The decision to restore Kitty Market has come weeks before local government elections

Dear Editor,

Team Benschop welcomes the decades’ long overdue restoration of the historic Kitty Market structure. Kitty Market has been a victim of neglect for many decades and was on its way to being pronounced dead. Team Benschop supports the restoration of all structures that fall under the city’s purview. This restoration would not only be pleasing to the eye but would ensure that many who ply their trade in that facility are guaranteed employment while returning commercial life to that part of the city.

The market has been a feature of that key constituency for many years and served and continues to serve hundreds and probably thousands of city residents. However, we cannot let this opportunity pass to highlight that this announcement comes mere weeks away from local government elections which could see sweeping changes at the level of the Georgetown municipality.

This announcement comes also just after Mayor Hamilton Green in a walkabout at the said venue was quoted in the Stabroek News as saying “Local government elections [are] a few weeks away and I don’t want to make a prognosis [as to when the restoration would start.] It would have to be executed by the new mayor”.

We earlier highlighted this campaigning by politicos at City Hall and called for this sort of covert campaigning to desist. We recognise that the city is obligated to provide certain services and address the concerns of citizens but we denounce all forms of covert campaigning by those at the Mayor and City Council.

We would like to also use this opportunity to call on the city’s administration to make available the details of the tender for the restoration of Kitty Market; we would welcome the revelation about this project in the name of transparency.

Yours faithfully,

Ronson Gray

Campaign Manager

Team Benschop for Mayor