The 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) are over, but its impact has led to the beginning of other things. For starters, thank you meetings are underway across the country and this is seen as the beginning of the 2020 General Elections campaign. It is useful for various reasons, including keeping momentum for the winner and for introspection on all sides to assess loss and how to strengthen weaknesses.
Naturally, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) – which won two thirds of the Local Authority Areas (LAA) across the country – will want to build upon that for 2020. On the other hand, the coalition main partners would seek reasons for its poor showing, with the intention of implementing mechanisms for improvement in 2020. Form all reports, they have begun that process.
At its thank you meeting in Sophia, Greater Georgetown last week, many senior officials of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), including Ministers, fanned out in the area and interacted with residents to listen to their concerns. Even a clean-up exercise, led by a Minister, was held in an area proposed for a playground. This was captured in a letter to the press by an official of that party.
Interestingly, Georgetown’s Mayor Patricia Chase Green, was one of the persons reportedly part of the team to listen to the residents there. It should be noted that the PPP gained five seats in the Georgetown municipality at the recent LGE. Before November 12, City residents lamented, among other things, that the Council, was not listening to their concerns and constantly acted in a highhanded manner. That was the sentiment, especially among vendors.
Now, on the heels of the PPP making inroads, time and patience have been found to receive residents’ concerns. While the adage of “better late than never” may offer some comfort, the feeling of “after the fact” cannot be escaped. An assumption is, a review of what led to the coalition losing seats in its stronghold, the City, was done and that a lack meaningful engagement with the residents stood out like a sore thumb.
Also, noteworthy as contained in the letter in question, was the promise of a hospital in the Sophia area. Health facilities are always welcomed and as long the services are available and sustained, residents will be comfortable. However, it would be useful to know if this proposed facility was part of the Public Health Ministry’s plan prior to the 2018 LGE.
If it is, then it might have been a well-kept secret since it appears that no announcement was made during the campaign. A project as significant as that in a party’s stronghold is expected to be robustly articulated. If any announcement was made, then it probably missed the glare of the media.
Assuming that no announcement was made, it brings into focus whether the now proposed hospital in Sophia was a knee-jerk reaction to shore up the base following the party’s poor showing the recent LGE. Prioritising its base is not unusual for ruling parties and seemingly becomes “acceptable” when it’s not overly at the expense of supporters of the Opposition.
This brings into question if such facilities are planned for areas believed to be strongholds of the PPP; that is, Better Hope, Enmore, in the context of governing in the interest of all the citizens. This question should be placed to the relevant authorities especially when the Government boasts of having the welfare of all Guyanese at heart.
If the Government is on a quest to boost vital healthcare services, especially in populated areas, then the proposed Sophia hospital must be fully supported. So, must similar facilities in other areas not confined to where its supporters generally reside. If the latter is not taken into consideration and implemented, then the Government’s action, through the Sophia hospital, will be seen as deliberate attempts to only cater for its supporters at the expense of everyone else.
This would be seen as discriminatory in the provision of much needed social services and could probably send a strong message that party’s patronage is needed in order to have easy access. Part of Guyana’s history, during the repressive period before the return to democracy, is replete with such incidents as many were made to feel inferior to others. Is repetition must not be allowed, for it will negatively impacts all efforts for social cohesion.
Ironically, to the Government’s credit, it established the Social Cohesion Ministry having claimed that in the past, under the PPP Administration, its supporters were discriminated against. Coming into Government, it promised an equal hand for all.
While it has time to change this worrying perception with regards to prioritising its support base, in the interest of delivering its own mandate for social cohesion, the Government must immediately address this issue with the intention of dispelling fears of discrimination by any section of society. As in the case of some officials now vigorously engaging residents after the LGE, a delay in addressing the issue in question would be seen as just “after the fact”.
