PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee says that the government-nominated members of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) are doubtful about the commission’s readiness to hold local government elections.
“We get the distinct impression from our commissioners that it doesn’t seem that they are ready for local government elections,” Rohee told the weekly PPP press conference yesterday at Freedom House, one week after the opposition used its majority in the National Assembly to pass an amendment that calls for the holding of the polls before August 1, 2014.
Government did not support the bill and it is unclear whether the president would assent to the amendment bill calling for polls before August 1.
Rohee said yesterday that the PPP is fully prepared to go to local government elections. He also signalled that the opposition-nominated Gecom commissioners are not on the same page with their government-nominated counterparts on the body’s readiness for the polls but he noted that instead of such division, there needs to be “a harmony of views.”
Rohee also said that President Donald Ramotar’s decision to withhold assent for the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, which he claims to be unconstitutional, does not mean that local government elections have to be stalled.
Meanwhile, Rohee also disclosed that no candidate has been identified to replace former Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud, who resigned recently.
He further noted that Persaud’s absence from last week’s sitting of the National Assembly was a voluntary decision. “The comrade has taken positions on a voluntary basis,” he said, when asked by reporters if the was an indication of Persaud distancing of himself from government.
Rohee did not give a deadline as to when a new minister was likely to be appointed. Junior Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker has assumed Persaud’s responsibilities since he stepped down.
Rohee stated that when discussing who may potentially be Persaud’s replacement, the government was not looking necessarily to specific people but instead at the duties of the minister. “That is always our expectation. We would sit together and discuss these matters and determine who the best candidate is and what is the best time to do that,” he said.
