The government has proposed that local government elections be held in 2002 but this might not be possible unless the choice of adviser to the joint committee on local government reform on the electoral system is agreed quickly.

The Elections Commission has already set a timetable of tasks that would have to be done to enable the elections to be held during the last quarter of next year, with provisions for the updating of its electoral database set for around the beginning of the third quarter. This timetable is to be re-examined when the Commission meets for its first meeting next year on January 28.

PNC/R leader, Desmond Hoyte, however, has expressed reservations in a recent interview with GTV about the elections being held next year. He explained that while it was only his opinion, it was based on his experience and knowledge of what had to be done.

Hoyte also expressed the view that he doubted whether the legal drafting section of the Attorney General Chambers would have the capability to have the necessary laws drafted and existing legislation amended to enable the elections to be held within the time-frame proposed.

Stabroek News has been unable to reach Minister in the Ministry of Local Government Ministry, Clinton Collymore, who co-chairs the joint committee, despite several messages left at his office and calls to Freedom House.

This newspaper was, however, able to reach Vincent Alexander, the other co-chair of the committee who believes that despite Collymore's unilateral decision to recommit the decision about who should be the adviser on electoral systems, the committee would still be working to meet the February 28, deadline it set itself. He attributed Hoyte's comments to his greater experience of electoral matters and his knowledge of what would have to be done to put all the arrangements in place. Basil Williams a member of the committee shares Alexander's view that the committee should work to meet the February deadline though he says that there will be some slippage if the matter of the adviser is not settled very quickly.

Williams recalled that the committee had settled on Prof Andrew Reynolds to be its adviser on the electoral system that it would recommend for the conduct of the local government elections. However, he said that Minister Collymore's principals were unhappy with the committee's choice and directed him to have the decision recommitted.

Prof Reynolds was an adviser to the Oversight Committee on Electoral Reform and it adopted - with adaptations - his recommendations relating to the electoral system under which the March 19, general and regional elections were held.

Williams explained that the adviser had to advise the committee on what sort of electoral system could best achieve the objective of the recommendations of the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC).

The CRC recommendations provide for, among other things, "the electoral system at all levels of the local government below the regions [to] be built upon the pillars of representativeness, proportionality and accountability to the electorate." It also recommended that "the electoral system at the levels of local government below the regions... provide for the involvement of individuals and voluntary groups in addition to political parties."