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Coalition supporters picket Region Five Chairman over apology to President
Supporters of the Coalition Government stood outside of the Region Five Regional Development Council
Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal
compound on Thursday to protest the actions of Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal.
They also demanded that he publicly issue an apology to President David Granger.
More than 50 persons carried placards, two of which read “Ramphal must go” and “Regional Chairman must not disrespect the President”.
The issue stemmed from the Chairman’s absence from a public handing over ceremony at which President Granger was the main guest.
Ramphal’s absence was viewed as a display of disrespect for the President. Coalition supporters later called for his resignation. Among them was APNU/AFC Councillor, Carol Joseph, who spearheaded the protest.
Councillor Joseph at the RDC January statutory meeting refused to participate in the meeting until an apology was issued to the President.
Her protest was followed by the singing of hymns and other disturbances that caused the Regional Chairman to suspend the meeting. Since then, the actions have continued. There have been three months without any RDC meetings being held because of the disruptions.
Councillor Joseph was subsequently placed on suspension but refused and continued to disrupt the meetings.
These actions by the Councillor have prevented the Region from getting headway with the developments they have planned. Airing his views at the protest, Abel Seetaram, Representative of the Office of the Prime Minister, stated that the Chairman knowingly disrespected the President and should be
Some of the protestors.
sanctioned for his unsavory actions.
“Today has shown the solidarity whereby the people of Region Five are fed up with the PPP administration regionally and we are just calling for the Chairman to issue an apology for his negligence”.
Seetaram stressed that the protests will not cease until an apology is issued to the President. “In the previous government, the opposition never did this so why are they trying to hamper change?”
The Regional Chairman was refused entry into the boardroom compound to conduct the statutory meeting by the hostile crowd who began standing in front of his vehicle blocking entry and chanting, “Chairman must go”.
The police were subsequently summoned to disperse the hostile crowd when they began banging on the Chairman’s vehicle motioning him to exit.
Chairman Ramphal, commenting on the protest, stated that earlier just a few
APNU/AFC Councillor Carol Joseph sits in front of the Chairman’s vehicle.
protestors were situated outside his office. He mentioned that the problem escalated further after his arrival for the statutory meeting. He then added that he received information that a padlock was placed on the gate of the boardroom compound.
The chairman stressed that this issue has escalated further enough and is beginning to severely affect the development of Region Five.
“The people choose us to come and represent them and make decisions in their best interest not to come and disrupt the meeting and stall the development of the Region” the Chairman added. Ramphal believes that the Ministers and the President will not be in agreement with the actions taking place at the RDC level and calls for the President to immediately look into the matter to continue with the development of the Region.
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