Dear Editor,
We the youths of Lethem, Culvert City and Tabatinga view with grave concern the undemocratic attitude of the Mayor of Lethem Mr. Carlton Beckles in his letter to the editor published in Stabroek News 10/6/2016 `Lethem parks are being upgraded’. The Mayor sought to hog all of the credit for the establishment of the J E Holiday Park and the children’s park in Culvert City, effectively throwing citizen contributions in the waste dump along with the discarded equipment. That has been the attitude of the Mayor since he acceded to office; it’s all about I, no more we and us.
Editor the APNU+AFC came to power on the backs of young people and if that’s the way we will be treated by those who are supposed to be guiding us then we have no other option than to withdraw our support; and believe me, we the youths are well connected.
I am most appalled by the Mayor’s recent behaviour at the sitting of the Town Council on 10/6/2016. The Mayor evicted two young people, preventing them from listening to the town affairs and thus robbing them of an opportunity to see local democracy at work. The Mayor needs to read and comprehend the entire Municipal and District Councils Act 28:01 and not just the sections that are convenient to him. The Act states that the Mayor has the authority to ask members of the public to withdraw from the meetings; however it further states that a motion needs to be carried before this is done. May I remind you Editor the last general elections and subsequent local government elections aroused in the youths an interest in politics unmatched in our recent history.
We the young people of Lethem, Tabatinga and Culvert City put the collective leadership of APNU+AFC on notice here and now that should the Mayor continue in his dictator-like attitude we will not be supporting any efforts by this government in any way.
We the youths like everyone else in Region Nine know that the Mayor of Lethem has no political capital.
Yours faithfully,
Magdalene Paulino