GUYANA | Outgoing Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine illegally removed from office?

GEORGETOWN, July 16, 2023 - Wiredja understands that all is not well in the Georgetown City Council as efforts are being made to illegally eject outgoing Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine from office, even before a new mayor has been sworn, in contravention of the Municipal and District Councils Act which requires that a new mayor must first be sworn in before the outgoing mayor demits office.

Village Voice News is reporting that in an interview on Friday, Mayor Narine advised that the Council seized the vehicle assigned to him, and has in effect made him persona non grata and illegally locked him out of the officeallegedly on the adv ice of the mayor elect. These actions he said, were not only a violation of the laws but also violation of mayoral rights.

The Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap 20:01, Section 18 ‘Oath of Office’ stipulates “The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor shall, before performing any of the functions of their respective offices, take before the President an oath of office in form set out in the Second Schedule.”

President Irfaan Ali has not yet sworn in the newly elected incoming officers in the towns, even though a new Council, Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected at the just concluded Local Government Elections (LGE).

According to the law, Narine remains the mayor until a new mayor is sworn in. The Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap 28:01, Section 18 ‘Oath of Office’ stipulates: “The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor shall, before performing any of the functions of their respective offices, take before the President an oath of office in form set out in the Second Schedule.”

Mayor Narine drawing attention to the law, said he will legally demit office when the mayor-elect, who is presently the out-going Deputy Mayor, Mr. Alfred Mentore, takes the oath as mayor.  To leave before would be an abrogation of duty. Likewise, the mayor’s eviction from his office from a misguided council is a violation of law.

Narine told the Village Voice that he wrote the acting Town Clerk, Ms. Candace Nelson, shortly after the 12th June local government elections, advising that the mayoral office be refurbished and made ready for the new mayor. 

He also said he indicated his intent to occupy the boardroom, for the few remaining days of his office, so as to allow for the preparation.

The mayor said he was not granted approval to use the boardroom, reportedly on the advice of mayor-elect Mentore.  

Narine said he was further advised by the mayor-elect to hand over the appurtenances of his office to the town clerk, but he advised the town clerk that the law requires that the mayor hands over the appurtenances of the Office Of Mayor, only to the newly elected mayor after he has taken the oath of office

Questioned about his relationship with his deputy, the incoming mayor, Narine said he reached out to him seeking a meeting, but Mentore declined the invitation.

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