The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) says its Central Executive took a decision to withhold support for the government-led cleanup of the city on Saturday and Sunday.
In a statement, the PNCR was responding to an editorial in Monday’s edition of Stabroek News which had blasted City Mayor Ubraj Narine for calling at a PNCR press conference for a boycott of the cleanup. The editorial had stated “No matter his concerns, it is ludicrous and politically immature for the Mayor to have sought a boycott of the cleanup rather than to seek some role for the council in the process.”
The PNCR in its statement said “SN here displays a shocking naiveté that is beyond, to borrow its own word, `ludicrous’. Before dwelling further on this, let us state, for the record, that the decision to withhold the Party’s support for another piece of PPP political swindling was formally taken by our Party’s Central Executive”.
The PNCR charged that the motives and attitudes of the PPP provide no basis for collaboration between government/ City Hall and government/opposition-led local councils.
While it said that it understood the relief felt by citizens from the city cleanup, the PNCR called on the PPP to ensure local democratic organs are allowed to serve the people who elected them. It said that it would not support the imposition of interim management councils.
It also called on the PPP/C to provide adequate funding and other resources to these organs and to desist from “using the Disciplined Forces for such exercises, and instead use the opportunity to provide employment for local residents and small operators on a permanent and professional basis”.
Should the government display good faith on these and other local government issues, the PNCR said it stands ready to “engage in the interest of all Guyanese and their communities”.
