For alleged maladministration and poor accountability, Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region Four, Donald Gajraj, yesterday had a No-Confidence Motion passed against him by APNU+AFC Councillors.
“The Regional Demo-cratic Council Demerara-Mahaica Region (Region #4) at its statutory meeting on Tuesday 28th February, 2023 passed a motion of No-Confidence in the Clerk of Council and Regional Executive Offi-cer, Mr. Donald Gajraj. Please find attached a copy of the resolution of the Council,” a letter from Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram, addressed to Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall and copied to President Irfaan Ali stated.
The Clerk of Council walked out of the meeting and was followed by PPP/C councillors. Gajraj has said that he doesn’t believe that the no-confidence motion was legal.
Efforts by Stabroek News yesterday to contact both Gajraj and Dharamlall proved futile.
The resolution taken by the Council states that the Clerk had refused to implement multiple directives, motions, and decisions passed by it over its existence.
“AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council defiantly refuses to arrange Regional Administrative Committee meetings as directed by the Council; AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council willfully refuses to schedule a meeting of the Senior Administrative Officers of the Council every Monday as directed by Council. AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council willfully refuses to submit requests for virements and program changes to the Regional Finance Committee as directed by council. AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council refuses to present detailed financial reports of Agency 74 in accordance with council directives. AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council refuses to send the Bill of Quan-tities, Contract Copies, and Weekly Progress Reports to the Works Committee as directed by Council,” the resolution states.
“AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council approves payments to contractors without Works Committee review. AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council spends the Chairman & #39;s budget ( 6211) contrary to the Chairman & #39;s and Council & #39;s request AND WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council is regularly absent from official/ statutory Council meetings. AND WHEREAS, the Regional Democratic Council, the duly elected governing body of the Demerara/Mahaica Region (Region #4) constituted and activated several subcommittees of the council,” it added.
According to the document, the National and Other Events Committee, which is responsible for the planning and executing of national and other event celebrations at the regional level, had agreed and approved a cultural programme and submitted it to the Clerk of Council for the 23rd Republic Anniversary celebrations.
However the Clerk of Council “arbitrarily and single-handedly changed the committee’s approved cultural programme without the knowledge or guidance of the committee.”
The document noted that the Clerk of Council then self-appointed himself as the sessional chair for the cultural programme, unknowing to the committee.
The document also pointed to the alleged assault by Gajraj against the Chairman of the Region at the Region Four Republic Anniversary Celebrations and made clear its condemnation of the act.
“That this Regional Democratic Council of the Demerara/Mahaica Region (Region #4) condemns in the strongest of manners, the reprehensible, dictatorial and disrespectful behaviour of Mr. Donald Gajraj – Clerk of Council of the Demerara/Mahaica Region (Region #4),” it stated.
It continued, “FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Regional Democratic Council of the Demerara/Mahaica Region (Region #4) has no confidence in Mr. Donald Gajraj as Clerk of Council and Regional Executive Officer of the Demerara/Mahaica Region (Region #4).”
Seeram has since made a formal report of the assault by Gajraj to the police at the Beterverwagting Police Station.
The motion was tabled by APNU Councillor, Hazel Pyle-Lewis, and was approved by 12 APNU+AFC councillors.
But before the No-Confidence Motion was tabled, Pyle-Lewis successfully moved a motion to suspend the standing orders to discuss the disagreement between the Regional Chairman and the REO.
Gajraj however objected, saying that during that incident he was not acting in his capacity as Clerk of Council, but as a mere chairperson of proceedings.
