Elections stalled

By Balford Henry, Senior Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT has moved to postpone Local Government Elections, due by September, by six months. Minister of Local Government and Community Development Arnold Bertram tabled two Bills in the House of Representatives yesterday seeking to postpone the elections until at least March 31, 2002.

Under the provisions of both the Parish Councils Act and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) Act, Local Government Elections are due no later than June of every third year after the previous election. The last one was held on September 10, 1998, and is due this month. But, with the six month extension, the Government would not have to call the elections until the period November, 2001 to March 31, 2002.

Mr. Bertram explained elections would be postponed because the Local Government Reform Process was "at a crucial juncture in its evolution".

"As such, there is a requirement for additional time to allow for fundamental aspects of the reform process to become firmly established, without the interruption of the flow that would result from the holding of such general election at this point in time," he said.

But, the tabling of the Bills have come just two days after Opposition Leader Edward Seaga's statement at last Sunday's Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) retreat in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, that the Government would have to indicate to Parliament this month the date for new Local Government Elections.

Mr. Seaga had warned his supporters that, "if the Government comes to Parliament with a Bill to postpone the Local Government Elections, then you know they are postponing it to get it out of the way to go to a General Election as soon as possible".

The Opposition Leader repeated the statement on a local radio talk show yesterday morning, adding if the elections were postponed, he would expect a General Election within three months.

Government sources were not prepared to discuss Mr. Seaga's prediction yesterday. Mr. Bertram told the House there would be no Local Government Elections until the reform process was completed.

He said that, excluding Kingston and St. Andrew, at this time, there were about 1,400 development proposals totalling possible investments of about $4 billion awaiting the completion of the process. It was clear it was necessary to speed up the process, so the country could benefit from those investments, he said.

"It is the intention of the Government to ensure these are implemented, before we invite our best sons and daughters to offer themselves for the next Local Government Elections," he said.

He said there were excellent people in Local Government before, but because of the environment not being conducive to development, "they came and went very quickly".

Mr. Bertram also tabled a Green Paper on Local Government Reform, which is to be referred to a House Committee for study and recommendations. He said he expected the "most intensive" public debate to follow.

In response to a question from Leader of Opposition Business, Derrick Smith, however, he said he could not set a time-frame on the deliberations. A national advisory committee is to be formed to guide the debate, "so that Jamaicans far and wide can make their contribution to this debate with certainty that they are being recorded and will be taken into account".

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