By Michael Younge
Georgetown Councillor Lionel Jaikarran says no one has reached out to him from the Executive of the Alliance for Change following the events which took place at the City Council’s last statutory meeting which saw him effectively being blocked from competing to be re-elected to the post of Deputy Mayor.
His AFC colleague, Councillor Sherod Duncan, was denied the opportunity to nominate him for the position of Deputy Mayor.
“No one has called me and I have not formally engaged the party on this matter”, Jaikarran said when contacted by Inews today.
He said that he had adopted a “wait and see” approach since the last statutory meeting which effectively saw the AFC being booted from having any say in what takes place in the city from a leadership perspective.
He explained too that he has not yet sought advice on whether the actions taken by the Mayor during the elections were lawful and procedurally sound.
Following the Mayoral Election, Chase-Green had taken her place at the head of the horseshoe table and opened the floor for nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor and both Duncan and Chase-Green’s PNC Colleague, Councillor Oscar Clarke, rose to nominate their candidates.
However, Clarke was allowed to nominate his choice-which was Councillor Peter, and Duncan had to take his seat. Immediately Councillor Ivelaw Henry rose to second the nomination after which both Duncan and Councillor Tricia Richards both stood up resulting in the Mayor asking one of them to be seated.
When they both remained standing she was asked to recognize one councillor and she chose to listen to her other PNC colleague, Richards, who then successfully moved a motion for nominations to be closed resulting in Duncan being denied the opportunity to speak.
It was that scenario that prompted Jaikaran’s comment signaling some amount of bad blood between the Coalition partners.
“In the process Local Government democracy at City Hall represent that the AFC was kicked to the curb. In other words, AFC no longer has a voice at City Hall. I think Sherod would concur with me. Strong words for a strong afternoon,” Jaikaran told reporters immediately after the incident.
