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Tied Local Authority Areas…PPP willing to accept out of court resolution- Rohee
“In the interest of residents” in tied Local Authority Areas (LAAs), the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is
PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee
willing to negotiate a resolution in the court case it launched against the Government, over appointments that were made following Local Government Elections (LGE).
This is according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Clement Rohee, during the party’s weekly press conference yesterday. He stated that subsequent developments have caused the PPP to propose a return to negotiations between PPP/C and the administration over sharing/rotating the principal positions in the tied LAAs.
In addition to expressing concern for the “plight” of residents in the areas, Rohee also blamed the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the about turn.
“Another factor is GECOM’s failure to timely manage its Constitutional responsibilities of managing elections that statutorily are due whenever ties in the Councils of LAAs occurred,” Rohee stated. “GECOM is saying we have two options.”
According to Rohee, those options were either to have a run off or to have by-elections. Out of these two, Rohee stated that the optional choice would be to have a run-off.
“These elections are to be held annually. So in that situation every time the elections for Chairman and Vice Chairman are held we would end up with this tied situation, because the number wouldn’t change.”
“As far as GECOM is concerned, they have taken a position that the matter is in court and therefore they are not
Representing the PPP; former Attorney General Anil Nandlall
prepared to move until the matter is settled,” he also drew attention to. “We are looking for an out of court, negotiated settlement that could bring some relief to the residents in the areas.”
Following the local government elections two months ago, PPP/C Commissioners had stated that voters from six LAAs are likely to return to the polls following equality (ties) of votes for the elections in the particular areas.
If a tie should again occur, they had stated that the Minister with the responsibility of that department will name a Chairman of his choice.
But there are reports that Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons were appointed in the six tied LAAs by the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.
The PPP/C through their lawyer, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, secured a High Court order from Justice Diana Insanally which quashed the Minister of Communities ‘selection of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Mabaruma and appointments of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen for the Woodlands-Bel Air, Malgre Tout-Meer Zorgen, Gibraltar-Fyrish, Industry-Plaisance and Woodlands-Farm Neighbourhood Democractic Councils.
Additionally, the Court also sent out an Order or Rule Nisi of Prohibition, restraining persons from acting as or performing the functions of Chair Persons or Deputy Chair Persons in respect of the said NDCS.
In effect, the appointments of Henry Smith and Astrille Gamell as Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively, for Mabaruma, were subject to this order. Smith and Gamell had been sworn in at the Ministry of the Presidency along with Mayors and Deputy Mayors from all the other towns.
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