Weekend Mirror 28-29 August, 2021

PPP/C will not allow anti-national behaviour of Coalition to ‘stop’ development trajectory Distribution Coalition unable to of flood relief grants substantiate talk of Public to farmers underway Service terminations Guyana ready to Trial for Mingo, Lawrence, collaborate with UAE on climate Joseph to start today change 28-29 August, 2021 / Vol. 11 ‒ No. 87 / Price: $100

Email: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com

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SEE INSIDE

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Exposing the MISCHIEF and DECEPTION of the

APNU+AFC Coalition [Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] PAGES 10-14

Guyana PAGE 23 receives 146,250 doses of the US Pfizer vaccine ‒ Johnson and Johnson vaccine to be used in hinterland

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Legal advice on No Confidence Motions ready – Nandlall H

ouse Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, will soon receive the legal advice he sought on the matter of the No Con-

fidence Motions brought against PPP/C Ministers Dr. Frank Anthony and Robeson Benn, as well as against

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.

This is according to Attorney General, Anil Nand-

lall, who, on Wednesday (August 25, 2021) said, “The opinions are ready, and I will transmit them in due course

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to the Clerk (of the National Assembly).

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, in a prior comment on this matter, had said that based on the advice from the AG Chambers, Nadir will make a decision.

The no confidence motions against Anthony and Benn were signed by Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, and submitted to the National Assembly on July 6, 2021.

The motion against Anthony is being seconded by the Coalition’s Dr Karen Cummings, while the motion against Benn is being seconded by Geeta Chandan-Edmonds.

Both Dr. Anthony and Minister Benn have signaled their intention to rigorously defend their performance within their respective sectors.

The Health Minister in comments on the matter said, “We welcome this opportunity to remind Mr. Harmon and the APNU+AFC of the many shortcomings that they have had for the five years that they were in government….what we have done in [the] last several months is far more than they have accomplished in the last five years that they were in government.”

Anthony referred to the many scandals in the health sector, under the Coalition’s tenure, including the initial management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the expenditure of over a billion dollars on a COVID facility that was not even furnished.

“For those first few months when they were there, we had difficulty having a PCR test done… throughout their tenure they would have done about 21 tests per day,” he said, adding that there were widespread shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators and a plan for the treatment of COVID-19.

Anthony added, “It’s going to be fun when this thing comes up for debate, because we can clearly contrast what they have been doing with what we are doing and how that differs.”

Meanwhile, Minister Benn said, “We have a lot of things to talk about and I am happy that Harmon has provided me with that opportunity so that the people of this country would have a fairer idea of where we are coming from, what we have done, and what more there is to be done, because we are not done here yet…it speaks to deeper issues relating to the desperation of the APNU+AFC in the light of them

being continuously exposed in respect of their failings both in Government and also against the efforts which we are making in just 11 months, even with the COVID and severe flooding.”

GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL Meanwhile, grounds for the removal of the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Joseph Harmon as Opposition Leader have been cited by Prime Minister, Mark Phillip, who is advancing a no confidence motion against him.

The motion cites Harmon’s “crucial and integral” part of the process of undermining democracy, following the March 2, 2020 polls. The motion noted that Harmon also continues to “consistently and repeatedly” misinform the public and the National Assembly with claim of a Coalition victory at the March 2020 Elections.

Phillips also noted that the Opposition “recklessly” misinformed the public and the National Assembly on the issue of the COVID-19 vaccine, relative to its efficacy and acquisition. This, the Prime Minister said, endangered the lives of Guyanese and has increased vaccine hesitancy among some of the most vulnerable in Guyana.

The Prime Minister, thirdly, called attention to Harmon’s opportunistic use of the horrific murder of the Henry boys from West Coast Berbice, as a means to incite ethnic disharmony.

The Opposition Leader’s consistent denigration of the representative of the joinder parties and Deputy Speaker, Lennox Shuman, as a legitimate member of the Parliamentary Opposition was also included in the motion. It was noted that Harmon has gone as far as denying a member of the Parliamentary Opposition an opposition seat on any parliamentary committee.

Considering these facts, the no confidence motion calls an expression of a lack of confidence in the Leader of the Opposition and for Harmon’s immediate resignation.

The configuration of the National Assembly sees the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) with the parliamentary majority of 33 out of 65 seats. The APNU+AFC Coalition, the main Opposition party, has 31 seats, while the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), in collaboration with two other parties (the joinder parties), holds one seat in the House.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 14-15 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

PPP/C will not allow Lowenfield withdraws anti-national behaviour case on day ruling was of Coalition to ‘stop’ set to be handed down development trajectory O n the day the High Court was expected to hand down a ruling in his case, Chief Election Officer, Keith he PPP/C AdministraLowenfield, discontinued his remains focused legaltion challenge. ruling byon Justice Joon A delivering its manAnn the High date Barlow, to serve from the Guyanese Court in a“We case are filedsupposed

by Chief people.

Elections Officer, to govern on behalf Keith of the Lowenfield, expected on people. We isare supposed Monday (August 9, 2021). to use the power have Lowenfield hadwemoved to govern on behalf of othto the High Court seeking ers, not for ourselves.

That an order preventing Peois going to be ourParty/ main ple’s Progressive Civic (PPP/C)nominated focus,” said Minister of GECOM Commissioners, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.

However, according to her, there are challenges in moving this agenda forward. She said, “For our government, you have a situation where you have an Opposition that doesn’t accept you as legitimate. And using words like ‘installed’ and playing a race card all Ministry of Health, the he time.

This complicates COVID-19 Task Force the trajectory we have.

It and other key stakeholders does not stop up, but it have begun discussions on does complicate it. the possibility of an elec“…people having gone tronic COVID-19 vaccinathrough months tion cardthe for five easier accessare to information. this not patient toHowever, give us time. will be done overnight.

Theynotwant changes.

They This according to They Minwant to issee changes. ister of Health, Dr. Frank want their house lots, they Anthony, said,is “We want jobs, who etc. That what have been discussing it and we are working to do every we’ll see how, if that’s posday….we areit would working to sible because entail be accessible, visible and a number of things: one, the responsive.” persons who already have received the cards,Teixeira how do Meanwhile, we then getthe this new card addressed efforts that to andmade a whole of arethem being to host ensure other logistical issues would that oversight bodies are come up. But something efficient andit’s effective to that we’re thinking about to make the cards more portable.”

The Minister said India’s COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN)

T

Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick from participating as adjudicators in the hearing of the motion for his dismissal. guard that Lastagainst month, actions Lowenfield, could negatively through his attorney,impact Nigel Hughes, filed a fixed-date on goodhad governance.

She application against GECOM, said, “That is what we seeking, other have to among work on.

Wethings, have atodeclaration that regulatory Gunraj and ensure that Shadick, in their for bodies are well motion prepared, his dismissal, cannot propwell-resourced and and can dedo erly participate, hear their work effectively…the termine their own complaint anti-corruption framework against him.

I think our country is JusticeinBarlow had granted an ininterim injunction there terms of the legal restraining GECOM from (aspect) and in terms of regulatory bodies, but we have to now look at ensuring that they work effectively and that we are able to ensure that the systems are working effectively.”

Additionally, the Minister disclosed that as part of efforts to step up focus on addressing instances of corruption, efforts are unvaccination tracking trainsoftderway to facilitate ware will assist with this, ing individuals in various but this programme is also government ministries not yet ready.

“They who [Incan identify and dia] have consentedprevent to give corruption. us a customised version of this issue, thatOn software for the our Govuse.

So, we are of continuing ernment Guyanathose and discussions U n i t e d N a and t i o n hopefully s Office as as we we forsoon Drugs andfinalise Crimeit,Anwill then be able to move ti-Corruption is set to start our databaseworkshop into that softa training this ware, and it has a lot of ease weekend.

The three-day of functions that will allow workshop, from 30 quick search if August necessary to September 1, is being and a whole host of other held with he thesaid. objective of features,” Meanwhile, with the building the institutioncurrent vaccination cards, al capacity of Guyana to Minister is urgprepare, Anthony specifically its ing vaccinated persons to self-assessment for the keep those safe as the reupcoming second review cent COVID-19 Measures stipulate persons must produce their COVID-19 immunisation cards to transact business at Government Ministries and Agencies.

proceeding with the hearing of the notice of motion for dismissal based on the complaint by Gunraj and cycle of the United NaShadick. tions Convention Against When the case was called, Lowenfield’s Attorney, Nigel Corruption (UNCAC), and, Hughes, informed theup court to monitor follow on of discontinuation the its the treaty obligations.ofThe case and stated that “circumtraining will focus directly stances have overtaken” it. on Chapters 2 (Preventative Hughes also informed the Measures) 5 (Assets court that theand injunction that Recovery) of the UNCAC. Lowenfield was also seeking Teixeira said, “By was doagainst the Commission ing no those conventions and also longer being pursued.

As such, training and Justice learningBarlow about declared matter ended. them, it the makes them (people within the ministries) more sensitive to the work that they do within their sectors and when they are being viewed by the world that they are consequences too. And, as these efforts progress, we are moving incrementally forward.”

At a personal level, Cabinet Members, accordThose operate ing to persons her, arewho guided by public transport must “firm ground rules” also laid produce theirs if asked by a down by President Dr. Irpolice officer or by anyone faan Ali. “I am very working on behalf ofconthe fident that there is The any Ministry of ifHealth. slippage he deal with Minister saidwill “The key to the card really to identify it and at isthe political level, that’s thewill person the PPP deal and withalso it... to person would weverify have that to make sure that have received theisvaccinathe bureaucracy followtion.” ing the rules…”

Minister Anthony adL o oagainst k i n g alaminating head, the vised Minister charged that the the card and reducing its PPP/C Administration, led size. He said, “How the

by President Irfaan card is made upDr. because it is folded, I think it’s going Ali, is working on paralto difficult to laminate lel betracks to ensure that it show allthe thepromised pertinent it to delivers information.

So, my advice ‘Plan for Prosperity’ to all would be that they walk Guyanese. with their card, they find ways and means of protecting it.”

The COVID-19 vaccination card is also required when travelling overseas.

Discussion begins on possibility of electronic COVID-19 vaccine card

T

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

EDITORIAL

The cost of vaccine hesitancy T

he ongoing effort to have Guyanese vaccinated against COVID-19, so that the country can move closer to herd immunity, has morphed into a political football. And those most affected from the ‘games’ played by vaccination detractors – many of whom are themselves vaccinated – are ordinary Guyanese citizens.

The emerging arguments against the COVID-19 vaccine have centered around one point – the issue of breakthrough infections.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, August 23, 2021, addressed this fact. The CDC has said that: “Breakthrough infections are expected.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing most infections. However, like most vaccines, they are not 100% effective. Fully vaccinated people with a breakthrough infection are less likely to develop serious illness than those who are unvaccinated and get COVID-19. Even when fully vaccinated people develop symptoms, they tend to be less severe symptoms than in unvaccinated people. This means they are much less likely to be hospitalized or die than people who are not vaccinated.”

It added that, “The bottom line is that COVID-19 vaccines protect people against severe illness, including disease caused

by Delta and other variants.”

The CDC also noted that COVID-19 vaccines protect people from getting infected and severely ill, and significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death. “The best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent infection

by Delta or other variants is to get vaccinated. For people who are vaccinated and still get infected (i.e., “breakthrough infections”), there is a risk of transmission to others. That is why, if you are vaccinated or unvaccinated and live or work in an area with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, you – as well as your family and community – will be better protected if you wear a mask when you are in indoor public places,” the CDC said.

What we are clear on is that the Delta variant is more contagious than previous variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

What we are also clear on is that the science on COVID-19 has not changed. What has changed is COVID itself – with the mutations presenting challenges for regulators across the world.

That said, perspective on this matter is critical. The fact of the matter that vaccine hesitancy prevents a return to some levels of normal activity – importantly face-to-face learning for thousands of Guyanese children. The fact of the matter is that, despite billions spent and a concerted effort by the Ministry of Education, hundreds of children are dropping out of school. And this is one of the worst costs our society is paying, as a result of the pandemic.

The situation at hand cannot be allowed to worsen.

A point that vaccine detractors must note is that a government has a responsibility and an obligation to all the people of a country. And the big picture is what guides decision making – decision in the best interest of all.

As a matter of perspective, the example of New Zealand is instructive. With a population of almost five million, the country has had just over 3,000 confirmed COVID cases and 26 deaths – owing to strict measures and the administration of at least 2,932,454 doses of COVID vaccines, according to Reuters. In Guyana, with just over 750,000 people, we have recorded over 24,000 cases and 602 deaths as of Wednesday, August 25, 2021. Encouragingly, over 306,000 Guyanese have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, while over 158,000 Guyanese are fully vaccinated. It is hoped that the wisdom of medical experts prevails and more persons are vaccinated.

In the meantime, Guyanese must play their part to stop the spread of deliberate misinformation.

Get vaccinated, save your life Dear Editor,

W

hat are the costs of vaccine hesitancy? Some costs are easily computed in terms of dollars and some costs cannot be translated into monetary terms. Who will pay these costs is an interesting question.

