Marthel Semple of the Independent Citizens for Progress will be going up against PPP/C and APNU candidates in the June 12 Local Government Elections (LGE) in Constituency Nine in the city which includes Lodge North.
Semple’s group is headed by Bobby Vieira.
Also competing in the First-Past-The-Post contest in Lodge North-Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown, are APNU representative, Kyle Solomon, and Faye Matthews, the PPP/C representative.
Stabroek News spoke with Semple and Solomon but was unable to contact Matthews.
Semple told Stabroek News in an interview that his group prepared a manifesto to address the needs that are affecting the constituencies and that will be their first target if elected. In the manifesto, the group’s plans are to address and advocate for traffic management, the establishment of an economic zone, parking and implementation, garbage collection and disposal, construction of public sanitary facilities and removal of derelict vehicles and items encumbering parapets.
Also in the manifesto are the re-introduction of an inner city roads repair division and the re-establishment of ward cleaning gangs, the establishment of a small city heritage and local tourism department, introduction of specially manufactured vending units in various sizes, constituency offices for councillors and introduction of “minimal” parking fees for parking in the economic zone among others. The manifesto can be found at: https://independentcitizensforprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ICP-Manifesto.pdf
“I want residents in my constituency to understand that presently, the present council is in charge of the city, and the difficulties that we are going through is because of the present council managing the city. The central government is who have power to do things beyond the council to fix the city and persons should not be smarted, be tricked or be fooled at this local government elections. The present council who is governing the city is asking me for a chance to vote for them, but the city is in a mess. Central government is running again for local government and they have the power to go beyond the council to fix the city and they are asking for your vote again. My constituents and people in the city should be focused, should not be fooled and should not be tricked. The time has come for you to say you are fed up, this is the time to use the opportunity and show them that it is time to put somebody independent, somebody you can depend on, somebody that could carry your mandate, somebody you can rely on to get the job done and vote for Independent Citizens for Progress, come June 12, for an independent voice and an independent body in the council and away from the politics for strictly business to get the work done in the constituency,” he advised.
The candidate said that he plans on introducing street lights that are solar powered to avoid inconsistent Guyana Power and Light service. He stated that if the group is elected to council, it plans on setting up a police department at City Hall, where they can come in and assist the general police since Regent Street tends to be very busy and there are not enough police to direct the traffic. He hopes to reactivate the policing group in his area to address unacceptable behaviours by recruiting the young people of the community. Semple was happy to say that the Lodge Health Centre on Hadfield Street, provides a lot of medical services with doctors, nurses and a vibrant pharmacy. He said that the only thing he will have to work on is raising more awareness of the services to the residents, encouraging them to take advantage of them.
The Independent Citizens for Progress (ICP) representative said that Bourda Market needs a complete change-up and they will advocate for its beautification and reintroduce parking meters to control parking in the city which is crazy. He said that the ICP will not allow Regent Street to feature big bricks, pieces of wood and barrels placed by the businessmen who feel that citizens can’t park there.
“I think what happened with the parking meter issue is the fact that it wasn’t properly introduced to the public and I think if persons were educated about it, it would not have been an issue. In terms of paying for the spaces, we will properly examine the present fee to make it affordable seeing that the matter is still in court,” the candidate said. Semple said that the giving out spaces for businesses at the Merriman Mall was poorly done.
He said that the mall should be for “you and I”, where people can do their small business.
“The mall and the president’s play park is a mess, so we do plan on having it upgraded to a high standard where you and your family can come and shop and play in comfort and safety. There is a lot of businesses there such as the Sleep-in Hotel, where people pass and we want them to be in a wow, because it’s a mall and not a bush. There is no system to control the vagrancy that dominates the area and ICP will have a system where the city police department will have work to do and take charge in the upkeeping,” he stressed.
The 42-year-old community advocate said that the way garbage is collected will be changed come June 12 if the group is elected. They are advocating no more garbage collection in the day to prevent heavy traffic buildup.
The garbage will be picked up in the night and at every corner in the city and constituencies and there will be more bins available.
Semple, a Technical Operator at the National Communication Network, said he will be bridging the gaps between the community and council. He said that he will be visiting the residents every month along with the mayor if possible, to hear the concerns of his friends, family and neighbours.
“In my constituency, there have been complaints that the councillor is not available, and I want to change that. I want to be the people’s friend, I want to be the people’s neighbour and be the person you can reach out to at any time for any issue. The people of Constituency Nine should vote for me because I am an independent person with independent thinking. I don’t have to go to a minister or a secretary to get permission to come and move a tree that is falling on your house. I must be able to go down to the city solid waste department and say Mr James septic tank is flooding over, what is the process to fix it before it affects more people? That is the reason why I want people to vote for me, I don’t want them to vote for me because of a political party. I want to be a leader that will lead my people and follow them at the same time, while I advocate for their needs and safety. My constituency must feel free to reach out to me at any time and my phone number will be in the constituency on a billboard,” he said.
Semple also plans to develop programmes for youths.
“In my constituency, we have several business, food businesses, the Guyana Fire Service Head Office, the National Cultural Centre, the National Communications Network and the Morgan’s Learning Centre. What I plan on doing, is going to these businesses and see what are the job skills or requirements needed, so that I can go back to the youths in my constituency and say look, tell me what are some of the things you have academically and what do you need help with to be employed,” Semple envisioned.
Functional relationships
A first-time entrant to the LGE and the APNU representative, Kyle Solomon said that if and when he is elected as councillor for Constituency Nine, he will foster better functional relationships between councillors and constituents. He will ensure the community’s needs are satisfied and extend a hand of friendship to the opposition, because it is necessary for the goal of better management and service delivery to the city’s residents.
“I would work to remove the antagonistic political lines which I see as both defeating and problematic to the city’s needs, such as safe spaces, security, adequate and better drainage, improved municipal, health services and garbage disposal in unserved areas,” he shared.
The representative said that he will secure funding through the established frameworks as set out in the municipal act and direct community involvement. When Stabroek News asked the 41-year-old Risks/Safety and Security Supervisor why should the residents of Constituency Nine vote for him, he said, “that question sounds politically biased” and wondered whether other candidates had been asked the same thing.
