Guadeloupe: the resignation of the mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre, threatened with revocation, has been accepted

Pointe-à-Pitre (AFP)

The prefect of Guadeloupe, who initiated a dismissal procedure against the mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Jacques Bangou, accepted the resignation of the latter, AFP learned Wednesday by the municipal team .

Suspected of financial mismanagement of his commune, Mr. Bangou had chosen to resign Saturday, citing "authoritarian practices" of the state.

"On Monday, the prefect accepted the resignation of Jacques Bangou, and the deputies and the municipal team now have 15 days to organize the election of the new mayor and his deputies." By that time, the texts stipulate that the First Deputy is in charge of current affairs, "said Josiane Gatibelza, who was the first assistant of Mr. Bangou.

The latter is also expected to take over from the former mayor until the next municipal elections in March 2020.

Rarissime under the Fifth Republic, Jacques Bangou's revocation process was launched on May 13 following a report by the Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) which pointed to a major deficit of € 78 million from Pointe-à-Comte. Pitre. The Mayor's lack of response to the CRC recommendations motivated this process.

The town councilor had subsequently provided a contradictory response on June 11, which the prefect Philippe Gustin had severely criticized in a note addressed to the Ministers of the Interior and Overseas, recommending "to continue the procedure leading to the decree of revocation ".

Jacques Bangou, however, retains a position of city councilor and remains president of his political party, the Progressive and Democratic Guadeloupean Party. When he announced his resignation, the latter had sent a letter to the population in which he said he was "confronted with an established desire to dismiss him for political ends".

In Guadeloupe, the CRC regularly pinpoints municipalities and public bodies for their mismanagement of public money. Nearly two-thirds of municipalities are located in the alert zone of the local finance alert network, according to a document revealed by the daily FA Guadeloupe in May.

© 2019 AFP