COUNCILLOR TEGWEN DEVICHAND ELECED LEADER OF LLANELLI RURAL COUNCIL

COUNCILLOR TEGWEN DEVICHAND ELECED LEADER OF
LLANELLI RURAL COUNCIL

Following a vote at the Llanelli Rural Council meeting Councillor Tegwen Devichand has been elected as the new leader of the Council.

Speaking shortly after the vote, Councillor Devichand said: “I reluctantly agreed to stand for the position of Leader of the Council, when as leader of the Labour Group I was asked by my members to challenge the Plaid and Independent coalition leadership of the council owing to the coalition groups very poor attendance at meetings”

Councillor Devichand added; “The attendance at meetings by the coalition group has been very poor. If it was not for the Labour Group’s attendance some of the meetings would not have been held as they would not have been quorate. In fact, there have been times when only Labour members and one other have been in attendance.”

“As councilors we have a responsibility to our electorate to act in a responsible way to scrutinise the governance of the council in an open and transparent manner to protect the interests of the communities that elected us.

With the poor attendance of their members at official meetings we felt that the coalition has provided weak leadership and had failed I their duty to their electorate in in an appropriate and responsible manner. This gave the Labour group no alternative other than to challenge for the leadership”

Tegwen concluded: “ I was deeply saddened tonight by the actions of some Plaid and independent Councillors in walking out and refusing to follow the proper democratic process and comments made that Members would not respect the democratic decision of the Council. I however look forward to continuing to serve the interests of our whole community as the new Leader of the Council”