The main opposition APNU yesterday said that local government polls could be held this year, while emphasising that it would not tolerate further delays.
“We believe that elections could be held before the end of the year if they [the PPP/C] wish,” APNU MP Basil Williams said yesterday at a press conference.
APNU MP Ronald Bulkan echoed the position, while explaining that with the parliamentary review of four bills nearing completion, the next step would be for passage in the National Assembly.
Williams had informed last week that with the completion of the Local Government Commission Bill and the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) earlier last month, the Special Select Committee on Local Government is now moving to complete consideration of the last bill, which is the Fiscal Transfers Bill.
“At last Friday’s meeting, the Committee returned to dealing with previously parked issues and were able to bring these issues to finality and which resulted in completion of its work on three of the four bills,” Bulkan said.
He added that consideration of the Fiscal Transfers Bill can be completed at the next meeting of the Committee, scheduled for today.
With that, the bills would have to be taken back to the National Assembly for passage before presidential assent and Bulkan said there was no reason why this couldn’t be concluded before the end of this month, allowing for notice to be given to the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) to prepare for elections.
“Gecom must by then declare how much time they will require for the holding of these elections but there cannot be any valid reason why it cannot take place before the end of this year,” he said.
AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan had also said that his party believes that local government elections are possible this year and had urged the fast-tracking of the examination of the bills so that elections could be held by November.
He said Gecom’s budget for 2013 was not cut because the opposition is cognisant of the need for local government polls. “We want Gecom to be fully financed and prepared for local government elections,” he said.
Williams said that APNU’s position is clear and on examination of the facts it cannot be accused of delaying the process. “The ball is now in President Donald Ramotar’s court. The citizens are looking to see who are serious and who are determined to deny them their constitutional rights to elect councilors’ to manage local democratic organs,” he said.
Williams added that APNU was confident that citizens would assess the performance of all parties and judge at the polls who they felt are deserving of serving them.
Whenever local government elections are held, Williams said, it would amount to an opinion poll on the performance of all parties. “Local government elections would be an opinion poll on all parties, including the government… We are confident that any kind of elections that come forward, we will have a good showing in them,” he added.
