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.
People like Green and Oscar Clarke, should step aside,out of decency.
These are names from an oppressive era who in recent memory, have done nothing of significance for the country. If you ask me they are bent on holding on to power or being in the lime-light at all cost. (Had they been “good” leaders, they would have prepared younger blood to succeed them, but oh no,they would have none of that).
As mayor for the last 12 going on to 13 years, is there any single initiative/ major accomplishment that Mr Green can boast about?
Then why is he even attempting to stay on?
Im with u, and u r right on track
Love GT…The man would have accomplished the building of the Cuban Air Disaster Monument, but Minister Benn straighten him out and dismantle the structure…So poor fella..Everybody is against him..Go peacefully Mr Green, retire now before they knock you out.
Poor Hammy gon soon get the boot and have to find himself new wok.
I hear they have 3 open job positions at the Lillendall pump.
Help Wanted:
(1) Watch-man,
(2) Repair man (must have knowledge on patching holes in Big pumps)
(3) Painter (must have skills in rust coating)
Jobs offer no benefits or self-help bonuses but provides a great view of the Atlantic.
Your blogg have me laughing till I cried, at least I got a laugh today, haaa,heeee. Hammy, u ent Hammie no mo boy, know u since I was a lil gal, wah ya do fo the city, yuh old now, let wan young man do de jab, the city still a smell stink, why u like bad talk, me nah no, so lef de post now, no bady want ya.
The traffic light says green. Then you must go in this case out of office
Mr Green, with due respect, please let go of Georgetown. Let’s have someone else who might clean up your garbage that has been pilling up for over a decade.
I think that it is a well know fact that I hold no brief for either the PNC or the PPP, but in the end I am sure that the PPP will get their way and claim it all in the name of democracy.
The mayor and deputy will be kicked out of office in a most un-democratic way and the people of GT will once again be denied their right to choose who holds political office at the municipal level.
There is a right and a wrong way of doing things and until the people of Guyana forces the government to do the right thing, for the right reason, at the right time, the ruling government will always get their way.
The PPP would not know democracy if it jumped up and bit them in the face. We did not have it when the PNC was in power and we do not have it now. End of story.
Where is the monument for the Cuban air disaster?
Richard the PPP give the PNC the tool to get rid of Hammie. Corbin and Hammie, John and Clark needs to go into retirement somewhere in region 1
Some of these politicians would never see the writing on the wall. Green, de people ain’t want you anymore. Retire…take a rest…take a hike…beat it, dude.
Mayor Green has held the position for over ten years and the city is as bad as it ever was.. if not worst. However, I’m certain the problem with the city goes far far beyond the seat of mayor and this action would not solve anything.
he expired.people should reasearch guyana history about him when burnham was in power.
Get Going Green. Hit the road jack, don’t even look back.
The earlier the better. If you are so blind not to see that it’s the suffering of the city’s citizens that has been heard now, as being the main reason to let you go, then you surely have issues that has tainted your views.
As one blogger puts it, anyone can now do a better job than what you did.. that’s how bad they see your performances as.
And I believe that without a doubt…and you too!
Destroying a city, and Green still fighting to be on top, Zimbabwie is a good example of of what’s happening in Georgetown. Give someone else a chance dying heards.