…urge end to divisive politics
DOZENS of residents of Karasabai in the South Pakaraimas, Region Nine, on Sunday staged a peaceful protest against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in what they alleged are the party’s efforts to divide the community.
The group of community members organised themselves when they received word that the party would be hosting a campaign launch at the community bus park.
According to village representative Marlon Edwards, the demonstrators marched from the market square to the park, bearing placards which expressed their displeasure with the alleged divisive message of the Opposition.
“What I want to disseminate is that political parties are going into indigenous communities to divide the people instead of going there to unite the people; instead of going there with a developmental plan for the people,” Edwards said.
“They are going there to divide the people instead, to spread propaganda and to criticize the government. We [village representatives] don’t do that. We are trying to unite the people. We are trying to promote social cohesion but the Opposition is the one who is going there to divide the people.”
The official members, he noted, who were present were Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Alister Charlie and the PPP Region 9 representative, Bryan Allicock. The village representative added “They haven’t been active in the community since they got out of government, which is like three years ago. They haven’t been assisting people in one way or the other; not at all. They only go in there during campaign and they go really low with the petty things they would talk about.”
Harming villagers
Edwards and others are worried that the type of divisive politics being practised would only harm the villagers who, with limited access to information and higher education, are oftentimes easily swayed.
“We try to the best of our ability–myself and another young guy– to [share information] but what we have been struggling with is getting out information related to the budget in our communities. What I’m trying to do now is to put measures in place whereby we can have the latest newspapers and other articles going into our communities so that the people can have up-to-date information.”
The community leaders are now gearing up to engage the government to see to an improvement to the radio signal to their village so that persons can have access to information 24-hours daily.
Karasabai Toshao Shawn Kartright also spoke with the newspaper on the issue of communication which, he said, is the community’s main issue while the deplorable roads leading into the community pose further challenges.
However, he noted that government contractors are expected to soon begin construction on the main access road from as early as Tuesday.
Tourism
Meanwhile, Edwards updated that discussions between the village’s tourism committee and Ministers of Business and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) regarding a three-year plan to develop their tourism product have borne fruit.
Last year October, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin and Junior Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe had visited the community to discuss how its Kezeé Eco Lodge could attract more tourists, among other developmental matters.
“Since then we have been receiving a lot of international tourists and local tourists. We have started to see big companies like Roraima Airways and Air Services Limited. These companies are starting to look at Karasabai and they are taking people there,” Edwards updated, adding “Just two weeks ago, Roraima Airways landed there with 22 tourists.”
He said that the villagers are now working together to expand the accommodation facilities, among other projects and any form of division at this time is unwelcomed. “We are tired of the PPP going in to spread propaganda and divide the people. Also, we are standing in solidarity with the coalition government at this time. We want to let them know that we have confidence in the government,” he said.