Storage of vaccines that should/ could have been utilised had it not been for hesitancy is costly, use of purpose-built storage facilities, special freezers with appropriate backup power generation, specialist staff to monitor and control retrieval and security all have costs. These facilities were supposed to be short term as it was anticipated that Guyanese would appreciate the efforts to vaccinate the entire population and participate eagerly; instead, vaccination slowed to a crawl and it has taken the implementation of regulations requiring persons to show proof of vaccination to get the inoculation drive moving again. Delivery of vaccines requires transportation and medical personnel to administer injections; again, these are costs that have increased due

to prolonged programs.

There was an appropriate hue and cry over the price paid for the Sputnik V vaccines which prompted the Irfaan Ali administration to provide a detailed explanation of the rationale behind the decision to pay above the suggested market price; will we now ask who will pay the costs outlined above caused by hesitancy and the spread of deliberate misinformation? I would suggest that a cut-off date for free vaccinations for adults be announced and thereafter individuals be charged a fee that increases with time as a fair solution; after all taxpayer’s money is not meant to be wasted because of ignorance and politically motivated mischief.

In the category of costs that cannot be recovered monetarily are the loss suffered by our children who were kept at home for the protection of their parents and older family members; the risk posed to children is minimal and to remain unvaccinated is to ask your child to sacrifice her/his education, sport, and socialisation (childhood) upon your altar of ignorance. Shame on any parent,

teacher, or health worker who refuses to inoculate, shame!

The health sector was in difficulty before COVID-19 but managed the pandemic well, however, more can be done with the enormous amount of data gathered by the boffins at the Ministry of Health; can they let us know how many persons are hospitalised in the COVID Centre? Of those how many are vaccinated? My information is that no fully vaccinated person has died from COVID-19 to date; it would be useful to have that important fact confirmed publicly by an official government source.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky of the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) said on July 19, 2021, that “there is a clear message coming through; this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Six weeks later, we can remove ‘becoming,’ and ‘unvaccinated’ can be substituted by a wide variety of unflattering words; get vaccinated, the life you save can be your own.

Sincerely Robin Singh

Hurting teachers to gain political points Dear Editor,

O

n an APNU/AFC Facebook programme on Tuesday 24th August 2021, APNU+AFC MP and General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Coretta Mc Donald, complained that the Ministry of Education was giving Grade Six teachers extra time for their holiday because they had taught through the holiday period. She described this as a bad idea that was not properly thought out.

Are you shocked? Yes? Me too.

Where else in the world does a union leader who cares about her teachers complain about extra time given to make up for the time the teachers spent teaching? She wanted to make a point here, and actually said so, that the Ministry of Education did not properly think out that announcement. I am a grade six teacher, and I speak for myself and all other grade six teachers when I say we are deeply grateful that the Minister listened to us and gave what we requested of her.

Yes! That’s right! We asked for this, and we got it. Yet, our union

“leader” is trying to take it away from us. Imagine that!

This union head seems more taken up with the politics of her party than genuinely looking out for the interests of teachers.

In this period especially, teachers should not depend on Coretta Mc Donald for guidance. She is not a union leader; she is permanently wearing her political hat, and would hurt us all to gain political points.

Truly yours, Adron Pires

Another demonstration of commitment to Guyanese Dear Editor,

T

he Government has kept its word to the farmers and people by giving us a fresh opportunity to restart our village economies and livelihoods that were drastically affected by the floods over the last three months.

Two months ago, I was in despair because all of the cash crops I had worked so hard on had been swept away by the constant rains and subsequent floods. My brothers who farmed the lands faced a similar ordeal. Then suddenly I read that farmers all across Guyana were affected, and were looking all around for some assistance.

I paid attention to the TV, and just as I was watching the news, I caught

President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s announcement. I was overjoyed. I called my brothers to tell them what the President said: we were going to be helped to get restarted with money.

At first nobody wanted to believe me, but I said I have confidence in the President and Government. Even the shop owner in my area said the PPP was only promising, and they were not delivering.

I said to myself, “I hope the President means what he says, and does not listen to Opposition politicians, because if they only know what we go through in the sun and at night tending to our farms, they would never talk like that”.

Today, we are all extremely over-

joyed for the support received in Region 6. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Government, for looking out for the “small man” and seeing their plight. This is what I voted for; a Government that cares and sticks to its words and promises. Now I am no longer in despair. I am open to making new investments in the agriculture industry, which my family depend on to survive.

Farmers from Auchlyne, Yakusari, Johanna, and Mibicuri must give a special shout-out to the Government, because the timing of this cash grant relief is excellent.

Yours truly, Baldeo Mathura

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Cash relief to farmers welcomed Dear Editor,

GOAL scholarships represent training equity that would foster a knowledge society Dear Editor,

P

ermit me space to comment on EB John’s ‘Congratulations to the Government/ GOAL Awardees – plan needed’. I believe he was well intended but its execution was marred by misplaced notions of education, cynicism, and inaccuracies. This response takes a proactive approach with the view of reminding/enlightening readers of the broad role of education/scholarships from the perspective of GOAL/Government of Guyana and the knowledge society.

To begin, finding jobs is not the only/ primary function of education/training. Training is, in every sense, a fundamental factor in development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital.

Education enriches people’s understanding of themselves and the world and improves the quality of their lives which ultimately leads to broad social benefits to individuals, communities and the society. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances towards the goal of economic and social progress. Further, it equips people to understand the need for paradigm shift, as a consequence of social, economic, scientific, cultural and political changes occurring around them.

Today’s world is increasingly knowledge-based. A knowledge-based economy comprises well educated citizens and relies on the knowledge of the citizens to drive its innovation, entrepreneurship and dynamism.

Knowledge rests on using, applying and transferring information. A knowledge-based society thus, provides the platform to compete and succeed in the changing economic and political dynamics of the modern world.

GOAL 2021 scholarships commenced the fulfillment of the PPP-C Manifesto promises and the Budget 2021 allocations. These scholarships support targeted training and skills development for students and working professionals where local higher education capacity is weak or non-existent. The PPP-C and President Dr Ali’s vision of equitable education and training opportunities involves bringing education into the villages and homes of Guyanese. It would be difficult to deny this laudable initiative with courses and programs

aimed at preparing tomorrow’s generation of innovative leaders to face daily life challenges, take advantage of economic and lifelong learning opportunities and contribute to their communities. These scholarships, therefore, are seen as key drivers for reducing poverty, achieving gender equality, and fostering socioeconomic growth and development.

John’s cynical comment, ‘what a hungry public!’ about the food and nutrition program thus, flies in the face of education/training broad functions and needs of an evolving knowledge society. Similarly, the ‘needed plan’ to consider jobs, especially in or related to the public service, misses the point about the underlying role and purpose of education, more so, within the GOAL scholarship perspective. In fact, it appears that John’s subtle theme/concern is whether these scholarship recipients would in time replace/displace the current cadre of public servants.

It is true that facilitating many of these scholarships requires investments in broadband/high-speed internet services which may not be available/feasible in some locations, for reasons such as distance/remoteness, topography of the terrain and sparse population. At the same time, sustainable economic development may be hindered without substantial investment in the mechanisms which facilitate development of human capital.

Therefore, in this evolving oil and gas economy with knowledge-based aspirations, EB John’s understanding of “costly distribution of the technology to facilitate this [what he calls] expansive ‘virtual’ process” may be misplaced.

Finally, it would have been more beneficial to analyze GOAL scholarships through the lens of benefit-cost tradeoffs, gender representation and regional spread. Such analyses would lead to greater appreciation of the role of wide-spread education in economic development and the effect of education/training on labour productivity, poverty, trade, technology, health, income distribution and Guyana’s competitiveness.

Sincerely, Ronald Singh, LLM, MS, Barrister Deputy Director (Student Affairs), GOAL

I

am sure you know by now the PPP Government is rolling out its relief measures for farmers who were affected by the floods.

Also, the Government has been coming in for praise and commendation from the farmers.

As expected, some of the farmers’ names did not feature on the various lists. These farmers were told that, once they make a verifiable claim, the authorities would reach out to them. Other farmers had legitimate concerns which could be addressed properly if they are willing to wait on the system.

Suddenly, an AFC activist started to make claims on social media that caught the attention of his Opposition colleagues. These divisive politicians are circulating these comments to justify their own narrative of non-support and corruption.

Editor, while I agree with people voicing or expressing their feelings about issues relating to transparency, there is a time and place for it. These people have to take the right approach and channel to get an audience with the right persons and authorities, if they want the issue addressed. They must not go on Facebook and other social media

platforms to make accusations. It is not advisable.

Secondly, I do not think Mr. Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, and Sherod Duncan should be saying anything about this cash relief to the farmers. They are the last Parliamentarians I expect to talk about accountability, transparency, and corruption.

As Parliamentarians, these politicians and the APNU/AFC cabal should know how to verify and sanitise these claims. If they have any integrity, then they would stop sharing these posts.

They could pick up the phone and call a Minister to let them know what is happening.

They also can use the Parliament to ask questions about the criteria used to come up with these names. But do not spread falsities about the project to get cheap political points.

Finally, this relief will benefit 52,000 households. It is expected to have some hiccups, but responsible politicians would not behave in this lewd, cunning, and selfish manner. Stop stirring the pot and making public mischief!

Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

6

What is the Opposition doing to serve our country?

Dear Editor,

A

ny right-thinking Guyanese must see this recent reaction of the Coalition at Linden as just another attempt to fulfil their political agenda, which they had also done on the West Coast of Berbice when they instigated massive and violent protests.

They simply do not care about the people, and this was evident during their tenure in office.

Certain misconceptions which are being peddled need to be addressed, and reliable and authoritative information is readily available on the internet to debunk those misconceptions. Our teachers, health care workers and the Opposition are aware of these. Some of these are outlined below.

To begin with, it is impossible to get the virus from the vaccine, since none of the vaccines contains an iota of the real virus.

Further, any adverse effect will show up within the first two weeks, and certainly by the first two months, according to Dr Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University of Public Health. This is reason why participants in the trial of the various vaccines were asked to wait two months to ascertain the results and to authorise the use.

Furthermore, Dr Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, has assured that the most serious side effects of the vac-

cine have all been caught within six weeks.

So, this fear of side effects appearing long after taking the vaccination is unfounded. There are normal side effects which will follow the vaccine, but will go away within three days, although some persons would not experience any. After a person has been vaccinated, that person will remain for fifteen minutes, to see if there is any immediate reaction.

Then, even if persons have had the virus, those persons should still get vaccinated, since the immunity from the vaccine is much stronger and longer than from the virus itself.

Some people feel the vaccine may affect fertility. According to Dr Offit, this is utter nonsense. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said there’s no link between any vaccine and fertility.

Have persons who refuse to take the vaccine actually assessed the negative impact on a lot of people, which include yourself, your loved ones and the country as a whole?

Some people say, “If you’re vaccinated, then you should not be worried if I choose not to be vaccinated, since you’re safe”. This is not so, since even if a person is fully vaccinated, they can still be infected, since vaccines are not 100% effective.

So, there is a probability that an unvaccinated person can still infect those who are vaccinated. Hence the choice not to be vaccinated can hurt others. The freedom to put whatever you want in your body cannot be

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021 extended to what you can put into the bodies of others.

Added to that, there are persons who, for medical reasons, such as those who are on cancer chemotherapy, are at high risks of being infected from the unvaccinated. These people depend on the vaccinated people to protect them. Even animals offer protection to their wounded and sick.

Our children under 12 years old cannot be vaccinated at this time, they depend on us to protect them. Even animals protect their young ones. Our vulnerable Guyanese are now completely dependent on us to provide protection to them.

What is the Opposition doing to serve our country?

In addition, when persons refuse to be vaccinated, the virus is allowed to replicate and create mutations, as has happened already with the Delta variant, which is far more contagious and which may cause a complete resistance to the immunity induced by the current vaccines. We need to avert this highly dangerous risk now. That would mean that all our efforts and financial costs to be vaccinated and protected against this deadly virus would come to naught. Is this what the Coalition wants? This is certainly a new method of attempting to destabilise the Government.

Now that they no longer have the majority in Parliament, they are devising news strategies to destabilise and wreak havoc and chaos, but have they considered the huge number of lives which will be lost?

Some of our young people feel that they are young and healthy and do not need to be vaccinated. These young people can get long-term COVID-19 complications, such as chronic fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, and brain fog for months after their infection.

Moreover, young people are easy transmitters of the virus, putting at risk everyone with whom they come in contact. Unfortunately, the new Delta variant is now infecting more children than before, so that they are now only carriers. As it is now, no one is safe, the virus is mutating, and the next mutation could be far worse than its predecessor.

Some people mistakenly believe that their faith would protect them. There is a universal saying, “Trust in God, but tie your camel”. God has given us the knowledge and the ability to reason and find solutions to our problems, and we need to use that ability. We have been vaccinated as kids, so what is the huge difference now?

This virus is a lot deadlier and contagious.

Should not the COVID-19 vaccines be seen as an answer to the fervent prayers from our different faiths?

