Latest update May 14th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 03, 2013 News
…says chairman disrespectful
It’s a new year and Region Three Councilors say that they have got a new attitude towards the Regional chairman who insists on treating them in a disrespectful manner. The councilors said that apart from that, they will be making urgent calls to have certain information which should be known, available to them.
Yesterday at the Region Three Democratic Council (RDC) meeting councilors walked out of the monthly meeting, citing the Chairman’s insolence towards the members. The regional councillors from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC), indicated that the chairman is playing political games with the region’s affairs.
They said that when they raise issues highlighting inefficiencies in their community, they are told to, “Sit down, shut up or are threatened to be thrown out the meeting.”
Kathlene Armstrong, APNU representative for Den Amstel said that yesterday was no different. She said, “Councilors decided that they would leave the meeting after they were dissatisfied with the treatment members received at the hands of the chairman.”
The woman said that two members wished to raise issues pertaining to agriculture production; rice in particular and food varieties grown in the region. That councilor, she said, was told in a rude manner that he could go to the Rice Producers’ Association like any other resident. Despite that councilor not finishing his contribution, she said the chairman ordered him to sit and “shut up”.
That was it for the councilors and they walked out of the meeting. Armstrong said that the councilors are dissatisfied with the dictatorship being shown to the opposition representatives. “We are not prepared in 2013 to take anymore of the dictatorship.”
Perry Birbal said that he was the one who tried to raise the issue that sparked the quarrel. Birbal who represents APNU hails from Wakenaam. He asked about nurseries and the variety of rice being grown. He said he had another point pertaining to house lots sold in the region for 2012, but the chairman was not having it and Birbal said that he did not get to highlight his concerns.
Armstrong said prior to the misunderstanding, she told the chairman that, “We (councilors) were dissatisfied with the progress made for 2012.” “The region is in a state of stagnation. We cannot account for projects that were done in 2012.”
Armstrong said that the Regional Executive Officer (REO) then took out his statics to show that 99.7 percent of the works had been completed.
The councilors however argued that they cannot measure success in their region since they are not provided with the works programme. “If you are not on the finance committee you are not given a works programme,” Armstrong noted.
Yet still, she argued that a member of APNU is on the finance committee but after the first meeting of 2012 which was adjourned, the member was never invited to another meeting. “I see this as an effort by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in Region Three to frustrate APNU and AFC councilors.”
Dr. Kalamal Roy Narine who represents Leguan for AFC interjected that the chairman seems to find answers, telling the councilors that they should go back to their local NDC and IMC for the answers that they are supposed to be getting. Even after doing so, he said relevant information is still not made available to the councilors.
George Orville Stewart representing Vergenoegen for APNU said that the chairman always uses his authority to “put down” the councilors. He said that when the chairman is asked a question and he feels cornered he would order the councilor to sit down, shut up or risk getting thrown out of the meeting. “That type of dictatorial attitude is what caused us to walk out,” Stewart said.
Harry Narine Deokinanan, from the AFC, and representing Parika said that he was one of those councilors who was told to “shut up” by the chairman. He charged that after one of his colleagues gave their report for 2012, he stood in support of the report and brought up points such as the incomplete school at Canal Number Two which poses danger to students.
He said that he was told to shut his mouth.
Deokinanan said that he had more issues to highlight, but that the chairman was not hearing him. He was instead warned that he would be thrown out of the meeting.
The councilors are looking for a change in the manner in which they are treated and in which the regional work is being conducted; if not they say further action may be relevant.
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