Weekend Mirror 20-21 May 2023

Norton’s latest threats condemned ERC called on to act against efforts to divide Guyanese Norton’s incompetence reflected in his “lack of knowledge” – Jagdeo

Coalition’s record on land giveaways not forgotten – Jagdeo Printing of ballots for 2023 LGE being done in Canada

Guyana remains a critical player in global climate change

Norton’s incompetence reflected in his “lack of knowledge” – Jagdeo

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has addressed a misconception in relation to the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), perpetuated by Opposition

Leader, Aubrey Norton. During a press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on May 11, 2023, he clarified that the investment committee overlooks the investment of sums

that remain in the NRF and not the portion that is allocated to the budget. Norton at a news conference on May 9, 2023, was questioned on whether he was concerned that the

investment committee has not disclosed how the withdrawals from the fund are being spent. In his response, he concluded that the current government does not know how to budget well.

Jagdeo said, “First of all, I am shocked that a reporter is linking the investment fund to the spending in the budget, and Norton didn’t know about that, or couldn’t point it out. The money that will be saved for the long term-the sum that is not allocated to the budget will have to be invested, and the investment committee is related to those resources that will remain in the fund.”

The General Secretary expressed the view that the opposition leader merely used the question as an opportunity to contend that the PPP/C government ‘does not budget well’. “It’s unbelievable that a leader of the opposition could not point this out. He concluded that the PPP doesn’t know how to budget. It is his incompetence that he reflected there, his lack of knowledge. Can you imagine that somebody who wants to be the president of this country, couldn’t point out this minor difference to the people?” he said.

In the interest of transparency, the Minister of Finance was tasked with informing the public of payments to and withdrawals from the NRF.

“At budget time, there is a formula that we put in the law. The formula, when applied to the total balance [of the NRF] at the end of the year, will determine for the fiscal year, how much money will come from the fund. Every time we withdraw from the fund, we notify. It doesn’t change the amount that will be withdrawn. That is determined at budget time and by formula,” Dr. Jagdeo further explained.

CLEAR PROCESS

Parliamentary approval was granted for a total of US$1.002 billion to be transferred during the fiscal year 2023.

A total of US$400 million has been withdrawn so far for the year. The funds withdrawn have been transferred to the Consolidated Fund, in keeping with the NRF Act of 2021.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, confirmed that the sum will aid in financing current developmental projects, to improve the lives of all Guyanese. Citizens are

already experiencing the effects of development across various sectors.

The Ministry of Public Works has constructed a number of new roads, upgraded dilapidated streets, and improved the drainage systems.

In the education sector, schools have been built and upgraded, resources have been allocated for teachers to be trained, and access to learning has been increased.

Government has prioritised the health of citizens, by providing better access to primary healthcare. Funds will be used to train more healthcare professionals and improve the availability of essential medical supplies and equipment. The administration has also been partnering with the private sector, to ensure more hospitals, clinics, and health centres are constructed across the country.

Investments from the NRF will aid in financing renewable energy initiatives, such as the expansion of solar farms. This is in keeping with the government’s vision of promoting sustainable development and reducing Guyana’s reliance on traditional energy sources. The renewable energy programme will contribute to a greener, cleaner environment while providing a reliable source of electricity for commercial and domestic use.

The government is committed to diversifying the economy and the plans and projects implemented are all geared towards expanding the economic base, utilising proceeds from the lucrative oil and gas industry, to ensure there is no dependency on one sector.

The NRF Act 2021, which came into operation on January 1, 2022, represents a significant improvement in transparency and accountability, and overall management of Guyana’s natural resource wealth.

The PPP/C Government will continue to work aggressively through sound and transformative investments of oil resources from the NRF, utilising these resources in a clear and transparent manner, to the benefit of present and future generations.

Norton’s latest threats condemned

Comments by leader of the PNCR and the APNU+AFC Coalition, Aubrey Norton, resulted in his coming to blows from General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the controversial statements during his news conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday (May 18, 2023).

Norton, on Thursday morning (May 18, 2023), said, “The government seems to be pushing for a physical confrontation….we are not short of people for a physical confrontation.”

Rubbishing Norton’s comments, Jagdeo said, “Norton is a petty bully. He wants to talk tough… really, these guys are cowards…he is getting more and more desperate…he wants to sound like someone with gravitas.

“…for me personally, I would ignore his threats… but it is bad when the Leader of the Opposition threatens the country.”

The PPP General Secretary noted that this could be an area for action.

OTHER THREATS

Last month, Jagdeo made clear that threats of “brute force and ignorance” by leader of the Norton, if followed through, will be met with the full force of the law. He had said, “That may have worked in the distant past. It will not work now.”

Norton’s comments came at a press engagement on April 13, 2023 morning, where he, complaining about the preparation by the Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), said, “The PPP is not a democratic government. And so nothing impacts (the PPP) except brute force and ignorance, whether it's their action or their opponents.”

In response, Jagdeo made clear that old PNCR tactics will not be allowed to make a return to negatively impact Guyanese society. He said, “As we have come to expect, we have had a lot of gaffe, very poorly researched positions taken by the Leader of the Opposition. So he’s returned to the theme he is very familiar with – that is threatening the country and the People’s Progressive Party…so he said the PPP understands only brute force and ignorance. We know that he can display that with a high degree of sophistication – brute force and ignorance. But let me say to Mr. Norton, we don’t feel threatened and that may have worked in the distant past, very very distant past, but we will never allow what happened in the past to go unanswered. His brute force and ignorance will be met with a strong response from the law of the country, should he seek to do that.”

Explaining why Norton’s comments amount to gaffe, the PPP General Secretary and Vice President charged that the embattled leader of the PNCR-led Coalition is humbugged by limited capacity to act. “His capacity to do so is limited, given people fleeing (the PNCR) in droves because

they are uninspired by his leadership and by their future – they have no future whatsoever given the current posture of that party, which is one that seeks to divide our country on every single occasion and on every single issue along racial lines.”

EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE

The PNCR-led Coalition and elements aligned to it have been, for months, calling for the PPP/C Government to be undermined.

The first direct call was issued by David Hinds, in 2021, while he was addressing a small group of protestors at Victoria, East Coast Demerara. David Hinds, during that action, said: “In whatever way you can undermine this (PPP/C) government. Undermine this government in whatever way you can. I can’t tell you how to do it, but ‘hint to Baniba mek Quashiba tek notice’ (Old African-Guyanese proverb meaning actions to hint something will result in awareness). Undermine this government!”

The PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition’s expressed intentions to “undermine” the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C Administration, according to Jagdeo, in prior comments, has not gone unnoticed. Jagdeo, in prior comments, had said, “People like David Hinds, who for decades misled people into thinking they represent Afro-Guyanese, had no interest in development for Guyana, much less development in the interest of Afro-Guya -

nese…they are parasitic… when they came into office, they had no intention of sup-

porting Afro-Guyanese…he is smarting from the person loss of privileges that he

and his family enjoyed…the bitterness stems from there.” Moving forward, Jagdeo noted that the APNU+AFC Coalition must drop racism as a tool and get on board with a national development agenda – all in the interest of all Guyanese across the entire country. “It is a dead end if they don’t drop the racism…there is room for inclusion, providing that you work for the people… you can’t bully people and you can’t lie to people…. currently, we have an ineffective Opposition Leader… more often than not, he has a shallow understanding of crucial sectors,” he stressed.

Inmodern day politics, the issue of trust is a quintessential one. Why is truthfulness important? How does untruthfulness impact the people of a nation? If leaders lose the trust of the people, do they not also lose their mandate?

While these questions are fodder for much heated debates, one fact is clear, politicians have an obligation to engender and maintain trust if their ambition is to lead.

The untruthfulness of the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition – Guyana’s Parliamentary Opposition – has touched everything from major developmental projects, currently underway, to a basic issue like where in the 610 constituencies that make up the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs), it is fielding candidates.

Unable to talk about comparative track records when it comes to development, the Parliamentary Opposition has taken to untruths in an effort to try to diminish the development being advanced under the PPP/C government.

The unconstrained resort to untruthfulness harken back to the spiel from the APNU+AFC Coalition during the five months after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. The positions of the Coalition changed so often, it was hard to keep up.

For example: the Coalition on March 3, 2020 claimed it won the 2020 Elections. And in its dossier, on page 11, the Coalition said: “The various comments from the observer missions convey that the voting process in the elections was well managed, peaceful, proceeded largely without incident and was free, fair and transparent. It is therefore, reasonable to conclude then that the voting process was not fraudulent.” Also, by the time the recount was underway, the Coalition changed positions claiming that there were irregularities in the March 2020 Elections, the very election they claimed they had worn and was free, fair and transparent. They claimed that there were countless instances of dead persons being recorded as voting exclusively in PPP strongholds, among other things that were never proven. Further, by August 2, 2020 when the final election results were declared, the public trust in the APNU+AFC Coalition was badly damaged.

Instead of attempting to repair the damage, the Coalition persists on the same path – a disservice to their supporters and Guyanese at large. Why a disservice? Because, dangerously, the untruthful stance being maintained by the APNU+AFC Coalition is also the position of several personalities, including elements are GECOM now before the courts for public misconduct. And this impacts the move forward in terms of electoral and other necessary reforms to ensure that Guyana never had to experience the debacle it did after the March 2020 Elections.

Guyanese must demand and hold political leaders accountable wherever trust is broken.

Guyanese must recognise the patterns on unconstrained resorts to untruthfulness by some in the political arena. Guyanese must demand better if we are to move forward as a progressive and prosperous nation.

Power, not people, has always been the proven focus of the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition. And this endeavour has been plagued by racist rhetoric, bullyism and intimidation.

What is clear is that the PNCR-led Coalition has to be called for its actions. Democratic, right-minded Guyanese are not interested in being drawn backwards, but are focused on the progressive, prosperous future ahead. And self-interested leaders in the Coalition must not be allowed to endanger our collective prosperity.

Be wary of the agendas of the newly minted paragons of virtue

Dear Editor,

My attention was drawn to a letter to the press written by Mr. David Patterson, Member of Parliament (MP). This letter consists of a most scathing attack on the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The Commission, apparently invoked the ire of Mr. Patterson because they have failed to meet with him as per his request, have not responded satisfactorily to his complaint, and worse yet, have committed the unpardonable travesty of seeking legal advice!

For the commission of these heinous wrongs, Mr. Patterson lambasts their leadership, independence and attributes to them a barrage of other personal and functional deficiencies, including, immoral and ulterior motives.

The PPC is established by the Constitution. The Constitution mandates that “the commission shall be independent, impartial and shall discharge its functions fairly”. This constitutionally enshrined functional autonomy insulates this Commission from the directions, dictates and control of any body or authority, but at the same time, enjoins it to conduct its affairs with fairness.

It is the duty of every citizen to ensure that these independent constitutional organs are allowed to function without threats of intimidation, unsubstantiated public attacks and indeed free from every influence, whatsoever. I hold no brief for the PPC, nor any other independent constitutional body, but for me silence is not an option when they become the subject of unjustifiable and scurrilous attacks.

