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WIN, APNU condemn govt.’s approach to Stabroek Market vendors
(Kaieteur News) – Opposition parties We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have condemned the Government of Guyana’s handling of the beautification works at the Stabroek Market Square, saying the abrupt barricading of the area has disrupted vendors during the height of the Christmas shopping season.
Both parties issued separate statements on Thursday, noting that while they support development, the works should not impede the ability of vendors to earn, nor should they proceed without proper consultation.
Vendors on Thursday disclosed that although they welcome the project, the government should have held a meeting to clarify the plans or considered commencing the exercise after the Christmas period, given their investments in the season.
Scenes from the Stabroek Market square on Thursday.
In its statement, WIN said the erection of barricades without prior notice was unjustifiable and harmful to working-class families.
The party’s leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Azruddin Mohamed stated, “I am horrified by the way the ordinary people in this country are being treated. This government is heartless. They do not care about the everyday struggles of the people of this country, how they eat, how they survive, how they make an honest living.”
He continued, “Over the past year, I have travelled the length and breadth of this country and I have witnessed first-hand the level of deprivation facing the people. Across all races, cultures and communities, Guyanese are suffering under an increasingly heartless and authoritarian government.”
Mohamed called on citizens “to stand up for their rights against a dictatorship government that continues to take advantage of them and ignore their suffering.”
On the need for an immediate and long-term resolution, Mohamed called on government to allow the vendors to remain and conduct their business at the Stabroek Market Square until the New Year.
The new politician urged the government to engage the vendors in meaningful dialogue to find a permanent solution. He cautioned that the country urgently needs a wider, more humane vision for its people.
An artist’s impression of the Stabroek Market Square beautification project.
The MP stated, “We do not need these band-aid solutions. What Guyanese need is a long-term, holistic approach to their welfare, one that improves living conditions, creates real employment, and gives people the adequate training and skills to earn valued work, a reasonable income, and a dignified life.”
Meanwhile, APNU also criticised the government’s execution of the works, arguing that the affected vendors were never properly engaged. The party said while the concept of the project had been shared with City Hall, essential details were not communicated.
Further, APNU said that no meaningful consultation was conducted with the many ordinary Guyanese who earn their livelihood on the Stabroek Market tarmac area.
“We support national development and initiatives that improve public spaces. However, development must not come at the cost of people’s livelihoods especially during a period when economic hardship is already being felt across the country. Good governance means engaging people, not displacing them; uplifting families, not disrupting their ability to provide for themselves,” APNU stated.
The party also noted, “These citizens do not have access to the resources of the State to feed, clothe, and shelter their families. They depend on their daily earnings to survive. This project, as currently being executed, directly threatens their income and stability, particularly at a time when many look forward to increased sales to meet holiday and year-end expenses.”
APNU urged government to halt all actions that disrupt livelihoods and adopt a “people first” approach grounded in full and transparent consultation with all stakeholders, especially the affected vendors, clear communication of project timelines, implementation phases, and relocation or support plans.
The party also called for a consensus-building process that ensures buy-in and cooperation from the very people the project will impact.
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