This Government has ensured that no one is burdened with the cost of the vaccines, and they are readily available and accessible to all. What would have been the position of those who are against the vaccines if the Coalition was successful in rigging the 2020 Elections?

The key to ending this pandemic is not only to get vaccinated, but to do that now.

The virus must not be allowed to mutate into strains which we cannot control with our current vaccines. We are our brothers’ keepers and we must see it as our civic and spiritual duty to get our loved ones and friends vaccinated NOW. Do not be misled by the Coalition leaders, who have already been vaccinated as well as their loved ones. Do not be used for their own selfish political gains.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Vaccination essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, saving lives Dear Editor,

V

accines save millions of lives around the world each year.

The more persons who are vaccinated, the slower COVID-19 and its variants would spread, saving lives. Wearing masks and practising social distancing help reduce the chance of being exposed to the virus, or of spreading it to others. Living in a neighbourhood where people are not vaccinated increases exposure to the virus and to its possibly mutating.

The Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, has released new data on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women, and is recommending all people, young and old, get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Guyanese, we cannot allow this virus to freely circulate, and not try to stop it. Sooner or later, there is a likelihood that we would get another variant that could – I’m not saying it would, but could – be more problematic than the Delta, which is now circulating.

The question is: Are the unvaccinated persons becoming architects of their own destruction?

COVID-19 remains as great a threat to human life as atrocities resulting from terrorism or war. The fact that, unlike leprosy, the disease is not obvious until it has ravaged its victims, only hides its lethal effects. All Region 10 leaders, including those of civil society and politicians who want power, should put the wellbeing of our people and our country’s safety first.

Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Health, has expressed concern about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Region #10, and has made a strong appeal to people to get vaccinated.

We must all be truly concerned about what is happening in our region and country in general, with people being reluctant to get vaccinated and relaxing their adherence to public health measures.

So please! Please! Please take your vaccines, and please wear your masks properly and practise social distancing. We know

that Lindeners and Guyanese like to be close-knitted, and we like fetes, and we like to congregate; but please avoid congregating.

Observe respiratory etiquette, and wash your hands frequently.

People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, because they are more at risk of contracting serious, prolonged illness.

Studies indicate some immunocompromised people don’t always build the same level of immunity after vaccination the way non-immunocompromised people do.

What we must all know is that the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated persons, who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit, the virus.

COVID-19 vaccines work; get vaccinated and save lives! There is enough evidence that COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of contracting the virus and experiencing its potentially severe complications.

While COVID-19 vaccines are working well, some people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will still get sick, because no vaccine is 100% effective. These are called vaccine breakthrough cases.

Many COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to provide protection against severe illness and hospitalisation among persons of all ages who are eligible to receive them.

Those include persons 65 years and older, who are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.

Our PPP/C Government’s number one goal is to provide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines to all the unvaccinated population in Guyana, which is essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and saving lives in Guyana, so we can rebuild our economy and stop the threat of new variants. We must vaccinate our entire nation as quickly as possible, so we can put this pandemic behind us and focus on growing our economy.

Sincerely, David Adams

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Amerindian Development…

FOCUS ON GUYANA’ S FIRST PEOPLE More CSOs to be appointed to Plans in the pipeline to increase Region 1 water supply coverage develop Amerindian villages

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overnment will be reviewing its list of over 1,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs), with a view to increasing the number, to further develop Amerindian villages.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, disclosed that the Government is poised to bring major development in the hinterland by encouraging youths to take up leadership. She said, “There are many other villages that are asking for additional CSOs beyond the limit or beyond the number in which we have asked them to submit. And that’s something we are considering to pursue in the new year, 2022 budget proposals.”

So far, over $720 million has been spent to train Amerindian youths in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, solar panel installation and maintenance and driving.

Currently, 75 Amerindian

youths have been trained in computer literacy. Minister Sukhai said these persons will return to their respective villages, to manage and support the ICT projects that are presently being executed by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Sukhai said, “Currently we have over 164 students in Georgetown; 80 to be trained as drivers who would be licenced and also another 80 who would be trained in installation of solar panels and its maintenance. And the training will be ongoing because we have to complete our target as we agreed and got approval for through the budget.”

Government plans to train some 620 persons in hinterland and riverine communities, in ICT, solar panel installation and maintenance and driving. Minister Sukhai said they are targeting 220 ICT students, 200 drivers and 200 solar panel technicians.

Apart from this, 137 of the

220 Amerindian villages will benefit from tractors, to boost their agriculture production.

The Minister said, “That is a significant investment in every village that receive such an important piece of agricultural machinery. It will not only be confined to use for agriculture but it will assist many villages in transporting goods in and out of the village. It will help also, the transportation needs of the village and for those villages across the hinterland who are part and parcel of the forestry sector, the machine or the tractor will become very important.”

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will also be distributing trailers, chippers and ploughs, along with the tractors.

The reinstatement of the CSO programme is yet another promise fulfilled by the PPP/C Government to bridge the gap between the hinterland and the coast.

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recent assessment of the Water Systems in Mabaruma and surrounding villages in Region One, has highlighted the need for an expansion of the distribution network and hours of supply so as to increase the water supply coverage.

The assessment was conducted during a twoday visit to the Region on August 17 and 18 by GWI Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shaik Baksh and a team of technical officials. The areas visited were Yarakita, Kamwatta, White Water, Hosororo Falls and Khan’s Hill.

YARAKITA/ KAMWATTA In Yarakita, GWI committed to improving their water coverage to 95 percent, as opposed to the current 70 percent. This entails inspecting the well and possibly upgrading the solar panels to extend the pump-

ing capacity to farther areas, including the migrants’ settlement. GWI, with support from UNICEF and UNDP, is also looking at repairing an existing hand pump in the settlement area. The village currently depends on a rain water harvesting system that was set up by UNICEF under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.

The team also visited the Community Health Post in Yarakita and committed to rectifying its line network, since the Health Worker there complained of receiving inconsistent water supply. This was due to internal plumbing issues as well as a lack of monitoring of the water supply system on the part of the Community Service Officers (CSOs).

GWI also promised to place a hand washing sink at the entrance of the building.

To this end, Baksh pointed to the need to establish

programs for the monitoring and maintenance of the systems. GWI has embarked upon a training seminar for Community Service Officers to operate and regulate the system. This forms part of a partnership between GWI and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. He said, “I’m not satisfied that we’re there as yet and whilst we have done some training already, it has to be more intense and we intend to return to ensure that training is delivered to all these communities so that the systems are properly maintained. If not, the level of service would decline and it would not be in the best interest of the residents.”

This training will benefit Yarakita and Kamwatta and is being facilitated by GWI Officer in Charge of Region 1, Mr. Richard Robinson.

KHAN’S HILL Meanwhile, over at (Turn to page 20)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

P P P /C D E L I V E R I N G O N ‘ P L A N F O R P R O S P E R I T Y ’

Gov’t housing programme creates over 150 jobs in Linden

‒ $1.2 billion housing development for Amelia’s Ward in 2022

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ore than 150 persons in Linden, Region 10 are now employed, as Government commenced the construction of 20 elevated homes in Amelia’s Ward.

Importantly, all the materials for the construction of the homes are being sourced from businesses within the mining town.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, visited the town on Wednesday (August 25, 2021) to assess the ongoing works.

The housing programme is a fulfilment of a commitment made by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali during an outreach in the town in January. During that outreach, the Head of State committed to the construction of 1,000 homes in Linden. He assured residents that employment and materials would come from the town.

Minister Croal said what is being witnessed is a testament that the PPP/C Government has kept its word. It is also in keeping with Government’s commitment to create 50,000 jobs. He said, “We also have as part of our community enhancement project, working with small groups in communities, for example the block making.

So, you will find just like what you saw in Georgetown, being engaged here.

So, we will be working with small groups for the making of the blocks to be supplied for our housing programme.

For example, Christiansburg and the other communities in this vicinity will be engaged for that supplying of the blocks.”

Minister Croal emphasised that the Government will be investing heavily in providing necessary infrastructure for the over 400 house lots that were recently distributed in Linden. “The infrastructure work for that

will see in 2022, over $1.2 billion on first phase infrastructure. What that means is land clearance, preparation, the drainage network, road network and that is a commitment that we are making.

For the rest of this year, in Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc, they can see us doing some road maintenance work to the tune of $40 million and next year as part of our 2022 budget, we are committing another $100 million for road maintenance in those areas…the people in Region 10, Linden and wherever you are, can look forward to a Government aggressive housing programme that will provide housing solutions not only from house lots perspective but also to have safe communities and better communities for the people of Region 10. Creating employment and also providing that housing environment for many Lindeners,” he said.

More areas in Region

Ongoing construction of 20 elevated homes in Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10

10 will be developed for the Government’s housing programme. A joint visit with a team from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited

(NICIL) will be undertaken to identify such lands.

The Government in its manifesto made a commitment to provide affordable housing for all and to create

50,000 jobs for Guyanese.

In just one year in office, the PPP/C administration is already fulfilling its commitment and ensuring the needs of Guyanese are met.

$620M in sea defence works for Region Three Over 7,000 persons employed by Local esidents of Region Three R (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) can breathe a sigh Government Ministry of relief, as the elevation of the sea defence nears completion.

Works are currently ongoing at Anna Catherina, Zeelugt and Uitvlugt to elevate and strengthen the riprap sea defence to guard against overtopping.

The contracts totaling some $620 million were awarded following the recent flood in the areas which were caused by torrential rainfall, overtopping and breaches of the sea defence.

The more than $459 million sea defence contracts at Uitvlugt and Anna Catherina, were awarded to Puran Brothers Disposal Incorporated, while the $159, 899, 600 contract at Zeelugt, has been awarded to Platinum Investments Incorporated.

Works at Anna Catherina are 98 per cent complete, while the Uitvlugt and Zeelugt projects are 50 per cent and 20 per cent complete respectively.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, inspected the works at Anna Catherina and Zeelugt on Wednesday (August 25, 2021). “The sea defence is

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This excavator works on the revetment at the Zeelugt seashore

critical to making sure that the severity of floods that we had and future floods, the sea defence is critical to that.

So, this particular area here, [Anna Catherina] actually all the houses were flooded out… This rip-rap here is a very expensive solution for sea defence, but as you can see there is no mangrove here and the sea just continues hitting the wall and causing flood. So, this work is almost

complete and we’re happy with the work that was completed here,” the Minister said.

He noted too that the entire sea defence on the coast is vulnerable due to frequent high tide bashing the defence.

As such, he said it is important to have a proper maintenance plan. Indar said, “If something starts small and you allow it to open and open and open, the longer you take

to respond to that breach is the more expensive the solution will be. That is why you got to make sure you have rapid response when you have breach to any shoreline and that is something we are cognisant of the fact, which is why we continue to monitor it as we go along.”

The rip-rap sea defence is being established for a minimum performance period of 30 years.

pproximately 5,500 persons across the country have been employed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to execute infrastructural projects.

This includes the employment of an additional 1,800 persons as Community Enhancement Workers (CEWs) to aid in the enhancement of their communities.

Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, has said this development is in keeping with the Government’s manifesto promise to create 50,000 jobs. He said, “This is all part of our agenda to have about 50,000 jobs created in this first five years of our governance. So we are making that contribution and this is done based on infrastructural improvement at the community level, livelihood opportunities being created at the community level. This is also in terms of services being offered at

the community level.”

The Minister said this approach taken by his ministry will ‘go a long way’ to build greater communities and to improve the well-being of all Guyanese. He added that the construction of schools, roads, bridges among other infrastructure, will also help to transform the country. Dharamlall said, “You can see the benefits are already occurring in terms of where we would like to go. Our position is, we have to open up the economy, we have to make sure that more jobs are created. We have to make sure that wealth is generated, we have to make sure there are safety and security in all of our villages across the country.”

The Local Government Minister said while his ministry has been facing numerous challenges, in areas like sanitation management, it will continue to make efforts in the interest of the people.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

P P P /C D E L I V E R I N G O N ‘ P L A N F O R P R O S P E R I T Y ’ Distribution of flood relief grants to farmers underway F armers affected by the devastating floods have begun receiving flood relief grants. The flood relief packages are aimed at assisting farmers to restart cultivation as soon as possible The PPP/C Administration majority in the National Assembly passed a supplementary financial paper recently, of which $10 billion was allocated to immediately drain farmlands and provide relief to farmers.

Earlier this month, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali also announced that some $7.3 billion of the $10 billion

will be used to provide direct relief to farmers. Of the $7.8 billion, some $7.3 billion will be direct cash injection to those who suffered losses during the national disaster with the remainder to be utilised by the Ministry of Agriculture. The President made it clear that while some large-scale farmers were affected, the ceiling of assistance would not exceed $10 million per farmer.

President Ali said more than $3.5 billion will be transferred to homestead farmers, kitchen garden farmers and to households that

exclude either of the two farms. Homestead farmers would receive $100,000 each, kitchen garden farmers will receive $50,000 each while persons with households excluding kitchen gardens and homestead farms will also get $50,000 each.

