The Government has delayed plans to debate a bill in Parliament that’s intended to separate the Portmore Municipality from the St Catherine Municipal Corporation.

The bill was scheduled to be debated and approved in the House of Representatives this afternoon.

This morning, the Opposition criticized the Government for what it described as sudden moves being made to make fundamental changes to the existing electoral structures in St Catherine.

In a statement, the PNP said yesterday evening the Leader of Opposition Business in the House, Phillip Paulwell, received notice of a bill to be tabled and debated today in Parliament.

According to the PNP, the bill would prevent Councillors who sit on the Portmore Municipality from sitting on the St Catherine Municipal Corporation.

This, despite Portmore being a part of St Catherine.

The PNP had lamented that it’s very disturbing that fundamental changes to the electoral process are proposed at the last minute.

Mr. Paulwell says the PNP is not fundamentally opposed to the intention of the bill but the sudden nature of the process.

The Local Government election is to be held later this month.

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