The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party has denounced what it describes as the “heavy-handed” and “insensitive” actions taken early Thursday morning at Stabroek Market and Stabroek Square, where vendors awoke to find barricades erected without warning—an intervention the party says threatens the livelihoods of hundreds during the peak Christmas season.
In a strongly worded statement issued on November 27, the party said the move- reportedly executed by the Ministry of Local Government and the Office of the First Lady- “directly interferes with the ability of ordinary people to earn an honest living for themselves and their families during the most important trading period of the year.”
WIN demanded the immediate removal of all barricades and insisted that vendors must be allowed to continue operations uninterrupted until January, pending “meaningful dialogue” toward a permanent solution.
WIN Leader and Member of Parliament Azruddin Mohamed, who met with affected stallholders, sharply criticised the government’s handling of the situation. “I am horrified by the way the ordinary people in this country are being treated. This government is heartless. They do not care about the everyday struggles of the people of this country, how they eat, how they survive, how they make an honest living,” he stated.
Mohamed added that the discontent he has observed nationwide is fueling widespread frustration:
“Across all races, cultures and communities, Guyanese are suffering under an increasingly heartless and authoritarian government.”
Calling on citizens to resist what he termed “a dictatorship government,” the MP said he is prepared to participate directly in negotiations:
“I am willing to sit in that discussion and represent the needs of the people. They invited me here, they trust me to help them, and I will not abandon them.”
He argued that Guyana needs more than piecemeal fixes:
“We do not need these band-aid solutions. What Guyanese need is a long-term, holistic approach to their welfare… and a dignified life.”
GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO PUBLIC OUTCRY
Amid rising public anger over the treatment of vendors, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand defended the administration’s actions in a post on her social media page.
She said the City Council had been fully briefed on the redevelopment of Stabroek Square, explaining:
“At a meeting in a packed Boardroom at the Ministry of Housing, where the Mayor of Georgetown, Mr Alfred Mentore and several city councillors were present, a VIDEO presentation was made of what the Stabroek Square (that is currently being constructed) would look like and what that would entail and involve.
The response from the City Council was, ‘lovely, lovely. This is what is needed.’”
Manickchand added that the concept was also presented publicly to stakeholders during a recent “going forward engagement,” and noted that the government has spoken openly about plans to “revive and restore” Stabroek Square. She further stated that repairs to the Stabroek Market roof are scheduled to begin soon and that the Ministry and City Council have been working collaboratively on this project.
WIN’S IMMEDIATE DEMANDS
Removal of all barricades at Stabroek.
Vendors allowed to operate until the New Year without harassment.
Suspension of all forced relocations or fee increases.
Urgent dialogue with vendor representatives and independent stakeholders.
WIN’S LONG-TERM PROPOSALS
A national plan for vendors, workers, and small entrepreneurs.
Skills training tied to durable employment.
Fair, transparent market policies.
Dignified working conditions for informal workers.
Real opportunities for economic mobility.
The WIN Party maintains that development “cannot be built on the backs of the poor,” declaring: “Enough is enough.”
