KINGSTON, Jamaica – Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie on Thursday announced that parish council elections will be held on Monday, November 28.

The minister said candidates for the country’s first local government elections in four years, one year more than the three-year limit, would be nominated next week Friday, November 11.

And the Opposition People’s National Party is banking on Government’s “failed promises” to secure its 10th parish council election win. Party President Portia Simpson Miller said that the PNP is moving to “defend and retain” leadership of all the councils.

The Ministry of National Security said late Tuesday that there were systemic weaknesses at the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) and discrepancies surrounding the issuance of the licence to businessman Patrick Powell, which it classified as “missing”.

However, FLA officials on Wednesday denied that the file was missing and explained that components of the file were with various officers in the FLA.

The ministry also said that Powell, who was last month acquitted of the murder of 17-year-old Khajeel Mais in the now infamous ‘X-6 murder trial’, had been issued a license for the same firearm as one given to a policewoman in 2004.

Following Monday’s peace march outside Jamaica College in response to last week’s stabbing death of a student during a robbery, another Corporate Area student narrowly missed death on Wednesday.

A 17-year-old Camperdown High School student was stabbed in his side as he tried to defend himself against a robber who demanded his cellular phone.

Watch as OBSERVER ONLINE wraps this week up for you.