Election of New Luganville Mayor Today

The Deputy and Acting Town Clerk of the Luganville Municipal Council (LMC), Philip Isom, has confirmed that the inauguration of the new LMC and the elections of the new Lord Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be conducted at 10.00am today.

Yesterday morning, some politicians in Luganville claimed they have a solidarity bloc and had signed an agreement last week to form the new LMC executive and elect the new Mayor and his deputy from their political parties.

But they could not reaffirm this when the Daily Post contacted them yesterday afternoon.

It is understood that the political parties and new councilors who secured 13 seats in the LMC were still lobbying to form the new LMC executive.

“There is a bloc that purportedly signed an agreement last week to form the new council executive, political lobbying is still going on in Luganville and any changes can take place before 10.00am tomorrow (today),” a politician conveyed from Luganville yesterday afternoon.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, will not be present at the election of the new Mayor and council executive today as planned as he is still abroad.

Minister Napuat told Daily Post the Director of the Department of Local Authorities will be attending and will present the Government’s vision, in line with THE decentralization policy under the portfolio of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

He said the DLA Director will also brief the newly elected council on the following major projects: Completion of the Market House at the end of October; Luganville Beautification; Beautification of cities and wards for the 40th anniversary celebrations next year; Councillors’ expectations on constituency funds, and implementation of decentralization policy within ward councils.