“It’s cool to be green” – President justifies repainting MoTP

President David Granger does not believe it is inappropriate to repaint the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) – the official office of the Head of State – into a colour that is symbolic of the political party to which he belongs.

In fact, President Granger wants to spread the message to the entire nation that “it’s cool to be green”.

The President defended the repainting of the MoTP into green, asserting that it promotes the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC)A focus on promoting a green economy.

“We would like to send a message to the rest of the country, to schools, to our hospitals, to other government buildings that ‘yes, it is cool to be green’,” he told journalists during the recent airing of his televised podcast, ‘The Public Interest’.

On a side note, the President assured, however, that he has no plans to repaint the Red House in green.

“We’re not going to change the colour of Red House,” he said, as he expressed plans to move the National Trust into that building.

Granger said he seized the opportunity to repaint the buildings in the compound of the MoTP after it became necessary to conduct rehabilitation works.

“The rehabilitation works became necessary to accommodate the office of security firm… We established a department of environment and department of national events so housing has become necessary,” he explained.

The MoTP buildings, located on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown, are currently barricaded with plywood boards as rehabilitation works are being undertaken.

Earlier last year, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member and Parliamentarian Priya Manickchand had called on the APNU/AFC Government to desist from “greening and yellowing” Guyana.

She had expressed concerns over the subliminal message Government is sending and the fact that the Administration appears to be forcing its politics on Guyanese who do not subscribe.

Manickchand said the “greening and yellowing” of Guyana is reminiscent of the days when the flag of the former People’s National Congress (PNC) was flown over the Court of Appeal – a signal of party paramountcy.

Government had painted in green and yellow some bridges, benches, sections of public infrastructure and even the boats, buses and bicycles distributed by the Administration.