— Minister Dharamlall believes the councillors were misled

LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, said that at least two of the councillors who resigned on Monday from the Zeelust-Rosignol Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) have since indicated that they are reconsidering their resignation.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, Dharamlall said he was shocked to have heard, on Monday, that six councillors resigned from the NDC over a misunderstanding at the level of the Council.

“Two weeks prior there were some councillor who said that they indicate that I instructed them to move the people off the road but that is not the situation,” Minister Dharamlall explained.
On Monday, Chairman of the Zeelust-Rosignol Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Chate Puran along with five of the nine councillors tendered their resignation from the West Coast Berbice Local Government.

Aside from Puran, those resigning included Deputy Chairman, Iqbal Alli; Chairman of the Market Committee, Haimwattie Persaud; Chairman of the Works Committee, Samuel Jagnandan; and councillors Agnes Karamchand and Joseph Tribhawan.

Dharamlall further explained that he did visit the market last Saturday and came to an understanding with the vendors. He said it was agreed that the vendors would move inside once the Ministry of Local Government would have completed certain remedial works on the market. Dharamlall maintained that he at no time asked the vendors to remove with immediate effect.
“I went Saturday and we have an agreement with the people now who said as soon as the washrooms are finished building and they have good water and sanitation in the market they will go in. So we agreed that they will go in at the end of April. That is as far as I know, so I’m surprised the people resign,” Dharamlall said.

The minister noted that only one councillor from the NDC was present during his visit on Saturday, where he was also accompanied by Regional Democratic Council Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal.
He said he was all the more surprised because his ministry has a very cordial relation with the NDC and the ministry would have facilitated a lot of community work being carried out in the NDC.

Dharamlall said while the councillors have tendered their resignation, they have not officially written to him about their resignation. Nonetheless, having observed the situation, he has since reached out to some of the councillors.

“They have not written to me about their resignation. I don’t know the reason for their resignation. I spoke with two of them today and they indicated to me that they will be willing to reconsider, because I think they were being misled,” Dharamlall explained.

The resignation letters of the councillors have been circulating on social media. One of the councillors, Iqbal Alli, thanked the Council for the opportunity to serve. Several of the other councillors say “lack of cooperation from fellow councillors” was the reason for their resignation.

Overseer Gomattie Samaroo, who received the resignation letters, declined to speak with the media.