– Akeem Peter new deputy mayor

GEORGETOWN Mayor Patricia Chase-Green won a third term when elections were held for the position at the City Council on Thursday and she has gotten a new deputy–A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) councillor, Akeem Peter.

Soon after Councillor Philip Smith nominated Chase-Green for the mayoral chair, Councillor Winston Harding rose to close nominations and this was seconded by Councillor Linda Gomes-Haley. Councillors Oscar Clarke and Sherod Duncan stood up at the same time to submit nominations for the post of Deputy Mayor with the latter taking his seat to allow for Clarke to go first.
After Councillor Ivelaw Henry seconded Clarke’s nomination, Councillors Trichria Richards and Duncan stood up. Richards wanted to close nominations for the post, but Duncan would not back down and take his seat without being allowed to state his nomination.
It was now in the hands of the mayor, who by now would have already taken up her seat at the head of the horse shoe table, to make a decision on whom she would allow on the floor.

Chase-Green said she saw Richards standing up first and without any dissenting voices from the Council, took a decision to allow her instead of Duncan. Councillor Harding supported Richards’ proposal and thus no other nominations for deputy mayor were entertained.

Alliance for Change (AFC) councillor, Lionel Jaikarran will continue as deputy mayor until Chase-Green and Peter officially take up their offices on April 1.
The four methods of voting at the mayoral elections are by voice, rising vote (standing up to vote), by a show of hands, and by means of a secret ballot.
Councillors Clarke and Heston Bostwick suggested that the elections be conducted by means of a show of hands, while People’s Progressive Party (PPP) councillors, Bishram Kuppen and Khame Sharma suggested using a secret ballot. But while 19 went in favour of a show of hands, only three voted for a secret ballot.
Of the 30 councillors, only six rose to offer congratulatory messages, after which Peter, in brief remarks, offered that he views himself as a servant of the city and hopes that the other councillors can have the same outlook. “This is not about politics, it’s about service,” he said.

Following the elections, Jaikarran told reporters outside of the council chambers that AFC no longer has a voice at the City Council. “In the process, local government democracy at City Hall…the AFC was kicked to the curb madam. Kicked to the curb. In other words, the AFC no longer has a voice at City Hall and I think Sherod would concur with me.”
Duncan told reporters that his intention was to nominate Jaikarran for the post of Deputy Mayor. “My intention was to nominate Councillor Jaikarran, but I’m not young enough; not vibrant enough. But I wish both the mayor, and I have already expressed my congratulations to the incoming deputy mayor…The road is going to be very rough, but I think they will come out all the better forward.”

Duncan would not state what he really thought about the mayor’s decision to pick Councillor Richards over him, but he would only say: “The mayor in her own deliberate judgement…It was the mayor’s decision to make and the mayor made her decision.”
Asked just how independent he is prepared to be in his new office, Peter told the Guyana Chronicle that to him, it is not a question of being independent, but of being co-operative.
Referring to the clashes between the mayor and previous deputy mayors, Peter said issues arose because the visions of the officers were not aligning. “And that sort of showed not lack of independence but lack of co-operation and unity in the coalition aspect of things. For us to have a working relationship, I must understand the intention of the mayor and direction in which she wants to take the city and also my role in that vision.”

Peter said the previous deputy mayors did not allow themselves to be led by the mayor but instead wanted to lead. “It was in essence that they wanted to have two mayors and clearly that could not work. It’s not a case of trusting blindly; you must still maintain your independence. But it’s a matter of willingness to be led rather than fighting to lead. And I do believe that before we can even lead effectively, we must also be willing to be led.”
Speaking with reporters, Peter said he will be spending a number of months while in office to correct the negative image of the City Council. “City Hall has caught itself in a place where it is not favourable, and it is not a favourable entity to even work at. That’s one of the things for the first half of the year we will be working assiduously to correct; the image of the organization. I do believe that the councillors will now seek to fix that.”

Responding to Jaikarran’s remarks that the AFC was ‘kicked to the curb’, Peter said at the end of the day the image of the Council and the intention of the councillors spoke through. “The APNU has a majority on the City Council and they have decided to place one of the councillors whom in their mind they have all confidence in. So it is not a matter of kicking anyone to the curb. It was a matter of who is best suited for the position.”