Dear Editor,
In June 2015 when the Regional Democratic Council of Region Five held its first meeting to elect a Chairman and Vice Chair, it was decided by the council that the RDC statutory meeting would be held every third Thursday of the month. However, the Chairman now wants to change the council’s decision and set the meeting when he wants.
I have received a letter of invitation from the Clerk of the council, Mr Ovid Morrison, dated July 14th, 2016, inviting me to attend the RDC statutory meeting on Thursday 21st July, 2016 at the RDC boardroom from 10 am. The minutes of the last RDC statutory meeting that was held on the 16th June, 2016 were also attached to the letter of invitation.
However, on the 19th of July, 2016, I received yet another letter. The letter bears the letterhead of the Regional Chairman and it states that he would like to inform me that at the last RDC statutory meeting which was held on June 23rd, 2016, the council decided to change the date of the statutory meeting from the third Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month.
According to the last minutes the date of the last RDC statutory meeting was 16th June, 2016, and not 23rd June, 2016 as the Chairman states. According to those minutes the council made no decision to change the date of the RDC statutory meeting and, therefore, I will not adhere to his request.
How can a leader such as the Regional Chairman change the date of statutory meetings without the council’s knowledge? The PPP should advise the Chairman that he cannot do things without the council’s approval, and that he must adhere to council decisions. What he had on the 23rd June, 2016 was a PPP meeting.
I don’t believe that the Chairman has any authority to call two statutory meetings in one month.
Yours faithfully,
Abel Seetaram
APNU+AFC Councillor
Region 5
