Georgetown: Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is asserting that Government’s move to transform Bartica, Region Seven; Mabaruma, Region One; Mahdia, Region Eight and Lethem, Region Nine into townships is just another attempt by the Government gain control of the regions by replacing current PPP/C Regional Chairmen with pro-government Mayors and Town Clerks.
On Monday, the Party said the “so called consultations” with residents on the issue of townships is a “sham and a mere window-dressing exercise.”
Speaking at the Party’s weekly media conference, General Secretary Clement Rohee said the Government is hoping that by transforming these locations into municipalities it will regain control “through attempts at fear, intimidation and social bribes.”
Rohee highlighted that there are no plans in place to guarantee the improvement of the lives of residents of the four proposed townships, contending that by simply bestowing upon these villages the “township status” will not greatly influence the transformation of these locations.
“The PPP wishes to point out that no amount of visits to hospitals, tree planting exercises or social bribes such as distribution of shoes and sport gears at Lethem, Mabaruma and other communities will convince residents that the services provided by the extant Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) will qualitatively improve by moving from an RDC to a municipally,” he pointed out.
Therefore, Rohee firmly insisted that the transformation of these villages into towns is all a part of a plan for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition to emerge as winners of the impending Local Government Elections (LGE).
Moreover, Rohee highlighted that there are a lot of issues which still needs to be settled before the LG Elections are held, including the legal and administrative measures required to transform Bartica, Mabaruma, Madhia and Lethem into townships.
Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan has already presented to the National Assembly the Bill to have these four locations transformed into towns. The Bill is yet to be debated and approved by the House.
Meanwhile, Government has already announced that Local Government Elections are likely to be held in March 2016 but the PPP/C has raised some concerns about this date.
“Local Government Elections is likely to be held in the second quarter of next year and in the midst of Nationwide celebrations marking Guyana’s 50th Anniversary of Independence,” Rohee posited.
He pointed out that it is ironic that the Nation had to await a meeting between the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) and representatives of the ABC countries to learn that LGE will be held in 2016.
“It was not until the said meeting with the western countries’ diplomats that the Government sprung into action through Raphael Trotman… so it was the Minister responsible for Governance and not Bulkan, the subject Minister who announced who is to name the date when Local Government elections will be held,” Rohee further asserted.
While on the topic of Local Government Elections, Rohee reiterated the Party’s demands to Gecom. The Party is requesting that Gecom ensure each elector is placed in the specific constituency and/or NDC where they are residing and is on the appropriate list of electors specific to that constituency and/or NDC; the boundaries for each NDC and constituency are settled to the complete satisfaction of the PPP with the names and addresses of each elector situated within the relevant boundary where the elector is a resident; the Claims and Objections period be held in conformity with the lists of elections agreed upon and accepted by the political parties; mount an aggressive and user-friendly public relations campaign targeted to specific issues of concern to the elector and the proportional representation and constituency electoral process; launch an aggressive public relations campaign encouraging electors to take advantage of transfers to allow them to vote at the elections; and ensure there is public vetting of polling staff already in the pool save their placement at specific polling stations.
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