BE UNITED -President urges City Hall; says no declaration of war against municipalities
President David Granger addressing Councillors of the Georgetown Municipality on Monday
President David Granger addressing Councillors of the Georgetown Municipality on Monday

By Alva Solomon

PRESIDENT David Granger has pledged his Government’s support to the Georgetown Municipality.Welcomed at City Hall by a parade of City Constables held outside the downtown landmark on Regent Street, and escorted into City Hall compound by Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, the President’s address to the Council was the first made by a Guyanese leader in over 20 years.

President Granger is being escorted into City Hall compound by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday afternoon
President Granger is being escorted into City Hall compound by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday afternoon

Addressing councillors gathered around City Hall’s horse-shoe table shortly after 14:00hrs on Monday, the Head of State said he had visited City Hall to encourage unity among councillors and offer proposals which the Council can adopt in discharging its mandate to enhance the development of the capital city.
He appealed for unity at City Hall, and made several proposals to the Council as he called for the City to be more sustainable.

“Some people complain — and they will always complain — about new financial measures,” he said. He noted that as long as such measures are transparent, approved by the Council, and are in the interest of the nation, Central Government would fully support their implementation.

The President called on the councillors to reach out to their respective constituencies, as he noted that each councillor represents approximately 2,800 citizens within Georgetown.

“And you have to listen to them,” the President said. “We expect you — week by week, month by month — to engage those citizens in your constituencies, so that you can bring back to the Council their opinions on matters affecting them,” he charged.

He said that, thus far, the Council has been working to improve the outlook of the City, and he noted that persons have been making positive remarks about the City’s progression.
He promised that Central Government would remain committed to assisting the Council in discharging its mandate, and reiterated his call for councillors to work together in the interest of the citizenry.

The President said the governance structure is based on three strata, the most elementary of those being the local or municipal stratum. He said the local government system must work if the country is to become prosperous.

NO DECLARATION OF WAR
He assured that there will be “no declaration of war between Central Government and the municipality,” noting that Central Government will always be prepared to meet the Council…and in the final analysis, the citizens can be assured of their concerns being addressed,” he said.

President Granger spoke of the unsanitary and unsightly state of the City in years gone by. “It had degenerated into a national embarrassment,” he noted, as he recounted that Georgetown had become prone to a plethora of problems, including poor drainage and problems associated with solid waste management.

“Our national capital (city) must never be neglected again,” he said, “regardless of which political party is in power. The City must regain its image as one of the Caribbean’s most picturesque and pleasant places for residents, and an attractive destination to visitors,” he said.

President Granger said the Council has only 30 months to carry out its mandate, since elections are due in December 2018.

President David Granger addressing Councillors of the Georgetown Municipality on Monday
President David Granger addressing Councillors of the Georgetown Municipality on Monday

“If you don’t perform, you will get a bad report and people will not put you back in office. As long as I am President, municipal elections will be held when they are due,” he promised.

PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
According to the President, the City must avoid “unplanned development”, which he noted has affected its progression many times in the past.
He said the boundaries of the capital were extended, but the requisite resources were not increased or improved. The extension, he said, was in response to demands of commerce, industry, and for human settlement.

“I ask this Council today to consider the possibility of establishing a National Capital Planning Commission,” the President said, noting that the task of that body should be to review the numerous plans which were prepared over the years, and develop a structured approach to urban renewal.
“Business places should not intrude in areas designated as residential zones,” he said.

He also called for each vendor to be placed under a roof, to cheers from those gathered.

“Vending is a legitimate economic activity, and I would like the City Council, as it has abided in the past, (to) let us find suitable places where vendors could be protected from the elements,” he said.

The President inspecting the Guard of Honour outside City Hall
The President inspecting the Guard of Honour outside City Hall

The President suggested that the Mayor and councillors should develop a “much clearer vision” and “much more profound sense of mission”. He said that on September 25 last year, the country adopted “the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The agenda contains 17 goals, and number 11 speaks to making citizens safe.

“The Council should, I suggest, create a City where people can feel safe,” the Head of State noted.

EXPECT THE BEST
Mayor Patricia-Chase Green welcomed the President’s proposals, and assured that the Georgetown Municipality would work to ensure that one can “expect no less than the best from the City”.

The Mayor called on the councillors to support the City’s agenda; and in her chants of “yes we can”, several councillors placed their hands on the table as others looked around.

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