I do not know the reason for the Chairperson of the PPC not responding to Mr. Patterson’s request for a meeting. No doubt thousands of citizens, every day, make appointments to meet public officials without success. Is this the basis to launch the type of public tirade which Mr. Patterson has done to the PPC? I think not. The PPC like any other person or organ has a constitutional right to seek legal recourse. This is done on an everyday basis across the civilized democratic world. Should the PPC be so condignly flayed in the public domain for exercising this basic constitutional right? Is Mr. Patterson, a Member of Parliament, so intolerant of the exercise of our constitutional freedoms? Even more importantly, the functional autonomy which the Constitution confers upon the PPC, empowers it to plan and organise its functional responsibilities as it sees fit and not at the whim, fancy and caprice of Mr. Patterson.

In the circumstances, this vitriolic outpouring by Mr. Patterson must be condemned and this constant bombardment of our independent institutions, especially by politicians, be deprecated. The motives are clear as they are abominable. They are intended to sap these agencies of their independence, thereby compromising their ability to discharge their constitutional duties with the requisite impartiality and fairness. Only a few days ago the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), another constitutionally independent commission, was forced to report to the Guyana Police Force, a threat to her life by Mr. Pattenson’s Parliamentary colleague, Coretta McDonald.

It is these independent constitutional agencies and their office-holders who provide that vital constellation of checks and balances against abuse of power which lubricates the constitutional machinery in a democratic society. So profound are their functions and impact that they are styled the fourth arm of government by modern constitutional democrats. When they become rogue or compromised, the damage is equally pernicious. The immediate past Police Service Commission’s attempts at political shenanigans readily come to mind.

It is already difficult in a small and divided population like ours to secure the services of qualified independent persons to serve on these impartial bodies. If we tolerate irresponsible and reckless attacks upon the few who are available, causing them to shirk from accepting these responsibilities, it is the public good that will eventually perish from their forbearance to serve. Lastly and in any event, Mr. David Patterson ought to be one of the last of our citizens to clamour for transparency and accountability. The allegations of corruption and misconduct in public office against him, when he was a minister of Government, are indeed legendary. Cases are pending both in our civil and criminal courts implicating him in the most pungent schemes of this type.

The duty is collectively ours to protect our institutions from falling prey to these newly minted paragons of virtue.

Sincerely, Anil Nandlall, Attorney General

PPP in projected landslide for June local elections

Dear Editor,

The projected findings of an ongoing opinion survey being conducted by this writer for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association to determine the outcome of the June 12 Local Government Elections (for 80 local authorities) show the incumbent People’s Progressive Party winning a landslide.

As earlier NACTA polls found, there was a lack of enthusiasm for the Opposition People’s National Congress which has had miniscule overall support in the local bodies. In several NDCs and in many seats, the PNC showed no meaningful (or no) presence; there has been hardly any sign of an election contest from the main Opposition party. A NACTA poll conducted last January and February found zero presence of PNC activists in hundreds of constituencies suggesting that the party had thrown in the political towel and was not likely to contest in those seats especially in PPP rural strongholds. In contrast, the PPP/Civic that has been governing at the centre since August 2020, has a strong or dominant campaign presence of activists

everywhere suggesting it was likely to contest in all seats inclusive of traditional strongholds where it had zero chance of victory in previous elections.

As revealed by GECOM in early May, many Local Government seats (and a few NDCs) are not being contested by more than one candidate, landing wins to the PPP nominees as the NACTA polls had projected.

The PNC seems hamstrung with funding challenges and leadership issues. There is a paucity or scarcity of the party’s campaign paraphernalia in the public domain. And many donors who supported the party’s campaign in the 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections have said they will not fund the party under the current political dispensation. In addition, a large majority of traditional supporters express a lack of confidence in the leader and are not enthused about voting. Also, unlike in earlier elections, volunteers appear very scarce to canvass and motivate voter turnout. Political and voter morale in strongholds is very low. The party has virtually no campaign (staff and or paraphernalia) presence in several of the 70 NDCs and ten municipal-

ities and in many constituencies including in areas it won in the 2018 and 2016 local elections. Voter turnout among PNC supporters is expected to hit an all-time low.

In the contested NDCs and municipalities, the trend as found in the NACTA poll is an overall sweeping victory for the PPP. As earlier NACTA polls found and now confirmed by the latest poll, the PPP is attracting cross over racial appeal. The PPP has been making inroads in every local authority. The PPP has made gains everywhere in voter support including in traditional PNC strongholds and will wrest seats from the Opposition party although it is too early to say whether the PPP can dethrone the PNC in its hard-core base. Only in the traditional strongholds of Georgetown, Linden, and New Amsterdam and a few other areas is the PNC putting up strong resistance to PPP political encroachment. However, the findings of the poll reveal that the PNC could lose several rural NDCs that it won in or has controlled since the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections. Yours truly,

APNU+AFC has repeatedly broken trust with Guyanese people

PNC-led Opposition can no longer hide behind their hypocrisy

Dear Editor,

Theleaders of the PNC+APNU/AFC coalition cabal are cowards whose political strategy is designed to frustrate engaging stakeholders and prevent the Guyana Elections Commission from executing Local Government Elections (LGEs). Their frantic and obvious desperation is to avoid facing the electorate for as long as possible.

For the umpteenth time, agents of the cabal are advancing frantic duplicitous legal challenges aimed at disturbing and ultimately delaying the LGEs process. Following numerous failed court challenges, Carol Smith-Joseph and Vincent Alexander again applied to the High Court to stop GECOM from holding LGEs on the 12th of June, 2023.

Accordingly, Smith-Joseph is contending that Article 72 of the Constitution and Section 3 (1)(a) and (b) of the Local Authority Act Chapter 28:03 were violated. The new diabolical contortion relates to issues concerning

the adjustments of a few boundaries in some constituencies, changes that the cabal and their agents did not oppose when in 2018, the APNU Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan flagrantly abused timely transparency procedures to impose.

In 2016 and 2018, several adjustments and gerrymandering took place without consultation and discussion with the then-Opposition. As a result, several new towns and NDCs were formed, boundaries were adjusted, and the PPP/C did not move to the courts.

In June 2018, Minister Bulkan published an order to remove fourteen constituencies from well-established Local Authority Areas in the Official Gazette.

The then gerrymandering of the affected constituencies’ boundaries created significant confusion and concerns for the citizens who demanded changes without any resolution. Effectively, the splitting of the NDCs created severe problems as several issues were pending since the 2016 Local Government Elections.

Among the essential changes, for example, the Malgre Tout and Canals NDC suffered serious unsolved boundary problems that would have realised residents voting to elect a council governing a constituency outside their boundary in favour of perceived PNC stronghold candidates. Situations like these had to be fixed for transparency and fairness.

On the occasion as mentioned above, there were no dissenting concerns from the likes of Vincent Alexander and Carol Smith, while the PNC’s Commissioners at GECOM under President Granger’s appointed James Patterson as the Chairman, allowing the boundary issues to be dealt with according to the fantasy of the cheating Keith Lowenfield as CEO of the GECOM Secretariat.

Contrary to Bulkan’s approach, Minister Nigel Dharamlall legally wrote GECOM to demarcate the boundaries in some constituencies based on the population and the geographic reality of the Local Authority Areas. This was done after the GECOM Logistics team thoroughly investigated the respective LAAs. As a result, GECOM, within the organisation’s scope and ambit, proceeded to make adjustments by placing people in their respective constituencies according to their addresses.

Notably, the Minister ensured citizens and stakeholder groups were fully aware of the specific boundaries in each constituency before they could check the electoral lists and then extract the candidates’ names from the voters’ list. This list must be made available for Local Government Elections according to constituency. For this to happen, the stakeholders must be clear about the boundaries, and the voters’ list must be thoroughly checked to ensure that all the candidates and ‘backers’ of the respective Lists are in the

correct place.

Unlike the PNC approach imposed by Bulkan, no untimely surprises were sprung on the populace for specific constituencies that were impacted. Instead, these issues were thoroughly discussed and agreed to at the GECOM meetings. Following the proper changes/adjustments, these boundaries were thoroughly addressed. The modifications were made and published in the Official Gazette, ensuring that these changes are not new to GECOM and Guyanese.

Unfortunately, the Opposition will not be contesting in 291 constituencies. Hence, the PPP/C will be enjoying a massive victory before the voting. The situation informs the fear and actions of the Opposition’s rank and file. The passionate and aggressive campaign that the PPP/C has embarked upon attracts thousands of people, and the cross-over is significant. The visible cross-over of support on this occasion is not by individuals but by passionate groups tremendously impressed with the PPP/C’s roll-out of their inclusive development agenda and achievements.

The weak leadership of the Opposition is deteriorating rapidly. And there are severe deficiencies and deliberate intention to frustrate the ‘stakeholders’ in the upcoming Local Government Elections. However, the PPP/C leadership is visibly, and very potent, on the ground. The President, Dr Irfaan Ali, and the General Secretary of the PPP, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, are marshalling their forces to achieve victory.

The PNC-led Opposition can no longer hide behind their hypocrisy; the LGEs must be held on the 12th of June, 2023!

Sincerely,

Neil Kumar

PNCR only digging themselves deeper into a place of failure

Dear Editor,

The PNCR are playing the reverse psychology game when it comes to the politics of our country. It is a subtle way of saying one thing when you really mean another, or, loudly trumpeting an idea, even though they fully well know that at the end it would expose their sinister plan. But they persist with that strategy, hoping somewhere, somehow, it will gain some traction in the

minds of the hearers. It is akin to a death row prisoner who keeps repeating the words many times over “I am innocent,” wherein he finally deludes himself that he is indeed innocent. Such is the plight the PNCR have found themselves into. This plan has never worked but only digs them deeper and deeper into a place of failure and utter embarrassment.

Because with each attempt at that deceitful plan, it only exposes their soft underbelly. Let us examine a few of these;

you may recall that it was Dr Cheddi Jagan who first complained about the PNCR’s gross exaggeration of the voters’ list and the holding of ghost elections. For decades, the Honourable Dr Jagan spoke up about this evil scheme concocted by the PNCR regime. The international world finally came to our aid and assisted us in purging that list and the holding of free and fair elections. Change did come in 1992, when the rightful winners of a fair and transparent system came to power.

Fast forward to 2023 and we can hear it being shouted from the rooftops that there are ghosts on the list and that’s the reason for the PPP/C winning the election. The PNCR has through the reverse psychology plan put the blame of rigged elections squarely at the feet of the ruling party. But this is a clumsy effort at creating doubt at the electoral system. In the first place when Dr Jagan raised the issue of “ghost elections” there was

Ferguson caught on video again

For a second time in two weeks, the APNU+AFC Coalition’s Annette Ferguson was caught on video harassing persons, who insisted that her campaigning efforts on their premises were not welcomed.

The business owner was heard saying, “I am asking you nicely to leave.” To which Ferguson responded, “I don’t concern. I ain’t come to do you nor anybody anything.”

The businessperson objected, saying, “But you are in my place of business. I want you to leave.” Ferguson defiantly said, “No, no, no. You cannot tell me that.”

A frustrated businessperson could be heard frustratingly, saying, “Oh my god!” To which, Ferguson

responded, “All you have to do is call the police…call the police.”

