Golding slams Gov’t over uncertainty of date for local government elections

Norwich Heights, Portland

People’s National Party (PNP) president, Mark Golding, has accused the Andrew Holness administration of ‘disturbing’ legislation that was passed twice, resulting in the postponement of local government elections.

Golding, who spoke to The Gleaner on Sunday during a visit to Portland, argued that although local government reform took place in 2015/2016, and paved the way for a fixed election period for local government elections, there is still no indication that elections will be called any time soon.

“Local government elections are by law required to be called by February 28. In other words, between another week or two. The Government is yet to say what they plan to do about that. They have passed legislation twice to postpone it for a year and they used COVID (COVID-19) as the excuse for that,” he commented.

“... From the reform of local government we now have fixed election periods for local government. That has been disturbed by virtue of the legislation that was passed – using COVID as an excuse. Obviously, COVID can no longer be the excuse. So we do not know on what basis the Government may be seeking to postpone it, if indeed that is their plan. But there is nothing happening now to suggest that we’re gonna have local government elections by the appropriate day.”

The PNP leader, however, was quick to point out that most of its candidates for local government elections have been selected and that the Opposition stands ready, and is prepared in the event that the elections are called.

“We have candidates in place for most divisions and so we are ready and we would like to see the local government elections called, sooner rather than later,” he added.“We are going through a process now of identifying candidates for all the constituencies across the island. We just started and we have applicants and in some instances, multiple applicants. So we have to work that through. And it’s a democratic process that we are pursuing. And we want to try and be as fair as possible. But ultimately, the objective is to ensure that we have a winning team, so that we can get back into government and start to look about the people’s business with honesty and integrity, and with a focus on the real issues affecting the Jamaican people,” he said.

There has been no word from the Government if or when the local government elections will be called or whether there will be a further postponement.

The country last had local government elections in November 2016. Constitutionally due every four years, the next polls were postponed in November 2020 for three months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, the Parliament extended the delay by a further 12 months, making them due by February 27, 2023.