Over $3.2 billion will be given to rice farmers as over 50,000 acres of rice land and 2,000 farmers were directly affected by the flood.

The President said farmers who had rice ready to harvest will receive $80,000 per acre. Those with rice sowed and lost in the autumn crop

will get $65,000 per acre and farmers with land completely prepared but not sowed, will get $45,000 per acre. Some 60,000 bags of seed paddy would also be given to those farmers.

The President said in the livestock industry, assistance would be broken down into four categories. Those are subsistence, small, medium and large-scale farmers. Over 2,000 farmers are set to benefit from $600 million in direct cash transfer. Additionally, they will also receive assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana

Livestock Development Authority. This will be undertaken in the form of genetic improvement, drainage and irrigation work, technical support and extension services to the tune of $500 million.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, said farmers can reinvest the monies to generate finances. “I’m appealing to you and I’m appealing to both men and women farmers and households, this flood relief is intended to give you a little brace to return to productive activity to strengthen your livelihood, use it wisely. I’m urging you

to use this flood relief wisely, to ensure that you get a few plants back in the ground, you get your paddy back in the ground if you’re a rice farmer, you get a few animals to breed again and you help to return to where we were in agricultural production, and where you were with income generation that is very important,” the Minister said.

Based on an assessment, over 300 communities and 52,000 households were affected by the flood. The assessment also revealed that every sector took a hit, losing billions of dollars.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Exposing the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition

[Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] Dear Friend,

T

he Guyanese people went to the polls on March 2, 2020, after a long wait of one year and three months, following the successful passage of the no confidence motion on December 21, 2018.

The new Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, headed by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, came into office on August 2, 2020, after what are considered historic and unprecedented circumstances, even at the global level, following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

There were repeated, and fully documented, efforts by officials in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the officials of

means to divide our people and undermine the goodwill that Guyana currently enjoys globally.

The story needs to be told about how Guyana and its people were on the precipice of a dictatorship following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and how our nation and all of our people are making strides after these historic elections.

This is our story documented herein.

Despite the difficulties over the period of 2015-2020 under the Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition, when our democracy was under severe threat, and more especially over the five-month long struggle following the March 2, 2020 elections to thwart efforts to hijack the will of the people and steal the

Then Opposition Leader and current Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, engages member on the media after attempts to declare manipulated results for Region 4 on March 4, 2020

then APNU+AFC Coalition Government, led by then President David Granger, to derail the will of the electorate to choose their representatives in accordance with the Guyana Constitution contributed to this five (5) months delay.

August 2, 2020 is a landmark day in our country’s history; it will always be remembered as the day that democracy, the rule of law and our ‘One Guyana’ triumphed.

At no time in our history was there such a combination of individuals, civil society bodies, the PPP/C and small parties and their supporters, the media and regional and international organizations, as well as individual nations, who stood together to defeat the repeated efforts to hijack the elections and overthrow democracy, the Constitution of Guyana and the rule of law. These undemocratic efforts were advanced by the combined forces in the GECOM and the leadership of the APNU+AFC Coalition.

We were tested and the resilience and discipline of the Guyanese people, the strength of our Constitution, and the professionalism of the institutions, including the judiciary and the security forces – despite many provocations and pressures – prevailed for five long months.

This mass awakening in defense of democracy bodes well for our young emerging democratic nation.

We are confident that this fact-based document, shared with the elected leaders in United States Congress, international and regional organizations, will expose the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition and their external supporters, such as Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, to use race as a

elections, democracy eventually prevailed.

This would not have been possible without the fortitude of the Guyanese people, bolstered by the support of our international

APNU+AFC Coalition has hosted a ‘victory’, on March 5, 2020, despite objections from international observers, judges and other political parties about a fraudulent declaration being made.

Former president Granger had said: “We are here to serve you for the next five years…I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When the sun rises ... the president is sworn in again.”

elections, 100 countries – including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European nations and Canada, representatives from the United National, Commonwealth of Nations, Organization of American States, European Union and the CARICOM – all supported the Guyanese people’s efforts to peacefully defend their right to choose their government and to ensure that the legitimate government of Guyana was declared and the legitimate President be sworn in after the recount of all the ballot papers.

All these nations and international and regional bodies could not have been wrong.

The majority of Guyanese who voted for the PPP/C and President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, as well as civic-minded people, including those who may not have voted for the PPP/C, but wanted to guard democracy, could not

they are fighting for democracy in Guyana!

Their duplicity in the face of the facts is astounding. These same persons who spoke at the Brooklyn Rally were prepared to destroy democracy and remain in power against the will of the electorate.

In a fragile and diverse country that is made of six ethnic minorities (no one group has 50% of the population), the race-baiting language at the Rally is dangerous and volatile and cannot be ignored.

Regrettably the APNU+AFC Coalition is a masquerade of the People’s National Congress (PNC) dominance and control. The PNC’s legacy of rigged elections – 1968, 1973, 1978 (referendum), 1980, 1985, as well as efforts to hijack the 2020 elections – and violence in the 1960s, all are well known

have been wrong.

The only ones who opposed the results when declared on August 2, 2020 and continue to do so were the same persons who did everything possible to prevent the election results from being declared – these are the same APNU+AFC Coalition members who spoke at their Brooklyn Rally on August 15, 2021.

Ironically having delayed the elections for 15 months, after the passage of a no confidence vote, and a further delay of five months to prevent the true vote of the electorate from being declared, these same forces pretend

and documented. It also illustrates that that party has not changed its racist, anti- national posture over the last 60 years of its existence.

With a slim margin of less than 5,000 votes, the APNU+AFC Coalition government in its five years in office, perfected its racist, anti-democratic style of governance. The Granger-led administration is one that will be described in Guyana’s history as one where constitutional rule was undermined repeatedly and where racial and political discrimination and ‘party paramountcy’ were re-introduced – in keeping with Granger’s self-proclaimed

Voters queued at polling stations on March 2, 2020

partners in the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth of Nations, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and over a hundred nations.

The March 2020 Elections was observed by the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union, the CARICOM and the Carter Centre – all of whom concluded that March 2nd Elections Day had been conducted in a free, transparent and fair manner.

During the five months following these

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Exposing the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition

[Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] mentor, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

Most Guyanese who lived during the 1970s and 80s believed those days were over, but during the last five years the shadow of Burnham stealthily rose again.

The 2015 election petition brought by the PPP/C, although in order according to the Chief Justice Ian Chang in February 2016, was never allowed to be heard to date due to appeals launched by the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, the same person who conspired to hijack the March 2020 elections.

The APNU+AFC Coalition has brought two election petitions to the courts since August 2020, and both have been thrown out. Still they refuse to accept the legitimacy of the President Mohamed Irfaan Ali government.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MARCH 2020 GENERAL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS A successful vote of no confidence in the APNU+AFC Coalition government, led by then President Granger, was followed by a series of legal challenges and appeals and other administrative ploys to delay the dissolution of the National Assembly and the holding of elections within three months, in compliance with the Guyana Constitution.

In June 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice, Guyana’s apex court, upheld the vote

elect their Government is respected through a transparent and credible counting and tabulation process”. CMAG explicitly warned that “any Government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count and tabulation process would lack legitimacy” and that Guyana will be kept on the agenda.

On May 13, 2020, a virtual meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of America States (OAS) was held to discuss the Guyana elections. Chief of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission (EOM), Bruce Golding, reported to the Permanent Council that: “I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an Election. More than a dozen copies of the Statements of Poll are prepared at each polling station after the ballots are counted on election night (at each polling station). One copy is posted on the wall outside the polling station and each party representative – and there were nine in all – each party representative is entitled to receive a copy. It takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present documents with fictitious numbers when there is such a sturdy paper trail that exists. And this is being illustrated now as the recount proceeds.”

The CARICOM Ambassadors’ Statement to the same OAS Permanent Council, May 13, 2020, read: “The Caribbean Community was pleased that the experience of Mr. Golding was sought to lead the OAS Mission, as we were glad that the expertise of His Excellency

Observers from the Commonwealth, led by Owen Arthur, former Prime Minister of Barbados, at one of several locations where international Election Observer Missions were present

of no confidence. The Court characterised then President Granger and government as “caretaker” and invoked, in its judgment, the constitutional timeline of three months, implying that elections were to be held by September 2019 at the latest.

However, this new deadline was not respected.

The then President Granger announced on October 1, 2019 that the General and Regional elections would be held on March 2, 2020 – 15 months after the no confidence motion.

THE FINDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER MISSIONS: THE OAS, THE COMMONWEALTH, AND CARICOM On April 2, 2020, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) set up by the Commonwealth to deal with persistent and serious violators of its shared principles called on GECOM “to immediately fulfil its constitutional mandate and ensure the sovereign right of the people of Guyana to duly

Owen Arthur, the former prime minister of Barbados, was utilized to head the Observer Mission of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Fortunately, the people of Guyana have demonstrated a commitment to a peaceful process, so that, in spite of frustration with the anomalies that led to the recount, there has been no violence, no social disruption, and no civil disorder. That is why we of CARICOM regard ourselves as the most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation. We have no interest in which political party wins the election. If each of the political parties genuinely believe it has won, then they should have no fear of the current recount, and they should all support it. If democracy fails in any CARICOM country, it fails in the larger Community. If it is imperiled in any part of our Community, it is imperiled everywhere in it. As an institution, CARICOM cannot allow this to happen in any member state.

That is why CARICOM has been engaged, by invitation, in the general elections process in Guyana from the beginning, and why, by

ABC-EU Diplomats walk out of GECOM’s Command Center, housed at the Ashmin’s Building, on March 13, 2020 after efforts to manipulate the Region 4 results persisted

consent of all parties, we are scrutinizing the recount of the votes in an effort to see a transparent and credible result, and a legitimate government elected at its end. Democracy is sacrosanct in CARICOM as a Treaty Organisation, and the institution will not abide its erosion. We are mindful, Mr Chairman, that irregularities occurred not in the system by which the Guyanese electorate cast their votes on March 2, but in the presentation of the count afterwards. The Guyanese people deserve a credible and transparent process to put into office a legitimate government that they elected. CARICOM takes its scrutineering role in this recount extremely seriously.

We intend to see it through to a transparent and credible conclusion.”

A day earlier, the May 12, 2020, Reps.

US Albio Sires (D-NJ), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Francis Rooney (R-FL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) released the following statement expressing support for a transparent vote recount in Guyana: “We welcome the decision to initiate a vote recount in Guyana and reiterate our bipartisan commitment to supporting a fully transparent election process that reflects the will of the Guyanese people…we urge the Government of Guyana to allow the observation team from the Carter Center and technical advisory team from the International Republican Institute to return to the country to join CARICOM in observing the recount process. We remain dedicated to ensuring that the Guyanese people are free to exercise their right to vote, that their votes are counted accurately, and that they are able to shape a democratic and prosperous future for their country.”

The June 2, 2020 report of the EU Electoral Observer Mission on Guyana’s General and Regional Elections stated, as follows: • “Voting on 2 March was well managed and largely peaceful. Polling procedures were properly followed, despite the inconsistent application of some procedural safeguards.

The secrecy of the vote was ensured in all polling stations observed, allowing voters to exercise their franchise freely.

• Counting was conducted in a transparent manner, but reconciliation procedures were not always followed, leading to some minor difficulties in the preparation of results protocols. Well prepared agents of the two main contenders in almost all polling stations contributed to transparency.

• After a transparent, largely uncontested tabulation was completed in most regions, the process abruptly derailed into chaos and confusion amidst obstruction tactics by election officials in decisive Region 4. On 5 March, the Returning Officer (RO) declared results without having tabulated them in the presence of party agents and observers as required by law. After these results were annulled by the Chief Justice as unlawful, GECOM still allowed the same RO to rush through the rest of the tabulation without any transparency in blatant violation of the law and explicit court orders, and to make a second declaration of unverified results on 13 March.

• The results declared by the RO on 13 March are not credible. These results gave APNU+AFC and PPP/C 136,057 and 77,231 votes respectively for the general elections in Region 4, enough for the ruling coalition to overcome the opposition’s advantage in the other regions and take the lead nationally.

Supported by the online publication of almost all Region 4 polling station results protocols, PPP/C’s parallel tabulation suggested the opposite outcome. It gave the ruling coalition and the opposition 114,416 and 80,150 votes respectively in the region, thus placing PPP/C ahead nationally.

• After limited presence on Election Day, citizen observers played an important role in observing the tabulation in some regions, and particularly in Region 4. Joining forces in order to share collected polling station results, they contributed to increased scrutiny on the flawed tabulation process. Furthermore, a number of citizen observers remained mobilised for many weeks after the elections in view of an expected national recount.”

Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, in a statement on June 24, 2020 said: “The Commonwealth continues to be concerned that the 2 March 2020 General Election process in Guyana is not yet concluded. In this regard, I note and welcome today’s statement from the Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of Barbados, The Hon. Mia Amore Mottley, QC. On 15 June 2020, I welcomed the CARICOM Observer Report on the recently concluded recount in Guyana.

The CARICOM Report was clear that the recount results represented the will of the people of Guyana as expressed on 2 March 2020 when they exercised their right to vote.

