Mayor Narine Criticises Lack of Budget Transparency in Le Repentir Cemetery Project

Former Mayor of Georgetown, Pt. Ubraj Narine, has raised concerns over the government’s handling of the Le Repentir Cemetery redevelopment project, calling for transparency and accountability regarding its financial provisions in the 2025 national budget.

In an exclusive conversation with Village Voice News, Narine, a Justice of the Peace and former Staff Sergeant in the Guyana Defence Force, clarified that the groundwork for the cemetery’s upgrade began during his mayoral tenure from 2019 to 2023. He emphasised that the initial development study was completed under his administration, with technical support led by Mr. Kabila Hollingsworth, now acting Deputy City Engineer.

A motion on upgrading the cemetery was brought by Opposition Member of Parliament Volda, reflecting the continuity of efforts started under his tenure,” Narine said. The motion “was debated and passed in the National Assembly with participation from both the Government and the Opposition.”

What is troubling, however, is the apparent absence of a dedicated budget line in the 2025 National Budget for this critical project, the former mayor pointed out.

While acknowledging the importance of improving Le Repentir—Guyana’s largest and most historic cemetery—Narine stressed that the project must not be marred by political opacity.

“I am not opposed to the enhancement of Le Repentir Cemetery,” he noted. “However, transparency remains a fundamental pillar of national development, and all projects, especially those of such public interest, must be handled with openness and integrity.”

The cemetery, established in 1861, is a resting place for some of Guyana’s most revered figures and has long suffered from neglect, illegal dumping, and infrastructural decay. Calls for its restoration have intensified in recent years, culminating in a bipartisan push for renewal. Yet, Narine’s concerns signal a growing frustration over how such heritage projects are prioritized—or sidelined—in national planning.

“If budgetary provisions exist, I urge the Government to point the public to them,” Narine said. “Clarity and accountability cannot be optional.”

The name “Le Repentir,” meaning “The Repentance” in French, traces back to Pierre Louis de Saffon, a Frenchman who fled to Demerara—modern-day Guyana—in the 18th century after fatally wounding his brother in a duel. In a personal quest for redemption, he named two of his estates “Le Repentir” and “La Penitence.”

The cemetery, for the most part, has deteriorated into a national disgrace—an eyesore that starkly highlights the central government’s failure to support the City Council in restoring one of Georgetown’s most historic sites. Critics have called out what they see as political pettiness, arguing that a society’s values are revealed in how it treats it’s most vulnerable—both the living and the dead. By that measure, they say, Guyana’s record is nothing short of abysmal.