Walker Willing To Meet Nibbs

Details

Politics

Wednesday, 22 February 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - The parliamentary representative for Barbuda, Trevor Walker, is willing to meet his political rival, Arthur Nibbs, to hammer out proposed changes to the Barbuda Local Government Act.

Walker heads the Barbuda Peoples Movement (BPM), which has controlled the Council on the sister island for decades. Nibbs is the leader of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) branch in Barbuda. He also sits on the opposition benches in the senate.

Walker called for radical changes to the Act during the budget debate last December. Last week, Nibbs made a similar appeal.

Both men agreed that the current formulation of the Council has stymied progress on the sister island for decades.

But while they concur on some of the key proposals for reform, the officials disagree on other issues. Walker, for instance, does not agree with Nibbs’ call for the chairman of the Council to be elected by the people. Instead, he said the leader of the majority party should automatically be chairman.

He also does not agree that members should resign en mas to allow for fresh elections that would allow them to serve four years concurrently. He said discussion is needed to find a more suitable method.

The rivals agree that Council elections should be held every four years, and that the number of elected members should be reduced to five from the current nine, with the representative and the Barbuda senator serving as ex-officio members.

Walker said he is prepared to work with Nibbs to achieve the desired change, in the interest of Barbuda.

“The changes are necessary because Barbuda is not going anywhere under the current situation," Walker said. "I am willing to sit down with him (Nibbs) to come up with a formula that would achieve the desired goals in what is the best interest of the island."

Prominent Council member Mckenzie Frank also supports the reform of the Barbuda Local Government Act.

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