It has recently been reported that the Chief

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Exposing the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition

[Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] Elections Officer has presented results to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that do not reflect that which was certified at the end of the recount process. We call on all responsible parties to consider the consequences to Guyana’s reputation as a democratic country if such an approach was allowed to stand.

We commend the people of Guyana for your continued patience and peace and we encourage you to continue to do so. The Commonwealth Charter recognises the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live and for this right to be protected and respected. Guyana is a valued member of our Commonwealth family and I encourage all stakeholders in Guyana to honour their constitutional duties by ensuring a fair and transparent political process.”

The OAS Permanent Council met again on July 21, 2020 to address Guyana’s elections, following the conclusion of the national recount on June 9, 2020. Of special and notable significance was that the members of the OAS Permanent Council members spoke with one voice at the meeting and this in itself is historic and not one to be belittled. The 22 member states that spoke were unanimous in calling for the recount results to be used in the declaration of the elections of March 2, 2020;

their will in a commendably peaceful and orderly manner on the March 2nd. But the pernicious actions of a few have wreaked considerable damage to Guyana’s image and reputation…notably, four other Caribbean countries have had elections and moved on with the results during the five months, but to date, Guyanese are still waiting on the official results of the election in a country that has come into tremendous petroleum wealth but remains polarized again by decades of old racial politics.”

On July 22, 2020, a statement by the 27-nation European Union warned that a legitimate Government can only be sworn in on the basis of a declaration of the credible results of the recount, supported by all Guyanese leaders and electoral stakeholders. The EU said: “Following the elections in Guyana on 2 March 2020, the clear ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice now provides a solid foundation for a peaceful and democratic solution to Guyana's post-electoral crisis. It is now up to the Guyana Elections Commission to rapidly issue a declaration based on the credible results of the recount certified by the Caribbean Community, ensuring respect for the will of the people of Guyana, in line with the ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice. We expect all Guyanese leaders and stakeholders to support such a declaration to conclude this long overdue democratic pro-

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission Justice (rt'd) Claudette Singh (center) interacts with GECOM Commissioners at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, the site where the national recount of votes from the March 2020 Elections

that this situation had gone on for far too long and there must be a swift end to this with the transition to the legitimate government that was elected by the people on March 2, 2020; that “the world knows who won the election’; and, that there should be no further recourse to the courts to impede the declaration of the results and thwart the will of the Guyanese people. The OAS Secretary General, Mr. Luis Almagro, on that occasion said: “This is a historic turning point for Guyana. Without a doubt this will define its future….action against Guyana could be taken if the situation does not change.” This was a warning shot of great import to the hemisphere.

On the same occasion, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, Head of the OAS Electoral Mission, stated that: “A litmus test of any democracy is the peaceful and orderly transfer of power if that is so ordained by the expressed will of the people. Sadly, Guyana has failed that test. The people of Guyana are not to be blamed. They expressed

cess. Only then can a legitimate Government be sworn in, which is urgent and essential for the country.”

Guyana was on the brink of becoming a rogue state, a pariah on the global democratic world, facing sanctions. And, in the midst of these events, Guyana was also dealing with COVID-19 pandemic within its borders, with a government woefully unprepared and divorced from reality and a Minister of Health actively involved in undermining the will of the people.

AUGUST 2, 2020 Finally, on August 2, 2020 GECOM Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh, declared the result.

The PPP/C won the Presidency and 33 seats in the National Assembly, the APNU+AFC Coalition won 31 seats and the Labour and Justice Party (LJP), a member of a joinder part, won one seat in the Parliament.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in

Media operatives grills Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, on concerns that the Region 4 results were manipulated

a statement recognized that the demonstration of the fortitude of our nascent democracy, bolstered by pro-democracy forces, was reminiscent of the 1970’s and 80’s – before the free and fair elections of 1992. The PPP said: “The struggle was a struggle for all Guyana and this victory, as well as the assurances it engenders, belongs to each Guyanese. While the work over the past five years has been hard, our greatest task now lies ahead of us… to deliver our ‘Plan for Prosperity’ to benefit every single Guyanese – regardless who you voted for, your race, your religion or any other differentiating factor. We now have to move forward together, for the simple reason that we are stronger together. Our 2020-2025 manifesto details plans to make our government systems more accessible, inclusive and open to all, including constitutional reform.”

POST-ELECTIONS PERFORMANCE OF THE PPP/C GOVERNMENT – THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali’s government promised on the election campaign that we would put our country on the cusp of massive socio-economic transformation that can take our nation to new heights of prosperity for all of our people. We are committed to inclusive and participatory democracy.

In his inaugural speech to the Parliament he committed to his policy and programmes for ‘One Guyana’ based on inclusivity, participation, transparency and accountability.

On attaining government the state of the country and the economy was in dire shape with, to name a few: • An overdraft in the Central Bank of GY$89B; • A foreign currency reserve of less than three months (from US$780M in 2015 to less than US$300M in 2020); • Diminished gold reserves, moving from GY$13B in 2015 to less than a GY$1B in 2020; • Unemployment of 30,000 more than in 2015.

The PPP/C government’s commitment to attaining a promising future was immediately seen in the passing of a GY$330 billion emergency Budget, within one month of assuming office. We said then our focus was on righting the economy and addressing the COVID-19

pandemic, which had been woefully handled.

This was followed by a $383 billion budget, less than five months later, in 2021. Our focus has been on preparing the foundation for the expansion of the socio-economic base of a modern Guyana. Catering for our citizens first and foremost, these budgets provided for tax relief, the stabilisation of our economy, the restoration of critical programmes and infrastructural works and in doing so, creating jobs and – most pressingly – providing relief for our citizens amid the pandemic.

In its first year, the PPP/C administration has stayed true to its promises and ensured that every initiative, every investment made to date, has strategically been to improve the quality of lives for our people and setting the stage for Guyana’s development.

In 365 days we have accomplished in one year what the previous government could not do in its five-year term of office.

All of this has taken place in the midst of two major disasters, neither of our making – the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented flooding in April- July in all 10 regions of Guyana. We did not create these challenges. But we confronted them.

Measures to combat COVID-19 were of utmost priority, urgent and large purchases of drugs and medical supplies across the country, including PPEs, COVID -19 testing reagents and equipment that were in critically short supply, as well as the procurement of vaccines that were in short supply globally, but more especially for developing countries.

The COVID-19 Action Plan has been further updated to ensuring the continued roll-out of vaccines to the adult population, and daily working toward reach 80% adult coverage; Pfizer vaccines have also been procured to vaccinate children in September 2021.

Further, hundreds of millions have been spent to keep children in a learning environment, as a result of COVID-19. On coming into office, the government sought to find new initiatives to help children remain in a learning environment with the use of the Learning Channel, printing of works books and other learning tools distributed to school children across the country.

In the midst these unprecedented situations, the PPP/C Administration remained conscious of the need for reliable access to information for our citizens. From realising

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Exposing the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition

[Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] the long-awaited liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, to the implementation of ICT Access and e-Services project, which provides for 200 ICT hubs in the hinterland and riverine communities, our government’s focus is on ensuring that our people are informed and thereby empowered. To achieve this, we have created new opportunities for fibre optic cables, reduce cost of bandwidth, reduce cost of data so that our ICT environment will also become competitive.

Apart from these specific initiatives, the transformation seen under the PPP/C administration within the last year alone is historic.

In every sector, there have been transformative shifts for the better in Guyana: increased economic development, a revitalised health sector, resuscitation of the national housing drive, resuscitation of the sugar industry; job creation; massive investments in education through scholarships, grants and loans; transformative infrastructure; investment in cheaper and more reliable electricity; investments in youth development; investments in Amerindian communities; developments in the natural resources sector to secure our future as an oil and gas producing nation.

Whilst the government has laid the foundation for the transformative agenda in the first year, we have also transferred GY$50B directly to the people of Guyana, regardless of race, political affiliation, religion or geographic location, thereby improving household disposable income.

The torrential May-July rainfall of 2021 caused massive flooding and severely affected more than 52,000 citizens in all 10 Regions.

Considered the worst natural disaster Guyana has ever seen, the government responded with efficiency and alacrity. Through the work of the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) and other critical institutions, hundreds of persons were immediately evacuated and over 83,000 hampers of food and cleaning supplies were distributed, and, continue to be distributed as swollen rivers in the interior continue to flood many communities and damage their family farms in August. A GY$23B in supplementary financing was obtained for relief measures, among which included allocations to support affected households and farmers, including GY$7.5B and repairing of infrastructure damaged by the nationwide flooding.

On August 16, 2021 the President announced further assistance to the poor and disadvantaged.

In the area of Housing, which is critical to people’s welfare, the government restored the national housing programme, more than $14B, has been allocated for more than 65,000 house lots, and processed almost 2,000 titles and transports, commenced construction of almost 1,000 low, moderate, and young professional homes, and in the process of designing and implementing infrastructure works to see the allocation of an additional 10,000 in the coming year.

The government reinvested in the sugar and reopened the industry, returned jobs and brought back vibrancy to communities.

In addition, the government restored the Community Service Officer (CSO) programme and hired 2000 Amerindians whose jobs were wiped out by the APNU+AFC Coalition government in 2015.

A rapid expansion of Guyana’s physical infrastructure has already been launched with

the aims of: improving connectivity with our neighbours and trading partners, thereby expanding the economic space in which we operate; opening up new lands to unleash productive potential; improving internal connectivity to enhance citizen and commuter convenience. These include key infrastructural projects already underway, such as the Lethem (near the Brazilian Border) to Linden Road, Corentyne river bridge in partnership with our Surinamese neighbours; enhancing private sector capacity to service the oil and gas sector; private sector investment to construct multiple shore-based and deep-water facilities; expansion of access to productive land for agricultural and other productive purposes, the new Demerara River Bridge has already been tendered and is expected to open on October 3rd, 2021; and many more road links to open up new lands and improve communication and improve efficiency. Further, works on community bridges, roads, streets, and residential areas have commenced in all 10 Administrative Regions.

With these major infrastructural works in all 10 regions, jobs are being restored and or created; beyond the traditional sectors, approximately 7,500 new jobs have been created.

Also, various initiatives are in progress to restore Linden and the Bauxite Sector that also collapsed under the former APNU+AFC Coalition government.

Investments have already commenced that would see many new internationally branded hotels and modern health facilities coming on stream.

The physical landscape of our country is changing dramatically.

In this endeavor, the energy sector is critical. Recognizing the importance of energy sufficiency, reliability, affordability and sustainability, the government has commenced investment in the energy sector, aiming for a new generation capacity of at least 500 MW in the immediate term, with the option to expand this further in the longer term.

Major initiatives in this sector will include: gas-to-shore project terminating at the Wales Development Authority, and new power generation from the Amaila Fall Hydropower Project which is back on the agenda after being sabotaged in 2014 by the APNU and AFC, as separate political entities that formed the Parliamentary Opposition. The final outcome would see energy cost slashed by at least 50 percent before the end of 2024.

Addressing our resilience to disasters due to climate change and our geography, work will continue on reinforcing our sea and coastal defences, and drainage and irrigation systems, including in the south area of the capital city, South Georgetown. The 2010 Low Carbon Development Strategy will be updated by a national consultative process. It will focus on ensuring that our vast standing forest resource is adequately remunerated for the global climate service it is providing, as well as ensuring that the vast potential of the blue economy is harnessed for national development. It should be noted that the revenues of the sale of Guyana’s oil remain untouched in a Federal Reserve account in the USA, pending a new legislative framework for the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund.

In order to prepare the country for its economic take off path, requires major and

critical investment in our human resources.

In order to address these needs, as well as to ensure that every single Guyanese person of employable age is adequately equipped to obtain gainful employment, a vast transformation in our human resources will be imperative. This will be achieved, in addition to the available training opportunities, through new initiatives such as: • The GOAL scholarship programme, where 20,000 online scholarships will be made available over the next five years. The first batch of 6,000 Guyanese (of 7,000 applicants) emanating from all 10 regions have been awarded this month.

• Rapid training of at least 3,000 Guyanese to work in the expanding hospitality and tourism sector.

• The WINN programmes which recognises the challenges faced by women and focuses on training and developing there entrepreneurial skills. Some 4,000 women are presently receiving training under this programme Further, discussions are in the final stage towards the establishment of a world class oil and gas institute to serve as a centre of excellence for training of personnel for the oil and gas sector in Guyana, regionally and worldwide.

With regard to the security sector, the government has already commenced a programme that will see the modernisation of the sector, improvement of the welfare and working conditions of those in the sector, and the institutional strengthening to aid transparency, efficiency and accountability have begun.

Throughout this rapid transformation that the country will witness, the government is committed to ensure that no one is left behind, and that social welfare continues to be improved. No one has been discriminated against in accessing all the goods and services we have offered in this last year.

Reducing the cost of bureaucracy and red tape as well as reduce the hurdles people have to go through to carry out their daily business with government agencies are critical. Hence a number of amendments to legislation are before the house to assist our citizens in this regard.

