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.
First of all i dont think he has any shame, to go from being the Prime Minister of a country and did nothing to Mayor of the same country and still did not do anything,and then is fighting to stay too ,how old is this man maybe a 100 by now ,when is anyone of them going to step down and give the younger generation a chance and lets see if thingswould be better
He should be unseated already. For incompetence.The worst mayor of Guyana’s history.
Covert operations is working at it’s best. Everyone calling for Greene to step down. This is playing right into the PPP’s hand. Greene may have out did his time but he’s not the one dropping garbage in the streets. Also, you cannot manage a city without funds. If all the citizens paid their fair share of taxes and put litter in it’s rightful place the city would function more efficiently. Stop blamming the mayor, the Gov and the people are equally guilty.
As a man of God you need to support the Government of the day…I still do not believe that there are so much honest people out there and so much extra dollars so that people will willingly pay tax up to date and upfront…What I do know is that the City Council has rules and laws for default taxpayers and bad dumping on garbages, so all they need to do is to enforce the laws to get their revenve to manage the city,,,Who is failing here to make sure the funds are collected me? you? or Green?
Conspiracy theory can be applied to everything in Guyana. John who was minister of interior in PNc govt was one of the architects of proxy and overseas voting in 68 elections. In 73 election he fought as the DLM.As for green, he fighting for his political life. He is irrelevant to the pnc and to ggg. In alboustown he had only got 7 or eleven votes.
I agree with you SandHurst First 100 percent. It’s time for Mr.Green to relax and give the young bloods a chance to make better Guyana for us.We need the younger generations to setup and improve our Guyana.
Troy, how about a AFC member for the next mayor?
Troy hunt,great comment. Yes, We do need a younger leader with a constructive, positive,experiences and honest secure minded person to manage and uplift our Guyana because it’s a shame to see the city is pile up with garbage’s and floods streets etc. Epically with this pass flood. It’s will keep away a lot of people from coming to Guyana this Christmas 2009. Here is a list of key purposes of things they need to to do and improve services of our country. Keep the street and drain clean at all times. Keep away idlers from the street. Welcome tourists with open heart and be nice. set examples on the people who are destroying the street by paying fines and also let them clean it up. Lock them up and make them do community services in different areas. Improve daily resource services in the city, such as Hospitals,Schools
Good point Marcus, i think they should give one of AFC members a chance to become the next mayor of GT for a change.
People I am for change but let the records speak for themselves most of you who read the news would recall that G/T has been starved of funding for every initiative invented by the Mayor and his council;The parking initative, the dump site, derilicks and the list,goes on. This a delibrate attempt to furstrate the people of G/T by the present administration so they can continue with the way the do things.The PPP and now the PNC are ruining this country I am embarassed to hear the PNC being a part of this too with all the talk of reform Mr.Trotman did the right thing Mr.Viera should move now rahter than to allow himself to be discredited.
HOld Local Government Elections if you have the people’s intrest at heart let them decide who they want. shame on you PPP Dr. Jagan died because of your deceptions
green must go
some one young must take over, all these old timers must take
a walk.
the old timers must rember that guyana must get up not down.
green go take a hike
Mayor Greene has had his time he must go end of story