PPP/C protest unilateral decisions by Region 5 REO

Supporters of the Peoples’ Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), along with regional councillors on Tuesday, picketed in front of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) as they called out the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Ovid Morrison, on his unilateral decisions.

The most recent decision that triggered the protest was Morrison’s move to have a proposed regional budget approved. This newspaper was told that the REO had invited elected councillors to a meeting on Tuesday at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) boardroom at Fort Wellington, Berbice, where those who attended were shown a budget proposal.
Outside of the boardroom, the protestors chanted “Morrison must go” “Stop the illegal meeting now”.
Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal told the media that the REO does not have the authority to summon councillors to a special meeting.
“Any special meeting of the council must be summoned and convened by the Regional Chairman. Anything out of that would be deemed illegal. So, the special meeting which is being convened by the REO is illegal. The person that is holding the office of the Regional Executive Office is acting not in accordance with the laws which govern the RDC,” Ramphal said.
He said as Chairman, he did not summon any special meeting of the RDC. However, he noted that the REO wrote to himself and councillors inviting them to a special meeting to discuss the 2020 budget.
Meanwhile, Regional Vice Chairman Ryan Peters explained that elected officials from across the region representing the RDC and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) expressed their disappointment in the actions of the REO by way of the picketing exercise. He said it appears as though the REO perceives that they are powers interested in him the craft the 2020 regional budget.
“So, what we have are the elected represented representatives of the people of Region Five coming out to say no to this act by Ovid Morrison, ‘No’ to this act by the APNU/AFC [A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change]. We cannot move forward like this. This budget should be drafted by a government that is mandated to do so by the people and we all know that you can only legally receive that mandate by elections”.
The Vice Chairman said the attempts by the REO to instruct the council will not be at tolerated by the party, noting that coalition Government in a caretaker role and should not be trying to craft a budget but rather ensure that the mechanisms are in place for the holding of General and Regional Elections.
“Even the President would have indicated to the nation that they will not be moving towards having any new budget; more so, they would have accepted the role as a caretaker Government. However, Ovid Morrison would have taken it upon himself to craft a budget and we believe that it might be biased in the way it is being put together because if the Council is not fully constituted and given that opportunity to deliberate because it is the Council which passes and approves the budget of this Region and it is not the administration or Ovid Morrison,” Peters said.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C boycotted a similar budget proposal meeting in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) which was summoned by the REO of that region Kim Stephens.
Unlike Region Six’s meeting, the media was not invited to the Region Five meeting. It is not known how much money the REO is proposing to have budgeted for Region Five next year or what communities and areas are the recipients of the bulk of the budget.