In what will arguably be the biggest showdown of the Georgetown contests, Friday’s election for constituency 14 will pit social activist Mark Benschop against APNU+AFC’s Sherod Duncan, businessman, Saiku Andrews of Team Legacy and three others.
Also contesting in the South Ruimveldt Park/ Ruimveldt Industrial Estate First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) contest are Marlyn Kennedy, the PPP/C representative, and individual candidates, businesswoman Juliet Julian and dentist Bertrand Stuart.
Benschop, Kennedy and Andrews are also on their groups’ proportional representation list meaning that they can still get onto the council even if they lose the FPTP race.
Stabroek News made several attempts to contact Kennedy but she was unavailable to speak as has been the case with a number of other PPP/C candidates.
Benschop, who has headed a charitable foundation in recent years, said he got involved in local government elections because citizens must have proper representation. He added that citizens need to benefit from the even distribution of services. “We have to get rid of nepotism… we can’t have family and friends benefiting from projects …we have to stand up and represent other people”, he emphasised.
Benschop, who has not been shy about wanting to become Mayor of Georgetown, said that once elected to the council he would seek to create an environment where city staff would have their morale boosted so that they could be more efficient and productive.
Benschop added that if he succeeds he would like to have the books of city hall audited. He said that it is important to understand how the money was spent and if there are problems they would have to find solutions. “We have to rectify the willy-nilly contracts that were handed out. We don’t know if some of them are voted on… if we have questions we would call in the contractors and have them explain the projects …” Benschop articulated.
The chairman of the Benschop for Mayor team said that he would recommend that the city review the contracts and would advocate that “instead of friends of (council officials) doing the work we go into the communities”, let the people in the communities do the work. He said that jobs would be created as a result. “Let the money remain in the constituency and the people do the work there”, he said.
Benschop declared that he wants to transform not just his constituency but the entire city into a modern one. He has envisioned daycare centres equipped with computers so children can learn and be acquainted with modern tools and community centres where people can go and be empowered.
“I want to empower the people, give them skills… I will push to renovate the playgrounds and have them equipped with lighting so children are able to be there even after the sun goes down”, he stated.
He also wants to install lights on Aubrey Barker Road.
Benschop added that he would move to install parking meters and create secure parking lots to generate additional revenue to help fund projects.
He emphasised that he would recommend that the city council apply for a broadcasting licence for television and radio. He pointed out that the television and radio licence would generate large amounts of revenue and create jobs.
Benschop, who became widely known for his work on television and when he was arrested on a charge of treason, added that he would want to work together with the people and would not raise taxes within the first year. He explained that he recommended that the City Council should have its tax systems reviewed before making any drastic change in rates and taxes.
The aspiring councillor said that he will work to ensure that the daily $2,500 fee collected from businesses that place items in front of their premises and the $1000 fee vendors have to pay are stopped immediately.
Benschop describes himself as a “doer”. He said that “Persons have known him to do things, they know I am a doer and voting for Benschop would push him to do things 10 times more for the people.”
He said that he has been campaigning on a one-on-one level, meeting and interacting with the people.
Independent
Former city councillor and resident of South Ruimveldt, Dr. Stuart, 63, said he is participating in the elections because he has the opportunity to be independent and not having to be affiliated with any political party. He noted that he resigned from the city council in 1997 because of the political influence in it. He said that this time it is different as though parties are involved in the election, there is a better opportunity of serving as an independent candidate.
The longtime city dentist said if elected to the council, his main focus would be setting up a civic centre called the South Georgetown Civic Centre. He said the centre would be a multipurpose one. He stated that the building would be equipped with a conference room, classrooms, gym, day care, snackette, a maintenance department and a carwash. The facility would also have an education centre for the youths and offer classes after school and avenues for peer mentoring.
The independent candidate stated that he would look at the creation of a youth development register which would record all the youths in the community between the ages of 16-30. According to Stuart, the community group would monitor the list and approach persons who have degrees to keep after-school classes and also look at the possibilities of helping youths find jobs.
Stuart said that he would also endeavour to ensure that there is social interaction between residents. He argued that social interaction is needed in communities. According to him, if neighbours are interacting and looking out for each other it would help to fight crime and beef up the security intelligence which would lead to safer communities.
The aspiring councillor added that he would also look at the possibilities of creating a multipurpose sports facility which would feature a track, footpath, basketball court, volleyball court and football and cricket grounds.
Stuart said that he would seek funding from donor agencies and the Government of Guyana for capital investment and fundraising such as for the gym, snackette and daycare.
Stuart told Stabroek News that he has been involved in community work for several years and was instrumental in a number of projects such as erecting street signs and installing several street lights via working with the South Ruimveldt Community developers and policing group. He said that even if he is not elected he would still pursue the project.
Challenge
Andrews, owner of Andrews Supermarket said he could not sit any longer and feel the pain and burdens his fellow citizens were experiencing and do nothing. Hence, he took on the challenge to represent the community at the upcoming elections.
