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President tells Mayors, Deputies… Your performance will be judged at next LGE
– urges officials to include citizens’ input when making decisions
President David Granger has urged Mayors and Deputy Mayors of the nation’s nine municipalities to not be confined to their offices, but to go out and meet with their constituents in order to find solutions to pressing issues.
Seated from left: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities, Emile McGarrel; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; President David Granger; and Ministers within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Patterson; and Dawn Hastings-Williams with the newly sworn-in Mayors and Deputy Mayors at State House yesterday.
The Head of State made this remark at State House, Georgetown yesterday, during the swearing in ceremony of the office-bearers that were elected – and in some cases re-elected – last December.
The Head of State reminded the Mayors and their deputies that they were elected by their people and therefore the input of constituents must be taken into consideration when important decisions are to be made. He also spoke about the need for the elected officials to exercise authority in an accountable, democratic and transparent manner.
President Granger told the officials that they must demonstrate to the people whom they have sworn to serve – the values of representativeness, inclusiveness and effectiveness; the three characteristics that they must embody.
Failing to embody these characteristics, the Head of State pointed out, will result in the required outcome during the next Local Government Elections (LGE) which are expected to be held in 2019.
“If you don’t perform and if you are not effective, your constituents are going to make their feelings impact on the outcome of those elections (LGE)… I urge you, therefore, to ensure that all of the citizens in your towns and in your wards and in all of your constituencies are aware of the decisions that you are taking, which in the final analysis, affects them and their well-being,” the President said.
The Head of State explained that Town Councils are part of a tripartite system of government, which consists of the national tier; Central Government, the regional tier; Regional Democratic Councils and the municipal tier; the neighbourhood level.
“All three levels must work together if we are to deliver the quality of life that our citizens desire and deserve. They cannot be separate; they cannot refuse to cooperate, regardless of which Party they come from or in which part of the country they function. All three levels, national, regional and municipal, must work together for the national good,” he said.
The President noted also reiterated government’s commitment to establish a capital town in every administration region.
“It is the Government’s intention that every region will have, at its heart, a capital town. Just as the body has a head, every region must have a head. That capital town will be a centre of public services, public health, public education, communications, business, justice, social protection, security, and of sport. People from outlying areas must be able to look at the capital town as the centre of all of these services,” President Granger said.
The newly sworn-in Mayors are: Ms. Patricia Chase-Green- Georgetown, Mr. Kirt Wynter- New Amsterdam, Mr. Krishnand Jaichand- Corriverton, Mr. Carwyn Holland- Linden, Mr. Vijay Ramoo- Rose Hall, Mr. Rabindranauth Mohan- Anna Regina, Mr. Gifford Marshall – Bartica, Mr. Carlton Beckles – Lethem and Mr. Henry Smith – Mabaruma.
The Deputy Mayors are: Mr. Lionel Jaikaran – Georgetown, Ms. Winifred Heywood – New Amsterdam, Mr. Jamna Persaud Ghamandi – Corriverton, Ms. Waneka Arrindell – Linden, Mr. Dave Budhu – Rose Hall, Mr. Darshan Persaud – Anna Regina, Ms. Nageshwari Lochanpersaud – Bartica and Ms. Maxine Welsh – Lethem.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency’s website, Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall received his instrument of appointment as ex-officio Justice of Peace from Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan
Several other Mayors and Deputy Mayors were also sworn-in as ex-officio Justices of Peace by the Chief Magistrate.
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