The local government task force has been reactivated to complete its outstanding work, while the main opposition party continues to push for the electoral reforms before the polls and a new national voter registration exercise.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Robert Corbin have recently agreed on the immediate reactivation of the task force to complete its original mandate, which includes the devising of the system for fiscal transfers from central government to municipal bodies.
The two parties have already agreed on a 50/50 proportional representation/ constituency split for the electoral system.
The PNCR said yesterday that the reactivation of the panel should be completed before the end of the week and that the party hoped that there is no breach of faith in this early stage of the reform process. The party had previously accused the PPP/C of acting in bad faith, when PPP/C co-chairperson of the committee Clinton Collymore directed that legislation be drawn up based on a draft proposal.
The polls, last held in 1994, have been due for ten years.
The PNCR explained that after prolonged discussions and procrastination the task force's recommendations are now almost complete, though it noted that there are many details of the electoral system and the system of fiscal transfers is still to be ironed out. With the new electoral system, the party explained that it is evident that in addition to the passage of new legislation each local government area will have to be subdivided into constituencies and the residents educated on the areas that their constituency candidate will represent.
The party added that other areas would require similar attention. It cited the reform of the fiscal transfer system and the creation of a Local Government Commission to regulate the work of local government bodies, among others.
Earlier this week PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar said polls could be held before the end of the year, using the 2006 voters' list as a starting point. He said local government elections were badly needed in the country. At the same time, Ramotar said staging a house-to-house registration exercise could postpone the polls for at least another year or two.
The PNCR, however, urged the PPP/C to stop propagandizing the issue and allow decisions to which they were party to be implemented. It said "the greatest threat to timely elections is the agreement on, and passage of, the necessary legislation to give reality to the recommendations of the Task Force and the education process that will be required to inform citizens of the new system…" It added that the governing party's posture is questionable, since after delaying the elections for nine consecutive years it has indicated that it wants to proceed to the polls before the reforms are completed. It maintained that the present system for local government is a "disaster" while pointing out that the reforms are essential to give effect to local democracy. "To attempt to proceed into local government elections without the reforms will be a most retrograde step that the PNCR will not condone," the party added.
The PNCR also took a swipe at the AFC, which accused the two major parties of colluding to leave third parties out of the reform process. The PNCR reminded that it was the AFC's "unprincipled" behaviour that undermined the united opposition parties' fight for verification before the last elections. It said what is required now is the resolve by all parties to complete the legislative arrangements to implement the agreed local government reform and allocate the resources to ensure house-to-house registration is a reality.