Renaming regions, flags still on agenda – Bulkan

Local Government

– says Govt awaiting conclusion of consultations

The controversial idea of renaming administrative regions and implementing regional flags, having previously been floated by Government with lukewarm reception from the citizenry, is still on this administration’s agenda.
A more cautious approach is, however, being adopted, with Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan revealing that Government is waiting on consultations to be carried out by regional officials in order to determine the fate of this idea.
In a recent interview, Bulkan related that he has been in contact with regional officials, whom he has been urging to carry out consultations. He noted that the sooner those consultations are carried out, the better would be the prospects of Government determining its next move in regard to the idea.
“Those consultations are actually the principal responsibility of the respective regional officers. I am continuously in contact with those RDCs, urging them to complete the consultations within their regions, (in order) to be able to make a determination (in regard to) whether those regions want to retain the names they currently have, or if those regions would like to have a different name. For instance, the Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo region is commonly referred to as the Rupununi,” he explained.
“So the opportunity is being offered to residents all around Guyana to make a determination — out of a consultative process — if they want to keep their existing names or (adopt) a name they have ownership of. We would like to see the exercise completed sooner rather than later, but we are committed to allowing the democratic process to prevail. So all I can do is urge the respective RDCs to seek to conclude this process, so the administration can take it from there,” Minister Bulkan detailed.
This publication has previously reported Region Nine Vice Chairman Karl Singh explaining that, within each of the other villages encompassing the Interior Savannahs, the village leaders/toshaos would have to embark on a process to get the views of each resident regarding the name change.
According to Singh, approval from any village would be valid only if two-thirds of that village’s population are in favour of renaming the region.
Personally, Singh has said, he is not against the renaming of Region Nine, but he believes that too much energy and time is being exerted in pursuit of this activity when there are more pressing issues to be addressed, including problems in the education and health sectors.

Regional Flags
A decision to have each region produce its own unique flag was announced by Bulkan back in 2016. He had noted then that the initiative was all part and parcel of a wider effort to promote the decentralisation of each of the 10 administrative regions and encourage each district to embrace its uniqueness.

Government’s proposal to assign separate flags to each administrative region has been strongly objected to by the parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which believes more time, energy and resources ought to be spent on better governance.
The PPPC has declared that the Golden Arrowhead is the constitutional flag of Guyana, and any other flag imposed anywhere in Guyana would be contrary to the Constitution of Guyana.
In addition, the party had noted that most residents would prefer jobs, enhanced public security, money in their pockets, better roads, improved potable water supply, and efficient garbage collection rather than other flags.
“Rather than seeking to change things that obtained under the PPP/C, and to make things look different under the (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) APNU/AFC, the Granger coalition Administration should change their racial and political, discriminatory and witch hunting practices, as well as their wasteful spending, and focus on improving the economic and social well-being of all Guyanese,” the Opposition PPPC Party had said.
Regional officials have previously related that they simply are not interested in the exercise. It seems, however, that Government is intent on forging ahead with the plan. Bulkan confirmed during the interview that the regions have specimens of proposed designs for flags. He noted that the regional authorities have ben tasked with deciding on regional symbols to go with the flag specimens.
“At the end of the exercise, the Central Government will examine all the contributions and submissions that have been made, to do a full assessment of what will be the eventual end product,” he has disclosed.