Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 06, 2016 News
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s Commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday revealed that voters from several Local Authority Areas (LAA) are likely to return to the polls following an equality of votes for the election of Chairman.
Commissioners, Attorneys-at-law Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj, yesterday said that thus far, there have been reports of six Local Authority Areas (LAA) in which there were equal number of seats allocated to two of the candidates.
Gunraj explained that as a consequence, there are equal numbers of councillors representing two different parties or groups and as a result of this, when it came to the process of electing chairman – as is prescribed by law – there were equalities (ties).
He continued that the law prescribes that at a certain time after the declaration of the results by the Returning Officers (RO) for the particular LAA – in the case of the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), the Overseers of these Councils will summon a meeting of all elected councillors, with the primary purpose of electing a Chairman.
In the event of a tie of votes for the two or more candidates, a process must then ensue – the electoral process is then returned to the electorate (voters) of that particular LAA to choose between the candidates that have the highest number of votes equal to each other.
If a tie should again occur, the Minister with the responsibility of that department will name a Chairman of his choice.
Meanwhile, the PPP says that the party has received reports of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons being illegally appointed in the six tied LAAs.
In a statement yesterday, the party said that it is outraged by the “illegal, unaccountable, non-transparent actions of the Minister of Communities. This pattern of behaviour continues the practices of the David Granger Administration.”
“Subsequent to that March 18th Local Government Elections, the PPP, concerned about the conflict surrounding the electoral procedures to break the deadlock on the elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor and Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons, obtained the advice of their lawyers. That advice that was disclosed called for by-elections for the top positions in the tied LAAs once the deadlock was declared,” the statement stated.
Concerned about the role of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the ongoing electoral procedures, the PPP said that it sought GECOM’s position.
“On Friday, April 1, 2016, GCEOM’s initial response concurred with the legal advice offered to the PPP. The Chief Executive Officer of GECOM actually undertook to brief the Minister of Communities accordingly. Recognizing the significant logistics of by-elections, the PPP offered to negotiate with the governing Coalition. The terms discussed included rotation of the two (2) top positions in the municipality and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) annually, with the plurality being used to determine the distribution of the LAAs whose top positions would be shared between the two sides.”
On Sunday last, the PPP/C said that two negotiators, the party’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira and Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally met.
“The representative of the ruling Coalition rejected the earlier terms, insisted on no rotations, plurality governing the split of LAAs between the two (2) sides and the service for the entire term of office for the Councils,” the statement read.
“Alternatively, in the context of a rejection by the PPP of the demands of the governing Coalition, Amna Ally disclosed that the Minister of Communities would appoint the top positions in all six of those tied LAAs.”
The Statement continued that by Monday last, the Minister of Communities “in violation of the law commenced the appointments and completed them by Tuesday, April 5th 2016, even in those where they had not gained a majority of popular votes in those LAAs.”
Yesterday, the party said it received GECOM’s response to its request for information on the GECOM’s position, in which GECOM merely disclosed it was studying the matter.
“The PPP intends to pursue this matter aggressively, including immediate litigation and protests against the Minister of Communities and his illegal decision by aggrieved stakeholders at the Local Authority Areas,” the release concluded.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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