The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) yesterday called for a review of plans for parking meters in the city and it welcomed the intervention of central government in this case.
Opposition to the deal continues to mount and the WPA’s statement is significant as it is a member of the governing APNU+AFC coalition which also controls the majority of the seats on the Mayor and City Council.
In its statement, the WPA said the issue reflects negatively on the newly elected City Council which had promised a clean break with the discredited ways of the past.
“There seems to have been very little if any meaningful consultation which then leads to a lack of transparency. WPA is alarmed that a project of such magnitude was not first discussed with the citizens of the city who would, in the long run, be affected by its implementation. The habit of making decisions above the heads of citizens have become so endemic that even a change of guard at City Hall has not made a difference”, the party stated.
It added that questions over the suitability and integrity of the proposed contractors and the apparent secrecy in which the matter was addressed raise serious questions of transparency. The WPA said that transparency is a central tenet of democratic governance and in light of the revelations of the forensic audits which had been commissioned by the APNU+AFC government, the party is shocked that the Mayor and her team seem so dismissive of charges in this regard.
“WPA feels that the initiative should be reviewed. There is no credible reason being advanced for the haste to install the parking meters. The proposed fee of $500 per hour, for example, is exorbitant. In this regard, we agree with the intervention of Central Government. While we are against the intrusion of the Central Government in the affairs of Local Government, WPA feels that in light of all the question being raised along with the seeming arrogance of the supporters of the project such intervention is justified. We, however, hope that it is one of mediation and aimed at reinforcing accountability rather than seeking to override the will of the Council”, the party said.
The party also saluted those councilors who have stood up against the majority to bring the matter into the open. This was a refreshing sign, it said, while urging that in the spirit of cooperation, the two factions seek consensus on the way forward.
