Green was first to torpedo power sharing

Dear Editor

I write in response to the letter by Mr. Hamilton Green titled “Some leadership will stop at nothing in their quest to control capitals and major towns” in the Kaieteur News of April 3, 2026.

Mr. Green left out a significant fact in his letter when he gave a synopsis of how he became Mayor of Georgetown in 1994 after the municipal elections. He lamented the governing PPPC attempt to take control of the city. But isn’t that what politics is all about?

Mr. Green who probably was the world’s longest serving Mayor, from 1994 until 2016… totaling 22 years… ruled whilst Georgetown deteriorated to the filthiest and most lawless capital city in this hemisphere converting Georgetown from the Garden City of the Caribbean to the Garbage City of the Caribbean.

Indeed, when Georgetown Municipal elections were due, and held in 1994 Mr. Green wrote ” it was a keenly fought three-corner contest. GGG-Good and Green Georgetown emerged with 12 seats, PNC- Peoples National Congress gained 10 seats and the PPP- Peoples Progressive Party 8 seats. For brevity I will avoid intervening drama, save to state that this allowed me to become mayor of Georgetown.”.

What Mr. Green neglected to mention was the idea of a rotating Mayorship was suggested with Mr. Green Good and Green for Georgetown (GGG) going first, the PNC second and the PPPC going third.

When it became time for Mr. Green to relinquish the Mayorship, he refused and the rotating idea died with it.

History will record the idea of power sharing in Guyana’s politics was thus effectively scuttled by Mr. Green.

One year BEFORE   he was persuaded to step down… in 2015 the   APNU-AFC coalition led by President David Granger awarded Mr. Green Guyana’s second highest medal…the Order of Roraima.

One year later, AFTER he stepped down in 2016, the National Assembly of Guyana approved the controversial Prime Minister Hamilton Green Pension Bill on March 9, 2017. “The bill granted the former PNC Prime Minister Hamilton Green (1985–1992) a pension package equivalent to 7/8 of the salary of the sitting Prime Minister, along with additional benefits, totalling nearly $1.5 million per month. The AFC voted for the pension.

“While passed in March 2017, the legislation made the pension retroactive, with payments commencing from December 1, 2016 Controversy: The bill was heavily criticised by the opposition and civic groups as “cronyism” as it allowed him the benefits of a former president, despite never holding that office, and was a personalised act.” (Demerara Waves)

Mr. Green had been expelled from the People’s National Congress (PNC) in 1993. The expulsion followed the party’s 1992 election loss and came after Green publicly challenged Hoyte’s leadership, including calling him a “schoolboy” in politics, and expressed opposition to party reforms.