the basis that all the relevant legislation had not been tabled in keeping with a commitment given by the government. The AFC, while having identified its nominee to the committee, indicated that its participation would be dependent on an examination of the reforms en bloc. The government has completed the introduction of all the proposed local government reform legislation in the National Assembly.
According to Ramotar, the PPP/C is interested in the main opposition party’s participation in the select committee in order to thrash out the issues that need to be resolved. “I do not think we will allow their lack of participation to prevent us from moving ahead,” he, however, emphasised, noting the need for polls to be held before the end of the year.
On Friday, PNCR leader Robert Corbin said the party would identify its nominees at the relevant time. When asked how soon that would be, he said “At the right time.”
On the question of delaying the elections, Corbin said the facts speak for themselves, while accusing the government of attempting to hoodwink the process and proceed with the holding of polls under the old system with the minister having total control over every aspect of local government organs.
“The PNC’s position is and has always been that the agreement to have local government reform before elections must be honoured,” he said, adding that, “Nothing that we have done – or other parliamentary parties have done – is inconsistent with that position.”
After eight years, the government abandoned the review of reforms at the level of the bi-partisan Task Force on Local Government Reform, opting for a parliamentary review which it said would involve all stakeholders and ensure a transparent process.
As a result, the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2009, Fiscal Transfers Bill 2009, the Local Government Commission Bill 2009, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2009 have been tabled over the last three weeks.
“In my view most of the fundamental features were agreed on,” Ramotar said, explaining that there is consensus on the electoral system and the system for fiscal transfers. “The other issues are not fundamental,” he added.
The PNCR, GAP /ROAR and AFC have all maintained that unresolved issues in the legislation can be speedily resolved in time for the holding of local government polls before the end of the year, if there is political will and good faith on the part of the government to do so.