EXPOSED

Vividly exposing untruths and in direct contrast with claims made by leader of the PNCR and the APNU+AFC Coalition, Aubrey Norton, the Coalition’s Ferguson was caught on video harassing representatives from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) engaged in Local Government Elections campaigning activities.

Ferguson was seen on video blocking efforts of a PPP/C rep from engaging with residents in a section of Georgetown. Walking beside the PPP/C rep, she screamed, “Don’t worry

with them…this is PNC; this is APNU turf. This is APNU turf. Get out! Get out! Get out!…this is my turf, this is my turf.

The PPP/C rep stood his ground and responded, “You have nothing to offer them. You didn’t offer them anything in 2015 and you have nothing now…you have a transport for here? Y’all have a turf? The people have chosen the PPP/C at the Executive level (as their government) and they will choose the PPP/C at the local level (as Local Government representatives).

Speaking to residents, the PPP/C rep added, “You choose.”

Notably, when pressed on the APNU’s actions at a news conference on May

9, 2023, Norton denied that any such action took place or is taking place. He had said, “I don't know of us harassing anyone…the People’s Progressive Party lives a life of harassment…The People's Progressive Party is an authoritarian regime that harasses our people in every sense… APNU members aren't harassing anybody….when we speak to our comrades we speak to our comrades and say to them, you campaign you campaign for party, the PPP is a government that has given us all the ammunition to campaign, you don't have to harass anybody. All you have to do is campaign on the facts…all I will say to you here is that we have an organized structured campaign, in which we will deal With the issues, identify the shortcomings of this government…we don't have any need to harass anyone. We just need to put the facts out there. Why do you need to harass anybody?”

Other cases of harassment has been reported to the Guyana Police Force.

Norton boasts of election win despite failure to field candidates in numerous areas

Boastsof electoral victory at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) were mouthed by leader of the PNCR and the APNU+AFC Coalition, Aubrey Norton.

“We are satisfied that we are going to beat the People’s Progressive Party in these upcoming elections in the areas that they claim they command support,” Norton said on Thursday morning (May 18, 2023) during a press briefing.

However, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has confirmed that there will be no contest in 291 of the 610 constituencies being contested for the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE).

The PPP/C is contesting in all 610 constituencies, meaning the 291 areas have been automatically won by the PPP/C because there is no contest. Meanwhile, the APNU is contesting the 2023 LGE, not the Coalition or the PNCR.

According to the Commission, 98 of the constituencies where there is no contest

– meaning only one political party submitted list of candidates – are found in 13 Local Authority Areas in Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9. GECOM explained that the other 193 of the constituencies are from other Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

GECOM said, “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) takes this opportu-

nity to inform all Stakeholders, that there are thirteen (13) LAAs with a combined total of ninety-eight (98) Constituencies, and one hundred and ninety-three (193) additional Constituencies from among other LAAs in which there will be no need for eligible persons to vote due to the existence of unopposed Lists. The exis-

tence of an unopposed List of Candidates for a LAA/Constituency effectively means that there is no need for the electors to vote. Accordingly, there is no need for the establishment of Polling Stations in such LAAs/Constituencies.”

Notably, Section 54 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act provides that if only one List of Candidates for any Local Authority Area (LAA) has been approved, the persons whose names appear on the List shall be deemed to have been elected as Councillors due to the approved List being unopposed

and therefore, the Candidates in the unopposed List shall be declared the winner of the election.

GECOM said, “Recognizing that voters may not be aware of whether the LAA/ Constituency in which they are registered to vote would have been affected by an unopposed List, GECOM has posted the separate lists of the affected LAAs and Constituencies on its website i.e. www.gecom.org.gy so that eligible persons can check to ascertain whether elections would be held in their areas of residence. Alternatively, person may visit

the Office of the Returning Officer for the Municipality or Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), in which they reside, to find out whether voting will take place therein. Moreover, GECOM, as a component of its Civic and Voter Education strategy, will make public announcement and distribute appropriate literature in all of the affected LAAs/Constituencies towards ensuring that the relevant voters are made aware of why they are not required to vote.”

Monday, June 12, 2023 is set at the date for the 2023 Local Government Elections.

Community development remains a priority of the gov’t – Indar

Community development remains a major focus of the PPP/C Administration and this year Guyanese will continue to witness an increase in community engagements.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar said the government has been increasing these public engagements, as part of its commitment of consulting with citizens, ensuring their quality of life is improved. “If you visit any community you will see that work is happening. What we’ve been doing in 2023 is making sure that

the promises that we made in the manifesto are kept. We are going community by community, and meeting with people, which brings significant value in the manner in which you govern,” Minister Indar said.

He also stressed the importance of these community engagements, as they serve to highlight areas in need of attention, which allows the government to address the concerns of citizens promptly. “You have to be constantly in contact with people, you have to visit communities to listen to issues, and we have

to solve those issues. So, that is what we have been doing,” Minister Indar underscored.

A number of outreaches have been conducted this year alone, with government officials engaging residents in all corners of the country on issues affecting them, offering on-the-spot and long-term interventions to improve their lives.

Communities around Georgetown, especially, have seen the presence of government officials, which prompted infrastructural works in areas such as East and West Ruimveldt, Tucville, North

Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt, Lamaha Park, Sophia, Guyhoc, Stevedore Housing Scheme, and Rasville.

Recently, the government conducted a ministerial outreach in Mocha/Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, the result of which will see residents benefitting from road upgrades and agricultural interventions.

Similarly, farmers at Enmore, East Coast Demerara will soon benefit from farmlands and implements, following an outreach led by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.

Positions from PPP General Secretary

BHARRAT JAGDEO

ERC called on to act against efforts to divide Guyanese

Ameeting between the recently appointed Commissioners to the Ethic Relations Commission (ERC) and the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (May 17, 2023), was productive.

This was according to the PPP General Secretary, during his news conference on Thursday (May 18, 2023), where he explained that the ERC was called on to utilize its “vast powers” to tackle efforts being made to divide Guyanese along racial lines.

He said, “I said to them, they will have the full support of the PPP/C in the discharge of their mandate. I urge them to be firm on anyone, anyone, that tries to divide our people.

I reminded them about the powers they have, both investigative and powers of sanction

“…I told them also about APNU’s proclivity to going abroad…they know they can’t push the discrimination line in Guyana, because people see them for what they are and they are not getting traction….so they go abroad to UN Agencies

“…but they will never go to the bipartisan constitutional body, which is designed to address matters of discrimination. But they will never go the ERC because they know the claims will be investigated and disproved.”

EXTERNALISING RACE-BAITING

Last month, the PNCR-

led APNU+AFC Coalition was called our for “externalising” their peddling of false racism rhetoric, given that its agenda has been exposed locally.

Jagdeo has said, “I think their racism has been exposed and more and more people have had them under the microscope now so they're externalising this. They go abroad to externalise because at some of the fora where we are not, then they talk they spread this the race hate again.”

One such forum was the National Action Network (NAN), a grouping of international leaders representing Africans globally, which held a meeting in New York earlier this month. The APNU+AFC Coalition’s Amanza Walton-Desir appeared to speak at that event.

Commenting on her statements that the event, Jagdeo said, “I saw some Amanza Walton speaking at some someplace the US National Action Network and saying that the PPP is totalitarian. This comes from a person and a party that actively sought to steal the last elections. I remember Amanza Walton, who left her cushy job at the Civil Aviation Authority, didn't go to work there because she was at the Convention Centre in the recount, trying to thwart the recount, trying to mislead people. She was there a person who tried to steal an election

from a party that is known for stealing elections and was true to form in the last one, again tried to steal the last one, telling the people in the US that we are a totalitarian government and including the US that helped to expose the machination here and also help threaten sanctions against the APNU and some of them were sanction because they were trying to steal elections. Imagine that. But you know what? She will say this to a group of people who don't know of the APNU's history and do not know about their attempts, their historical proclivity towards stealing elections, you can't change that. So that is she takes that message there, because she can tell a sane Guyanese that in Guyana

and not have them laugh at her. The next thing she says oh the government is racist because of an incident with a female officer and that a private attorney spat on a female police officer. But the government of Guyana is racist because of that. Now that that has to take its full course in the courts and everywhere else.”

TRACK RECORD OF THE PPP/C

The PPP General Secretary stressed that the PNCRled Coalition cannot speak about institutionalised racism because the track record of successive PPP/C Administration and its efforts to work for and deliver to all Guyanese is clear. “They can't speak about that any institutionalised racism.

Because when you look at our track record, it's clear. You can't talk about the composition of the Cabinet because the Cabinet reflects Guyana. We have seven ministers in the government that hold some of the most substantial portfolios who are Afro-Guyanese. But she goes off to an unsuspecting audience in New York to claim that we are racist because somebody spat on another person. That is the how hollow they have become and the only place they have resonance is overseas because people don't know them,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “….at heart of the matter, they cannot speak about anything else. Can talk about the housing policy, because under them they didn't have

one, and Guyanese of every race are now realising a dream to own a house. She can’t talk about employment opportunities because maybe 40-50,000 more people now are working than when they (APNU+AFC) left office just recently. She can't talk about that. She cannot talk about their children because they took away the grant for all the children, not Indo-Guyanese children, but children all across Guyana. Now they are getting the restoration of the grant. The pensioners, all the pensioners are getting back their free water, etc.”

He reasoned that the PNCR-led cabal will persist with their untruths, but made clear that the PPP/C will not allow these to go unchallenged.

Agriculture, training, internet access among issues addressed during recent outreach in hinterland

Residents of various communities in the hinterland were given the opportunity to voice their concerns during a recent outreach.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, met with residents and members of the business community in Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, and Bartica during the outreach. “The biggest problem

for the agricultural sector in Region One has always been transportation, to move the goods to Georgetown,” he updated the media during a recent news conference.

In this regard, he said the newly commissioned M.V Ma Lisha will play a key role in improving trade and transportation services. The Ma Lisha will cut travel time to the region in half. “That will

help to take more goods into the interior and push down the cost of living, while also helping them to bring out more stuff. We’re also trying to open up some markets directly into the Caribbean where they can ship from the North West,” Jagdeo said.

Dr. Jagdeo informed that soon, systems will be put in place to boost the production of ground provisions and

similar crops, as Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha is expected to lead a team to Matthew’s Ridge, Port Kaituma and Bartica in June to address this.

On the issue of training, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, will soon lead a team to Matthew’s Ridge to commence skills training. He explained, “They have some mining jobs there, people need to be trained in operating heavy equipment. The women can do this too.

We don’t want it to be just a job for men; we have many places where women are becoming welders and such, so it is not gender specific.”

Connectivity was another issue raised, as many students are unable to gain access to and benefit from the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships. “We have to get proper bandwidth, so that those kids too, can use the GOAL programme and benefit from that. We’ve

had about 300 applications in February from Bartica for the GOAL programme,” Dr Jagdeo pointed out. Head of the GOAL programme, Jacob Opadeyi, was asked to pay a visit to the area to assist with getting these persons enrolled.

Similar outreaches are ongoing across the country by PPP/C teams, ahead of the 2023 Local Government Elections, which are scheduled to be held on June 12, 2023.

PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, center, with the members of the Ethic Relations Commission

Jagdeo updates media…

Positions from PPP General Secretary BHARRAT JAGDEO

Coalition’s record on land giveaways not forgotten – Jagdeo

ThePNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition “shamelessly” engages in a public campaign, according to General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo.

