Minister of Local Govern-ment and Regional Develop-ment Kellawan Lall has disclosed that the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM) has indicated that it will be fully prepared for the holding of Local Govern-ment elections by the first quarter of 2010.
According to the Govern-ment Information Agency (GINA), Lall said GECOM is currently engaged in the stage of finalizing the national register of registrants.
The Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) (No.2) Bill of 2009, which was tabled by Lall at the December 3 sitting was passed last Thursday in the National Assembly subsequent to its second and third readings.
The Bill seeks to amend the Local Authorities (Elections) Act and to extend the date by which Local Government elections may be held, with a deadline of December 1, 2010.
It also provides that the minister may on request, in certain circumstances, authorize the holding of elections at any time for a Mayor, Deputy Mayor or Chairman of a local democratic body. The amendments will only apply to the next Local Government Elections, GINA added.
Meanwhile, the minister expressed his party’s frustration at the inevitable delay of the holding of the elections.
He said this delay has resulted in the inability to provide communities with services such as a fast response to applications for the construction of houses, collection of garbage, and drainage and irrigation.
Three out of five Local Government Bills that were taken to the National Assembly have already been passed; these are the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill, the Local Government Commissions Bill, and Local Government (Amendment) Bill.
The Fiscal Transfers Bill and the Municipal and District Councils (Amend-ment) Bill are currently being reviewed at a Special Select Committee.
Lall stressed the urgency for the holding of the elections under a reformed system.
In July, the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2009, which is one of the four pieces of legislation identified to be amended by the reconstituted Local Government Task Force was passed after being reviewed by the Special Select Committee.
The Bill is the first major piece of legislation that seeks to set the framework for the holding of the Local Govern-ment elections under a reformed Local Government electoral system.
It was tabled in the National Assembly for a first reading on May 28 and was subsequently referred to the Special Select Committee.
The legislation was sent eight years ago to the Joint Task Force, led by members of the two major political parties before it was taken to the National Assembly in May.
After the task force failed to reach an agreement on two of the four Bills identified for reform, consultations were halted and President Jagdeo then decided that the Bills would have been taken to the National Assembly for a public debate after being forwarded to the Special Select Committee.