AG Ramlogan: PM cannot fire a mayor

File: Anand Ramlogan

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has pointed out that there is no law that allows Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to remove San Fernando Mayor Marlene Coudray from office.

Speaking on the private TV network TV6, Ramlogan explained the process for removing a mayor according to the provisions in the Municipal Corporations Act.

"The first one is Section 11, which disqualifies someone from being a mayor. If they acknowledge obedience to a foreign state, if they have been adjudged to be or declared to be bankrupt, if they are mentally ill or if they are serving a term of imprisonment or a sentence of imprisonment in excess of 12 months," Ramlogan said.

He said another provision is where there is vote of no-confidence moved against him or her by the councillors of a municipal corporation. "If Ms Coudray does not want to demit office, she can only be removed in accordance with the law," he said.

The Attorney General said if the partners in the coalition leave the government will not collapse. It's because of the composition of the House of Representatives.

Only three parties have MPs in the House. The congress of the People (COP) has six, there are two Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) members and the other 21 are members of the United National Congress (UNC), which gives the UNC a clear majority in the Parliament.

Errol McLeod, who led the Movement for Change in the partnership until his recent resignation from the group, contested the 2010 general election as a member of the UNC.

COP is demanding that Coudray be fired as mayor for leaving the party and joining the UNC. She now holds a post of deputy leader in the UNC which she won in the party's internal election on march 24.

The Coudray matter is engaging the attention of the leadership of the People's Partnership. They have held two meetings so far but the matter has not been resolved. COP Leader Prakash Ramadhar initially threatened to walk away from the partnership over the matter but has since softened his position, 

saying he and COP fully support the government.

That position has angered some senior members of COP who has said Ramadhar is now seeking his personal interest rather that looking at the bigger picture of the future of the party.

Ramadhar is on leave until April 23.