Local government Bills for consideration by Parliament Thursday

The four local government bills dropped from the Parliamentary Order Paper last week are on the Order Paper for Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly and it is expected that unlike the previous sitting, the legislation will be considered by the House.

Last Thursday, Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud remained silent when asked to take the reins on the four bills. Government members refused several calls to address the bills following a move by the opposition to give them  priority at the sitting ahead of other matters, including the Hydro Electric Power (Amendment) Bill and the motion to raise the cap on the country’s debt ceiling. As a result, after a recess, Speaker of the National Assembly Trotman announced that the bills would be dropped, as stipulated by Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice.

The Local Government Commission Bill, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, the Municipal and District Councils (Amend-ment) Bill and the Fiscal Transfers Bill were scrutinised over the past few months by the Select Com-mittee on Local Government, which was chaired by APNU MP Basil Williams. With the committee having completed the consideration of the bills, and having agreed on the reports drafted on the committee proceedings on the bills, Williams last week introduced the reports to the Assembly, effectively placing them back into the hands of the subject minister, Persaud.

After the bills were dropped, PPP officials at a subsequent press conference said that they came to support the four bills but were surprised when the attempt was made to change the Order paper. “Next week when that time comes we will come to that,” an official said when asked about whether they will support the Bills when they come up for debate.

Yesterday, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan said that he expects that the House will consider the Bills on Thurs-day. “I think that the minister will not remain muted,” he said. However, he noted that the PPP has some objections to some provisions in two of the bills and he expects that they will make some amendments. “I do see them objecting and probably coming up with amendments to what the select committee recommended,” he said, adding that if the opposition do not “succumb” to the amendments, they could see the Bills that the government does not approve of, being vetoed by the President. “I don’t feel all is yet settled on the local government Bills,” he added.

Ramjattan expressed confidence that the two bills that have the support of the government will be passed without any issues. He was confident that despite the PPP’s posture on the last occasion, all the bills will be considered. “We do not intend this time to re-order the Order Paper and so I do not believe they will remain mute,” he said.

He said that for the other two Bills including the Local Government Commission Bill where the PPP has some objections, they will have to see how best they can come to a consensual position.

The AFC leader said that once the Bills are passed, local government elections can be held this year. “We can very well have it done later down this year,” he said. Stabroek News was unable to get a comment from APNU yesterday as members were said to be at General Council meeting.

Last month, Western missions and a host of institutions here issued a joint statement saying that the path is now clear for the approval of four key bills that would pave the way for local government elections and urging all parties and civil society to take the process to conclusion. The last local government elections were held in 1994. Earlier this year, the four key Western missions in Guyana called for the holding of local government elections, saying that there is no valid justification for further delay, which they said is responsible for a persistent drag on Guyana’s national development.