Dear Editor,
I must say I am significantly beguiled to see the bungling Mayor of Georgetown again being at the forefront of a fascinating scenario, this time in relation to the vendors’ fiasco involving the Government.
Again the question must be asked, “Where exactly does the Mayor’s interest lie?” While the vendors have to earn a living, they must not be allowed to conduct their business in a manner that would inconvenience everyone else.
For the longest while, the PPPC Government has been trying to regulate the vendors to conduct their business in a respectful and law-abiding way, which even included taking land away from a popular businessman and giving them, regulating the Bourda Mall etc. As fate would have it, lawlessness and disrespect prevail, and many continue their atrocious behaviour and defy the rules.
I’ve no qualms with them conducting their business to earn a living, even though they have more advantages than the store owners, but the issue is with the way they are conducting business. Many of these vendors are selling more stuff than a store has, and they are blocking ingress into stores and encumbering walkways and pavements in such a way that it is as if you’re walking into a congested/compacted store on the pavement.
In addition to encumbering the pavement, many park their vehicles or carts on the road next to where they sell, and erect structures in such a manner that people cannot pass. It’s as if they are at home. People are then forced to venture further out on the road, putting their lives at risk and forcing motorists to stop almost in the middle of the road, causing additional traffic chaos.
It’s very unfortunate to see the Mayor making himself noticeable for the wrong reasons, instead of sitting down and coming to an amicable agreement with all stakeholders.
Editor, of recent, there has been a series of writers seemingly bent on resurrecting racial tension in Guyana, and the situation regarding the Mayor and vendors seems to escalate this tension, especially on social media.
Additionally, a prominent lawyer took centre stage and mendaciously made the accusation that East Indians are more favourably honoured by the PPP/C Government. If my info is correct, this is the same person who is always in front of some sort of negative situation, and after it escalates, he would meticulously disappear, leaving chaos and confusion.
In 2014, when the No-Confidence Motion was passed in Parliament against Donald Ramoutar and his Government, this lawyer ran to the PPPC with the crooked math and was rejected. Incidentally, the same thing occurred against David Granger and his Government, when he sang the same song and was accepted by them, and the Guyanese people and the world witnessed a whole new comic show while he mysteriously shied away from going to the CCJ to put forward his argument that caused Guyana to be haywire.
From all indications, the Opposition seem to have realised that with the work the PPPC are doing throughout the country, even though many are riddled with corruption and incompetence, there’s no way, coalition or not, they would come anywhere close to winning an election anytime soon, so their only alternative is to establish Guyana as being favourably one-sided to East Indians, and hopefully create mayhem in Guyana. It seems as if some people are only around to see Guyanese live in misery.
Editor, on July 18, 2012, three men protesting for what they believed in were shot and killed in Linden. Arising from that, the Government make a few promises to the people of Linden as part of compensation. One of the promises was the Lindeners would get their own television station, and I was contracted to set up the control for the station and train the staff. Various stakeholders from Linden were part of the decision-making process for the station, and at the change of Government, we broadcast a signal on the channel. Even though the APNU/AFC Government was in power, they did nothing to help the television station; instead, they dissolved it.
They conducted no investigation to give the people of Linden any sort of hope that the three men did not lose their lives in vain. Today, Linden is seemingly the same way.
What I am saying is that people should be cautious of what cause they are fighting for. There are many who would incite and encourage you to go do this, but they would not be there to fight with you. No doubt, there are those who are calling for people to take to the streets, that’s an excitement for them to see the country in disarray while they are in the safety of their homes and paid security.
Should people choose to support the troublemakers, they should do it for the right reasons, and not because they are being told to. Don’t become like the three men who lost their lives in Linden and are forgotten. As their relatives, we must stop this eyepass!
Sincerely,
Sahadeo Bates
