The Alliance For Change (AFC) is insisting that local government elections must be held on, or by August 1, as approved by legislation in the National Assembly last month.
In a statement last week, the party commended the diplomatic community and civic/social organisations for what it described as their forthright position in support of holding these elections by August 1. “Everywhere, from our cities to our villages, our communities are in shambles and suffer from gross neglect. We call on the Chairman of the Elections Commission to pronounce on GECOM’s readiness to hold these elections and not allow to pass the ambivalence of the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall when he asserted that GECOM was preparing for National Elections; or the Home Affairs Minister to cast doubts on whether or not this body charged with conducting elections could hold these polls.”
Red herrings
The AFC noted that new red herrings are being thrown into the pool of misinformation and doubt such as a 180-day timetable after the date for local government elections is announced by the relevant Minister, demarcation of new local government area boundaries, and public education.
“The AFC urges the holding by August 1 of elections, as a viable start, in the existing NDCs [Neighbourhood Democratic Councils], which need no further demarcation and in the towns, including Georgetown. We are against any political, bureaucratic and administrative humbugs that have jettisoned elections, due since 1997.”
The AFC also urged the completion of the constitutional mandate for fully monitoring the integrity of persons in public life, by having a fully composed and functioning Integrity Commission.
The party then turned its attention to the establishment of the hotly-debated Public Procurement Commission. “We say that the Executive is in breach of the Constitution that commands the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission. The Executive is in breach of the law that says that the role of Cabinet in procurement shall phase out after the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission. The PPP/C [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] has, for too long, paid lip service to the need for good governance, with full accountability and transparency in Guyana, which is why the floodgates of corrupt practices have been open wide.”
Last week, the ABC [America, Britain and Canada] countries, along with a number of civil society organisations, reiterated their call for the holding of local government elections this year.
