Despite the absence of five UNC councillors at the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation the swearing-in ceremony for the new Council continued on Friday.
Unlike the cancellation of ceremonies at the San Fernando, Point Fortin and Chaguanas Regional Corporation, Chief Executive Officer at the Mayaro Rio Claro Regional Corporation Ashmead Mohammed opted to swear in the lone PNM councillor for Mayaro/Guayaguayare Wendell Charles Perez.
The function was carded to begin at 10 am but it was more than an hour later that Perez was sworn in. Staff members and Corporation executive waited for more than half an hour before the CEO announced that he would give the councillors extra time to arrive.
He explained that the heavy traffic congestion caused by the closure of the Unipet gas stations may have hindered their timely arrival. At 10:45 am, Perez walked in.
Mohammed did three roll calls but each time UNC councillors Sharlene Joe Moona, Renelle Kissoon, Shaffick Mohammed, Hazarie Ramdeen and David Terrence Law were reported absent.
At 11:15 am, after the final roll call, Mohammed proceeded to swear in Perez. Asked why he came late, Perez said he was instructed not to give any interviews by the media.
Mohammed said the absence of the councillors would not hinder them from engaging in the process of selecting an alderman. However, he said the swearing-in of councillors must be done before the aldermen could be sworn in.
He noted that under Chapter 25:04 of the Municipal Corporation’s Act the election of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor shall be held at a meeting of Council convened for that purpose four days after the declaration by the EBC of the election of Aldermen.
He noted that Section 13 A indicates that at the first meeting the councillors must take their oath of office.
A UNC source affiliated with the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation said the party took a decision not to attend the swearing-in because it was deemed unconstitutional having been called three days after a recount of the Mayaro/Guayaguayare seat.
“The Act says the ceremony should take place four days after the elections and this has not happened,” the source said.
However, an official at the Corporation who requested anonymity said this was not the case. He noted that the Act was amended in 2013 and these provisions about time stipulations were amended.
Contacted for comment, UNC’s public relations officer Anita Haynes said the UNC always knew the swearing-in ceremony will take place next week.
“I’m not sure what the procedures are. The Minister announced the swearing-in ceremony for 9 am today but we knew it was next week,” she added.
Asked why the councillors did not accept the invitation for the function yesterday, Haynes directed further questions to the UNC’s general secretary Dave Nancoo.
However, calls to his cellular phones went unanswered.