Welfare Officer elected Reg 6 Chair; Civil Engineer to head Reg 5 

– Councillors charged to prioritise promoting democracy in respective regions

A school’s welfare officer was elected as chairman of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), while a civil engineer was elected as chairman for

Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). Just over a month after the conclusion of the Regional and General elections, the new councillors for the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) were installed on Friday, following which they elected the new chairpersons and vice chairpersons. In Region Five, Ricardo Phillips was elected Regional Chairman, with Kleon Lindey being elected to serve as Regional Vice Chairman, while in Region Six, Junior Basant was unanimously elected as the new Regional Chairman, with Sahid Khan as his deputy. In Region Six, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) occupies 21 of the 30 seats, and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) has six seats. The remaining three seats on the RDC are occupied by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). Basant, who is no stranger to the regional administration, is a former administrative clerk at the RDC. In his maiden address to the RDC, he said he is looking forward to the next five years and anticipates them to be challenging.

“I know I am capable enough to take on this challenge and work in the best interest of these people,” Basant said while noting that he is looking forward to working with the entire council.  “To better the lives of the citizens of Region Six.”
However, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, a former regional chairman, while addressing the council, stated that the public would have placed their trust in them, and he is optimistic that Region Six continues on the path that started in 2020.
“You have been entrusted with a vital responsibility in this region. I want to encourage you to serve the people of Region Six with integrity, fairness, and a vision that will lead them on the path they want to see their region move toward.” Mustapha called on them to put aside party politics. “Let us work together as one council because many times at these regional democratic councils, you find politics dividing the council, leading to serious conflict…. The central Government has been making resources available…  We are seeing Region Six modernised; we are seeing new infrastructure, and new landmarks are going up. Work will commence shortly on the new Berbice River 4-lane bridge, a high-span bridge across the Berbice. We have already seen work commence on the 4-lane highway to Moleson Creek. All the bridges on Corentyne Highway coming to New Amsterdam are being rehabilitated,” the former regional chairman related. He also spoke on the new state-of-the-art New Amsterdam Hospital currently under construction.
“Those are some of the developments earmarked for your region. You, as the Council here, are the local parliamentarians, so you will have to ensure that you work together, develop your budget together, and look at the needs of the people in the various communities. Because when you look around today in Region Six, we are seeing a massive transformation,” he told the new RDC. Meanwhile, in Region Five, the new Chairman pledged to continue the successful initiatives of the previous council in alignment with President Irfaan Ali’s vision for national development. “We must work for every man, woman and child in this region, regardless of who they voted for. We are one council, and our mandate is to serve the people of this region. I charge you to give your best service to our communities,” Phillips, who now heads the 18-seat Council, said. Education Minister Sonia Parag congratulated the new councillors and charged the members to prioritise promoting democracy in the region. Vickchand Ramphal will continue to serve as Chairman of Region Five until the new Chairman and Vice-Chairman take the oath of office in front of President Irfaan Ali. David Armogan, who has been heading the Region Six RDC since 2012, will be doing likewise. (Andrew Carmichael)