Granger’s threat begins to take shape; scores barred from entering City Hall

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Members of the City Constabulary prevent citizens from entering City Hall. [iNews' Photo]

 

By Kurt Campbell

Members of the City Constabulary prevent citizens from entering City Hall. [iNews' Photo]
Members of the City Constabulary prevent citizens from entering City Hall. [iNews’ Photo]
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Scores of citizens attempting to attend a meeting, organized by Mayor Hamilton Green, his Deputy Mayor and Councilors were prevented from entering the City Hall compound this morning [Tuesday, September 16] by members of the City Constabulary and the Guyana Police Force.

iNews understands that the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councilors had no permission from Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba to keep a meeting in the compound. Such a meeting is also believed to have the potential to disrupt the revenue collection process.

“We don’t have to seek permission from her, who is her; we are the main Council of the city of Georgetown, who is Ms. Sooba?” Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green exclaimed.

Chase Green explained that they decided to keep a meeting in keeping with the threat by the Leader of the Opposition, David Granger to mobilize local, national and international support in defence of democracy in wake of the President’s failure to announce a date for the long overdue local government elections.

“The deadline is up and the President must name a date for local government elections… this is just part of what is going on and what is going to happen… and the people must understand this is dictatorship,” the Deputy Mayor added.

She said prior to the meeting, all the recruits and Constabulary Officers were brought in, leaving all other assets, including markets unprotected.

Persons locked out of City Hall. [iNews' Photo]
Persons locked out of City Hall. [iNews’ Photo]
“This is unnecessary,” she said; adding that “this is dictatorship with an incompetent, unqualified woman who is abusing her authority and has the support of the government.”

“We are fed up, totally fed up… yes to local government elections no to the PPP,” Chase Green said.

According to her, there are some persons working like robots in the City Constabulary and who are confused as to who is the boss and continue to take orders from the Town Clerk.

“According to the law she is not the functional authority… we are fed up, we are disgusted. After two years of her sitting there nothing has been done. We want local government elections and we want it now.”

Despite the distractions, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Shadow Local Government Minister, Ronald Bulkhan utilized a loud speaker to address the small gathering that was locked outside the compound.

Granger last week wrote President Ramotar demanding that he announce a date for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) before Monday, September 15 and to issue the ‘Commencement Order’ to operationalise the Local Government Commission and to initiate a process by which the Local Government (Amendment) Bill could be returned for his assent.

The Opposition Leader has threatened that failure by the President to announce a date for the holding of LGE will result in lawful action being taken to mobilise national and international support in defence of “local democracy, the Constitution and the rights of the Guyanese people.”

The Head of State has since responded; saying he wants Granger to clarify what precisely is his Party’s position. According to President Ramotar, the Opposition’s position on local and general elections is ambiguous and contradictory.

 

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6 COMMENTS

  1. If the mayor and councillors are incompetent, isn’t the solution to hold LGE and let the people choose who they think is fit to run their affairs? As it stands, seems like we need to accept whatever is pushed down our throats by those in power

  2. Who the hell is Carol Sooba? It is time the people rise up and take this country back from these hungry racial people who we have in office and are more bent to satisfy their own ego. If it means a price must be paid so be it but it is time to turn the pressure up and remove them before it is too late.

  3. @Gray How is the PNC on the wrong side? The Government are the ones on the wrong side, they continue to breach the constitution of Guyana and continue to do so on a daily basis. I’m fed up of the mess the city is in. I say bring on the pressure, this nonsense got to stop. FYI i’m neither PNC or Afro Guyanese in case you must know….

  4. The person who collects the taxes is serving the City. Mayor Green’s wife just paid her ten million dollars of arrears. Why were these taxes not collected before by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor. The council should stop their whining and get some work done.
    These incompetent dinosaurs are getting paid under false pretence it seems.
    Just in case the deputy Mayor don’t know, the one who pays you and sign the cheques is your Boss.
    You sound like you are canvassing for the PNC on City’s time. This is nothing about democracy but all about a political agenda.

  5. a handful of pncites can create lots and lots of troble. the innocent people better be prepared to defend self at all times.pnc knows they are on the wrong side but they could care less since they want to rule

  6. The locals who live in Georgetown have become so complacent with their lives that the travesty being played out right in their town is so amusing and laughable. Why is it that a woman who has no standing power and a TOWN CLERK at that is able to lock out the city council etc.(funny). People in town be scared and I mean very scared.

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