Latest update August 12th, 2026 10:20 AM
Latest News
- After 10 days of silence, Govt. confirms Guyana receiving 50% profit share
- Guyana must get more than 50% if country’s profits will be funding new oil projects – MP Andrews
- MV Barima tragedy… Internal records expose months of warnings, request for urgent repairs
- Colombia quake death toll tops 250 as rescuers race to find survivors
- Caribbean judiciaries rally behind CCJ as internal row erupts
It’s a shame the people’s efforts to identify their representatives were ignored
DEAR EDITOR,
Mr. David Granger, when asked why Ms. Vanessa Kissoon was off the list, said she served two terms. If Ms. Kissoon is not on the list because she served two terms, where does that leave Amna Ally, Basil Williams, Volda Lawrence, George Norton, et al, who are on the list and have served more than two terms?
One cannot help but question whether Ms. Kissoon is paying the price for breaking ranks with the political leadership by standing for and with the people of Linden against the 2012 proposed imposition of electricity charges that was announced in parliament, and later pulled back after the people protested against it.
If this is the price for delivering leadership to one’s constituents then Ms. Kissoon must be heralded as the victor in the people’s quest for representative leadership. Clearly, she delivered selfless leadership for her constituency. She must continue to walk proud after this experience, recognising that the position she has taken in representation of her constituency has allowed her people to keep the lights on for their children to study, among other things.
It is a shame efforts made by the people in the Region to identify their representatives through a system of involving groups in the decision-making process were ignored to arrive at a list that is personal and not representative.
This is a blow to democracy and undermines empowerment of the region to identify the geographic representative(s), which came out of the constitutional reform process.
The Region was kept in limbo until the list was presented and reported by various sections of the media. This is no way to treat young people, young women and hard-working supporters who you rely on to put you in government. It is discouraging to youth, particularly those who have worked hard for political change.
This high-handed behaviour will alienate young people and those who are looking in. As we watch Ms. Kissoon’s issue play out, it confirms how the List System can be abused to deny grassroots democracy and the regions being denied representation by their choice of elected officials to represent them. One gets the feeling in this era of politics that there is very little difference between the incumbent and challenger.
Minette Bacchus
Share this:
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.