Early standoff snags review of local gov’t bills

Bibi Shadick

Work on local government reform legislation—expected to lay the foundations for the holding of polls due since 1997—has hit another roadblock as the government and opposition are at an impasse on which side should chair the parliamentary committee that has been set up to drive the process forward.

The first meeting of the Special Select Committee to address four local government bills presently before the National Assembly ended in a stalemate over the chairperson and the government has signalled its intention not to take the bills back to House if it does not chair the committee.

The meeting, held on November 28,