Dear Editor,
March 18 will soon be upon us. It will truly be the return to democracy because after twenty-two years we will have local government elections being held in Guyana. It will be historic for many Guyanese in that this will be their first time voting in such elections with a hybrid system of Proportional Representation and First Past the Post.
It is imperative that citizens come out and exercise their franchise so that they can elect the persons whom they want to represent them on the various councils and municipalities. I make special reference to the City of Georgetown as I look forward to a new dispensation. However, there are some things which I need to bring to the fore which I think will give people an understanding of why they need to vote and why they need to vote for change in this election.
Mr Hamilton Green in a discourse on television emphasised the need for our young people to be given the opportunity to serve at the local level now, since this serves as a training ground for higher levels of governance. As I reflected I noted that our first executive President served as a councillor and Mayor of Georgetown in 1959 and 1964; Raphael Trotman the current Minister of Natural Resources served as a councillor in the year 1994; Basil Williams current Attorney General served as a councillor. Suffice it to say Raphael Trotman was just 28 years old when he was a councilor and Forbes Burnham was in his 30s, so these men were given an opportunity at an age where people could make important decisions.
I have argued in my previous letters to the media that it is time for new blood and leadership within the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown; the time is opportune for the new dispensation we experienced on May 11, 2015 so I say let us ensure that March 18, 2016 is another new experience for us, the citizens of Georgetown. I am opposed to any of the current councillors returning to serve on the new council, since I believe that they would have served for over twenty years and most, if not all of them, have no new ideas. Their way of thinking and modus operandi are outdated and if they returned it would be very detrimental for the city. Many of them have become complacent, comfortable and sluggish, and rather than city development, they seek self-gratification. Some of them would have sat there and colluded with officers in some strange operations and activities, while all some others know about is ‘cussing’ and ‘busing out.’ In their case I do not think they are capable of being part and parcel of this new dispensation.
Many councillors have forgotten how they got there; they treat staff members with disrespect and are very hostile in some instances. There is a particular councillor on the campaign trail telling people they are doing things for them, so they must ensure the people vote for them come March 18. Worse is the fact that this councillor is professing to be running for mayor, so it is not Benschop alone saying that. It is important to note that no one runs for mayor or deputy mayor; they all run for positions as councillors.
I ask myself why must Oscar Clarke, Patricia Chase-Greene, Andrew Garrett, Gregory Fraser, Monica Thomas, Ranwell Jordon, and others return to the city council? They have served the city for a number of years, and some of them had forgotten the citizens of Georgetown.
Editor, let us see the likes of Sherod Duncan, Martin Gaul, Akeem Peters, Abigail Brower, Malcolm Defreitas and others with new ideas and a new vision take their rightful place in City Hall. Let those who served before move on; the time is now for our young people to take up the mantle of leadership at the local level.
I am urging the citizens of Georgetown to come out on March 18 and vote positively; vote for a new dispensation.
On May 11, 2015 we came out in our numbers and we look forward to the same type of enthusiasm come March 18. We want new blood, new vision and new aspirations, and on March 18 myself and family will be out there voting for new, young and visionary city councillors.
Yours faithfully,
Garfield Boston