“They are operating as if we all have collective amnesia…like we all have short memories,” he said during a news conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday (May 18, 2023).

The Coalition’s Ganesh Mahipaul, on Thursday morning (May 18, 2023) claimed that the PPP/C’s focus in trying to win support in Linden, New Amsterdam, Georgetown and other areas to gain control of communities so that “waterfront properties” can be given to the “friend” of the PPP/C government.

Responding to him, Jagdeo charged that the Coalition’s record on land giveaways, particularly after the December 2018 no-confidence motion and after the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, has not been forgotten.

The PNCR-led Coalition’s record show that there

were:

• 45 Orders for land transfers (Orders 4 to 49), which including land to the Coalition’s Jermaine Figueira, his brother and others. The orders were signed on February 28, 2020, and published in the Official Gazette on March 23, 2020.

• 18 Orders for land transfers (Orders 50 to 67), which including land to the Coalition’s Amanza Walton-Desir and others. The orders were signed on August 23, 2019, and published in the Official Gazette on August 31, 2019.

• 6 Orders for land transfers (Orders 75 to 80), which including land to the Coalition’s Valerie Patterson-Adams and others. The orders were signed on September 13, 2023, and published in the Official Gazette on October 19, 2019

“I can go down a long list and Mahipaul claims that we want to control Linden and New Amsterdam because we want to give out lands to friends and family…it is shameless…Mahipaul and Norton should not mention anything about land policy… in the years they were in government, how many people

received house lots? Nothing was developed…all they were doing was taking back lots from people who got land and reallocating those,” Jagdeo said.

LAND GIVEAWAYS

Among the most prominent giveaways were those that took place in June 2019. These included:

1. Marlon Bristol, Head of the Project Management Office within the Ministry of the Presidency received:

• 1 acre in Mocha, Region 4 - February 2019

• 12 acres in Linden (at Dallawalla, the proposed site for Deep Water Harbour), Region 10 - June 2019

• 80 acres in Bohemia, Region 6 (the proposed site for Deep Water Harbour) – February 2019

2. Great Wall Inc. – of which Saratu Phillips is a Director, received:

• 20 acres at Schoonard Foreshore, Region 3 (in the Demerara River – proposed site for shore-based facility)

– File Number 332242/3

• 20 acres at Good Fortuin, Region 3 (in the Demerara River – proposed site for

shore-based facility) – File number 3322421/3

• 50 acres at Best Foreshore, Region 3 – File Number 332231/38

3. Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer, Deputy Head of SARA, which falls under the Ministry of the Presidency received:

• 10 acres on the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway, Region 4, in 2019 – File number 411412/522b

• 1 acre Mocha, Region 4, in 2019

4. Eric Phillips, SARA Special Assistant, within the Ministry of the Presidency - received:

• 1000 acres in the Essequibo River - April 2019 – File Number 321132/1604

• 1000 acres in the Demerara River in 2019 – File Number 331231/7

Another official who recently received land was the now sacked former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield. Lowenfield received: 216 acres at Millie’s Hideout, Region 10 – June 2019; and 2 acres at Mocha, Region 4.

In addition to these transactions, handled by National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Comission (GLSC), lands were also given away in the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/ Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) scheme.

EFFORT TO RECOVER LANDS

Meanwhile, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, charged that the PPP/C Government has not wavered from its commitment to investigate suspicious land giveaways by the former APNU+AFC Coalition.

In October 2021, Nandlall said, “We would have spoken, at length, about land giveaways. Some of them we have settled already. Others are still to be handed over to the Guyana Police Force and the other investigative agencies.”

Notably, in March 2021, in the National Assembly, Nandlall underscored that the lands under review are those which were gifted away to the Coalition’s ‘friends and cronies’ without any known

public process. “Where possible we will take the requisite steps to restore those lands to the ownership of the people of this country,” the Attorney General said. He had cited instances where thousands of acres of prime State lands in Georgetown and in other areas, including ocean front and river front parcels of land, were illegally given to the friends and cronies of the Coalition. He had said, “The Honourable members gifted BK Marine a wharf valued $40 billion for only $20 million, passing Title to him which expressly says that it is free from all liabilities, meaning that he does not have to pay a cent more and passing this Title after they lost the March 2nd 2020 elections. Point to any Afro-Guyanese or better yet any Afro-Guyanese village that the Honourable members have spent $40 billion in over the last five years.”

The Attorney General had said that audits would be conducted by the Office of the Auditor General, following which the Guyana Police Force and the Special Organised Crime Unit would be invited to investigate.

Appeal will be filed in case on Jordan's misconduct

Magistrate Leron Daly ruled that former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, had no case to answer. The ruling was in the case against Jordan regarding misconduct in public office.

However, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his news conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday (May 18, 2023), made clear that the ruling will be appealed.

He said, “The Chief Justice ruled on this identical matter when Minister Ashni Singh was charged by APNU for the land at Movie Towne, where 10 acres were sold at about $20M per acre, which was higher that the $16M that the bids, and he was acting pursuant to a Cabinet decision…she concluded that Ashni Singh would have to

face the charges because he was, indeed, a public officer.

“…now, in an identical case, where (Winston Jordan), sold land vastly undervalued…and we have this ruling…so our understanding of the law is that the lower courts have to abide by the precedent set by higher courts.”

DETAILS OF THE CASE

The case to which the charge is related is the sale and vesting of the state’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown. The charge stated that the property, Mudlots 1 & 2, F of Mudlot 3, A, B & D, situated at North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, was valued at billions, but was sold at an undervalued sum.

Jordan issued a vesting order, which passes Title

to the purchaser, for prime waterfront properties in Kingston to BK Marine Inc. without full payment. The company is owned by Brian Tiwari. The property is reportedly worth a whopping $8B. The purchase price, however, was set at $400M. In a strange turn of events, Tiwari only paid $20M – not the full price for the land. The Transport was subsequently issued for this property. Notably, the agreement of sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price. The vesting order stated that the property is being sold free from encumbrance and liabilities and no further sum of money is owed by the purchaser.

This was among nine transfers of state lands were signed off by the AP-

NU+AFC Coalition’s Jordan and exposed via the March 28, 2020 edition of the Official Gazette.

Jordan was arrested by ranks of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on December 2, 2021 for alleged misconduct in public office.

INVESTIGATION

In October 2021, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, announced that an investigation into the dealings of the former APNU+AFC government is actively being pursued. During a press briefing at the Office of the President on October 14, 2021, Nandlall said, “There were a number of transactions that were done under the previous government that will be subjected to inves -

tigations and charges may flow if those investigations yield those charges based on the advice, of course, of the Director of Public Prosecutions. That is an ongoing process…many people believe that we may not have been pursuing this with the desired speed. That is not so. There are so many other things that have happened since that have diverted the attention of the Police Force in other directors. But we remain committed to that promise to investigate these transactions.”

According to the Attorney General, Jordan has been implicated in a number of nefarious transactions.

“The former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has been implicated in a number of nefarious and questionable transactions, which we

intend to send to the Police Force and to other authorities for investigations.”

These include:

• Hiding receipt of the US$18 million signing paid by ExxonMobil for over a year;

• The alleged sale of a number of prime pieces of land, many “far below market value” and “without the requisite public procurement process”, after the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion, as well as after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections; and

• The alleged sale of several vehicles from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to close associates of the then administration with observing proper procedures.

Commenting on the in-

FACTSHEET: Know your Local Authority Areas

Eligible voters in Guyana’s 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) will be heading to the polls for the 20203 Local Government Elections. Unlike, the General and Regional Elections, only voters in these 80 areas will be participating in the 2023 LGE.

REGION 5

43. Joe Hook / Farm (Region 5)

44. Hamlet/Chance (Region 5)

45. Mahaicony / Abary (Region 5)

46. Profit/Rising Sun (Region 5)

47. Seafield/Tempe (Region 5)

48. Union/Naarstigheid (Region 5)

49. Bath/Woodley Park (Region 5)

50. Woodlands/Bel Air (Region 5)

Applications for observer status submitted to GECOM

Ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE) being contested next month, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has received almost a dozen applications from local groups seeking observer status.

GECOM) on April 12, 2023 issued a call for applications to accredit local/domestic Election Observes.

Evergreen/Paradise (Region 2)

7. Municipality Of Anna Regina (Region 2)

8. Aberdeen/Zorgen-Vlygt (Region 2)

9. Annadale/Riverstown (Region 2)

10. Good Hope/Pomona (Region 2)

REGION 3

11. Canals Polder (Region 3) 12. La Grange/Nismes (Region 3)

13. Toevlugt/Free & Easy (Region 3)

51. Zeelust-Rosignol (Region 5)

52. Blairmont/Gelderland (Region 5)

REGION 6

53. Plegt Anker/Kortberaad (Region 6)

54. Wyburg/Caracas (Region 6)

55. Enfield/New Doe Park (Region 6)

56. Municipality Of New Amsterdam (Region 6)

57. Gibraltar/Fyrish (Region 6)

58. Ordnance Fort Lands/No. 38 (Region 6)

59. Canefield/Enterprise (Region 6)

60. Kintyre/Borlam (Region 6)

61. Kilcoy/Hampshire (Region 6)

62. Municipality Of Rose Hall (Region 6)

63. Port Mourant/Johns (Region 6)

64. Bloomfield/Whim (Region 6)

65. Lancaster/Hogstye (Region 6)

66. Adventure/No. 28 (Bush Lot) (Region 6)

67. Maida/Tarlogie (Region 6)

68. Black Bush Polder (Region 6)

69. Macedonia/Joppa (Region 6)

70. Good Hope/No. 51 (Region 6)

71. No. 52/No. 63 (Region 6)

72. No. 64/No. 74 (Region 6)

73. Crabwood Creek/Moleson Creek (Region 6)

74. Municipality Of Corriverton (Region 6)

REGION 7

75. Municipality of Bartica (Region 7)

REGION 8

76. Municipality of Mahdia

REGION 9

77. Municipality Of Lethem (Region 9)

78. Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro (Region 9)

REGION 10

79. Municipality of Linden

80. Kwakwani

All Local Observer Groups would be required to fulfil the following minimum standards:

• Familiarity and experience with electoral laws and procedures;

• Previous experience of election monitoring and/or other relevant experience or know-how and specific training, national and/or international;

• Interpersonal skills (e.g. capacity of balanced judgement, ability to work in teams, ability to cope with difficult situations, respect for diverse attitudes, good communication skills, readiness to work in a multi-cultural environment);

• Ability to maintain professional independence and strict impartiality in the conduct of duties;

• Demonstrated commitment to democracy and human rights; The move is pursuant to the provision of Section 145 B of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03, and in order to enhance transparency, credibility and impartiality in the conduct of the Local Government Elections which will be held in Guyana on 12th June, 2023.

Joint Services begun preparations for 2023 LGE

Asthe 2023 Local Government Elections draw closer, members of the joint services have begun training sessions to better handle any situation that might arise during the period.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a press release on Wednesday (May 17, 2023), noted that members of the Joint Services Training Committee conducted a Command Post Exercise 1/2023 at the Police Officers’ Mess, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, signalling the commencement of the training sessions.

