Local democracy key to realising ‘good life’– Harmon

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Saturday assured the residents of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) that Government would continue to strengthen local democracy so that all citizens could enjoy ‘the good life’.
Minister Harmon was at the time addressing Barticians during a community outreach held at Tarzie’s Square, in the town.
“We are here because we believe that local democracy can only be strengthened if you have democratic renewal and democratic renewal starts with regular Local Government Elections,” Harmon said.
“If you have representatives within your community that do not perform, you get the opportunity to say goodbye and welcome new ones, this is what we believe in and very early in our administration, President David Granger said that we are going to have democratic renewal in our communities… The previous Administration disbanded over 38 local democratic organs and in their places put IMCs (Interim Management Committees) and Bartica was a casualty of that high-handedness,” Minister Harmon continued.
While in Bartica, Minister Harmon led a walkabout where he met with residents of the town. He also engaged members of the business community.
Also present at the community meeting were Social Protection and Social Cohesion Ministers, Amna Ally and Dr George Norton respectively. Minister Ally, through the Public Education Transport Service (PETS), an initiative of President Granger, distributed 30 bicycles to schoolchildren in Bartica.
Meanwhile, Dr Norton announced that Government would soon complete a playground in Bartica and a synthetic track was earmarked for the town.
“We can bring back Bartica and put it on the sports map where we really deserve to be … this Government is so much concerned with the state of affairs of our youths that only recently we signed a contract for two synthetic tracks … the next track should be in Bartica,” Norton stated.