Dear Editor,
Please permit me to respond to a letter written by the Mayor of Lethem, (`Lethem Council Meeting’, SN 15-10-2016).
The Mayor should have mentioned in his letter that a hearing organized and presided over by a handpicked set of councillors exonerated me of any wrongdoing. For the record I want to state that my father, the Regional Executive Officer Region #9, agreed to a suggestion by the Mayor to have me function in the capacity as Town Clerk (ag) on a temporary basis since I was expected to attend the University of Guyana from September, 2016 and until a suitable replacement was found. I started working on April 18th, 2016 and was unceremoniously dismissed on May 20th, 2016 without even being appointed.
On assuming duties on April 18th, 2016 I armed myself with a copy of the Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28:01 since I am aware that that Act is the bible governing Town Councils in Guyana. During my short tenure at the Lethem Town Council, the Mayor and one of his councillors, George Henry, came into conflict with me constantly after I would point out the many breaches of the said Act that were occurring. It was as though they were hell-bent on disregarding important components of the said Act and I have proof. It is very disturbing also that the council had to wait five months to investigate the Mayor’s allegations of wrongdoings against me and the matter was only resolved after I lodged an official complaint to the Regional Executive Officer Region #9.
As a young woman now starting out on her life’s journey it is wrong to try to deny me the one month’s salary which is rightfully mine.
It will serve the Mayor well to acquaint himself with the provisions of the Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28:01 in an effort to minimise the many conflicts in the Municipality.
Yours faithfully,
Mary A. Parker
