President David Granger yesterday inspired a reconciliation at the Region Five council which had been riven by seven months of protests over an alleged snubbing of the Head of State by Chairman Vickchand Ramphal.
The President during an Emancipation Day visit was able to encourage Ramphal, a PPP/C member and the leader of the protests, APNU+AFC Councillor Carol Joseph to let bygones be bygones.
“Today, in Region Five, I do declare that all the members of the RDC must work together for the good of the Mahaica-Berbice region,” President Granger declared yesterday at an Emancipation Day celebration, which was held at Ithaca, Berbice.
After the President made the statement, the crowd in attendance erupted in loud applause as he called on Ramphal to shake hands with Joseph. However, they both went a step further and embraced each other, signalling an end to their public feud.
The statutory meetings of the RDC had been disrupted over the last seven months by APNU+AFC councillors over what they saw as an insult to President Granger by Ramphal, who was absent when the head of state was present for an activity in the region.
Ramphal, who had been called on repeatedly by the APNU+AFC councillors to apologise, had maintained that he did not intend to slight the President and had not been invited to the activity. Ramphal last week appealed for the President to “intervene decisively” to bring an end to the disruption of the statutory meetings, which he said has obstructed the delivery of services to the people of the region.
During his speech yesterday, President Granger said all three levels of government must work together. “The central government, represented here by the President and the ministers, the regional administration represented by Mr Ramphal and the neighbourhood and local government represented by the mayors and councillors,” he said, adding, “I want all three levels to work together.”
According to the President nothing must impede the prosperity of Region Five. “Let bygones be bygones,” he added.
