THERE is no provision in the 2023/2024 budget for the holding of local government elections, which it appears will not be held before the end of this fiscal year on March 31.

The local government election was initially due in 2020 but has been postponed on two occasions since then.

Last January the House of Representatives approved the Representation of the People (Postponement of Elections to Municipal Corporations and City Municipalities) Act, 2022 before the Senate also approved the postponement for a further 12 months, to be held no later than February 2023.

At that time Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Desmond McKenzie, who piloted the Bill, told the House that given the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, in its fourth wave, the holding of an election at that time would put the country at greater public health risk.

He also argued that public schools would have to be used as polling and counting centres, and the desire not to disrupt face-to-face engagement also factored into the decision to postpone the elections.

“As the minister responsible for local government I wish to assure the House, and the country, that we are still committed to having the next local government elections in the shortest practicable time,” said McKenzie during the debate.

“The commitment of this Administration to the local government system is well known. It is a critical part of national life, and it will remain unthreatened. Despite the fact that we are seeking to postpone for an additional year, it does not jeopardise the existence of local government in this country,” he said.

Since then there has been no official word from the Andrew Holness Administration on when the elections will be held, and with the Representation of the People Act stipulating that there needs to be five clear days between announcement of the election and nomination day, and between 16 and 23 days after nomination day before the people vote, it is impossible for the election to be held this month.

The Electoral Office of Jamaica has indicated that it would need just over $1 billion to hold the election, but this is not provided for in the 2023/24 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representative on Tuesday.

The estimates provide just more than $1 billion for the direction and administration of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), with the lion’s share of that, $730 million, being allocated for the compensation of employees.

A further $1 billion is allocated to the ECJ for the registration of voters, processing of electors’ demographic data prior to the production of an undated official voters’ list, and the production of voters’ identification cards.

While Jamaican Government’s do not usually include provisions for elections in the estimates of expenditure this time around there is alarm in several quarters as the suggestion is that the long-overdue local government election could be postponed well into next year.

On Tuesday powerful business group, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), expressed concern over the delays by the Government in executing the local government elections.

“The PSOJ strongly believes that local government elections are essential to the process of good governance and democracy in Jamaica. As such, these elections should not be delayed any further,” said the group.

The PSOJ noted that, in interviews with the media, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang cited the country’s current economic challenges as a factor in the expected postponement of the elections.

“This is both disheartening and concerning, given the importance we place on prioritising and safeguarding all aspects of our democracy.

“The PSOJ believes, however, that the reasons cited by the Government are an unacceptable stance to be taken on the implementation of such a core component in our democratic process. The elections, which are constitutionally due by the end of February, should be given utmost priority by the Government, with necessary steps taken to have them held urgently,” added the PSOJ.

The PSOJ statement came days after the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) requested that the Government disclose its intentions regarding the setting of a date for the staging of the local government elections.

According to the JCC, as one of the founders of the Jamaica Debates Commission, it knows first-hand that institutions which exist to strengthen democracy and empower the voting public benefit greatly from predictability and transparency, allowing for sufficient time to execute their missions in a calm and measured manner, appropriate for addressing important national decisions.

“The JCC and other organisations have long argued that the country needs to modify the outmoded, and frankly dysfunctional practice enshrined in our Westminster model of governance that places the timing of elections solely in the hands of a prime minister, and move instead to fixed election dates. We repeat this call now,” said the group.