The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has chided President Bharrat Jagdeo for his recent “attack” against City Mayor Hamilton Green, adding that the meeting with city officials “behind the back of the Mayor”, makes a mockery of the Office of the Mayor and the process which led to him being elected to office.
According to a release from the party, the President’s statements were at least reckless and absurd and demonstrated the steps he is taking to render the local government system irrelevant. The party noted that the meeting to which other City Hall officials were invited was an embarrassment to those who were invited.
The WPA also stated that “by starving the council of funds”, the President is contributing to the development of a serious health hazard which has great implications not only for citizens of Georgetown but also for those living in proximity to it.
The party said the President also seemed to be unaware of the fact that his government has a moral and legal obligation to provide the citizens of this country with a health system of a high standard, noting that support given to the council by the President on previous occasions was in keeping with the oath taken by the head of state and ministers of the government on assuming the office they hold, rather than being benevolent on their part.
The party also mentioned that the President needed to act with urgency in ending the garbage crisis stating that he “waited until thousands of people in this country were jeopardized before initiating action to relieve the dangerous situation”.
The WPA also congratulated Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin for what it called his rejection of the President’s, “ridiculous proposal to replace the elected members of the City Council by a group, of hand picked lackeys”.
The party stated that, like Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Raphael Trotman, it is of the view that as the President speaks about the lack of leadership at City Hall as well as the absence of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to manage the affairs of Georgetown, the Head of State should listen to the voices of “the people who believe that he has failed to give leadership to Guyana and are demanding the establishment of an IMC to manage the affairs of the state”.
