THE statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council of Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) had to be abruptly adjourned on Thursday due to protest by councillors of APNU/AFC who demanded that Chairman Vickchand Ramphal publicly apologise for being disrespectful to President David Granger.APNU Councillor Carol Joseph said that shortly after the pledge was recited, AFC Councillor Abel Sitaram called on the Regional Chairman to publicly apologise for boycotting a ceremony last Friday in Region 5 when President Granger officiated at the handing over of two school buses to the region that will enable free transportation of children to and from school.
The trouble began, she said, when the Chairman bluntly refused to apologise.
“We told him that he had been disrespectful to the President and we would not listen to him or have anything to do with his meeting until he apologises publicly,” she said.
They thumped their fists on their desks and stomped their feet in a noisy protest which made further discussions at the meeting impossible.
President Granger himself had noted the absence of the Regional Chairman of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic controlled RDC at the ceremony. He had said: “I heard that the Regional Chairman was not permitted to come. He is not here. Some people in this country don’t seem to realise that the traffic lights have changed from red to green. I am not President of Region 4 or President of Region 5, I am President of Guyana.”
He also said that the Minister of Communities should chide the Regional Chairman who did not have the common courtesy to be present when the President of the country is officiating at a function within his region. In an invited comment, Chairman Ramphal said that he had stayed away but not with the intention of being disrespectful to the President.
“I believe that there was a breakdown in communications on the ground whereby those who were part of the organising of the event did not communicate properly with the Chairman’s office and the region,” he said.
Mr Ramphal said he would have been happy to have done a welcoming address for the President, however his name was not mentioned on the programme to be a part of the event.
NOT PROPERLY INFORMED
“I wasn’t properly informed so I felt that my presence was not necessary at the event,” he told this publication.
Joseph, however, disputed this, saying that she had personally informed him to the event.
“I briefed him personally. I gave him invitations sent by the Ministry of the Presidency. He knew about it.”
She said that when the APNU and AFC were in Opposition, there were many times when their councillors had been informed by word-of-mouth about visits either by President Cheddi Jagan, President Bharat Jagdeo or President Donald Ramotar and they attended, even though they were “not properly informed,” but out of courtesy and respect for the Presidency.
“We never boycotted any of the visits of the Presidents of the past Administration.”
She said: “This event was not a programme planned by the RDC, but he knew the President was coming on his first visit to the Region and he must apologise for his disrespectful absence.”
Mr Ramphal, however, stressed the he had no intentions of apologising since he had not been properly informed of the visit of the President and had felt that his presence was not necessary. He said that he will try to meet with the councillors informally to see if the deadlock can be resolved.
Joseph, however, insisted that the APNU/AFC councillors will not cooperate with the Chairman until he publicly apologise. Observers say that the deadlock could result in a disruption of the services being offered to the citizens of Region 5.
Some have since opined that the Regional Executive Officer (REO) was the Chief Executive Officer of the region and the Chairman was “just a political appointee”.
“No RDC meetings is no big thing,” one person said. She said that as a result of the REO being the CEO of the region, the region should be able to continue its work despite the deadlock at the level of the Council and until it is resolved. The RDC of Region 5 meets on the third Thursday of every month.

By Clifford Stanley