AFC misguided Region 8 protestors - Local Gov’t Minister

Georgetown, GINA, May 14, 2012

Mahdia, Region Eight residents who led the protest action in front of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) last week were misguided in doing so by persons from the Alliance for Change (AFC) party, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Ganga Persaud told the media today.

Minister Persaud during a press conference at the ministry said that the protest seems to have mounted from AFC political figures on the ground, especially those in the RDC office feeding the residents misinformation, suggesting that the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsawack was not implementing projects approved in the budget to address specific conditions in the region.

The information provided also seems to suggest that the REO was allegedly taking guidance and instructions from non-AFC quarters, was not cooperating with the RDC and was trying to destabilize and retard developments in the region.

On the basis of this misinformation, its is believed that residents of Mahdia on May 10, gathered in front of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in protest of the region’s failure to address issues of concern to the community that were approved for addressing in the 2012 budget, including the state of the main roads and the irregularity of the water supply.

Minster Persaud shedding some light on the issue said that on approval of the regional budget allocation that members of the AFC would have gone into the community and shared with the residents’ what were approved.

He said that the party’s officials would have failed to explain to the citizens that though approved, the projects would first have to undergo a process outlined by the Procurement Act and influenced by the Financial Management Accountability Act before being implemented.

This process requires that for approved projects, bills of quantity have to be developed, and advertisements published to solicit bids for the execution of the project. There is also a process of evaluation and awarding of tenders for projects.

Minister Persaud said in light of this he was “surprised that the AFC took such a part of sharing part of the information rather than sharing the full information” with regards to the necessary procedure for the implementation of the budgeted projects.

He described this action by the AFC as political manipulation of the residents to the highest and said that it is unfortunate that there have been “too much political interplay in the region”.

The Minister said that the protestors were so misguided that they “seem to be very unsure and very unaware of the issues which would have brought them together.” 

The Minister said that at one recent session of the RDC statutory meeting, the standing order was suspended and leaders from the protest were invited in and explanations given.

To curb more such misguided actions in  the region, Minister Persaud expressed hope that the “politicians would be more responsible in their actions and that they will seek to inform citizens and residents in Region Eight rather than seek to misguide and misinform them so that the development in that region can continue.”

During the press conference, the Minister also addressed misguided statements in the press that accused the REO of blaming the Mahdia community of vandalizing the water lines.

The Minister said that the ministry has photographic evidence to show that, “indeed by the acts of persons best known to the residents of Mahdia there was vandalism with regards to the water mains and pipelines, where these were cut in different places… and in some point, the washing away of some of the pipelines because of vandalism.”

The Minister said that it is clear that vandals were at work and expressed hope that now that the residents are fully aware of the problem and, “may have in their position information as regards to who these vandals were,” that they will now condone them in the strongest possible terms.

Meanwhile efforts are being made in collaboration with the regional administration, several ministries and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to curb the practice and replace the more than 250 water mains that were affected because of vandalism with more durable ones that would pose greater difficulties to vandals, the Minister disclosed.