Almost two months after PNC/R councillor Winston Hope refused to apologise to Rose Hall's Mayor William Hendrax for a letter he penned in August, no resolution seems imminent and the work of the council is being affected.
To date five meetings of the Central Corentyne council have been convened and adjourned without bearing much fruit.
The council's last statutory meeting on Thursday was aborted following a heated exchange between the mayor, Town Clerk Kunjlall Ramruch, Hope and at least one taxpayer.
The exchange erupted when the town clerk said "the meeting would not begin until councillor Hope removes from the building." The meeting was scheduled to be held at the Lutheran Church Hall, Williamsburg as rehabilitation work continues on the town hall and municipal market.
The mayor then asked Hope and those who had accompanied him to the meeting to leave. Among those accompanying Hope were Colin Bynoe, a regional councillor and former PNC/R member of parliament and one businessman.
Bynoe is also a member of a committee established by Regional Chairman Rohit Persaud on October 3, to investigate claims made by the PNC/R councillors about alleged breaches of the Municipal and District Councils Act by the PPP/C-led council.
On being asked to leave the businessman said as a taxpayer he had the right to attend any statutory meeting of the council. The town clerk responded, "No, who told you that?" but the mayor said, "Okay you can stay." The town clerk then attempted to pursue the issue but was stopped by the mayor who told him to sit.
Hendrax then declared, "The meeting is adjourned until Mr. Hope and those with him leave."
The town clerk, stuttering, then said, "That's it, the meeting is adjourned until councillor Hope apologises in writing to the mayor and the president."
Hope retorted by alleging that based on the town clerk's speech and his demeanour it appeared as if he was under the influence of alcohol. Asked to respond to the allegation, the mayor said that only a medical practitioner could ascertain whether Ramruch was intoxicated. According to the mayor, that was his normal behaviour. Ramruch had earlier tendered his resignation effective October 12.
After several minutes and bouts of heated exchanges, the mayor declared, "the meeting is adjourned until further notice." The town clerk then asked councillors "to vote for that [the adjournment]". He however received no response from the councillors. Hendrax then said there was no need for that.
As the situation deteriorated further, the town clerk again struggled to his feet and uttered that "the meeting is adjourned because of Mr. Hope's presence."
And the mayor was again forced to restrain him.
According to the mayor, "Councillor Hope is defying all the laws of the council and the Municipal Act". A new town clerk, he noted, had been identified and a handing-over exercise was underway. The new town clerk is Haroon Khan. Asked whether the behaviour of Ramruch was appropriate for a statutory meeting, Hendrax said, "I cannot say yes or no."
The aborted meeting was then scheduled for "continuation" according to a circular on Saturday, October 12. Members of the public, Hope and another PNC/R councillor Patrick Batson were prevented from entering the meeting, which was planned for the Haberdashery Section of the incomplete market, by members of the Constabulary.
The meeting was however aborted again for want of a quorum and was re-scheduled for Friday at the Lutheran Hall, Williamsburg.