Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine on Friday called for an opposition boycott of the city cleanup planned this weekend by the government and Private Sector Commission (PSC).
Narine made the call during a press conference hosted by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) leader Aubrey Norton, where he stated that the planned cleanup exercise demonstrates the PPP/C-led government’s efforts to undercut and ignore local government councils in towns and villages.
The PSC had announced earlier this week that it would be partnering with the government to carry out the cleanup exercise today and tomorrow.
During the press conference, Narine stated that attitude of the government towards the Georgetown Mayor and City Council and other local councils that are led by the opposition is to stifle them of financial and other resources.
In respect of the Georgetown municipality, he said the PPP/C continues to exploit the City Council’s challenges for pure political motives regardless of the damage of the city’s infrastructure, physical environment and its aesthetic and regardless of discomfort and harm to the city’s residents.
Narine went on to say that the government has no interest in local democracy and appears to be undermining the opposition controlled councils in order to remove them and appoint interim management committees.
Narine stated that the PNCR calls on the government to respect the authority and mandates of the local government councils and provide them with the necessary funding and resources.
Additionally, Narine expressed his dissatisfaction with the use of the Joint Services to provide manpower and other resources for the cleanup exercise. He called it a misuse of the Joint Services and mentioned that the government could have provided employment and income for ordinary folks by hiring residents and small informal co-ops. “This approach also ensure[s] that the permanent and competent workforce is established to conduct such exercise on a routine basis,” he added.
Against this background, Narine registered the party’s rejection of the PSC cleanup exercise and called on APNU+AFC-led town councils and local government authorities to withhold their support from the exercise. “To do otherwise would be to encourage the PPP to further disrespect and undermine their authority and mandates,” he warned.
The Ministry of Local Government yesterday said the second phase of a campaign that commenced over the Christmas holidays to clean up Georgetown will see deployments over the next two days across 13 locations, including, Durey Lane, Cemetery Road, Hadfield, Sussex, Princess, Smythe and Durban Streets; Regent, Robb, Church, Camp and Sheriff Streets.
In a brief statement, the ministry said the exercise, dubbed “Operation Clean Up”, is a collaborative effort between the Joint Services and the Private Sector, with support from the Ministries of Works, and Local Government and Regional Development.
“The “Operation Clean Up” Coordinators are encouraging citizens residing in the targeted locations to join the campaign activities and for others to initiate clean up exercises of their own, for which support could be requested,” it added.
