CORTALIM
There is good news for the incumbent managing committee members of the comunidade who would like to re-contest election for the next term of three years.
The government in an ordinance has amended Article 50 of the Code of Comunidades, thus enabling re-election of the managing committee for a second term.
“Persons who have served as a member of the managing committee for one term may contest election for an immediate next term of three years,” says the ordinance published in the official gazette.
An amendment to Art 50 passed in 1998 barred a member of the managing committee from being re-elected before completion of one triennium.
The proposal for enabling two consecutive terms was one of the amendments mooted by Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho in his Private Member's Bill pending before the Legislative Assembly. The bill was referred by government to the Comunidades Commission which concurred with the proposal in its interim report.
It was a longstanding demand of Comunidade Gaonkars since a three-year term was found to be too short. The demand for amendment to Art 50 was echoed by several MLAs during a debate on revenue demands in the last monsoon session.
An ordinance was necessitated, since the first phase of triennial elections to managing committees is due to commence on December 6.
