Local Government violations, Bhagwandin’s creativity, and ministerial perfidy

Jul 08, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

All citizens, political parties and institutions, some time ago subscribed to the ideals of what we understood to be local democracy. Chapter VII of our Constitution is crystal clear. It states

“(1) Local Government is a vital aspect of democracy and shall be organized so as to involve as many people as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live.(2) For this purpose Parliament shall provide for the institution of a country-wide system of local government through the establishment of organs of local democratic power as an integral part of the political organization of the State.”

The City of Georgetown is the largest and the most significant in Guyana. It is also the capital of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana with a Mayor and City Council responsible for the management and maintenance of the City. On Monday, Caricom Day in the Laing Avenue, Yarrow Dam areas, we witnessed the dismemberment of the underlying principles of local democracy. A principle subscribed to by all political parties in Guyana. The General Secretary of the PPP utilizing state resources, such as the Police and Fire Service moved into the above areas to clean up and make promises to the residents. This was done by neither informing nor involving the local authority, that is the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

This debauchery was witnessed by all and ended with a public meeting. This activity, while providing some modicum of relief to residents, must be seen in the wider context where for years the Central Government has starved the Municipality of resources and consistently imposed key management personnel identified by the PPP.

The fact that there have been instances where the imposed management personnel were not qualified is no secret. A further insult to residents was when monetary incentives ranging from ten thousand dollars to two hundred thousand dollars were offered, reminiscent of the Biblical story of Esau selling his birthright for a mess of pottage. Fortunately, some residents because of need as distinct from greed would take the money  but remain steadfast to the political leadership they understood and know to be on their side. As was observed during the just concluded Local Government Elections, the billions invested by the ruling elites did not yield to them the results they expected and boasted about.

But Editor, what will President Ali and his Vice President say to the US official Blinken, when in the US the local authority system through the mayors are allowed to exercise authority and jurisdiction in their areas of responsibility without the heavy hand and strangulation of Central Government as evident here in Guyana.

In Guyana, we now experience the opposite, that is a disdain and disregard for Mayors and local authority officials not aligned to the People’s Progressive Party. I doubt if this travesty will escape the attention of the United States top officials.  In the meantime, this rape of our Constitution must be highlighted as often as possible even though the question of rape seemed to be a norm in certain quarters. I congratulate members of the community, who even though angry displayed dignified restraint in the face of this provocation.

This sortie into Laing Avenue was complemented by a publication in the State controlled newspaper, in which a Mr. Joel Bhagwandin downplayed a role of  the International Decade for  People of African Decent (IDPADA-G) disclaiming IDPADA-G’s contention that Afro-Guyanese are subjected to discrimination by the PPP Government. The State paper quoted Financial Analyst Joel Bhagwandin elaborated Because we Care initiative which was re-introduced by the governing PPP administration.  The document highlighted that financial aid has increased.  Among his flawed statistics, Bhagwandin contends that from August 2 to present 45% of house lots allocated went to Afro-Guyanese, 48% to Indo-Guyanese, and 7% to Mixed.

Dear Editor and Citizens, I hereby challenge Mr. Bhagwandin and the Central Housing & Planning Authority to provide the base documents upon which these percentages were arrived at and announce with such pomposity for public announcement. Bhagwandin must provide this information with the base documents that allows him to term who are Afro, Indo and Mixed Guyanese. They are fictitious and fanciful and Guyanese must be aware of this planned propaganda.

Finally, I earlier pleaded that a problem we need to deal with is our loss of the moral sense in high circles, so Mr. Dharamlall has offered his resignation based on the Practice of Public Perfidy, I bet that this honorable gentleman will be given some diplomatic or other position as the dust on his alleged shenanigans settles.

Hamilton Green

Elder

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• Guyana, Hamilton Green, International Decade for  People of African Decent (IDPADA-G), Ministerial, Mr. Joel Bhagwandin

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