The release said possible scenarios will be discussed and tested in Regional Police Division 4 A (Georgetown), B (East Coast Demerara), and C(East Bank Demerara).

Members of the public are being advised to not be

alarmed by increased joint services presence in various regions.

Among those present were Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean, Commander 4A; Assistant Commissioner Khali Pareshram, Commander 4C; Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, Commander 4B and Deputy Director of Prisons (ag), Kevin Pilgrim.

On June 12, eligible voters will exercise their constitutional right to cast their ballot for representatives within the nation’s 10 municipalities and 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.

LGEs are necessary for the appointment of persons in charge of local democratic organs.

Local democratic organs which include NDCs and municipalities provide a link

between the central government and communities. They are responsible for assessing the needs of residents and ensuring development at the community level. This includes implementing and enforcing local laws such as building codes, zoning regulations, and business licensing requirements, maintaining roads and public spaces, and waste management, among others.

LGEs are therefore important, as they allow citizens to have a direct say in who will represent them and make decisions on their behalf at the local level. It also gives citizens a voice in shaping the policies and priorities of their community and ensures that local government officials are held responsible by their constituents.

Printing of ballots for 2023 LGE being done in Canada

Ballots for the upcoming Local Government Elections are being printed in Canada and GECOM Commissioners, Vincent Alexander and Clement Rohee, were tasked with overseeing the process in the interest of transparency.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has confirmed that there will be no contest in 291 of the 610 constituencies being contested for the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE).

According to the Commission, 98 of the constituencies where there is no contest – meaning only one political party submitted list of candidates – are found in 13 Local Authority Areas in Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9. GECOM explained that the other 193 of the constituencies are from other Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

The PPP/C is contesting all 610 constituencies in the 80 Local Authority Areas,

as it did successfully in 2016 and 2018, while out of government office, according to the Party’s General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Nationally, results for the 2018 LGE showed the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has almost doubled the margin of votes between the Party and APNU and AFC combined – moving from about 24,000 at the 2016 Local Government Elections to over 45,000 at this year’s Local Government Elections. The difference of votes between the PPP/C and the AFC was a whopping 113,000 votes. Between the PPP/C and the APNU, the difference of votes was over 50,000. The results showed that the PPP/C won in 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and tied five others at the 2018 Local Government Elections. The PPP/C increased its win from 48 LAAs in 2016 to 52 LAAs in 2018 Local Government Elections.

In the 10 towns the PPP/C, secured big wins in five of Guyana’s 10 towns: winning all the seats in Anna Regina, Rose Hall (12 of 16 seats), Corriverton (14 of the 16 seats), Lethem (6 of the 10 seats) and Mabaruma (eight of the 12 seats). The Party was successful in taking control of the Town Councils in Lethem and Mabaruma.

Meanwhile, in the 70 NDCs, the Party was successful in not only holding on to its support base, but also saw an increase in votes in areas that were seen as the traditional support bases of parties like the APNU. The PPP/C won the Buxton/ Foulis NDC, Region 4.

The political parties contesting the Local Government Elections include the PPP/C and PNCR-led APNU, as well as independent groups and candidates.

Monday, June 12, 2023 is set at the date for the 2023 Local Government Elections.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

PPP/C continues to make moves across country ahead of 2023 LGE

General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo on April 13, 2023 met with candidates, activists and supporters at Freedom House in Linden

The PPP/C Anna Regina team engaging residents

The PPP/C New Amsterdam, Constituency Two team engaging residents

The PPP/C team in Linden sharing the Party’s plans for that community

The PPP/C team in Kitty, Georgetown, distributing flyers and explaining the Party’s plans for Georgetown

Training of PPP/C polling/counting agents at Freedom House, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice

PPP/C polling/counting agents and candidates from Coverden/Soesdyke, Lamaha/Yarrowkabra and Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra in training session

PARLIAMENT HAPPENINGS UNDER REVIEW

THE PPP/C’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, MORE

Gov’t invested over $15B to develop housing infrastructure in 2021 – National Assembly hears

The government injected $15.063 billion in 2021, to advance its impressive housing drive, ensuring Guyanese have access to affordable housing solutions.

This was on Wednesday (May 10, 2023) disclosed during a sitting of the National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.

In a written response to the opposition prepared by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, it was stated that a whopping 119 contracts were awarded for land preparation and infrastructural works by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to develop several housing areas countrywide.

The Housing and Water Ministry’s 2021 work programme included the construction of roads, drainage channels, and access to water and electricity.

The execution of these works brought employment opportunities to many communities, which transformed the lives of Guyanese by providing disposable income

National Intelligence and Security Agency Bill sent to special select committee for further review

TheNational Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Bill of 2023 was on May 10, 2023 sent to a parliamentary special select committee for careful review to ensure its content is fully comprehensible to all parties it concerns.

In a recent statement posted to his Facebook page, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said he had instructed Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, , to have the bill sent to the committee so that the views of all concerned stakeholders can be examined. “I am aware of the importance of this Bill, but equally, I am committed to ensuring the fulsome nature of the Bill is understood and that interested stakeholders be given the opportunity to contribute to it,” Ali had said.

The proposed bill seeks to establish a body known

as the National Intelligence and Security Agency responsible for further enhancing the country’s defence and security policy, as well as the coordination of the nation’s defence and law enforcement activities relating to national intelligence and security.

The agency will also provide national security advice to the president, cabinet and other stakeholders where necessary.

The bill further provides for NISA’s functions to be exercisable in the interest of national intelligence and security regarding foreign policy, threats from espionage and protection from undermining of democracy and state institutions.

It outlines NISA’s governance structure, the appointment, removal, and terms of service of the director and deputy director of the agency, as well as other officers and employees, and the agency’s funding and financial management, among other things.

This includes the power to intercept communications, function with the power of officers of the police and defence forces, request information from public bodies, and coordinate with other entities in the security sector.

Further, a specific clause of the bill provides for the obligation to observe secrecy as well as affine for such infractions, stating, “Every person having a duty in the administration of this act shall regard and deal with as secret and confidential all information relating to the functions of the agency, and if at any time such person communicated or attempted to communicate any such information to any person other than in pursuance of, for instance, the discharge of a function under this act, a Court Order or the investigation of a crime, the person commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of five million dollars and to imprisonment for five years.”

Proposed Real Estate Bill to be completed within two months

The first-of-its-kind Real Estate Bill will be completed in two months and will be tabled in the National Assembly subsequently, paving the way for the regulation of the local real estate industry.

Consultations are continuing among real estate agents, interested stakeholders, and the government on the draft bill that was circulated over the past few weeks.

“Consultations will continue and hopefully within the next two months, we should be able to complete this important piece of legislation to take to the National Assembly , “Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, said on Tuesday (May 16, 2023)

The comprehensive piece of legislation is integral to Guyana, as it will regulate the local industry for the first time, since the real estate sector has been identified as one of the areas where a regulatory framework is needed.

“A lot of money passes through here and Guyana’s AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism) fiscal structure has been flagged for non-regulation of this important sector,” he pointed out.

While the bill provides for the sector to be as self-regulatory as possible, it incorporates a structure that brings together the government, the private sector, and

for families.

Great Diamond, Little Diamond, Vigilance, Strathspey, Bladen Hall, Experiment, Prospect, Cummings Lodge, Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida, Edinburg, Stewartsville, No. 75 Village, Ordinance/Fortlands, Herstelling, and Providence were among the areas developed.

Over $360 million in con-

tracts were awarded to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. for the construction of the fourlane highway from Eccles to Mandela, Lot 3, and in excess of $370 million in contracts were awarded to Guyamerica, to execute infrastructural works at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Government has implemented several measures to

make homeownership easier for Guyanese, such as the reversal of the value-added tax on building materials and the implementation of the steel and cement subsidy.

To date, over 22,000 house lots have been allocated, in keeping with government’s commitment, to distribute 50,000 house lots within its first term in office.

Debates on $31 billion in supplementary funding pushed to next sitting

The supplementary financial papers that were expected to come up for approval at the May 10, 2023 sitting of the National Assembly were pushed to the next sitting, at a date to be fixed.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira on behalf of Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh on April 24, 2023 presented a Supplementary Bill comprising Financial Papers Number 1 and 2 to the National Assembly relating to programme components of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 to be financed from carbon credit inflows.

three months to determine the structure of the two disbursement channels outlined in the LCDS 2030: • Disbursement Channel 1:

real estate operators.

“It’s a very comprehensive bill that will deal with qualifications, registration of real estate agents, disciplining of real estate agents, and their ethical rules and principles by which they will be bound,” Minister Nandlall added.

The bill will also address the training of persons involved in the industry. Guyana’s AML/CFT framework is slated to undergo its fourth round of mutual evaluation in September 2023 by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and Financial Action Task Force (FTAF).

Enactment of the real estate bill is essential to Guyana’s fourth round of mutual evaluation by the CFATF and FTAF.

Work began in 2009 with the original Low Carbon Development Strategy–the first such strategy from any developing country in the world. A national consultation from October 2021 to July 2022 saw the original LCDS expanded and enhanced, culminating in the endorsement of the National Assembly and then the finalization of LCDS 2030.

In November 2022, Guyana issued the world’s first jurisdiction-scale, sovereign carbon credits as the next phase in Guyana’s creation of a global model for forest climate services.

This was followed shortly afterwards by the world’s first sale of such credits in global carbon markets.

These carbon credit inflows are being allocated to programme components of the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and come on the heels of the Government of Guyana’s engagement in further consultation over the last

Village-Led Investments: After the seven-month national consultation on LCDS 2030, it was agreed that 15 percent of all revenues received from the sale of carbon credits would be paid directly to indigenous and local communities across Guyana. For the year 2023, this totals US$22.5 million or G$4.7 billion and is catered for under Financial Paper No 1 of 2023. Over January to February 2023, the National Toshaos Council, the national body of elected Village Leaders from across all ten regions of Guyana, led engagements which determined a structure for the allocation of these carbon credits payments. This structure centers on the determination of payments, based on population, and includes villages (both titled and untitled areas), communities, and satellites. Indigenous villages and local communities will define for themselves their priorities of economic development initiatives of social upliftment, on climate adaptation and mitigation and food security that need to be advanced for village sustainability to be fostered. Village level governance structures are empowered through the Amerindian Act 2006, to deliver on village sustainability plans, outlining the short, medium and long-term priorities for each Village. These plans outline how villages, through a process of self-determination and autonomous management, will identify and implement actions to develop

village livelihoods whilst addressing the impacts of climate change. It is intended that long-term carbon credits financing, will see flows of revenues to villages and communities from this year 2023 and onwards into the future.

• Disbursement Channel 2: 85 percent of earnings from the sale of carbon credits, so far to a total value of US$127.5 million or G$26.5 billion for the 2023 allocation. This will meet the most urgent priorities of low carbon development, as well as climate adaptation and mitigation interventions outlined by the LCDS 2030 which is being sought under Financial Paper No 2 of 2023.

Advancing low carbon development while addressing the impacts of climate change is a core focus of this investment, and attention will be aimed at supporting the strong stance that Guyana has maintained nationally and globally on forest governance and management, and forest legality.

Guyana’s exemplary forest management systems, strong codes of practice, and maintained high forest cover and low deforestation rates have been recognized by programmes such as the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Initiative.

