PPP rejects Govt’s plan to impose separate flags for each region

By Devina Samaroo

The move by Government to assign separate flags for each administrative region has been met with strong objections from the parliamentary Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which believes more time, energy and resources ought to be spent on better governance.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Party declared that the Golden Arrowhead is the constitutional flag of Guyana, adding that any other flag imposed will be contrary to the country’s Constitution.

The decision to give each region its own flag was announced last year by Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, who noted 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.

Recently, the Minister disclosed that consultations are still ongoing with the various regional representatives before rolling out this project.

However, the PPP/C believes that there will be an overwhelming rejection from the regions, mostly by residents who would prefer jobs, enhanced public security, money in their pockets, better roads, improved potable water supply and efficient garbage collection over 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 Party stated.

During a previous interview with Guyana Times International, several regional heads expressed concerns over the regional flag initiative.

Region One Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley had indicated that his region will not be supporting the idea.

Region Two Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt also objected to this move. “I don’t know if a flag can bring any degree of independence for a region. I think what needs to be done to bring independence would require a lot of strategic thinking so this can be streamlined properly… we are speaking about certain ministries which may need to be decentralised and certain key operations need to be decentralised. It is much more complex and it would require great consultations,” Ramdatt asserted, noting that flags will not help the Government achieve its goal.

Region Five Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal and Region Nine Regional Chairman Brian Allicock also shared the same view.

The only Regional Chairman contacted who was in support of this venture was Region Seven Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford. But even so, he indicated that some persons in the district have not welcomed the idea.

Former President and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo already pointed out that this move could be dangerous for Guyana as it could put the country’s sovereignty at risk and reinforce Venezuela’s attempts to win over the Essequibo, through encouraging secessionist tendencies.