President Donald Ramotar has shut down talk of setting a date for local government elections any time soon due to the looming no-confidence motion against his government.
Speaking at the opening of the National Toshaos Council Meeting held at the International Confer-ence Centre in Liliendaal yesterday, he said that “I would be rightly ridiculed by any right thinking person if faced with such a situation our Minister goes to announce a date.”
He continued that “it would be rather foolish to do something like that” while noting that the government was not afraid to set a date for local government elections.
The President’s sentiments come on the heels of discussions with the Leader of the Opposition, David Granger over setting a date for local government elections. It is unclear whether there will be further engagement between the two leaders on this.
A team from A Partnership for National Unity met last week with Ramotar and his team and discussed the coalition’s demand for a date for local government elections and for a clutch of rejected bills to be signed into law.
Observers say that the government and APNU appear to be testing the waters for a political agreement that could seize the initiative from the Alliance For Change (AFC) which has dictated the agenda in recent weeks with its push for the no-confidence vote which would force general elections in three months.
During the course of the talks last week no consensus was reached. The government has offered a flurry of excuses as to why local government elections are not possible at this time although the Guyana Elections Commission has repeatedly stated that they are ready for both local and general elections.
APNU executive and MP, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine told Stabroek News that the government raised concerns over possibly setting a date for local government elections and then being faced with a no-confidence motion. When questioned further by Stabroek News, Roopnaraine only said that the parties had an exchange of views on the way forward.
In a statement after the meeting with Ramotar, APNU said “the meeting was held in the wake of the opposition’s year-long demand and public protests in support of early local government elections. APNU iterated its call for the President to name a date for the holding of local government elections. APNU also committed to collaborate on a process by which the President would assent to the Local Government Bill No. 12 of 2012; the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2013; the Fiscal Management and Account-ability Act Bill No. 24 of 2012 and Bill No. 5 of 2013 and the Former President (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill No. 29 of 2012.”
