The non-completion of the requirements under the Constitutional Reform Process for the holding of local government elections has resulted in its postponement with a further extension being sought to allow the bipartisan task force to complete its work.

The elections scheduled to be held this year will likely be kept at the earliest next year after Cabinet accepted a draft bill from the Minister of Local Government, which seeks to extend the poll beyond 2003, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon told reporters yesterday.

According to Luncheon, the bipartisan task force for local government reform, which had been ordered to resume meetings had indicated broad agreement on an outstanding matter with regard to reform of the electoral system at the local government level relating to villages, NDCs and municipalities.

The body is also looking at the matter dealing with fiscal transfers to local government bodies, Luncheon said.

Luncheon saw as important to the functioning of the body the recruitment of a legal draftsman to produce the draft legislation.