Hours after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that Local Government Elections (LGE) will be held on December 2, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein and members of the San Fernando City Corporation (SFCC) were on the ground in San Fernando campaigning.
Guardian Media Limited spoke to Hosein as he, San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello and councillors of the SFCC held a walkabout in Pleasantville, San Fernando.
Hosein said the People’s National Movement (PNM) was very confident that it would retain all nine places on council.
This even though two candidates who were previously selected for the Les Efforts West and Marabella West communities had pulled out of the election race.
Although Hosein could not say why the two had dropped out, Regrello explained, “Two of the councillors had indicated that one was considering marriage and the other had moved out of the area and they felt they would not have been justice to the system, living out of the area and they indicated to the Balisier House that this has now positioned them differently and they were accepted and decided to recall them.”
Hosein said the screening would be completed by Monday evening.
Asked to give an update on Local Government reform, Hosein said the stakeholder consolations with the public had been completed and a clause-by-clause review is expected to be brought to Parliament as soon as the debate on the budget wraps up.
“In summary, the stakeholders were not as concerned with drafting issues in the Bill and the discussions centred on transition planning; resource allocation; clarity on governance by the elected councils which would have administrative responsibilities for the corporations; and clarity on the relationship/working arrangements between municipalities and central Government on areas like sport, culture, and social services,” Hosein said.
He said the review will take place before the LGE on December 2.