The Penal Debe Regional Corporation has a new Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

This follows the death of previous Chairman Diptee Ramnath on December 22nd 2023.

Assuming leadership of the Corporation is Alderman Gowtam Maharaj, while Shanty Boodram is now the Vice-Chairman – she is the first woman to be elected to the post.

The new appointments were made as the Council at the PDRC invoked Section 21, subsection (4) and subsection (5) of the Municipal Corporations Act:

(4) In the event of the death, resignation, removal or disqualification of the Mayor for any cause, the Deputy Mayor shall forthwith succeed to the office of Mayor, and shall continue in such office until the date when the Mayor would have gone out of office by effluxion of time.

(5) In the event of the Deputy Mayor succeeding to the office of Mayor under subsection (4) or, in the event of the death, resignation or disqualification of the Deputy Mayor for any cause, the Council may appoint to the office of Deputy Mayor an Alderman or Councillor who shall hold such office until the date when the Deputy Mayor whom he succeeded would have gone out of office by effluxion of time.