Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has described as a “sham” the “flurry of activities” by the Government.
Jagdeo suggested that instead of having citizens line up at the Square of the Revolution, Government ministries and departments should be effective at their jobs and citizens can go to the relevant agencies to have their issues addressed.
Beginning Wednesday, several Government ministers and various Government agencies, have been meeting with citizens under tents at the Square of the Revolution, under an initiative the Government calls “Bringing Government to the people.”
Jagdeo at a press conference Thursday afternoon dismissed the initiative as an attempt by the Government to show that they are working and concerned about people.
To back up his point that the Government’s outreaches are really for campaigning, using state resources, he referred to a recent outreach to the Rupununi by Government Ministers where they directly asked for votes.
During the February outreach, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said this to Rupununi residents: “I’d like to ask you…to give your support to the Government.”
Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix bluntly stated: “I come here to ask for your vote, let’s understand that clearly; vote Coalition.”
Jagdeo said that the money the Government is using for the recent flurry of activities could actually go towards addressing the actual needs of citizens.