I disagree yet agree with Royston King

Jan 19, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

The Town Clerk, Mr. Royston King, in a telephone conversation, expressed some disappointment with two critical columns that looked at the City Council operations against market vendors and the East Street car park controversy. He expected me to understand and help to return Georgetown to its pristine, immaculate face (my words).
When it was my turn to speak, I outlined my particular approach to life in Guyana, that I believe the working classes and the poorer strata must not be disadvantaged.
I said to Mr. King that if he has to move vendors do it with accountability and democratic consultations. I advised that if the Council is going to move vendors (they are from the poorer classes) then, talk to them about alternative arrangements and see if the City Council can by itself implement the alternative arrangements.
For example, if you do not want vending any longer on Merriman Mall between Orange Walk and Cummings Street, then if you select the avenue on East Street as an alternative, landscape it; put the vendors there and the issue is closed. But don’t descend on them like a bully and chase people off the land. I will never, and I repeat, never, accept vendors being moved without the availability of other sites.
If I am going to vote in the imminent local elections, I want to see how the candidates deal with the style and operations of the Office of the Town Clerk and the City Constabulary. The city police have little respect for vendors and they operate as bullies. I want to tell Mr. King that many moons ago, before he ever had a desire to become the Town Clerk, I saw what the city Police did, and I received countless complaints about them.
Many times I journeyed to the head office to make representation for these poor souls. At this moment, I would say that Mark Benschop should be in the Council. I will devote an entire column to the new faces that should be in the Council.
Based on our telephone conversation, I would expect Mr. King to deal with the vendors using an ideological orientation that is specific to Guyana – this is a “dankey kyaart” economy and we cannot use power as if it is a Mercedes Benz economy. Vendors are poor people that the State in Guyana cannot ill-treat because you will relegate them to a life of misery.
It was a pleasant telephonic dialogue and I hope the era of City Council bullying is over. It should be. We will now have elections every three years. If the Council that is elected refuses to curtail the oligarchic tentacles of the Office of the Town Clerk and the violent arm of the City Constabulary, Georgetowners will vote them out.
Mr. King did emphasize that the Council wants to bring back Georgetown to the scenic beauty it once possessed and he indicated that he would expect to see people like me helping him. I couldn’t agree more. One of the fantastic things to have emerged in this county since the phenomenal vision of President Burnham is the topographical rebirth of Georgetown that is currently taking place.
This cartographical resuscitation is almost ethereal. One has to support the efforts of the City Council and the central government in the creation of this miracle. I grew up in a city that one, with a little bit of exaggeration, can say was impeccably clean. I remember the idyllic days of Georgetown when I was courting the woman who is now my wife. I long for the return of those days. She lived on Hadfield Street in Wortmanville; I on D’Urban Street. We would catch the big yellow bus on clean D’Urban Street and end up on clean Stabroek Market Square.
Those days are returning and I and all of Guyana need to thank the City Council and the central government for the ongoing efforts. Man oh man, Georgetown is looking beautiful again! I would think that Mr. King wants to rid the city of those enclaves of dirty appearances. How can any decent Guyanese disagree with the need to tell vendors to stop selling in areas that are horribly dirty?
No one in this entire country can tell me about Bourda Market and Bourda Green. I visit there five days out of every week for the past millions of years. This article is being typed on Monday midday, and three hours before, I filled up my one litre bottle with coconut water at the Bourda Green. Some vendors need to shape up. Some stands are terribly looking, dilapidated structures and food is on top of them for people to buy.

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I disagree yet agree with Royston King

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