The Government will continue to work with all stakeholders in the implementation of these programmes – implementation that will see this first series of investment made under LCDS 2030, bringing about impactful results on sustainable livelihoods and low carbon development across all spheres of society.

FOCUS ON GUYANA’S FIRST PEOPLE

No Amerindian Village will be left out of development – Sukhai

WithGuyana experiencing an unprecedented wave of development, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai has reassured residents of Amerindian Villages that they too will experience the massive transformation.

Since the government took office on August 2, 2020, Guyanese have seen tremendous development reaching all corners of the country.

A number of roads, bridges, hospitals, schools

and hotels are among a plethora of projects being undertaken by the administration.

Minister Sukhai recently affirmed that the government is ensuring all Guyanese benefit equally from the resources of the country.

“Whatever opportunities prevail and make themselves available to our government, we will ensure that the everyone benefits…even though we may be building skills, building capacities and abilities to do little

things that are of concern and challenges to our people, we will continue to ensure that we do not turn a blind eye to it,” she pointed out.

On a wider scale, hinterland communities have benefitted from Amerindian land-titling, improved education and health services, the hinterland electrification programme, the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, agriculture development, and a better supply of potable water, among a myriad of other developmental initiatives.

Multipurpose sports facility for Mahdia soon

Ensuring the government’s commitments in the sports sector are fulfilled, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. on April 13, 2023 announced that a multipurpose sports facility will be constructed in Mahdia, Region Eight.

He made the announcement during a meeting with youths in the town. Minister Ramson, along with Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai conducted an inspection of possible locations for the sports facility in the township. “I want you to understand that I’m here on a mission; a mission so that we can find the appropriate size land, so that I can build for you a multipurpose multisport gymnasium in your town,” Minister Ramson related.

Presently, no area has been identified, as one of the appropriate areas was converted a number of years ago,

into a site where a monument rests.

Minister Ramson is hopeful that a spot can be identified in a new housing scheme being constructed by the Ministry of Housing and Water. “I’ll be speaking to him [Minister Collin Croal], having an engagement with him, of what space is available, or can we set aside the space right in that housing scheme because it makes more sense if we can set aside the space, while they’re developing the housing scheme because you’ll have the land that’s available there,” Minister Ramson stated.

The Minister made it known that he will also be approaching the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission for any available lands, to ensure construction of the multipurpose facility commences soonest.

The facility will tremendously benefit the residents in and around the township,

allowing them to train and compete at will, without battling the weather.

Mahdia is home to many talents, being the cricket champion in the 2022 heritage games.

So far, government has lit four sports grounds in Region Eight; Kurukabaru, Waipa, Chenapau, and Paramakatoi.

From August 2020 to date, over 100 grounds have been developed, while 25 have been lit.

Government has committed in its manifesto, to construct multipurpose sports facilities in all regions across the country, within its first five-year term.

In Budget 2023, Government budgeted $4.3 billion for the development of sports, including the construction of five multipurpose sports facilities. The sum for sport increased in 2023 by almost 100 per cent, having received only $2.2 billion.

Almost $90M in contracts signed for infrastructure works in St. Cuthbert’s Mission

Residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri Village, Region Four can expect the commencement of infrastructural works in the community, as 18 community participation contracts were awarded on Friday.

The contracts, totalling nearly $90 million were signed between the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission and the Ministry of Public Works.

The works involve the construction of approximately 900 metres of reinforced concrete internal community roads.

This is a follow-up to a commitment made by His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a visit to the community in March. During his visit, the head of state said government will partner with the community and its residents to train them and utilise their skills and labour to construct concrete roads in the community.

Consistent with the twomonth deadline attached to this commitment, residents will soon benefit from enhancement works on a number of the roads.

President Ali had said,

“Whether you’re on the highway, whether you’re in the hinterland, the riverine community, you’re in an urban centre, we are going to go there, we are going to meet you. Every single community we are trying to visit, every single community we’re trying to get into, because we want to hear from the people themselves.”

This also forms part of the government’s drive to involve communities in the larger development agenda while supporting local economies.

Works moving apace on Eteringbang Airstrip – Edghill

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill has assured that works on the Eteringbang airstrip in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) are advancing.

Providing an update recently, the minister said the government recognises the importance of the airstrip and is working diligently to deliver the project to the people. “Eteringbang is in a strategic location, and that is why we have the Guyana Defence Force working on fixing that airstrip. It is an important artery, and it is necessary, but we are advancing,” he said.

Eteringbang is located on the Upper Cuyuni River close to the Guyana-Venezuela border.

The project is being undertaken by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in collaboration with the public works ministry to upgrade the airstrip from laterite to concrete pavement at a total cost of $214.5 million.

GDF was tasked with implementing the project through its engineering corps, while contracts have been awarded for the supply of material to the site.

In 2020, the government

committed to the rehabilitation of 2,100 feet of the Eteringbang airstrip and works commenced in September 2022.

The 2023 budget allocated $1.6 billion for the rehabilitation of airstrips to be completed by the first half of 2023.

These are the Eteringbang and Ekereku Bottom in Region Seven and Karisparu in Region Eight. These upgrades will make the airstrips compliant with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s minimum engineering standards.

Over $600M being injected to drill wells in Region Nine this year

Residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) will soon have enhanced access to potable water and service, with the drilling of 14 wells and expansion to several water distribution systems.

Areas to benefit include Aishalton, Awarewarnau, Maruranau, Semonie, Quiko, Rupertee, Fairview, Hiowa, Quatata, Shiriri, Katoonarib, Sand Creek, Potarinau, and Kaicumbay.

Some communities will also benefit from expansion to distribution networks and installation of photovoltaic systems.

These include Aranaputa, Moco Moco, Sand Creek, Karasabai, Wowetta, Quiko, Massara, Baitoon, Potarinau, Crash Water, Katuur, Tiger Pond, Karaudarnau, Kumu, Kaicumbay, Cracrana, and

Baishaidrum.

This is in keeping with the government’s 2021 to 2025 strategic plan, as part of its initiatives to increase access to clean water and upgrade water supply infrastructure nationwide.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said the government’s intervention in the water sector for the entire region will further enhance water coverage.

“We have over $600 million by GWI that is being invested for the drilling of a number of wells and expansion of distribution networks. By the end of this year, Region Nine will see somewhere around 95 per cent coverage of water to all the villages in the entire region,” Minister Croal disclosed.

Further, he also urged the residents to take ad -

vantage of the training programmes offered by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) to be upskilled, which will enable them to have sustainable incomes.

“We want to quickly move so that the benefits, the services, and the better quality of life that you see elsewhere you could benefit. We want to ensure that we also create employment so that many persons can make use of the opportunities in various areas,” the minister added.

This year, the government injected $17.7 billion for the water expansion and management of the sector, with $1.4 billion going towards upgrading and extending water supply systems in hinterland communities across Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight, and Nine.

DELIVERING ON ‘PLAN FOR PROSPERITY’

Guyana remains vigilant despite declining COVID-19 rates – Anthony

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said he is pleased with the recent announcement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, however, he noted that vigilance and precautions are necessary to guard against a repeat of a pandemic.

The Health Minister stressed that countries still have to be cautious. “We have to continue to be vigilant. Our surveillance systems are pretty much in place. We have been monitoring cases, although over the last couple of months. We have not seen many cases, and we, of course, monitor hospital data as well to see how many people would get sick,” he said.

He noted that the WHO’s responsibility is to ensure

that there was an efficient response to the pandemic. In this case, it was a new disease and a lot of information was not known on how to fix it at the time, with no tests or vaccines or medicines available.

However, all these were developed within a short period, and there is now a better understanding of the disease. “Having all these new tools in place, countries have worked hard to reduce the burden of the disease. I think that when the WHO looked at all this information. They felt comfortable to make such a declaration that it is no longer a public health emergency globally,” Dr. Anthony underscored.

The ministry will continue to administer vaccines and currently, there is a bivalent vaccine that persons can ac-

cess. “We continue to work and encourage people to get their boosters. If they get sick and they are uncertain, they should get tested, and if they are hospitalised. Of course, we will take care of them in the hospital. So that has been our posture and we will continue to do that,” the health minister noted.

In Guyana, to date, more than 73,000 persons were infected with COVID-19, with 1,298 persons dying as a result.

Worldwide the disease affected more than 756 million people and killed almost 7 million people.

According to the WHO, as of last week, COVID-19 still claimed a life every three minutes as the virus mutates. The WHO declared Covid a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Mocha/Arcadia residents to benefit from road upgrades, agri. interventions

− Gov’t hosts public engagement in the community

Thegovernment has reiterated its commitment to improving community roads and to continue developing the agriculture sector in the Mocha/Arcadia community, East Bank Demerara.

Assurances were given by PPP/C government ministers during a public engagement held at the Mocha Primary school, on April 12, 2023.

Infrastructure and agriculture related matters were among the top issues raised by residents. Minster Edghill, while addressing these concerns told residents that the ministry is cognisant of the challenges; however, there are 14 community roads that need rehabilitation that will cost approximately $500 million. He noted that while all the roads cannot be rehabilitated at once, they will be upgraded in due course. “We plan to do the entire 1,000 metres of First and Second Street. The cost of each one of those streets is just above $75 million. So, we are programming it and as soon as

we could get funding, we will be proceeding with Prosperity and First and Second Street,” the minister relayed.

Drainage and irrigation issues were raised and the agriculture minister said equipment would be deployed to alleviate flooding in the farming areas. Minister Mustapha reiterated that the community will continue to benefit from initiatives that will see the advancement of the agriculture sector. “I will now instruct the NDIA to provide the [drainage] mats so that they can complete the work faster. So Mr Lionel Wordsworth [Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority] is there, and he will ensure that you get the mats in a few days’ time to continue the work,” the minister reassured.

He disclosed that every farmer in Guyana will be receiving the Brazilian Green Dwarf Coconut variety, which is intended to boost the coconut industry. Also, farmers will be receiving planting materials but

Agri. ministry looking to cultivate coconuts along major river banks

Productionof coconuts in Guyana is expected to double as the government through the Ministry of Agriculture is looking to cultivate this crop along the banks of major rivers across Guyana.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha made the disclosure on April 12, 2023 during a public engagement with residents of Mocha/ Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara. “That will help us to also stop erosion of those areas but at the same time, those lands will be productive. So, we have a specialist coming into the country shortly to help us in the coconut industry,” Minister Mustapha disclosed.

This initiative aligns with the government’s vision of developing this lucrative industry as the agriculture minister said this crop has a lot of potential. Minister Mustapha informed residents that since August 2, 2020, 12

coconut nurseries have been constructed to date. This has decentralised the availability of seed nuts from Hope Industries Limited (Hope Estate) to other parts of the country. “That means people from the East Bank or people from West Coast or Berbice don’t have to come to Hope Coconut Estate or NAREI to buy these plants. We have it across this country now,” he stated.

In addition, all farmers involved in this industry will be receiving the new Brazilian Green Dwarf Coconut variety, which is intended to further boost the local coconut industry,

The Brazilian Green Dwarf variety is best known for its high-yielding properties, as well as its high tolerance to attacks from common pests and diseases that usually affect other varieties of coconut.

