PNC’s no-confidence motion against Reg 4 REO failed

Dear Editor, I will like to shed some light on the recent development that is taking place in Region 4, since the REO stood up and defended the region and administration against the PNC Regional Chairman's bullying ways at the recently held Regional Republic Flag-Raising Ceremony.

In a recent letter published under the caption “Region Four Chairman attempts to propagate PNC bullying tactics”, I clearly stated that the PNC Regional Chairman has no authority to change the event's agenda without consulting the REO and/or those that are responsible for putting the programme together.

I also said that as a former RDC Councillor of Region Five, I can recall that the then REO and a Councillor on the Government side of the RDC were not allowing the PPP Regional Chairman, Vice-Chairman, or Councillors to be part of any National Events Committee meetings, or event to take part at regional events as head and members of the RDC.

That was not just done regionally, but also nationally by the then PNC Government, by rejecting the former Opposition members of the PPP from being involved in our na- tional events and celebrations.

Let me get to the point as to the caption of this letter, because I firmly believe that the PNC’s no confidence motion (NCM) against the Regional Executive Officer of Region 4, Mr. Gajraj, stemmed from the Chairman’s bullying tactics at the flag-raising ceremony.

It was reported on some social media and print media news outlets that the NCM brought by the PNC against the REO was passed at the RDC statutory meeting, and that the Chairman wrote to the subject Minister, informing him of the same.

Now, let me say clearly that the PNC MP that turned up at the RDC meeting and deemed himself an expert and was advising the Regional Chairman seems to be uneducated about the laws that govern the RDC, and because he is uneducated about the very laws, he badly advised the PNC side of the house.

The head of the RDC is the Regional Chairman. The Regional Chairman is elected into office politically, and therefore he heads the RDC and leads the region as the political head. At no time can he make any decision without the council’s approval.

Unlike the Regional Chairman, who wears one cap as the political leader, the REO has more caps, and is the head of the Regional Administration, the Accounting Officer, the Chairman of the Regional Tender Board, and the clerk of the RDC.

The REO cannot sit in any of the RDC statutory meetings as REO and Clerk. As long as he sits in the RDC statutory meetings, he sits as the clerk of the house, and not REO anymore. He can be asked to address the RDC as the REO, if a member of the RDC stands and asks that the standing order be dropped to allow/facilitate the REO who is the clerk to answer regional matters of importance that is at hand.

The clerk of the RDC has a role to play, and his/ her role is to ensure that all matters that are put before the RDC are lawfully and timely submitted, therefore the Regional Chairman has no authority to advise the clerk as to what is lawful and timely, and moreso, what are the matters that should be dealt with.

The RDC also has an agenda to work with, and that is what guides the Chairman and RDC as to how statutory meetings should be conducted, and in what matter.

Every important motion that is brought before the RDC at its statutory meeting has a time frame to be submitted to the clerk of the RDC, and then the clerk would deliberate on same and ensure that copies of the motion are served to members of the RDC at the timeframe stipulated in the law before the next statutory meeting.

So, I will just mention to the PNC MP, who thinks he knows it all but knows little or none of the same laws, as when the PNC was in power from 2015-2020, he has to be more guided.

Now, let me deal with the misguided information being peddled by the Regional Chairman and his comrades and published by some news outlets. I will deal with the NCM in one paragraph, so that the public can be well aware of why I think that the NCM failed.

The NCM was submitted to the clerk of the house late. The clerk of the bouse hadn’t the opportunity to serve members of the RDC within the stipulated timeframe by law.

The Chairman tried to bully the clerk at the RDC statutory meeting to ensure the NCM is being put to the floor and debated on, and the clerk knew that it would be unlawful to do so because the NCM was not submitted within the lawfully required timeframe and he walked out.