– fourth still being reviewed
President Donald Ramotar has assented to three of the four local government reform bills passed in the National Assembly on August 8. The Fiscal Transfer Act, the Municipal and District Council Amendment Act, and the Local Government Commission Act became law on Wednesday with the president’s assent.
The president’s assent came close to three months after the bills crucial to the holding of local government elections under a new regime were passed.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon made this disclosure on Wednesday at the Office of the President.
According to him, the three acts are now before the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs.
However, the contentious Local Government Amendment Bill under which the opposition vested financial and administrative powers in the Local Government Commission, removing them from the subject ministry, is still before President Ramotar.
The bills were the source of heated debate between the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic and the joint parliamentary opposition comprising the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC).
After being passed in the National Assembly, the bills were sent to the attorney general’s chambers for scrutiny. Politicians subsequently became involved in a back- and-forth discussion over the length of time the bills were before the attorney general, with even the diplomatic community weighing in on the situation.
Approximately one week ago, United States Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt and British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre expressed concern over the delay, noting that the legislative process should reign supreme.
“Let’s get on with the elections early next year, and let’s have a new start for Guyana local government… I think that this could have a transformational impact on the country by reconnecting people with their government,” Ambassador Ayre was quoted as saying.
Whether the final bill will be assented to remains a major question. Dr Luncheon had this to say on that issue: “Just like time has resolved the three, I assumed that time will resolve the fourth.”
After 19 years of waiting for local government elections, which were last held in 1994, Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud said the bills are not a prerequisite.
He noted that the polls can be executed under the Local Authorities (Elections Amendment) Act that was assented to by former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2009. This particular legislation cleared the way for GECOM to carry out its mandate of hosting local elections through the introduction of a new system.
The minister had said that “the ministry has all that is required for the holding of local government elections… and based on that premise if we have everything in readiness, we should go ahead.”
Minister Persaud added that Guyana could expect local government elections by the third quarter of 2014. The ministry is currently monitoring the work of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The commission has conducted approximately 7000 transactions ahead of the closing of its fifth cycle of continuous registration on November 23. The Local Government Ministry also has given the green-light for GECOM to commence its public awareness programme.
