Time for local government elections

May 25, 2009 News

– President Jagdeo

“The people of this country deserve no less”

There has been a lot of pandering and consultations and it is now time to hold the Local Government Elections, President Bharrat Jagdeo said, noting that eight years is enough time for an agreement to be reached.
During a recent press conference, the Head of State said that enough time has gone in trying to satisfy every whim and fancy of the opposition.
“It is time to bring an end to all of these concerns and hold Local Government Elections. The people of this country deserve no less.”
Guyana, President Jagdeo said, cannot claim to be a democracy and not have Local Government Elections held after so many years.
“We will go to Parliament as many other countries do, table the Bill and have a public debate on it in Parliament.”
The Head of State explained that following the debate in Parliament, the government side will concede for the Bill to be sent to a Select Committee in order to give the opposition another chance to be part of any ‘productive discussion.’
Earlier in the year, President Jagdeo had said that he is ‘done’ with the approach that is being taken by both the PPP and PNCR members in getting the issue resolved.
At the time, the President had said that he was going to make one more attempt to try and solve the outstanding issues with leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Robert Corbin.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon at another press conference, recently, said that there remains a commitment to Local Government Elections in 2009 even as the Joint Task Force has been dissolved.
Dr. Luncheon told the media that this commitment is not an isolated assurance but that it is also a reflection of the considered opinion and the decision-making of the Secretariat and the Commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission.
He added that if the Task Force continued in ‘its slow way of doing things’ there would definitely not have been any Local Government Elections until 2020.
On March 13, last, GECOM was given the green light to begin producing new identification cards.
Head of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally was given approval with the support from the donor community to go ahead with the manufacturing of the new ID cards.
These new cards will be distributed to persons on the National Registration List from the ages of 14 and above and not 18 as was previously done. In making a decision to move forward, the 2009 Local Government Elections commitment was the major rationale in such a decision, he had said.
On February 25 last, the National Assembly approved $90M for the update and finalization of the voter’s list to host Local Government Elections this year.
The money will be expended on purchasing life jackets, torchlights and other gear to equip the 27 registration offices countrywide.
The sum will also cater for the distribution of National Identification Card.