As part of our governance architecture, our institutions will also be strengthened, and ensure accountable and transparent stewardship of our national patrimony and taxpayers’ money.

The foundation has been laid with this rapid take off in one year; Guyana has only just begun the climb.

This is explains the desperate efforts of the fringe elements in the leadership of the APNU+AFC Coalition calling for “deposing the PPP/C government”, “ burn Georgetown” with race-baiting and race as their only and last weapon to win support amongst misguided people in the USA. THE GRANGER-LED APNU+AFC COALITION GOVERNMENT (2015-2020) - WHY DID IT LOSE THE 2020 ELECTIONS? It must be remembered that the Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition came into office with only less than 5,000 votes and 33 of 65 seats in the National Assembly.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Granger and his administration’s legacy will be one sullied with the greatest infringements of our

Constitution and laws, barefacedly and repeatedly, since Guyana gained independence.

The path from May 15, 2015 to August 1, 2020 is littered with violations of our constitution and laws by Mr. Granger himself and/ or his Ministers – the latter many times with his knowledge.

His aloof and many times indolent response to these infractions did not convey the impression that he wanted to halt these incursions on the democratic architecture of our nation.

Mr. Granger initiated and perpetrated many actions to undermine constitutional bodies and the Constitution from early in his administration not just after the No Confidence Vote, which defeated his government on December 21, 2018.

The same ruling party lost the 2016 Local Government Elections of 2016 and again massively at the 2018 Local Government Elections. The PPP/C won 65% of the 80 local Authorities including 10 municipalities in 2018. It therefore lost the mandate to govern and hence the no confidence motion.

EXECUTIVE LAWLESSNESS Things started to go wrong from one of the first acts of his government when he gave himself, the Prime Minister, three Vice Presidents, and 27 Ministers enormous increases of salary, allowances and benefits between 50 -100 % of what the former government ministers received. The fact that this was denied by Ministers and executed quietly until the Gazette Order became public bringing these increases into effect from July 1, 2015 was indicative a modus operandi of a “ information only on a needs to know basis” of the new government. As one opinion-maker and lawyer, Christopher Ram, wrote in February 2020 in the Stabroek News: “In fact, …from the first year of his election as President, Granger set about violating his Oath, bending the Constitution to his personal, previously unsuspected agenda.

It was only the alertness of a few lawyers and the astuteness of the Courts that the Constitution and the rule of law have not so far been rendered completely meaningless…The cases number more than three dozen. ….that number has no parallel in Guyana or indeed in any country of the Caribbean, of constitutional violations by an executive or head of state….”

From there on came a series of acts that laid the basis for the whittling away of the constitutional and legal restraints on the President and the government. The stealthy and calculated undermining of the constitutional bodies including the Parliament were palpable and are all documented.

From January 3, 2019 to April 2019, the recourse to the local courts and our apex court, the CCJ, has been well documented.

The CCJ had ruled that: “Thirty-three votes constitute a majority of the 65 member National Assembly….Upon the passage of this motion of no confidence in the Government, the clear provisions of Article 106 immediately became engaged...”

Most critical was the CCJ ruling on June 18th 2019 and orders of July 12, 2019 that stated that: “Given the passage of the no confidence motion on 21 December 2018,

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Exposing the mischief and deception of the APNU+AFC Coalition

[Government of Guyana Response to APNU+AFC Coalition’s Racist Rally, Brooklyn, NY, on August 15, 2021] a general election should have been held in Guyana by 21 March 2019 unless a two thirds majority in the National Assembly had resolved to extend that period. The National Assembly is yet to extend the period. The filing of the court proceedings in January 2019 challenging the validity of the no confidence vote effectively placed matters on pause, but this Court rendered its decision on 18 June 2019. There is no appeal from that judgment.” (2019-CCJ14 AJ) The CCJ further ordered that: “By convention, the government is expected to behave during this interim period as a caretaker and so restrain the exercise of its legal authority. It is this caretaker or interim role that explains the three month deadline, in the first instance, that the Article lays down, in principle, for the holding of the fresh elections.”

These orders were honoured in the breach as elections were not held until March 2, 2020 and the Granger-led government continued with “business as usual”. The “Ministerial plenary of all Ministers” took the place of Cabinet, performing the duties of Cabinet and awarding multi-million dollar contracts, sale of lands, and resources, appointments on boards etc., with no legal or constitutional authority.

In August 2019, the Chief Justice (ag) ruled in relation to the interpretation of the Constitution with regards to the issue of residency and removal of names from the National Register of Registrants (NRR) and the House-to-House registration exercise for the purpose of constructing a new voters list. The High Court and the Court of Appeal found that the scrapping of the NRR was unlawful and that there was no residency requirement, further a person registered to vote could not be removed unless in keeping with the constitutional provisions of Article 159. Noteworthy is that the issue of residency and removal of persons who have deceased are being regurgitated by Mr. Granger’s own party, PNC and the APNU+AFC, in the recount of the votes of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections as if there was no legal interpretation. This is now the basis of allegations without evidence by his party that the elections had many irregularities and are not credible.

Yet on March 13, 2020, with discredited declarations – discredited by the international observer missions of the Commonwealth, the European Union, the OAS, the CARICOM, all local observers and the nine opposition parties – Mr. Granger and his party said they had won the elections and were preparing for his swearing in on the next day.

It is the Granger led administration that placed parliamentary democracy and rule of law in jeopardy as no President of Guyana since the 1980s. The APNU+AFC government holds the record of being a serial offender of violations of the Constitution as adjudicated by the Guyana courts POLITICAL AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION The Granger-led government carried out the most blatant racist policy experi-

enced since the Burnham era of the 1970s and 80s. This was seen in several cases.

• Within one month of taking office the Granger-led administration fired 1,972 Amerindian (Indigenous) Community Service Officers working in the interior of the country. This one act removed GY$700M from the Amerindian village economies and increased poverty for over 10,000 dependents.

• Amerindians, our indigenous peoples, represent almost 11% of the population and own 14% of Guyana’s land mass by communal and absolute lands rights based on principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent, yet the Granger government did not issue one communal land grant in the five years as his government said the Amerindians were “avaricious” and “had too much land”.

• Over 2000 public servants, who were thought to be supporters of the PPP/C based on their ethnicity and or suspected political affiliation, were fired.

• Promotions were held back for public servants who were thought to not be supporters of the government based on ethnicity.

• The Coalition government hired and created an over bloated government sector with 10,000 new employees in the public service, mainly supporters of the APNU+AFC and their families, majority one ethnic group, Afro-Guyanese.

• The Coalition government discriminated against contractors and businesses in government procurement, mainly based on ethnicity and gave the majority of the contractors to their electoral financiers and supporters.

• By 2016, the government closed one sugar estate and in the second year two more throwing 7,000 sugar workers (majority of whom were Indo- Guyanese) out of work and impacting over a quarter of the population and the reducing foreign currency earnings for the country.

• Local Authorities Councils which were won by the PPPC in the two local government elections were bypassed for infrastructural works by the government.

• Every single board was dominated by Coalition supporters and one ethnic group.

Even in the 47 Board of Guardians which are community based to assist the poor and indigent they dominated ethnically and politically in areas dominated by other population groups.

• Was involved in mismanagement and poor policies, high taxes, 30,000 jobs were lost, thereby increasing poverty and hardships on all Guyanese people.

Furthermore, the APNU+AFC Coalition: • Terminated 99% of Guyana’s representatives at our Foreign missions; terminated Chief Executive Officers and high level managers in all state corporations; • Terminated 99% of all Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers; • Ensconced APNU+AFC activists as advisers in the Ministry of the Presidency and in every Ministry; • Used the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) and the Serious Organised Crime Unit(SOCU) as political tools to hound

President Irfaan Ali receives instruments of appointment as Guyana's ninth executive president from Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings Edwards

down PPP/C leaders; • Prematurely aborted the International Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of Dr. Water Rodney; and voted on two occasions in parliament against to adopt the findings and recommendations of the report (COI report is now available on the Parliament of Guyana website) • Ignored and or attacked any civil society individuals or bodies that were critical and didn’t fall into line; • Turned the state media into the “rag sheet” of the APNU+AFC Coalition; • Introduced Anti- working people tax measures, thereby increasing levels of poverty; • Did nothing to stem the astounding levels of corruption in his administration, which has led to several Ministers and Chief Executive Officers of state corporations being charged and before the courts post August 2020.

In the National Assembly, the Granger-led administration from June 2015: • Defeated every motion brought by the parliamentary opposition, even those which were non-partisan, e.g., the suicide prevention, rice farmers, sugar industry, interior roads, crime; • Defeated every amendments brought by the parliamentary opposition on any bill; • Suspended the Standing Orders to rush through large and complex bills at first reading, such as the Cybercrime bill, amendments to the AMLCFT bills, and the Anti-Terrorism bill; • Ignored the findings of the Auditor General reports and took no corrective action.

The national housing programme which had was recognized as a model to provide housing especially for low income families was whittled away from allocating 10,000 house lots per annum to 2,000. The PPP/C government on coming into office found 68,000 pending applications mainly of low income families. In contrast, the APNU+AFC Coalition gave away hundred and thousands of acres of state to Ministers and their families and let the poor people, including Afro-Guyanese suffer.

The PNC dominated APNU+AFC Coalition is in tatters. Race is the last desperate thing that they have in opposition

to hold onto. This they have used to divide the nation and increase ethnic insecurities at each stage of Guyana’s history for the last 29 years whenever there is a chance, an opportunity for the country and the people to move forward and thrive. Their history of destruction, obstruction, anti-nationalism, and division has not changed.

CONCLUSION The PPP/C government led by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, is the legitimate government of the country on behalf of all the people.

The international bodies of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, Organization of American States, the CARICOM and individual nations have recognised the PPP/C as the legitimate government.

The PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition leadership lost the elections because of its own actions; it has lost the moral authority to lecture anyone on the law, constitution, and customs and practices and on race.

The PPP/C government is different and will unapologetically include representatives on boards from civil society, political parties, skilled and experienced individuals who reflect the diversity of our nation in keeping with our constitution and in particular article 13.

The political landscape has vastly changed since March 2, 2020.

As a nation we faced the most profound test of our democracy and our strength as a nation, and our people and democracy triumphed.

The final declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 vote made it clear that Guyanese drew a distinct line in the sand – one that marked the difference between a path of social, economic and political development and a path of regression.

It is our time as a people and a nation to thrive and to realize our dreams of a ‘One Guyana’ and a modern transformed developed nation where our people will live a good life.

Sincerely, Gail Teixeira, M.P., Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance August 18, 2021

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Guyana ready to collaborate with UAE on climate change G

uyana is prepared to collaborate with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on climate change and other bilateral objectives, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali. Ali made the statement after accepting the Letters of Credence from the non-resident Ambassador of the UAE to Guyana, Saleh Ahmad Salem Alzaraim Alsuwaidi, at the Office of

the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, on Tuesday (August 24, 2021).

President Ali first conveyed best wishes and warm greetings to the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, before highlighting the importance of collaboration between the two countries.

He said, “There are many areas that

we can focus on to develop our bilateral relations. Both of our countries share similar objectives.”

The President noted that Guyana is on a path to transforming its economy while mitigating the effects of climate change. This, he added, will be done through the prioritisation of the Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

He said, “I hope we can work together to develop our collaboration in this area.”

The Head of State added that the impending establishment of Guyana’s Mission in the capital of the UAE— Abu Dhabi—is a testimony to his Government’s commitment to give “practical meaning” to its relations with the UAE. The President also used

the opportunity to thank the UAE for its assistance in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through “generous donations” of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). He said, “I take this opportunity to reiterate our gratitude for this tangible gesture of friendship.”

President Ali also congratulated the UAE for host-

ing Expo Dubai 2020 (from October 2021 to March 2022) and said that he is looking forward to attending the event in October.

Meanwhile, the Ambassador extended best wishes to President Ali and said that the focus of his mission, as directed by his President, is to develop the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Private sectors of Guyana and Suriname to build partnerships

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has urged the private sector in both Guyana and Suriname to think big and be bold and aggressive in going after the opportunities on the horizon.

The Head of State gave this charge during a working breakfast hosted by the Private Sector Commission. He was joined by the President of Suriname, His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi and members of his delegation. Ali said, “There are many opportunities ahead of you, that is why it is important that we set the right tone.

Today we are two countries, neighbours not talking about competing with each other, but talking about cooperating with each other; talking about coordinating with each other to develop the seamless path for the prosperity of the people of both countries.”

In an effort to achieve this, the President pointed to the importance of building trust. He said, “That is why President Santokhi and I made the point that we lead from the front in demonstrating to the people of both countries that we trust the process, we trust each other and we trust the policies and programmes that will be designed to take the countries forward.

We want the private sector of both countries to work towards building trust.

When you build trust, you build partnerships; when you build partnerships, you

build capacity; when you build capacity, you build a foundation to win.”

