Police called in as ALGA-J AGM descends into chaos

By Kimone Witter    

 

The police had to be called in to quell tempers at the much anticipated annual general meeting of the Association of Local Government Authorities (ALGA-J) on Friday morning.

 

Pandemonium erupted minutes after the start of the event being held at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester.

 

A new president and vice presidents are expected to be selected at the meeting, which councillors across the island have complained is long overdue.

 

Radio Jamaica News correspondent, Courtney Morgan, is covering the event and explained that the uproar began a few minutes after prayers were offered and Chairman Winston Maragh attempted to move the agenda forward. 

 

When the financial report was to have been discussed, most of the members said they had already received that report as well as the president's report, so there was no need for it to be discussed. 

 

However, People's National Party Councillor Scean Barnswell and several other members objected to that suggestion, insisting the financial report should be discussed, since it was issued to members only Thursday night and some members would not have had enough time to go through the report and to question it. 

 

This led to an eruption of chaos as members exited their seats and moved towards the platform where Chairman Maragh was seated. 

 

In the process, a female councillor snatched the microphone from Mr. Maragh's hand which led to him receiving bruises.

 

The police were subsequently called in to try and quell the disturbance.