the goan I network
MARGAO
Call it women empowerment at the grassroot urban bodies or simply an act of political convenience to keep the women-folk together, Cuncolim Municipal Council appears moving towards creating history of rotating the coveted Chairperson’s chair amongst all the six women members.
Already, as many as three women have presided over the reigns of Cuncolim Municipal chairperson till date and the fourth Chairperson in Kiran Naik is all set to occupy the coveted chair on Thursday as her election will be a mere formality since the Presiding Officer has received her
lone nomination for the vacant post.
So far, the CMC chairperson’s post has been held by Lavita Masacarenhas (twice), Polita Carneiro and Anjela Luis Paiginkar. Anjela, who occupied the post for around three months, had quit office as per the understanding amongst the ruling group in order to make way for Kiran Naik to succeed her.
And, if the understanding amongst the ruling councillors is to be believed, Kiran Naik, once elected on Thursday, is expected to occupy the seat for at least three months, before vacating the chairperson’s post for the remaining two women councillors “ Panzy Coutinho and Succorina Coutinho. However, it has not been decided as yet who amongst the duo will be elected first to the post and share the remaining term before the Council goes for election
in 2020.
A member of the ruling group, Mario Moraes said the group had decided to rotate the post amongst all the members and ensure that no women councillor should hold a monopoly over the post. “When the present ruling group came together, it was decided that all the women would get the opportunity to occupy the post, though for a short tenure of three months each,”
Moraes said.
Incidentally, the formula of giving a chance for all the women members to occupy the chairperson’s post may create a history of sorts in the Cuncolim civic body. If the understanding of rotating the chair amongst all the women councillors is honoured by the ruling group, Cuncolim civic body may have as many as six chairpersons occupying the coveted post in a single term by the time the tenure of the present council ends
next year.
Questions are also being raised whether the short tenure of three-months would help the civic body in particular and the town in general on the developmental front.
The CMC chairperson’s post is reserved for women this term. Shifting of political loyalties and allegiances by the councillors has literally been a norm than an exception during the current term, leaving the people to often wonder who’s supporting whom in the 12-member civic body.
