Duncan backs down, Chase Green re- elected Georgetown Mayor
Moments before the results of Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) elections were announced, a number of vendors attached to the Guyana Market Vendors Union (GMVU) staged a peaceful protest in front of City Hall on Thursday, throwing their support behind Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan. However, in the midst of the protests and in a twist of events, the Deputy Mayor withdrew from contesting the mayoral elections.
Separated – Mayor Patricia Chase Green returns to her post, while Sherod Duncan shockingly withdraws from the race
This paved the way for incumbent Mayor Patricia Chase Green to return to her post for 2017, after she was unopposed by other council members.
It was Town Clerk Royston King who opened the floor for nominations of mayor. Councillor Griffith Fraser was first to nominate the incumbent mayor, while his nomination was seconded by councillor and veteran People’s National Congress (PNC) General Secretary Oscar Clarke.
Meanwhile, Councillor Junior Garret requested that nominations be closed. As this move was seconded by another councillor, the Town Clerk then declared that Chase-Green was, in effect, re-elected Mayor of the capital City.
It was explained that she will take up her post come March 2017. Earlier this month, it was announced that the Deputy Mayor would have been running for the Mayor’s post but after the elections of Chase Green on Thursday, he cited political interference as justification for his withdrawal.
Unlevel playing field
“I think there was an unlevelled playing field. When you have interventions by members of central Government, more or less coercing Council on a position they should take in terms of voting for mayor, the process is not a democratic one. We are then not electing a mayor, we are selecting a mayor and I am very firm on that,” Duncan told the media.
Additionally, Duncan also declined in returning to his post as Deputy Mayor next year. In this light, Councillor attached to the Alliance for Change (AFC) faction, Lionel Jaikarran, who also serves as President of the Georgetown Cricket Club expressed gratitude after he was elected to the Deputy Mayor post from March 2017.
Jaikarran won 24 votes to be elected new Deputy Mayor. He spoke to the media afterwards.
“I’m beyond words, I came here today to support the Deputy Mayor but when my name was called…it shook my very foundation,” he noted.
The incoming Deputy Mayor stated that despite the post being thrust upon him, he has accepted the challenge. He vowed to stand by his beliefs and execute his duties with integrity.
Meanwhile, Guyana Times was told that Duncan will be serving in the capacity of the Deputy Mayor until his tenure is up on March 31, 2017.
Vendors speak out
Meanwhile, at the earlier protest which had supported the replacement of Chase Green, it was noted that Duncan was more suited to be elected mayor. According to President of GMVU Ian Andrews, this was because vendors felt that Chase Green was incapable of her capacity as Mayor.
“We have a mayor that is more a traveller and a tourist than anything and all she is bringing back from all her sojourns is [the] corrupt, confusing parking meters that even now we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Andrews disclosed.
He added that the Deputy Mayor understood the concerns of the vendors’ plight more than Chase Green.
“The things that he would say to us and how he expresses himself, tells us that he understands the problems of this city and the problems of the vendors and stallholders that are a part of the city,” the union head noted.
Other representatives and vendors also vented concerns. Vice President of the GMVU, Carol Carter, expressed disdain for the way in Chase Green has executed her duties. “Presently we have a mayor that oppresses the vendors and stallholders with certain decisions that they just wake up and decide to oppress people and we need these things to finish.” Another protestor and Stabroek Market stallholder, Allan Bidajhar also complained of the mayor’s style of ruling and even drew religious parallels to the plight of the vendors.
“She’s very arrogant, she doesn’t know how to speak…grievous words stir up anger. The poor has nowhere to go and as it seems in a wide perspective, that the poor is at the point of the Red Sea nowhere on the right or on the left and the Egyptian pursing from behind. For me, she is an Egyptian,” the frustrated man noted.
It is not clear if these protests will continue following the results of Thursday’s elections. (Shemuel Fanfair and Ramona Luthi)
