By Vanessa Braithwaite

LEADERS of Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) are being urged to align their priorities with the developmental needs of the community and instead of fighting over who sits on the board of a television station, should find ways to create jobs and open up economic opportunities for the citizens of that mining town. General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, said that the town’s officials should also look at the 2012 agreement made by the Donald Ramotar administration and the people of Linden in totality rather than to focus only on the management of the television station. With the recent controversy concerning the manning of the station reported in some sections of the media, Lewis is adamant that the officials, including the Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland and the Regional Chairman Renis Morian are giving priority to what is minor when they are other things in the agreement that can bring economic stability to the region. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Lewis said that emphasis should be given to the economic committee that was promised to the people of Linden.

“Rather than fighting over who should be on the television board, the economic committee was promised to bring economic relief to the people of Linden and that should take precedence over any other thing right now,” posited Lewis. The trade unionist mentioned that in addition to this committee, the leaders of Region 10 should rally for other companies that were denied a frequency to operate a station in Linden to now have same. He explained that this too will contribute to the betterment of the economy. “Rather than fighting about who should be on the board, these are things that they should look at,” he said.
In a previous statement, Secretary of the Region 10 Television Station Board of Trustees Sharma Solomon echoed similar sentiments. He posited then that the acquisition of the television and its functioning in the region is but a small part of the 21st August 2012 signed between central Government and the Region 10 RDC. Other crucial elements remain , but are still legally required to be met. Solomon had urged the leaders to fight for these elements as the lives of Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset were lost fighting for them. “The previous regional administration having secured the return of the television, land selection committee and other stated commitments for the people, this new regional administration that is functioning in a friendly political atmosphere is encouraged to pick up the baton and work with the people for the good of all,” he added.
Lewis articulated that the fulfilment of these should not be difficult as the leaders represent the APNU+AFC Government that campaigned to honour the agreement, after the PPP/C government had refused to do so. “When in opposition, they called on the PPP/C to honour the agreement and even brought to the National Assembly a motion to this effect and voted in favour of it.” In addition to the economic committee, the technical committee to look into the electricity issue is still to be fulfilled.
Misguided actions
According the Lewis, the actions of the Regional Chairman and the Mayor to decide who should take control of the station are misguided. Lewis stands on the belief that the station belongs to the people. “This television station belongs to the people of Linden, not the politicians. The people have made known that they do not want their television acquired through the blood, sweat and tears of bauxite workers being controlled by the politicians.”
Also speaking out on the issue was Councillor of the M&TC Lennox Gasper and Councillor of the RDC Gordon Calendar, who voiced their concern over the haphazard way in which selection of representatives of the two organisations to be installed on the Linden Television Station board of Trustees was made.
Mayor Holland at a press conference held last Thursday had told the media that at a consultation held with the Prime Minister in Georgetown, he was chosen to represent the M&TC on the Board of Trustees and he then lobbied for an additional person to represent the Council and the Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindill was chosen. “In my capacity as Mayor, I was one of the original picks on the team and the Prime Minister chose, or the group, the people who were there in the room…so automatically yours truly is on the team…I stood up and I argued my way to have a second representative from the Mayor and Town Council because the team was being put together within the meeting….and I selected the Deputy Mayor being the next in command,” the Mayor related.
Councillor Lennox Gasper rebutted this move, saying that he is rather disappointed in the process but respects the decision of the Prime Minister to make such an appointment. He argued that the decision had no need to be made in haste, as the letter was sent requesting the selection of a representative on the day that the Council would have been sworn in. “It was incumbent now on these forums to meet and appoint and therefore duly elect a person that they deem fit to represent them,” posited Councillor Gasper. He further added that it was disrespectful that the Mayor should appoint himself and the Deputy without consulting the Council.
Holland, responding to the Councillor’s concern, articulated that in such cases in which decisions are to be made in haste, he acts as “The Council.” “The Mayor or the Regional Chairman acts in such a case as the Council, then when we would have made those decisions it has to then come to the municipality, come to the Council,” he said. Councillor Gasper who believes he is being sidelined along with other Councillors, said: “I feel that there is a deliberate move to hijack this station for personal agenda, we need to put the people’s interest forward and I therefore ask that we follow a democratic approach and this one was not democratic.”
Callendar for his part voiced similar concerns to the media about the selection of the three representatives from the RDC being undemocratic. He said that the return of the television came as a result of the 2012 struggle in which three lives were lost. Now that the station is returning to Linden, he claims that persons who were not part of that struggle are being selected without the people of the region being consulted. “The Regional Democratic Council had no discussion at none of the statutory meetings concerning the TV station; I am saying that is wrong, let us vote the person who we want to represent the TV station,” said Callendar. His other concern is that the board does not have a life span and if these things are not changed, he will mobilise protest action. “If the powers that be do not come and fix this nonsense I am going to mobilise the forces in Region 10 and take to the streets, because these things are wrong; people lost their lives, people got scars going to the grave because of that TV station and this nonsense has to stop,” he exclaimed. He added that this move was for political gains and if the relevant authorities do not come and fix these issues, “they are going to get upheaval in Region 10,” Callendar threatened. Morian in an invited comment echoed the sentiments of the Mayor of Linden and said that between Council, the Chairman is the Council. A Government official present in the consultation held with the Prime Minister posited that it would be inaccurate to say that the Prime Minister selected any member for the Trust and it was rather a unanimous decision by those present to have the current chairman of the RDC be the Chairman of the Trust. The Prime Minister, he said, cannot make such a pronouncement.