Its most outstanding

characteristic, however, is its ability to produce a higher volume of water than other varieties commonly grown in Guyana. This variety is also said to produce water that has a high sucrose level, making it sweeter than others.

Some 1,000 seed nuts arrived in Guyana last year and additional seed nuts are expected to arrive.

“The Brazilian Green Dwarf Coconut has potential … so, we are looking to build on that and all farmers eventually, who are producing coconuts or who are planting coconuts will receive that variety from us because we want to develop it,” the agriculture minister posited.

Guyana is leading the way in agriculture as CARICOM aims to lessen the almost $5 billion food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

48 Lima Sands residents receive long-awaited land titles

first, an assessment will be conducted. “What we are doing now, we are looking at a survey to know what type of planting materials are needed and where. We are going to reorganise all the nurseries in the country,” he stated. The community of Mocha has benefitted from several agricultural interventions and currently some 100 acres of land is being developed for agriculture purposes among other initiatives.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag urged residents to take advantage of the education opportunities being afforded through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

Further, several housing and water related matters were also addressed by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal.

Follow up visits will be conducted in the community, to ensure the commitments are fulfilled.

The east bank community would have benefitted from several outreaches with government.

Aftermore than two decades of anticipation, 48 residents of Lima Sands on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, were finally granted their Certificates of Title, securing their rightful ownership of the lands they occupy.

The residents were presented with their documents during a recent outreach in the State House compound at Anna Regina.

The outreach was led by Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues and Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves.

The distribution of land titles in Lima Sands is the delivery of a promise made by Minister Rodrigues when she visited the region just over a year ago. During her address, the minister clarified that the process began

in April of last year, but the agency encountered a few bottlenecks that impeded progress. The situation was further compounded by squatting. “It made it difficult to have a conclusive plan, but we persevered and we stayed faithful to our commitment and today the first set of titles, 48 titles will be handed out,” she stated.

Region Two has benefitted from tremendous investments in the housing sector over the past three years. Minister Rodrigues announced that thus far, some $3.5 billion has been invested in the region in infrastructure.

“So we are transforming communities across the country and the Ministry of Housing is leading an effort in ensuring that there’s transformation in the infrastructure, but more importantly,

where there’s transformation in people’s lives,” she underscored.

The processing of titles will now continue at the Regional Office, and over 600 residents will be able to receive their Certificates of Title upon completion of verification.

The areas for which titles can now be processed include Henrietta, Coffee Grove, Richmond, La Belle Alliance, Lima, Fear Not, Sparta, Windsor Castle, and Hampton Court.

Additionally, over 70 residents were able to uplift their Cement and Steel subsidy vouchers as the distribution process continued in the region. Other services were offered including signing up for house lots and Agreements of Sale for Onderneeming Phase One, Two and Three and Lima Sands.

New Fire Service headquarters to be commissioned by mid-June – Benn

The new state-of-the-art $614.5 million Guyana Fire Service (GFS) headquarters on Homestretch Avenue is slated to open by mid-June.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, provided the update in recent comments, where he said, “We were hoping to be able to open it by the end of this

month, but I think it might run over to mid-June. There are some issues we have to finalise with respect to the construction and the occupancy. We are working at it.”

In March, Minister Benn made it clear that the authorities first need to identify any faults in the building during the defects liability period.

Once any defect is identified the contractor will have to resolve the issue.

Once this process is completed, the completion certificate will be signed and the final payment will be made.

Minister Benn said the engineers are currently tasked with inspecting the

Outpatient facility commissioned at Port Mourant Hospital

Toalleviate extended waiting time for patients at the Port Mourant Hospital, Region Six, an outpatient facility valued over $40 million was on April 13, 2023 commissioned in the hospital’s compound.

The government’s investment will have a significant impact on expanding access to healthcare in the region.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony noted that the facility forms part of the government’s aim to ensure that Guyanese receive the best possible care in a timely manner. “Any patient that requires outpatient services can come here and get those services. So, whether it is chronic patients, diabetic, hypertensive, and so forth, who have been coming over a protracted period, they can come here and get those services…As we open this facility, this is just symbol -

ic of many more things that are going to happen in the region and country,” Dr. Anthony stated.

The government has invested heavily in the region to ensure equitable access to healthcare services is provided.

Significant work was conducted at the Ophthalmology hospital over the last couple of years for the facility to function effectively.

Dr. Anthony also urged persons to take advantage of the training programmes that the ministry offers, which will help to improve their knowledge and skills in the field.

Meanwhile, Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Vishalya Sharma highlighted that the department will enable the hospital to better capture data to guide regional policies and allocation of resources. “Region Six would have seen a total of 48,760

patients in 2020. Two years after we are seeing 82,637 in patient contacts. This is a 100 per cent increase in two years just in medical outpatient services…Of that total that we see, as of 2022, 21,346 came from this very facility for patient contact…This facility will provide a better environment for patients and the doctors,” Dr. Sharma emphasised.

Administrator of the Port Mourant Hospital, Dr. Ghanshaam Sukhdeo, while sharing similar sentiments expressed, “Now we will have a separate and an independent department where patients don’t have to wait on the doctors while attending to an emergency in the A&E. But the doctor will be there on the grounds.”

With the expansion of training in the region, the upstairs of the facility will be utilised as a regional training centre.

New NTC Secretariat to be commissioned soon

The new building being constructed at the Sophia Exhibition Centre to house the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Secretariat will be completed before the end of May 2023.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, during a recent press conference hosted at the ministry’s Georgetown office.

It was noted that inclement weather had stalled the completion, but with the weather’s improvement, the facility is expected to be completed and commissioned shortly.

“At this point, the building is completed. The building consists of an administrative section, and a dome, which the NTC will use to host their meetings and so on. So, that is completed. What we are doing now is the works in the yard… Casting will be done over the course of the weekend. We’re looking at next week, for the project to be wrapped up,” Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ryan Toolsiram stated.

He said the building will have accommodation for Toshaos travelling for

Enmore farmers to get better farmlands, farming implements

Farmers of Enmore and surrounding communities along the East of Coast Demerara will soon benefit from better access to farmlands to expand production as well as shade houses, planting implements, lands for cattle rearing, and improved drainage works.

The commitment was made by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha on Monday (May 15, 2023), during an engagement with several agriculturists.

Mustapha was accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, and Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who visited the community to deliver on pledges made by President, Dr Mo-

hamed Irfaan Ali during a recent meeting there.

Due to massive infrastructural works, among other things, both cattle and cash crop farmers had to be removed from the current land they occupy. “At Enmore here, we will work with the farmers to establish shade houses. We will give them all the planting materials to start production once again,” Minister Mustapha affirmed. He said that a new farming area will be identified and prepared in an organised and scientific manner to drive food production.

More than 60 cash crop farmers were utilising the area to cultivate their crops, while several cattle farmers were using the area for their

livestock. Meanwhile, Minister Indar underlined that interventions will be made by the various ministries in relation to road infrastructure. “We are here today to deal with the issues and to follow up with the residents to visit the farms and do the surveys,” the minister noted.

A team from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), GuySuCo, and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will accompany the cattle farmers on Tuesday, to inspect new lands which will be developed and to conduct drainage works.

E-market platform launched to improve ICT business processes

In the midst of a global shift in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), companies need to generate innovative and more efficient ways of streamlining their processes and connecting to the market.

underscored.

meetings in the city. “The upstairs [of] the administrative building will have four self-contained rooms. So, when Toshaos travel from afar to come to conduct business, they have a room that they can stay in before they go back,” he explained.

In 2022, some $100 million was approved for the construction of a new secretariat for the NTC. While the contractor was provided with 12 months from March 2022 to complete the project, several setbacks prevented the timely completion of the project.

Framework Agreement for reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway signed by government and IsDB

Senior Finance Minister

Dr. Ashni Singh, on behalf of the Government of Guyana and President of the Islamic Development Bank

Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, last week, signed a US$200 Million Framework Agreement for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, a project that will see the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 73 kilometres of the Highway with two lanes undivided, 9 bridges, 6 culverts with improved design, quality and standards.

The project also includes ancillary works and road corridor improvements providing essential public administration support, improved connectivity with communities, roadside, and other facilities.

Last September, Dr. Singh had indicated that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Administration was securing approval of financing to upgrade and repair the Soesdyke-Linden highway. He had emphasised the importance of this highway and

its dire need for an upgrade.

The finance minister reiterated the PPP/C Administration’s policy to improve and maintain the quality of life across the country. He also touched on the various projects that indicate this, such as the Mandela to Eccles four-lane highway, and the Linden to Mabura project. “My assurance to you is that you have in President Ali, a central government that is firmly and unwaveringly committed to doing

Recognising this, the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organisations (CANTO), launched the e-procurement marketplace, to transform the way companies procure goods and services across the region.

Delivering remarks at the product launch at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal on Tuesday (May 16, 2023) Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy said the platform is a ‘win-win’ for the Caribbean region.

He highlighted the importance of ICT in advancing the digital transformation of the region, as well as boosting the country’s economy. “ICTs are vital for any country’s development across various domains. They drive economic growth, enable access to information and knowledge, and can help to improve governance and the delivery of public services. They can enhance healthcare delivery, the delivery of education, and even infrastructural development. Within the ICT industry, the operators provide a wide variety of goods and services to achieve these goals and satisfy our people’s needs,” he

The minister stressed that, given the many difficulties companies face on the procurement landscape, such as limited process standardisation, and record management, this platform’s launch will revolutionise the regional telecommunications industry.

“These problems manifest in higher sourcing costs, operational inefficiencies, lack of visibility of supplier performance, and, most importantly, poor customer service. Our businesses will be provided with an integrated network with an expansive reach to explore a more diverse pool of suppliers fostering healthy competition and ensuring the best opportunity for sourcing the right products and services. They will now operate in a space where procurement processes are streamlined, simplifying the workflow process and ensuring efficient completion of tasks,” Minister McCoy noted.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond said the platform holds tremendous potential for the development of small businesses, as well as to bridge a critical information gap that may be discouraging producers in the region.

“The e-Procurement portal also delivers value through its potential to give a comprehensive view of the regional market for goods and services. It might be the case that a seller located in any one country may not find it financially feasible

to supply only their local market. However, with the e-Market covering buyers in a number of countries, that same seller may realise that the regional market for his or her service is collectively large enough to make operations feasible,” Minister Walrond explained.

Moreover, the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in 2020 created the enabling environment for this level of development in Guyana, as consumers have access to a wider range of choices and are benefitting from lower prices as operators innovate their services. “The Government of Guyana recognises the critical importance of telecommunications in almost every aspect of our lives. Operators are investing in offering better quality services. Fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions have been growing steadily, and from all indications, there has been strong growth in the sector since the liberalisation of late 2020,” Minister Walrond stated.

CANTO is a non-profit association that facilitates regional and international ICT projects, discussions, and objectives critical to the Caribbean Region.

The e-procurement marketplace enables companies to find the best suppliers and enhance their operational resilience. It will provide registered users with access to a global network of vendors, suppliers, operators, and companies in the ICT ecosystem.

