Conflict in Region Two RDC triggers third adjournment in three months

May 15, 2019 News

There appears to be an increase in tension between the Regional Executive Officer [REO] of Region Two, Denis Jaikaran, and Councilors of the

“The vacant seat of the clerk minutes after the adjournment.”

Regional Democratic Council [RDC].
The RDC statutory meeting came to an abrupt halt yesterday, after talks between Jaikaran, the Clerk of the RDC, and an RDC councilor spiraled out of control.
Councilor Nate Ram, who sits on the Government’s side of the house, was at the time expressing his sentiments on April’s adjournment of the statutory meeting. In April, the RDC meeting was adjourned by the REO who is the clerk, reportedly due to the absence of the Regional Chairman.
Councilors have since questioned such a decision especially since the Regional Vice Chairman, Juliet Coonjah, was on the seat as the Regional Chairman [acting].
The criticism of such an action continued yesterday, when councilor Nate Ram rose to speak in the chambers.
“The act states that in the absence of the Chairman the next person to act in his capacity will be the Vice Chairman. If the vice chairman is not present then the councilors may vote on someone fitting to carry through the meeting.”
The Clerk then rose from his seat and hurled remarks across the floor to the Councilor, shortly before walking out of the meeting.

“Councilors in the RDC Boardroom following the adjournment.”

Regional Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt, told the press yesterday, “The REO’s action at the last statutory meeting was unacceptable. The councilor was on the floor. He was granted permission before he stood to speak.
“The REO on the other hand was in total breach of protocol when he stood without permission to speak out against the councilor. Such actions cannot be tolerated by a public official. His action was uncalled for.”
For the past three months, the statutory meetings had been adjourned for various reasons. As a result there are a host of key developmental matters, which are not being discussed.
A few councilors who spoke to this publication following the adjournment, said, “I believe that the REO was disrespectful to the council. Whatever he has demonstrated today was totally reckless.”
“The clerk was very disrespectful to all the councilors and we need an apology.”
Following the lead of the Regional Chairman, Ramdatt, the council has decided to write the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, on what recently transpired within the council.
“We will write a letter to the Minister of Communities. There have been a number of issues within this region that we were unable to discuss due to these adjournments. We will write those issues to the Minister of Communities and to the President. Councilors will then sign on their names to the letter.”
Councilors representing the coalition Government, said that they believe that the clerk should offer an apology to the council, for what they describe as a reckless move.

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