He explained that realistically, individual businesses will not be able to win those opportunities, however, if they form consortiums, they can pool together their efforts. This he added is demonstrative of local content and private sector involvement. He said, ‘’That is why we are connected today. We have to think big, in a bold manner, in an aggressive manner…I am saying that the opportunities are there, don’t sit down, do nothing and when the opportunities go away from the local private sector you say ‘where do these outsiders come from and take the opportunities? Why we never had the opportunities?’”

The President pointed to opportunities in various sectors including food production, oil and gas, infrastructure projects, security, natural resources and the environment among many other areas.

He also encouraged those present to commit to the unification of efforts in the interest of both economies and the people of both countries. He said, “Today members of the private sector, you are the foundation of this partnership. We can create the best enabling environment, the best policy environment, but if there are no takers then we are just creating policies in a vacuum and no one benefits.

We recognise clearly that the engines to drive this is the private sector.”

According to him, while this may be the case, the private sector must also understand their social and economic responsibility to ensure that people are included in the prosperity.

“Let me assure you that the aggression that is coming after the opportunities from the private sector outside of Suriname and Guyana is unbelievable. The only way you can create a winning culture is if we cultivate the conditions to win,” Ali said.

In his remarks, President Santokhi said that the discussions between the two Presidents over the last few days were grounded in a “new future” for the countries. He assured them that the private sector will be involved in all initiatives either independently or through public-private partnerships. He said, “Our two Governments will be your vehicles to all these markets.”

In his welcoming remarks, the Vice Chairman of the PSC, Krishnand Jaichand acknowledged that the private sector is being consulted by the Ali Administration.

Meanwhile, in his presentation, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, the Honourable Dr Ashni Singh noted that it is indeed a great privilege to host such a large delegation

from Suriname. He called the discussions with his counterparts “extremely fruitful” and productive. He also acknowledged the unprecedented number of private sector leaders who form part of President Santokhi’s delegation. Dr Singh said

that both countries are at a unique juncture economically, particularly with the opportunities in the oil and gas sector. Singh said, “We have an opportunity to transform Guyana that has never been seen before…We would like you to see Guyana as a place

to do business, explore new markets, deliver new services and expand business.”

Members of the private sector were also engaged in interactive sessions with both Presidents during an interactive question and answer segment.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Trial for Mingo, Lawrence, Joseph to start today T

he trial in the election fraud case for three persons – sacked Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; Chairperson for the People’s National Congress, Volda Lawrence; and APNU+AFC activist, Carol Smith-Joseph – is slated to start today at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The trial will be conducted by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, who had ruled earlier this year that the matter would be tried summarily.

Mingo, Lawrence and Joseph are facing several electoral charges.

The signatures of Lawrence and Joseph were on manipulated declarations for Region 4– issued on March 5, 2020 and March 13, 2020

– that were prepared by Mingo. In both cases, the manipulated declarations increased votes for the APNU+AFC and decreased the votes for the PPP/C. By the end of the recount for Region 4, the declarations were exposed as having been manipulated.

Mingo and Lawrence are facing a joint charge, which alleges that on March 5, 2020, in Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four for the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, knowing said report to be forged.

Mingo and Joseph are facing a charge alleges that on March 13, 2020, they

uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, while knowing that the report was forged.

Joseph faces two individual charges, which state that on March 13, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with Mingo and others to declare a fraudulent count of votes for District Four for both the general and regional elections.

Lawrence, Mingo, and Joseph have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trio is represented by Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes. Having appeared in court the trio was granted bail. Mingo was placed on $60,000 bail for the two

charges he faced. Lawrence was placed on $30,000 bail for the joint charge. Joseph was placed on a total of $90,000 bail for the three charges she faces.

INVESTIGATION The investigation into the criminal conduct by Mingo and other GECOM staffers, who have now been fired, as well as representatives of the APNU+AFC Coalition, during the March 2020 General and Regional Elections was announced in August 2020.

Earlier this year, the Statements of Poll (SOPs) were handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as per a High Court ruling.

The ruling, handed down

on May 27, 2021 by acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, followed an application made to the High Court by prevent the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar AliHack, SC, and Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie.

The DPP and Acting Police Commissioner had initiated legal proceedings in the High Court, seeking orders to obtain certified copies of the SOPs and SORs from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, which are currently lodged with the Registrar of the High Court.

The decision to move to the High Court came after the Police Commissioner wrote the Registrar of the High Court, Sueanna Lovell, to obtain the certified copies

of the documents, but was informed, by way of a letter, this could not be done without an order from the Court.

The Acting Chief Justice on January 18, 2021 had ordered that the SORS and SOPS be lodged with the High Court for “safekeeping”, after she struck out one of the elections petitions – Petition 99 – which sought to overturn the results of the polls. The request for the documents to be lodged at the court was made by Attorneys-at-law Douglas Mendes, S.C., and Kashir Khan, who brought to the court’s attention that the Representation of the People Act allows for the Chief Elections Officer to destroy all elections documents after a 12-month (Continued on 17)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Trial for Mingo, Lawrence, Joseph... period would have elapsed.

Accordingly, the now former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield on January 27, 2021 delivered the SOPS and SORS to the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

According to Ali-Hack, the SOPS and SORS are necessary for the fair hearing of the charges as they constitute relevant evidence for the prosecution to prove the commission of the offences related to the March 2020 Election debacle. The DPP, in her application to the court, had said, “If the prosecution does not have these documents, the hearing of the charges instituted will be inordinately delayed, because hundreds of witnesses will have to testify, in their stead, in the charges

instituted, causing the case not to be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time.”

Further, pursuant to the Representation of the People Act, the DPP pointed out that the documents are public records for which there is no restriction such as privacy, privilege, or secrecy. As such, the DPP submitted that: “There is no restriction to the Police obtaining them…by the common law and statute, namely Section 50 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, the Commissioner of Police and any member of the Police Force have the lawful right to collect and recover all documents and property which are relevant to the investigation and prosecution of any criminal

offence.”

OTHERS CHAGRED In February 2021, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly ruled that a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) will be conducted into the two counts of misconduct in public office against sacked Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers. This was after she upheld submissions by Hughes for the charges to remain indictable. Myers was not required to plead to the indictable charges which stated that, during the period March 4 and 14, 2020, she willfully misconducted herself in declaring fraudulent results for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. She has been placed on $300,000 bail in relation to both charges.

Meanwhile Lowenfield is already facing three counts of forgery and three counts of misconduct in public office. He has been placed on $300,000 bail.

There are also elector-

(From page 16) al fraud charges against GECOM clerks Denise Bob-Cummings and Michelle Miller, as well as GECOM Elections Officer Shefern February and Information Technology Officer

Enrique Livan. They, too, have been released on bail.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has hired a team of lawyers to prosecute these cases on the State’s behalf.

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GTU is ‘messing around’ and not being honest Dear Editor,

I

find it most preposterous that “With immediate effect, the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) announced … that it is withdrawing from participating in the present assessment of schools and all other planned engagements with the Ministry of Education over the recent vaccine requirements put in place.” Like to be

defiant is one thing, but to be so, in the face of common sense and at the risk of endangering a nation is quite another.

I go back to December 2020, and I hope to enlighten the entire GTU. I remind all that at the time, UNESCO and Education International (EI), the global federation of education unions, issued a call to governments and the international community, to consider the

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021 vital importance of vaccinating teachers and school personnel. The message was clear and resounding. It stated that “Reopening schools and education institutions safely and keeping them open as long as possible is imperative.

In this context, as we see positive developments regarding vaccination, we believe that teachers and education support personnel must be considered as a priority group.” So, it is not a Guyana thing. The international cry is “… that countries should take critical measures regarding teachers, in the global pandemic, including the protection of teachers and students’ health, safety, and well-being.”

So, to the GTU, and its Head, Mark Lyte, I say ‘wake up and quit the machinations. The Education Ministry is spot on with its policy of urging “… teachers who are yet to get vaccinated, to use this period to do so before the reopening of schools.” Attaching some conditions is perfectly in order too, so I am with the Ministry, as it also outlined that “… teachers who do not wish to get vaccinated, are required to submit a negative PCR test once per week. Those who do not report for duty will be marked as absent.”

For Mark Lyte and those he is speaking for, I again highlight that Guyana’s situation

herein is a bit tardy. Guyana should have been embarking on mandatory vaccination for the teaching fraternity some time ago. As far back as April 2020, at the global level, it was pointed out that “… school closures disrupted the learning of almost 90 percent of students worldwide … (and) while that number has dropped since, there continues to be an unsupported assumption that closing schools may slow the spread of the disease, despite increasing evidence that schools are not the main driver of community transmission.”

This explains why “UNICEF is calling for teachers to be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated. This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person, and ultimately keep schools open.” Who can debate that the longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return, and the more difficult it is for their parents to resume work?

I submit, therefore, that in the light of scientific, medical, and social evidence, that GTU is ‘out of order.’

Sincerely, Erin Northe

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Coalition unable to substantiate talk of Public Service terminations

T

he anti-national narrative being advanced by the APNU+AFC Coalition seems to be misguidedly aimed at scoring political points.

However, the narrative is steeped in misinformation, according to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira. In a recent interview, she said, “You’ve had a bloated Public Service, which the APNU filled with activists, so there have been a lot of political appointments. The Public Service was bloated by approximately 10,000 people and

a lot of people on the fixed establishment (non-contract workers). So whether they are qualified or not, whether you need them or not, they are on the fixed establishment.

And it’s very difficult to make changes.

“Where there were political appointments, we removed them. In all democracies, a new government comes in, political appointees don’t hang around. Usually, they do the decent thing and resign. This did not always happen.

“We have seen accusations in New York that we have

fired thousands of public servants. That is totally untrue.

That is not true. It has not happened. I would say to the PNC, give us a list of the people you say we have terminated. They can’t produce a list. Because the list they would produce are political appointees and those would normally go, anyway.”

Notably, in a correspondence dispatched to international partners, Teixeira noted that in the face of the wild untruths that are being peddled by the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition, it was the then David Granger-led government

that carried out the “most blatant racist policy experienced since the Burnham era” of the 1970s and 80s.

The correspondence documented instances where this was evident in the Granger-led Administration, including the fact that: within one month of taking office the Granger-led administration fired 1, 972 Amerindian (Indigenous) Community Service Officers working in the interior of the country; fired over 2,000 public servants, who were thought to be supporters of the PPP/C based on their ethnicity and or

suspected political affiliation; held back promotions for public servants who were thought to not be supporters of the government based on ethnicity; and discriminated against contractors and businesses in government procurement, mainly based on ethnicity and gave the majority of the contractors to their electoral financiers and supporters, among other examples.

She also underscored the fact that it was the former, the APNU+AFC Coalition government that terminated 99 per cent of Guyana’s

representatives at Guyana’s Foreign missions; terminated Chief Executive Officers and high level managers in all state corporations; and terminated 99 per cent of all Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers.

The APNU+AFC Coalition, now the Parliamentary Opposition, according to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, has an obligation to work in the best interests of the Guyanese – something that is not served by the peddling of misinformation.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Plans in the pipeline to increase Region 1... (From page 7) Khan’s Hill, Robinson noted a resistivity logging exercise was recently conducted, paving the way for a new well to be drilled to supply the area for the first time.

He also said, “Preparation is being made to possibly restore a well found in the Arakuru, White Water area.

If the technical team deems it fit, residents should be able to receive water later this year.”

HOSORORO FALLS At the Hosororo falls,

GWI is eyeing a water source that can supply Central Mabaruma.

GWI’s CEO stated that “Since 2013 when I was CEO at GWI, I looked at that and I was optimistic it could be tapped. However work has to be done to ensure the sustainability of the water source and the idea is to bring the water up through the solar systems or other means…to supply the whole of Mabaruma.

The Officer in Charge further explained that “Our

system currently – Mabaruma and Wanaina are interconnected so at one point in the future we’re looking to have redundancy in the case that something should happen to the Wanaina system, Mabaruma can back it up and vice versa.”

The study to determine the water volume and sustainability of the Hosororo spring would entail a collaboration with the Hydromet Office to monitor the flow of water for six to nine months.

WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

21

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

COM M ENTARY

Dishonest politicians took COVID-19 vaccines, but now discourage supporters’ vaccination

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

O

n Tuesday, August 24, 146,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Guyana, donated by the United States of America.

The Government of Guyana had made clear from months ago that Guyana was trying to access Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for vaccinating school children and out of school children who are twelve years and older. This is presently the only vaccine type tested for use in children between the ages of 12 and 18.

On Thursday, August 26, the Government of Guyana launched the school children (ages 12 years to 17 years) at the St. Stanislaus College on Brickdam. Guyana, in the process, became one of the first countries outside of the developed countries, which has initiated a COVID-19 vaccination program among school children less than 18 years old. As of Monday, August 30, Guyana will roll out the COVID-19 vaccination program for children 12 years to 17 years old across all schools in Guyana.

As of this weekend, Guyana has vaccinated more than 315,000 citizens, 18 years and

older, with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, more than 160,000 Guyanese citizens aged 18 and older are fully vaccinated. In this regard, Guyana is way, way ahead of any country in CARICOM. In fact, among developing countries with population more than 500,000 people, Guyana is among the top countries for COVID-19 vaccination. But amidst this success story, there is a troubling vaccine hesitancy, with a large number of Guyanese adults refusing to take the vaccine.

