Region Three RDC officials boycott Ministry of Communities meeting

April 5, 2018

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DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, April 5, 2018

Officials of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Three today failed to show up at a council meeting scheduled by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan at the West Demerara Secondary School.

The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Communities to discuss issues relating to local government, was boycotted by officials of the regional council of Essequibo Island West/Demerara. In fact, just about three of those officials showed up to hear from Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.

Minister Bulkan said he has accepted the regional administration’s explanation, that they were not duly informed of the meeting and would give them another opportunity in another three weeks’ time.

“The ministry is prepared to give the RDC the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they may, with some justification, wish to say that they should have been given some longer notice in relation to today’s engagement. That being the case, I am prepared to reschedule the wider engagement and to give the RDC a second opportunity.”

According to Minister Bulkan, notices of the meeting were received by officials, some travelling from as far as Leguan, on Tuesday of this week. “If on that second occasion, whatever is the level of participation, then I will certainly go into the wider message that I would like to bring to organs and councils within this region,” the minister said.

Late last year, following President David Granger’s appointment of Guyana Elections Commission Justice (ret’d) James Patterson, the opposition had declared that it was embarking on a campaign of non-cooperation with the government.

The day’s engagement was designed as an interactive session with both regional officials and members of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to allow for feedback and responses from the NDC’s. While he has given the RDC the benefit of the doubt, Minister Bulkan said he would not prejudge the outcome of the next invitation to a similar meeting.