Parish council elections heading to 2012
Published:Thursday | February 10, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE GOVERNMENT is moving to postpone parish council elections until March next year, making it the third time they have been delayed since the Jamaica Labour Party administration came into office in 2007.
Robert Montague, state minister with responsibility for local government, introduced two bills in Parliament yesterday to further delay the polls.
Reasons for delay
The memorandum of objects and reasons posit three reasons for the postponement.
"The administration needs more time to implement elements of local government reform," the memorandum stated.
It added: "Plans not finalised to establish Portmore as the 15th parish."
Finally, it read: "There is need to facilitate efficient data collection under the 2011 Population and Housing census, which would be affected by electioneering."