If this is troublesome, it is vulgar, absolutely reckless, that Opposition politicians are engaged in a campaign encouraging people to invoke individual rights and freedom of expression to refuse the vaccine. These same dishonest politicians have taken the vaccine. Their families have taken the vaccine. In fact, many of these politicians breached the prioritization plan in order to jump the line.

I know. Many of them called me begging for their families to jump the line.

Mr. Granger, the leader of the PNC, and former President, was among the first Guyanese that received

a COVID-19 vaccine. It is, therefore, more than disappointing that Mr. Granger has never once told Guyanese that it is the right thing to do.

But if his failure to appeal to Guyanese, particularly his supporters, is disappointing, it is simply vulgar, reckless, egregious for his party to be behind the protests this past week against vaccination.

The party that David Granger leads and that Joe Harmon represents in Parliament as the Opposition Leader has been behind protests in Linden and Georgetown against vaccination.

The Government of Guyana has not issued any order making vaccines mandatory.

The government of Guyana has established certain guidelines for entry into Government buildings. Among the guidelines, outside of masking, the Government requires persons to either be vaccinated or in possession of a recent test results showing negative for COVID-19. The vaccines are being offered by the government for free. Vaccines in Guyana has always been free. But the government only offers free PCR COVID-19 testing for diagnostic or surveillance and contact-track-

ing purposes. For traveling and other purposes, PCR testing must be accessed via the private sector. The government has shown respect for people’s choice to take or not take the vaccine. But there are consequences for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine. If one exercises an individual right to refuse the vaccine, then that person has the obligation to take the PCR test for COVID-19. If you want to drive a car, you have that individual right, but the safety of the public mandates you must be a licensed driver and that you must wear a seat belt. No individual right is unconditional.

More than 60% of Guyanese adults have done the right thing and have taken at least one dose of vaccine. By end of September, we can expect that more than 400,000 Guyanese citizens would have taken at least one dose of vaccine and more than 250,000 would have been fully vaccinated. For those who continue to hesitate in taking the vaccine, they cannot expect to have their right supersede the rights of others.

The government has the obligation to ensure that the rights of all citizens are respected.

It is for this reason that the government has mandated that everyone must either be vaccinated or be tested for COVID-19 before entering a government building. Many private sector companies are doing the same. But the PNC leaders have abrogated their responsibility and, instead of encouraging their supporters to protect themselves, they are pushing their supporters to put their lives in jeopardy.

This is unconscionable. Make no mistake, every single one of the unvaccinated persons protesting has a high risk of becoming infected with COVID-19.

Notice, however, that David Granger is not among the protesters. Notice Harmon, Amna Ally, Volda Lawrence, Basil Williams, Norton and others are not in the crowd.

They have had their vaccines and they know the danger of being out there, particularly since many of the protesters are not even wearing masks.

But they send their supporters to risk their lives against a killer virus. I met a lady who said she and others came from Brooklyn to join other PNC supporters in Guyana to protest against COVID-19 vaccination. Here is the irony – she took the vaccine in Brooklyn before she came to Guyana.

She took the vaccine because the nursing home where she works requires vaccination.

She was in no protest against the vaccine in America. This is sheer hypocrisy. Her political party cannot mobilize supporters on political issues, so these dishonest politicians are piggybacking on the vaccine push to create a political story.

This week the American Embassy announced that no one will be able to enter the US Embassy to apply for visas. Persons will have to prove they have had full vaccination against COVID-19.

Not a word has been uttered by any politician or by anyone else so far. Of course, the US Embassy has a right to establish conditions for accessing their services. Anyone is free to apply for an American visa, whether a visitor’s visa or a permanent resident visa.

There is no discrimination.

But in order to enter the US Embassy to conclude any transaction, including obtaining a visa, persons must be vaccinated. In choosing not to take the vaccine, there are consequences. The American Embassy through their announcement has shown one of the consequences – no vaccine, no visa. There has been nothing, nada, from the usual suspects. I can guarantee people one thing – some of the Guyanese citizens who have said no one can mandate whether they take the vaccine or not will ensure they take the vaccine because they also want an American visa.

In fact, many countries are mandating vaccination or PCR testing for employment and service access. Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Fiji, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malta, Micronesia, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, United States, are among the countries that have already declared various COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

The mandates that require either vaccination or testing in these countries and in Guyana are not intended to deprive anyone of their fundamental rights. Rather these guidelines are promulgated to protect people’s rights.

Health is a right and, at the moment, vaccination is one of only two ways to come close to guarantee that right.

The other way, other than vaccination, is to quarantine yourself. The government is simply requiring people to prove they are not infected.

The facts are clear. In Guyana, between 98 to 100 % of all COVID-19 cases on a daily basis are among the unvaccinated. Between 99 and 100% of the persons hospitalized daily are unvaccinated people. And almost 100% of persons who have died are among unvaccinated people.

Only reckless, irresponsible and dishonest people will openly support those who protest vaccination. Unfortunately, among those reckless people are the leaders of the PNC.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 28-29 AUGUST, 2021

Guyana receives 146,250 doses of the US Pfizer vaccine

‒ Johnson and Johnson vaccine to be used in hinterland

G

Delta variant likely already in Guyana M

inister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, MP is urging those persons who are yet to receive their second dose of the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca or Sinopharm vaccines, to complete the process and protect themselves and families against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

Minister Anthony issued the appeal during an interview, where he revealed a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the last week. He said, “As of last week, our numbers were relatively low, meaning that it had dropped to about 800 or so, and then we started seeing an increase in those numbers of new cases, and that is very instructive because it’s setting us that we probably have a more infectious variant that is now in Guyana. And we all

know that in many countries around the world that the Delta variant is becoming the dominant variant. So, Delta is now in more than 140 Something countries. “And as that variant becomes the dominant strain that is circulating in the country, we will see that it’s going to cause more infections, unfortunately, it is going to cause more hospitalisation and it is going to cause more deaths.”

Minister Anthony reminded the nation that unvaccinated persons are among those persons being severely affected by the Delta variant.

He said, “So, the thing here, if we are going to protect ourselves against Delta, then we really need to make sure that we are vaccinated, and if we are not vaccinated, then we’ll be at a higher risk to get the disease. So, I really

want to urge people, you will have an opportunity here to get vaccinated, we have more than 110 sites, fixed sites that is, that are operating and you can come to any one of these sites, you can start the process by getting your first dose of the vaccine. We have now, we have the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm , some J&J and this is available to any adult in this country. There is no rational reason why you should be without the vaccine, if you don’t take that vaccine, it is going to put you at severe risk.”

In total, there are over 1,460 active cases across Guyana, over 90 of whom are hospitalised. Of that figure, over 60 persons are at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, with over 20 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

uyana, on Tuesday (August 24, 2021), received 146,250 doses of the US made Pfizer vaccine from the United States Government for the immunisation of children 12 to 17 years old.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, in commenting on the support from the US, said, “While we were able to work with our adult population, what was missing was really working with our children. With the evolution of the virus, we have seen that the new variant, which is now called the Delta variant has been very detrimental to children. Since this pandemic started here on the 11th of March 2020, to the present time, we have had more than 4000 children, male and female under the ages of 18 who were infected with the Coronavirus. So, this represents a real threat to our children. “While with the original variant, they might have had mild forms of the infection, with the Delta variant, as we have seen in other countries, you can have a very severe form of the infection happening in children, and if they are hospitalised, we also unfortunately are seeing deaths among children.”

He reiterated that the vaccines came at a critical time. “It comes against the backdrop where over the last couple of days, we have seen an increase in cases.

Today we actually recorded, over the last 24 hours, 146 cases, and so, we are seeing new cases. And we therefore need to urgently, if we are going to beat back the Delta variant, we need to urgently get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible,” the Health Minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, MP, who was also at the airport said if parents in particular are committed to the vaccination process, then schools could reopen.

She said, “This will allow us to resume some level of normalcy that is needed…today we are very grateful to the United States Government and people for this donation, it is one that will help us to vaccinate all of our over 12

students which will amount to 98 per cent of the secondary population in Guyana.”

Before the weekend, the vaccination campaign to immunise children 12 to 17 years old will be officially launched.

Guyana’s Pfizer vaccine donation is part of a larger donation of 5.5 million doses to CARICOM. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON Further, Anthony said the ‘single dose’ Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be given to persons mainly in the hinterland regions.

He said, “So, we are going to send those vaccines out to those hard-to-reach communities across the hinterland. And I think that’s going to help us to reach a lot of people, to be able to expand the coverage.”

According to him, there have been discussions pertaining to a second dose.

However, for now it remains a single dose vaccine. He said the vaccine will mostly be for remote communities, since there has been difficulty

reaching those areas. He said, “And one of the challenges has been when we gave a first dose in one of these remote communities, getting back into the community, finding the people because sometimes people move, it is a challenge. So, by giving this single dose vaccine at least we know people would… be protected. So, our strategy would be to use the J&J vaccine mostly for those, those remote communities that we’ll have difficulty accessing.”

Meanwhile, Anthony said the vaccine’s effectiveness depends on the variant. He said, “The efficacy varies, depending of what variant we are dealing with…we will have to wait studies against maybe the Delta variant to see what the accuracy would be.” He added that the vaccine is easy to store and therefore “makes it much easier to work with”.

Guyana received its first batch of the Johnson & Jonson vaccine on Monday through an initiative spearheaded by the CARICOM Secretariat.

Dialogue must be guided by principles, cannot take place in vacuum – Teixeira T

he PPP/C Administration remains committed to realizing the goal of a ‘One Guyana’ – a modern, transformed, developed nation for the benefit of all Guyanese.

But there must be recognition by stakeholders that political dialogue does not take place in a vacuum; rather, it must be guided by clear principles. This is according to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.

In an interview that was broadcast on Sunday (August 22, 2021), she said, “Dialogue doesn’t take place in a vacuum…any attempt to have dialogue must be based on some principles: one, we recognise each other as who we are…we both recognise the other’s role – distinct, and different and legitimate….when you call me illegitimate, the first principle is gone…we don’t disregard PNC as a legitimate force in the country, but in the meantime we are not going to denigrate them and their role as set out in the Constitution. “…secondly, in terms of what can the dialogue be about and what is the framework of that discussion.

If the PNC/APNU/AFC is going to be talking about race and race and race and race. How do we talk? You can’t commence a dialogue where there is total disregard for issues. “…at some point the PNC is going to come along.

They have to come along… but, clearly, when you listen to the statements that were made in New York, they are not helpful. How can you say you want to talk

to us and you’re calling us ‘racists’, saying ‘get out of the country’, ‘we’re gonna bring you down’, we’re going make the country ungovernable’. What kind of atmosphere is that for discussions?”

Teixeira’s reference to statements made by the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition in New York, USA, was related to rally that took place on August 15, 2021. The “misinformation and race-baiting advanced by the APNU+AFC Coalition” at the “racist rally” was the subject of a 28-page correspondence by Teixeira to members of the United States of America Congress, international partners and the local diplomatic corps.

The Minister noted that areas of dialogue, as mandated by the Constitution, relate to the appointments needed for the various constitutional bodies, such as the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

“For me, these are the testing grounds to segregate the noise out there from the pragmatism of politics in making appointments…we will see,” Teixeira said.

The issue of dialogue with the APNU+AFC Coalition has been recognised by other Government leaders, including President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo had noted that the PPP/C Administration is challenged to identify a single Opposition official, who can speak on behalf of that team. “We still have to, notwithstanding the fact that all efforts made have failed, we still have to reach out to

have that done. The problem now is that we do not have an honest interlocutor on the other side,” he had said in an interview. To have an “honest interlocutor”, according to him, there must be somebody across the table who will agree to go through “bumpy times with you,” but would still give a commitment and keep that promise. “So, the question remains. Who do we speak with on the other side? At this point in time, I cannot see a single individual who can stand up and say ‘I speak for the collective and we are going to make some commitments here about working together’ and that person has the ability to defend, and have the party defend those commitments,” he said. Jagdeo said the Government is finding it difficult since dialogue is something promised in its manifesto. “Even now it is very important to us, talking about the future, but you have to have people to talk with, who are not more concerned about defending illegalities,” he explained.

Further, President Ali, in commenting on this issue, had said, “I also affirm the promise to institute a system of inclusionary governance.

Over the past 10 months we’ve been implementing that system. My Government will strengthen inclusion at three levels. At the level of the National Assembly, the political level and the level of Government.” Addressing ramblings from the APNU+AFC Coalition camp about non-engagement, Ali made clear that any fruitful engagement is undermined by the Coalition’s designation of his government.

He said, “At the political level I’ve held meetings with other political parties, including non-parliamentary parties. I’m not averse to meeting the main parliamentary Opposition. However, its designation of my Government as illegitimate presents practical obstacles to any such engagement….the parliamentary Opposition must understand, they have to respect and honour the will of the people. And in respecting and honouring the will of the people, they have to respect the Government of the day that was elected by the people of the country.”

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