Stabroek News has invited the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change to submit a weekly column on local government and related matters. The PPP/C has declined the offer. Only APNU has submitted a column this week.
The People’s Progressive Party – in its 2011 Elections Manifesto titled ‘Working Together For A Better Tomorrow’ – pledged, under the heading ‘Reinvigorating Local Government’, that “In the area of local government and governance, the next PPP/C Government will :
˗ Ensure, within one year of the 2011 general elections, that local government elections are held, bringing much needed reinvigoration into local government entities;
˗ Enhance accountability and transparency in the operations of local government bodies especially as it relates to the awarding of contracts;
˗ Put greater emphasis on coordination between central government agencies and the local government bodies”.
˗ Three years later, the PPP has failed to fulfill its promises.
The media, over the past two weeks has been littered with articles of protest activity by residents in Mahdia, the administrative centre of the Potaro-Siparuni, Region (No. 8). The people were protesting for relief from the appalling conditions of basic infrastructure, most important, the condition of the internal roads in Mahdia and the main arterial road link from the coast to Mahdia.
The second main grievance was over the atrocious and inadequate supply of pure water to residents. Imagine that, in the year 2014, residents of one of the richest parts of the country and one which contributes significantly to the treasury from gold mined within its boundaries have to suffer from neglect and abuse and the hardship imposed as a result of deplorable roads and non-existent pure water supply. This is what the PPP’s rule mean for our citizens – curry mutton for the favoured few and ‘nuttin’ for the majority.
What was the PPP’s response to the people’s cries for alleviation of their plight? Instead of its Ministers engaging the people’s representatives – i.e. the Regional Democratic Council – to address the grievances, riot police were deployed from Georgetown to Mahdia!
The state’s response to peaceful protest actions by citizens to highlight their plight has been met with a show of force and the mailed fist! One resident is quoted in the Stabroek News of August 6, 2014 as follows: “We protested so everybody knows what is happening and someone in authority will take action. Instead, they sent two vanloads of riot police with big guns and bulletproof vests … for what? We are not criminals … we will continue until [there is] some action.”
The pictures in SN [Aug.5 (Residents protest Mahdia roads), Aug.6 (Mahdia protests bring riot cops) and Aug.8 (Mahdia protest irresponsible –Whittaker)] convey more than any amount of words can, both the plight of the residents of Region 8 and the callous indifference to their suffering by the PPP administration.
RDC councillor Gafoor is quoted in KN of Aug.7, 2014 as follows: “The ranks (riot police) were deployed so as to induce fear but we will be more radical this time. We will no longer be peaceful because the way the government continues to ignore the people is an act of injustice. This is a country where people are suffering. The President and the government have people on their knees but it’s time for the people to stand up. The government needs to respect Guyanese and stop treating us like we are dogs. Guyanese keep suffering while all the people in the PPP are eyeing that fat pension. It is an injustice to humanity.”
Regional Chairman Crawford added that: “It was a peaceful protest, no one was violent or anything. We were protesting the water and the road and police came in from over 200 miles away when road maintenance equipment was about 20 miles away and which was not deployed! This is a way to tell us to shut up and accept what we have unless we want to be shot the way the people in Linden were!”
As far as the PPP’s pledge to hold local government elections “within one year of the 2011 general elections” every single action of theirs has been to frustrate the holding of any such elections. It culminated with the pathetic statement by Minister Whittaker that the majority of Guyanese do not see the need for such elections as a priority!
In the meantime, apart from the mal-administration of this and all other hinterland regions, corruption is rife and rampant.
A Partnership for National Unity supports the no-confidence Motion which has been tabled in the National Assembly and which will lead to General and Regional Elections being held by February 2015. Citizens should be reminded that they will then have the opportunity to rid themselves of this uncaring and corrupt administration. Community renewal, revitalization and rebirth will come when we have APNU in government.
