New Amsterdam Mayor Wainwright McIntosh yesterday expressed concern over what he described as the central government’s continued failure to consult the municipality meaningfully on matters affecting the town.
His statement followed a visit to Berbice last weekend by President Irfaan Ali, who presented proposals for transforming New Amsterdam under the government’s Model Village Initiative.
McIntosh said the Mayor and Town Council must not be treated as a spectator in the municipality’s development.
“The New Amsterdam Town Council is the elected local democratic authority responsible for representing the interests of the residents of this historic municipality,” he said. “Local government is not an afterthought to national development. It is an essential pillar of democracy and community development.”
The proposals were presented during a public consultation at the Berbice High School after an inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary team conducted mapping and condition surveys of the town.
The proposed works include upgrades to roads, concrete drains, bridges, streetlighting, sidewalks and utility infrastructure. Plans were also presented for rehabilitating green spaces and sporting grounds, landscaping and streetscaping, expanding fire-hydrant and security-camera coverage and improving municipal commercial facilities.
The government said the ageing New Amsterdam Municipal Market would be replaced by a modern, zoned facility with separate areas for produce, meat, fish, dry goods and clothing, along with a food court.
A dedicated vendors’ hub has also been proposed to move roadside vendors into a regularised area with sanitary facilities and proper vehicle access.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh told the consultation that the objective was not to displace vendors.
“The objective is not to go and remove roadside people,” Singh said. “The objective is to place them into places that are hygienic, safe, attractive and so on.”
The government’s survey reportedly identified 235 locations where construction material or waste was stored on parapets and 148 locations where garbage had accumulated along road shoulders. At least 200 utility poles were also said to require replacement or reinforcement.
The Esplanade is proposed for rehabilitation with a children’s play area, gazebos, tennis and basketball courts and other recreational facilities. The government has also proposed converting the old New Amsterdam stelling into a waterfront boardwalk with restaurants and entertainment facilities.
McIntosh nevertheless said Guyana’s constitutional framework recognised local government as an important component of democracy and provided for local democratic organs to participate meaningfully in managing and developing their communities.
He argued that when government decisions or projects directly affected New Amsterdam, the municipality should be consulted before the plans were finalised rather than being informed afterwards.
“Consultation does not mean that the central government and the municipality must always agree,” McIntosh said. “Healthy democracy allows for differences of opinion. But there must be dialogue, respect, transparency and an opportunity for the elected representatives of the people to contribute to decisions affecting their community.”
The mayor said councillors interacted daily with residents, businesses and community organisations and were directly accountable to the town’s citizens.
He called on the government to respect the council’s role and establish a consistent mechanism for consultation and collaboration.
“We are not asking for special treatment,” he said. “We are asking for respect for local democracy. We are asking for meaningful consultation. We are asking for partnership in development.”
McIntosh contended that development imposed on a community without consultation with its elected representatives could not be considered genuinely participatory.
He said the government and municipality should work together to improve infrastructure, stimulate economic activity, protect the environment, enhance public spaces, strengthen drainage and sanitation and create opportunities for young people.
“New Amsterdam deserves a seat at the table,” McIntosh declared. “As mayor, I will continue to advocate firmly, respectfully and unapologetically for the interests of the people of New Amsterdam and for the constitutional principle of strong, effective and participatory local democracy.”
“Local government must be respected. The elected voice of New Amsterdam must be heard, and the people of New Amsterdam must never be left out of decisions about their own town,” he added.
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