OCTOBER 25, 2018, the day that President David Granger declared Mahdia a town, is not only a historic one for Mahdia, but is also reason for national celebration. The establishment of Guyana’s 10th municipality signifies one step further towards a progressive, equitable, decentralised, and democratic system of governance, in which the people will have the power and independence to directly make decisions that affect their lives.

It is one more step towards a cultural transformation that is only now occurring, even though Guyana has been officially independent for more than half a century.
President Granger announced the vision and rationale for capital towns on March 24, 2016, significantly, during remarks at the Annual General Meeting of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry. President Granger explained that even after 50 years of being independent, the colonial mentality of “colonial compound governance” still persisted. He said that under that archaic system, district commissioners were tasked with “[coordinating] the activities of the various government departments in his district and providing advice and assistance to the village communities …” He explained that the duties of commissioners – who ruled from segregated compounds – was administrative rather than developmental. He elaborated that such a focus had to change in order for Guyana to develop and give Guyanese the chance at better lives. Thus, the vision for capital towns was born.

Six days before that announcement, on March 18, 2016, Guyana had held its first Local Government Elections (LGEs) in 22 years, thereby restoring and renewing local democracy. President Granger declared, “[LGEs] represented more than mere respect for constitutionality. They were a reaffirmation of our political democracy and an opportunity for economic change. The elections restored the right of citizens to participate in decision-making in their municipalities and neighbourhood councils. They also renewed economic opportunities for innovation, investment and infrastructural development.” The President indicated that even though that first step had been taken, more work had to be done to transform Guyana’s mode of governance from the old colonial model to the progressive, independent one that focused on development.

Towards that end, the President said, “The new model will eradicate the “colonial compound” mentality. It will instil a capital town mindset which emphasises the role of towns in moving beyond providing traditional municipal services. The new emphasis should be on promoting business, driving economic development and giving leadership to our regions.” The president explained that each of Guyana’s regions, being rich in resources, should have a capital town. One which would allow for improvements to infrastructure; promotion of investments; encouragement of innovation; improvement of information and communications technology; and provision of public, financial, and economic services.
Since the President announced government’s intention to modernise and democratise Guyana’s system of governance, there has been substantial, real, and tangible progress towards the goal of decentralisation for the purpose of development. Local democratic revitalisation will again be held on November 12, 2018, for the second time under this administration. Additionally, under the APNU+AFC coalition, four new capital towns have been established: Bartica in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region; Lethem in the Rupununi; Mabaruma in the Barima-Waini district; and now, Mahdia in Potaro-Siparuni.

And even though the process of transformation is fewer than three years old, the benefits are already being reaped. According to reports, Bartica is the home of Guyana’s first boardwalk, Mabaruma has transformed the Kumaka Waterfront and Lethem is quickly becoming the business hub of the Rupununi. Mahdia, too, well on its way to becoming the business centre of the region, has had 80 per cent of its roads converted from mud to all-weather laterite. And government has announced further work to be done on Mahdia’s bridges, culverts, roadways, and other infrastructure.

As the government continues to make strides towards transforming Guyana, Guyanese of every region have reason to celebrate, since each region will eventually have its own capital town that will, in the words of President Granger, “become motors of economic growth.”