THE EDITOR, Sir:
A FEW weeks ago, it was reported that Derrick Frater, a former Mayor of St. Ann's Bay and then sitting councillor for the Alexandria division of the St. Ann Parish Council, had died. The long-serving and apparently very highly respected councillor died on July 2.
Section 8(3) of the Parish Councils Act requires that a by-election be held to fill a vacancy in any division within three months of the vacancy having been entered on the minutes of the council. Depending on when the vacancy was entered on the minutes of the council, the time for holding the by-election might well be running out.
For many years, local govern-ment administrations, including the last one, were in breach of the law, with impunity and with contempt for the people and the democratic process, neglected to fill numerous vacancies. That aberration was, however, corrected during the current administration when late in 2004, by-elections were held to fill vacancies in the Bethel Town division of the Westmoreland Parish Council and the Mount Industry division of the St. Catherine Parish Council. I commend the examples of these two councils to the St. Ann Parish Council.
I trust that the chairman (Mayor of St. Ann's Bay) and the director of elections are working together to ensure that a by-election is held as required by law and that the people of the Alexandria division have representation at the local government level.
I am, etc.,
BERESFORD HAY
P.O. Box 1191
Kingston 8
