Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green is bracing for a fight against a move for the holding of mayoral vote that could unseat him.
Last Monday, Good and Green Guyana (GGG) Councillor Llewellyn John tabled a motion before the council seeking a resolution to clear the way for internal elections for mayor and deputy mayor. The motion has been seconded by PNC Councillor Oscar Clarke. Clarke has been tipped to be Mayor with John as deputy, succeeding Robert Williams in that post.
The motion is expected to be debated at tomorrow’s statutory council meeting and, if passed, Local Government Minster Kellawan Lall will almost certainly order the holding of polls as the administration has long been dissatisfied with Green’s stewardship of the municipality. He has been mayor since 1996, remaining in office while local government elections have been serially postponed.
“It is a lot of political manoeuvring,” Green told Stabroek News. “The government wants to get rid of me because I have been opposing them.” He said the amendment to the Local Authorities (Election) Act, empowering the Local Government Minister to order the holding of mayoral and deputy mayoral polls, was passed with the intention of unseating him. PNCR leader Robert Corbin had opposed the amendment in the National Assembly.
“We feel they [the polls] are long overdue,” said John, who is now a central executive for the PNCR in Region Four. He added that the democratic principle dictates that elections be held. “The PNC wants to follow the democratic principle.”
Although local government elections have been delayed, John has continually argued that it could not affect the holding of polls for mayor and deputy mayor which is done at the council level. He sought previously to move a similar motion, citing Section 11 of the Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28:01, which stipulates that anyone who has served for five successive terms as mayor is ineligible to contest for re-election. By John’s computation, Green has served nine terms.
In 2002, Town Clerk Beulah Williams sought an opinion on Green’s eligibility to contest for re-election from State Counsel Lakshmi Shiwnandan, who indicated that he might not be.
The law states that even if their terms are expired, both mayor and deputy mayor shall continue to hold office until there are successors. As a result, Green could conceivably argue that since the council did not hold annual elections, he has been serving an extended term and he did say yesterday that he was “absolutely” eligible to contest the polls.
According to Green, his opponents do not seem to understand the “bigger issue,” which he said was the government clearing the municipality of the opposition. Instead of interfering with the council, he said, the government should get on with local government reform and the holding of delayed polls. “This is a distraction and persons in the PNC and the GGG are being caught up in it,” Green added.
Local government elections have been due since 1997. The government and the main opposition PNCR have been attempting to hammer out agreements on local government reform in keeping with the recommendations of the constitutional reform process. A joint task force has been working on the reforms since 2001.
John was originally a member of Green’s GGG party, which won 12 seats at the last municipal elections, while the PNC won 10 and the PPP/C eight. The GGG, however, has been factionalised over the years, lessening Green’s chances of winning the vote. Although Green has been readmitted into the PNCR, he said he is likely to contest the polls on the GGG slate, though he mentioned that talks are ongoing among the parties.
This should be interesting, but what i can’t understand is why these old timers are fighting for these positions when there are young, vibrant, educated and Guyanese who can do a better job because they know how to be innovative and have many ideas to keep this city and country clean….by the way cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Notice the names mentioned in this story Llewellyn John, Oscar Clarke, Hamilton Green, Robert Williams etc…..
These names were in the political news during the 1950’s when they were supposedly in their prime and last time I check, today we’re in year 2009…Wha happen deh bai?.. Dem wood-wuk bannas na mek dem Berbice chairs no mo??
These folks are much too old to relate to modernity.
cause the old still has to live don’t know to do it any other way.from the begining of his time every thing is free so if he comes out of position he can’t survive on old age pension like others can you see him walking around with a bag trying to stretch a dollar don’t forget he is educated and selfish don’t want to pass the torch along
Fight on Green, do not give up. I know Green is not the best Mayor, but I believe in due process. The govt does not want to hold local govt elections because they will loose in in Georgetown again. So they are trying every means possible to remove the MCC and take control. We must never allow this to happen. LETS HAVE LOCAL GOVT ELECTIONS!!!
Green should have not been there in the first place, look at the condition of G/Town, With all that going on did u ever see him active in the situation.
By admitting that you know Green in not a good mayor but should still fight on to be mayor shows the Burnham mentality still lives on in these PNC exiled diehards.Green has been a disaster as an administrator for the Garden City,yet he clings to power illegitimately.This is a vivid reminder of the mentality that Burnham instilled in the minds of his proteges. Green,CorBin,Clarke,WestCharles,they are all the same.They honestly believe that they are the only ones destined to rule anything in Guyana…..ROFLMFAO!
What are you say? you know green is not a good mayor but yet you want him to stay do you think that make sence. He should not be there the condition of the city is bad and he is not doing anything so it is fair to say remove him and give someone elsa a chance guyana have young educated ppl that would do a lot better if given the position.
IN THE FIRST PLACE GREEN SHOULD NOT BE THERE, NOW HIS OWN HOUSE IS PUTTING HIM OUT, GO GREEN, GO GREEN, OUTA DE PLACE.
….. green MUST GO ! green MUST GO ! green MUST GO !
he helped to bring the country to it’s knees
Why don’t they let the people of georgetown vote on who they want for mayor, all the rest is just politics as usual. Power to the people.
U R so right about that.
I think any ordinary Citizen will do better than Green…The City is in its’ worst state now under Green…
“The government wants to get rid of me because I have been opposing them.
Green ole boy take my advise and give up this thing.
Listen to the man on the street,no one wants you.
No one wanted you since you were in the PNC party.
Even your own kicked you out.
Give it up and go quietly…its time…your time well served..thank you
ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE, GREEN AND MANY OTHERS SHOULD NOT BE ELIGEBLE FOR ELECTION. POLITICS, POWER AND INEPT PEOPLE IN KEY POSITIONS IS CRIPPLING GUYANA’S DEVELOPMENT.
OK…show of hands, who thinks Mr. Green, should step down as Mayor of G/town? I see a lot of hands raised. It’s unanimous! Mr. Green…the “blog tribe” has spoken…please pack your bags and vacate city hall and take your “designer” duds with you. You’re the weakest link…goodbye.
oh just go, Green, you have ruined this city…we cant stand another day wallowing in garbage. Anyone else must be better
Re: “According to Green, his opponents do not seem to understand the “bigger issue,” which he said was the government clearing the municipality of the opposition. Instead of interfering with the council, he said, the government should get on with local government reform and the holding of delayed polls. “This is a distraction and persons in the PNC and the GGG are being caught up in it,” Green added.
Local government elections have been due since 1997. The government and the main opposition PNCR have been attempting to hammer out agreements on local government reform in keeping with the recommendations of the constitutional reform process. A joint task force has been working on the reforms since 2001.
John was originally a member of Green’s GGG party, which won 12 seats at the last municipal elections, while the PNC won 10 and the PPP/C eight. The GGG, however, has been factionalised over the years, lessening Green’s chances of winning the vote. Although Green has been readmitted into the PNCR, he said he is likely to contest the polls on the GGG slate, though he mentioned that talks are ongoing among the parties…” This reads like a bunch of “high school students” playing games while the wild animals (the flooding, dealings with illegal drug activities, mysterious killings, the garbage pileups, incompetencies (at both local and governmental levels)…. wreak havoc on the lives of the law abiding Guyanese people.