— refutes claims, denies Yarrowkabra assault
National Director of Com-munity Development Coun-cils (CDCs) Philomena Sahoye-Shury yesterday accused Region Four Chair-man Clement Corlette of making repeated attempts to set up CDCs without her authority.
Noting that there is already a democratically elected CDC in Yarrowkabra set up a week ago, Sahoye-Shury claimed that Corlette and AFC Coun-cillor Michael Carrington breached protocol by summoning a meeting at the village on Sunday without informing her and also alleged that Corlette assaulted a resident as chaos erupted–a claim Corlette again denied yesterday. He explained that a PPP activist “intercepted” him “menacingly” by grabbing the back of his shirt jac and he pulled away and “sternly scolded the aggressor.”
Sahoye-Shury, however, said that the “assault” was captured on tape.
She told Stabroek News that neither Corlette nor Carrington had informed her about the meeting and it was residents of Yarrowkabra, who brought a notice issued by Carrington, to her attention. She provided this newspaper with a copy of the letter signed by Carrington, which invited residents to a meeting to elect a nine-member CDC and which also stated that the meeting was sponsored by Corlette.
She said that she was the National Director of CDCs, which is a department of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and because the letter stated specifically that the meeting was for the purpose of electing a CDC, she decided to go.
Corlette said the meeting was a general one to hear the concerns of residents and noting his statement, Sahoye-Shury said she is a national Member of Parliament “and it means therefore that I could visit any community at any time.” She related that she invited PPP/C Region Four Councillor Kwame McCoy, other councillors and a cameraman and went to Yarrowkabra.
According to her, Corlette objected to the cameraman and when asked why he did not want any cameras, he said that he had not invited them. It is left to anyone’s imagination and analysis what Corlette wanted to say to the residents that he did not want recorded, she said.
Corlette, in a media statement yesterday, said he did not want the press present and had only wanted a meeting with residents. Further, he said state-owned NCN 6 O’ Clock news cannot be relied on to provide balanced news reports.
Meanwhile, Sahoye-Shury declared that Corlette knows the system and one would have thought that if he was going to areas to form CDCs, “he will inform me of the time and place of these meetings so that a representative of the National CDC will be present to oversee the election of these bodies”. She provided a letter which Corlette wrote to her requesting that the Ann’s Grove/Two Friends/Dochfour CDC be registered. “By this letter, request is now made to your office for the conferring of the protocol of accreditation/registration accordingly,” the letter stated. Sahoye-Shury asserted that it is unfair to her that Corlette should “dictatorially” call a meeting of CDCs without notifying her and then request her to register them.
At the Yarrowkabra meeting, she said, the people were dissatisfied with the “arrogance” of the regional chairman and voiced their opinion loudly and asked him why he did not want the photographer to remain. Many people walked out, she said, and Corlette had no alternative but to suspend the meeting.
In a statement issued yesterday, Corlette said that he adjourned the meeting because of the disorder and his belief that NCN would not provide balanced news coverage.
The CDC director said that because the residents were there and there were lots of problems in the community she and McCoy stayed and listened to their problems. She stated that Corlette, in observing that they were going back in the building, returned and said that they had no authority to re-convene the meeting but residents “booed him out” and said that they wanted her and McCoy to stay to listen to their problems and they stayed for an hour.
Corlette said he returned to say that the duo could not re-convene the meeting since it was called by him and then procee ded to leave whereupon McCoy allegedly shouted, “get he out of here. After McCoy shouted, a PPP activist intercepted me menacingly by grabbing the back of my shirt jack suit. I pulled away and sternly scolded the aggressor,” said Corlette in his statement.
Meantime, Sahoye-Shury said that she wanted to make it clear that there is a democratically elected CDC and the chairman is Dawn Profitt and there is a community building which she is in charge of. She said that Corlette and Carrington are trying to divide the residents of Yarrowkabra but pointed out that President Bharrat Jagdeo had spent over $3.7M to repair the said building in the interest of the community.”I, as national director, will not allow anyone to divide a community,” she said.
She added noted that when the CDC was established over 70 persons attended and that they would normally go back every two years to “resuscitate” the CDC.
In his statement, Corlette restated what he had told this newspaper on Sunday and also decried as false, reports in the Guyana Chronicle and on state television, NCN that he assaulted a resident. He accused McCoy of orchestrating “a systemic creation of disorder” at the meeting. The regional chairman said the meeting was held to address the need for improved roads, electricity in some areas, a primary school in the area, unemployment, alleged discrimination against residents on the use of the President’s Youth Choice community building, and alleged fees imposed against charcoal burners in the area on behalf of a CDC.
There will be another meeting soon, he said, and the media will be invited.
Sahoye-Shury said that they are discussing whether they will be attending that meeting.
