Golding Vows Court Action Over Continued Delays in Local Government Elections

Mark Golding, the Leader of the People’s National Party (PNP), has strongly stated that legal action will be pursued against the government in response to the ongoing delays in holding the local government elections. With the elections being postponed for the third time in 2023, the government has cited inadequate funding as the rationale behind their decision.

Jamaica’s last local government election took place in November 2016, and according to the constitution, these elections are supposed to be held every four years. Initially scheduled for November 2020, the elections were first postponed for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, Parliament extended the delay by an additional 12 months, setting the new deadline for February 27, 2022.

However, in January 2022, another 12-month delay was granted, pushing the deadline to no later than February 2023. Despite these extensions, in February 2023, the elections were once again postponed following the approval of the representation of the People Act. Government Minister Desmond McKenzie, who led the bill, explained that the postponement was necessary to allow the country to focus on its post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

Nevertheless, Mark Golding remains unwavering in his position and is now issuing a legal warning to the government regarding any further delays in holding the local government elections. Watch the report:

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