PPP willing to re-engage government over resolution of impasse in tied LAAs

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in the interest of these residents in the tied Councils/Local Authority Areas (LAAs), is signaling its willingness to re-engage in negotiations with the Granger government over the resolution of the impasse of Councils of the tied LAAs.

General Secretary of the Party, Clement Rohee said in April 2016, negotiations failed to resolve the impasse on the elections of Chair/Vice-Chair and Mayor/Deputy Mayor of the Councils of tied Local Authority Areas.

He noted that “the negotiation failed because the Granger government declared an ultimatum of ministerial appointment if the PPP/C did not accept the Granger government position of non-rotation of the Chairman/Vice-Chairman and the Mayor/Deputy Mayor in the tied LAAs that would be shared. Also, these proposed office-bearers would serve for the entire term of the Council.”

Those positions, he continued, were not acceptable to the PPP/C and its non-acceptance lead to the Granger government moving to impose the office-bearers in all of the tied LAAs.

Rohee said subsequent developments have led the PPP/C to propose and support revisiting negotiations between PPP/C and the Granger government over sharing the positions of principal office-bearers in the tied LAAs.

Primary among these developments is recognition of the plight of the residents of the tied Local Authority Areas in not having a functional Council since the Local Government elections, the General Secretary is contending.

Another factor is GECOM’s failure to timely manage its Constitutional responsibilities of managing elections that statutorily are due whenever ties in the Councils of LAAs occurred.

Equally important, it was noted was the decision of the government to “impose and execute their solution instead of negotiating and despite the wrong-doings that would ensue with Ministerial appointment in contravention of the applicable laws.”

The plight of the people at the grass-roots will decide and justify the PPP/C’s subsequent position, Rohee said.