He stated that as a businessman he would often contribute to the community in one way or the other, but knowing that he could now go to another level and represent the constituency in policy making, budget allocation and vocally representing its needs, he decided to get involved.
The 39-year-old businessman, who is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in business administration, said he is focused on addressing the drainage systems in the constituency as flooding is a major problem. He said that the issue needs the attention of engineers for the right advice to prevent flooding after the outfalls are desilted and to advise on whether drains need to be reconstructed to prevent flooding.
Andrews also said that he would recommend that the city pilot a street light project which would be powered by solar energy and equipped with LED lamps. He added that the lamps would be connected to the electrical grid so in cases when there is low solar power the lights would still work effectively. He also stated that he would seek to boost security by making applications for two more police outposts in the constituency.
The Team Legacy member said that he would like to create a hub that would model programmes for youth development. He signalled that he would explore the possibilities of attracting businesses to the community for job creation.
Asked how he would fund these
projects he stated that with a hike in taxes, city hall would be able to generate more revenue to improve all communities. He would also seek funding for projects through government ministries and engage in public-private partnerships. Voluntary service should also be a component of these projects, he said.
Andrews, who has worked with a number of organisations such as the National Library and the Block Two South Ruimveldt Community Group, added that the plans for his constituency are tethered to the vision of his group. The Team Legacy vision is community investment; youth transformation; security (partnering with the Guyana Police Force); environment and health and improved distribution and delivery of community services.
Andrews said the feedback from his one-on-one campaign has been positive and he is looking to bring his wealth of knowledge to the council table.
Positive
Independent candidate, Juliet Julian, an active member of the Roxanne Burnham Gardens Community group said her decision to participate in local government elections came as she believes she can further help her community. She said that there are a number of problems in her constituency and she is positive that she can be the voice for it.
Julian, a mother of four said that she has played an integral role in cleaning up her community, renaming streets and preventing what she said was the selling out of the community park to private persons in 2011.
She said that if and when she becomes a councillor she would advocate strongly to have contracts awarded to her community to ensure that the drains and roadways are always cleaned. She would also advocate for streets lights and upgrading of the park in the community. She said that like many areas in Georgetown her constituency is in dire need of streetlights because of the darkness that lingers and becomes a hub for crimes.
Julian said that she focused on minor projects because she is not aware of what the situation at city hall is. “We are not in council… so I am not going to make hard promises and can’t keep them…” she said.
She added that the minor projects would be funded through funding from central government and the city council.
She also said that within the first few months she would recommend that the new council sit and go through the books and straighten out discrepancies. This, she said, would help to ensure that all plans the new council have would move freely.
Julian said that she has been involved in door-to-door campaigning and residents have been giving her the support she needs to represent them.
Rewarding
Duncan, the representative of the coalition government said that he is running in the local government elections because he finds it rewarding to represent his community and from campaigning he has been able to listen to concerns of the people so if he gets into council he would be able address grave issues.
The South Ruimveldt Park resident said that some of his plans for the constituency are a safe and secure city, staff development and solid waste management along with financing for the capital budget.
Duncan said he would like to tackle security head-on both as a councillor and if the elected council reposes the confidence in him to be Mayor. He added that he would work to encourage community policing in the constituency. He said that he was a part of policing groups in South Ruimveldt but only a small area was covered. He pointed out that throughout the constituency such initiatives are needed in tandem with greater patrolling and an improved police response time when called upon. Additionally, having sufficient streetlights can be helpful as well as illuminating dark areas for residents to access in safety.
“I have had first-hand exposure to the capacity of the joint services’ ability to protect the citizenry. But I am, also, of the view that we can add another layer of security beneath that of the Police Force by recapitalising the City Constabulary, modernising it for greater efficiency and service to protect the lives of the citizenry and their assets by greater human and other resource investments, and restructuring its policing apparatus”, Duncan who has been in community work for over a decade, said.
He added that continuous staff development and wages improvements for all council workers aimed at boosting morale, efficiency and delivery of city services has to be a regular feature and he would work to ensure staff benefit from proper wages and salaries.
Duncan who gained public notice when he emerged as `Captain Clean’ following the May 2015 general elections said poor solid waste management affects all. “In a sense we cannot solve the solid waste management issues until we look comprehensively at the issue”. He said that residents have to be empowered through “education on issues of recycling, composting and proper waste disposal.” He added that they must work to enforce the law through the legislation provided.
Duncan who currently works at the Office of the Prime Minister as Public Relations Officer, said that financing for the capital budget would come from new initiatives such as a lottery and the business sector through fundraising.
“At the mayoral level I would lead major fundraising internationally, as well as locally with the view of meeting the municipality’s over two billion dollars capital expenditures while weaning it off of Government’s subventions in the long term”, the aspiring councillor said.
Duncan is a law and communications graduate and a former president of the University of Guyana Student Society.
He added that even if he does not get to become mayor he is ready to work on partnerships and will work with those persons who weren’t elected but have workable ideas.
