In the wake of Local Government Elections (LGE), Georgetown’s mayor, Pandit Ubraj Narine hosted a press conference at his City Hall office on Tuesday.
The mayor opened the session by stating that since the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Coalition retains a majority of the seats on the Municipal Council of Georgetown, the new mayor will be an APNU Councillor. The outgoing mayor said that policies, programs, and documents that were passed by the outgoing council will be handed over to the incoming Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
The mayor said, “I thank the citizens of Georgetown for voting for the Coalition. I thank activists, vendors, businesses, and others who supported me [and the other councillors] during my tenure as mayor.”
Narine assured that, “This will not be the end of my career in politics.” He said that he intends to be politically active in all of Guyana’s regions.
The mayor said that after he leaves office, other people like him will take his place – people who care about the rule of law, people who will fight for poor citizens of all persuasions – not just for one group of people like the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is doing.
The outgoing mayor mentioned the following points regarding his tenure:
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He inherited a debt of some $5 billion, but his council was able to pay off half of it.
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The PPP regime owes City Hall more than $1 billion.
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Guyana Power and Light (GPL) owes $10 billion.
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The Ministry of Health owes some $200 million for the PAHO building alone.
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The Guyana Revenue Authority owes millions in fees for the use of City reserves and the erection of a licensing office.
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He said that during the Coalition term, each year, the Municipality was given about $500 million by that administration, thereby enabling the city to acquire garbage trucks, tractors, and other essential equipment for the improvement of the lives of residents. But that support stopped completely when the PPP regime took office in August 2020.
During the hour-long press conference, Mayor Narine repeatedly encouraged young Guyanese to become more involved in the affairs of their country. He said, “Young people have access to information, they must take leadership seriously.” He pointed out that no longer can anyone fool Guyanese with lies and propaganda. As proof of that fact, he noted that the PPP regime spent massive amounts of state resources to attempt to buy votes and bribe Guyanese people. But, the mayor said, the people rightfully took the money – because it belongs to them – and they still rejected the PPP at the LGE.
The mayor criticised the PPP regime for its politics of division. He specifically mentioned Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, finance minister Ashni Singh and local government minister Nigel Dharamlall whom he challenged to a public debate.
The mayor said that he welcomes a debate with Dharamlall to discuss matters of law. Mayor Narine explained that he has no desire to debate political matters, rather, he wants to talk about how the central government is encroaching on the authority and responsibility of local government organs such as the M&CC. The mayor said that Guyanese could understand what he means if they read the law for themselves.
The outgoing mayor encouraged Guyanese to work together. He urged PPP politicians to stop spreading lies and fostering hatred [among Guyanese]. He said that the PPP’s hateful behavior brings into question their fitness for leadership.
With regard to the General and Regional Elections due in 2025, Mayor Narine said, “Our campaign starts today,” and he added that if Guyanese work hard enough, “we can return to power with the support of our young people.”