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Opening of embassy in Qatar to help countries embark on journey of enhanced bilateral relations – Ali

Guyana’s embassy in Qatar was on Tuesday (May 16, 2023) officially opened by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who noted that the move would help both countries embark on a journey of enhanced bilateral relationship.

President Ali is quoted in a DOHANEWS article as stating, “We both promote peace, stability and sustainability… I want to thank all of our friends who are here to celebrate this momentous occasion.”

The president thanked

Emir of Qatar, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for his support to Guyana, noting that, “We are truly grateful and, as a nation, we pray for the continued prosperity and good health for the government, leadership and the people of Qatar.”

President Ali expressed his administration’s aim to diversify Guyana’s economy and make it one of the most competitive economies globally.

DOHANEWS said prior to Tuesday’s activity, the Guyanese president stressed

the importance of developing bilateral trade in various sectors, including oil, gas and food security.

President Ali is in Doha, Qatar on an Official Visit. He is joined by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Director of Presidential Affairs, Mrs. Marcia Nadir-Sharma and other officials.

Dr. Ali has so far met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and

Minister of Finance, Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari. The discussion centred on several areas of mutual cooperation. President Ali also presented paintings from local artist Dillon Craig to the Senior Government Officials.

Bilateral discussions were also held with Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Engineer Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Abdullah Al Thani, and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce,

represented by its First Vice Chairman, Mohamed Bin Ahmed Bin Twar Al-Kuwari.

During an engagement with Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani, Guyana’s global leadership in climate change was highlighted and the potential role Qatar can play.

The head of state also met with Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Group CEO of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker.

Dr. Ali and the airline’s Chief Executive Officer dis-

cussed enhancing Guyana’s reach and the country’s tourism product.

Qatar and Guyana, in 2020 inked an Air Services Agreement on the sidelines of the 40th General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation in Montreal. The agreement promoted the movement of goods and people of both countries.

Qatar and Guyana established diplomatic relations in 1996 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in numerous fields, including climate change and energy.

Appeal will be filed in case on...

vestigations, Nandlall had said, “This is what we owe, as a government, to the people of this country. After all, we have a duty, a fiduciary duty, to the people of Guyana to protect public property and public funds – public funds that are owned by the people, public property that are owned by the people. We have a duty to protect them

and to call in the State’s investigative apparatus, where the circumstances require investigations to take place. We have certainly identified certain areas.”

QUESTIONABLE DEALS

Further, while in Opposition, the PPP/C had identified several questionable deals and promised to have

these investigated – including the alleged sale of vehicles to Jordan’s children for under $300,000.

Jordan’s arrest followed the move to send the file into his conduct in office to authorities for a criminal investigation.

A statement by the Guyana Police Force said, “Officers of the Special Organ-

ised Crime Unit (SOCU), Guyana Police Force, made contact with Mr. Winston Jordan and invited him to attend the office of the unit at Camp Road, Georgetown for questioning in relation to a series of alleged fraudulent transactions in which he is implicated, involving public funds and state properties, estimated to value billions

of Guyana dollars. Today (December 2, 2021), at or about 10:30 hrs, Mr. Jordan, in the company of two Attorneys-at-Law, attended the SOCU office at Camp Road and was interviewed….this is only one of several investigations that implicate former Minister Jordan.”

The embattled former Coalition minister was re -

leased on his own recognizance. When charged, he was not required to plead to the charge, was released on $3M bail. Jordan’s lawyers are APNU+AFC Coalition Parliamentarian, Roysdale Forde and Khemraj Ramjattan, as well as Attorneys-at-law, Dawn Cush, Joseph Harmon, and Darren Wade.

New Fire Service headquarters to...

← FROM PAGE 16 headquarters since the keys were recently handed over to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the relocation of the headquarters from the congested Stabroek Market Square will improve the operations of the Fire Service.

The modern facility which is being undertaken by Mohamed’s Enterprise will accommodate eight fire tenders and six Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulances.

It will also have male and female barracks, a kitch-

PNCR only digging themselves...

←

FROM PAGE 5

en, a laundry area, officers’ living quarters, a gym, a day room, offices, and living quarters, as well as Emergency Medical Technician rooms.

The headquarters is designed to function with 70 plus ranks.

ample proof for all to see, both local and overseas observers were privy to this! One can only go to the YouTube channel and log in to elections in British Guiana and witness that shameful process done under the name of an election.

For the PNCR to bring forward that argument is ludicrous at best, because the burden of proof is on their part to provide

the evidence of a ghost election or any form of rigging, which up until this point, they cannot. The fact is the PNCR have always been bad losers, so any straw they can clutch at they will lock on to, in an attempt to gain sympathy for their hopeless cause.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Education Ministry debunks APNU+AFC’s untruths

The Ministry of Education rejects as wholly untrue and malicious the claim by the APNU/AFC that a unit under the APNU was set up at the Ministry of Education to address the Housing revolving fund

and that said unit was dismantled by the new PPP/C Government.

At a press conference today where the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, known APNU MP Ganesh Mahipaul and backbencher

Coretta Mc Donald were present, the party made the preposterous and bogus claim that “as a matter of fact that housing project was there since 2006 where we asked for a revolving housing project and that

house lots be given to teachers in other areas across this country. Those have never ever been brought to light or we have not been able to successfully bring that on board except for when the coalition came into office, the coalition decided at that time they were going to put together a unit at the Ministry of Education to deal specifically with the housing revolving project. By that time, we would have already been able to acquire $200 million, even more now…and that’s where the coalition decided at the Ministry of Education that we were going to have this unit. Every aspect was put in place to have that unit in operation but when the PPP came into office in 2020, they disbanded that approach. We had another offer to them where we were going to use the Guyana Public Service Credit Union to administer this project, they have also thrown that aside.”

The Ministry of Education puts on record the facts of this matter. Those are as follows 1. In or around 2006 the then Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C Government struck a historic agreement with the Guyana Teachers’ Union which gave to teachers, inter alia A. salary increases, B.

access to duty-free concessions C. scholarships to the University of Guyana. D. Uniform allowance E. risk allowance. And F hard lying allowance etc.

That agreement came to an end in or around 2011 and was renewed by the PPP government again. Notably when the agreement expired under the APNU/AFC teachers were unable to enjoy any of those benefits and the GTU was unable to meet the Minister of Education or any senior Govt official leading to a national strike in or around 2018. This is a notorious fact.

In 2006, $200 million was placed into a fund by the Bharrat Jagdeo Administration. No further money was given by the APNU. That money remains in a fund. At no point was a unit established in the Ministry of Education or anywhere else in the Govt. under the APNU/AFC as was claimed at the Opposition press conference. Indeed, a proposal was made for same but the APNU/AFC led Ministry of Finance refused to allow any such unit.

The Ministry calls on the Guyana Teachers’ Union to correct this malicious, bold-faced untruth so as not to interfere with the healthy negotiations that have begun

between the Government of Guyana and the Union. Particularly the Union would recall the options discussed at the last meeting for the usage of the money currently in the Fund. It would be a shame to allow those talks to come crashing down because it may be in the interest of the Opposition to have unhappy teachers.

The Ministry calls on the main Opposition APNU/ AFC to be responsible, truthful and sensible in their representations and consider the damage it does to itself when it allows its members to be untruthful about matters that are easily verifiable and where the truth is already in the public domain.

The Ministry is also inviting teachers to understand that the APNU/AFC appears at this point to have no interest in teachers benefiting from any service or expressions of love by the Government. Ask yourselves what would be better for this political party in Opposition: teachers enjoying the benefit of negotiations between their Union and the Government or teachers striking on the road. The Government invites teachers to reject persons and parties who are attempting to use them as pawns in their various quests for power.

Framework Agreement for reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden...

all that we possibly can to continue to improve the lives of the people of Region 10,” Singh had affirmed.

The Soesdyke-Linden Highway is a 73 kilometres-long two-lane highway that runs between Soesdyke and Linden in Guyana. The East Bank Public Road connects Soesdyke with Georgetown.

The US$200 Million Framework Agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 Islamic Develop-

← FROM PAGE 17

ment Bank (IsDB) Group’s Annual Meetings currently underway in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Singh is leading Guyana’s delegation attending those meetings.

Additionally, Minister Singh and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Fund for Development Mr. Sultan A. AlMarshad signed a US$ 150 Million Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the Saudi Fund’s Participation in the Financing of infrastruc-

Steps taken to prevent a...

Registration, the long delays between each cycle and the preparation and distribution of national Identification Cards.

• The issue of “residency” was clarified in keeping with the Constitution.

• Continuous Registration is office base and field verification was also addressed.

• Source documents to facilitate National Registration was dealt with.

• Claims and Objections and Preliminary Voters’ List were also simplified.

• Treat with the particulars of persons alleged to be deceased was addressed.

• Penalties for Registration Offences were revised and introduce in areas where it was deemed necessary.

It is anticipated that these approved amendments will offer clear procedural as well as process guidance to all categories of elections officials at the Guyana Elections Commission, members of civil society, observer groups, political parties and their representatives as well as the general public. It is also envisaged that the “loopholes” which were exploited by those who were intent on committing electoral fraud would no longer be

tural development works for the Housing Sector and Construction of the Wismar Bridge.

Further, Singh also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) concerning the Country Engagement Framework for Guyana for Green, resilient and sustainable infrastructure as well as for supporting economic diversification and doing business.

← FROM PAGE 23

available.

In my humble view, the process of electoral and registration reform is a continuous one and as situation and circumstances changes, it will certainly require additional amendments to the legal framework, regulating these two (2) extremely important processes, in safeguarding this Nation’s democracy at the level of the Ballot boxes.

Finally, the PPP/C government, under the leadership of President Mohamed Irfaan Ali must be commended for bringing these relief legal measures in place.

COMMENTARY

Steps taken to prevent a repeat of the 2020 Elections fiasco in Guyana

By Ganga Persaud

The Coalition’s saga of the conspiracy to steal the elections of March 2, 2020 was undertaken with the clear objective of ensuring that, ‘by hook or by crook’, power was retained. However, power for power’s sake sits on quicksand, a lesson APNU+AFC Coalition ignored and felt that they could ride roughshod over the Constitution, the laws and the people Guyana.

NCM

As I briefly retrace the events which led to the holding of elections on March 2020, I will start with the No Confidence Motion which was tabled by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in the National Assembly. Recall the PPP/C was occupying the Opposition benches with 32 seats and the APNU/AFC collation was occupying the government benches with 33 seats. After much delays, the No Confidence Motion was approved for debate on December 21, 2018. The Motion was successfully passed with a 33 for and 32 against. This situation, in keeping with the laws of Guyana, required the President to dissolve Parliament so that the Elections Commission can hold General and Regional Elections within the stipulated three months (90 days).

The Attorney General, at that time, Basil Williams challenged the validity of the passing of the no confidence motion in the High Court. The Chief Justice (Acting) ruled on the 31 January 2019 that the no confidence motion was legally passed. Basil Williams appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeal which, on March 22, 2019, by a majority vote of 2 to 1 overturned the Chief Justice’s ruling. The People’s Progressive Party / Civic appealed the ruling of the Court of Appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s final Court, which on June 8, 2019 overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal and reinstate the Chief Justice’s ruling.

DATE FINALLY ANNOUNCED

Consequently, David Granger, on September 25, 2019, announced that General and Regional Elections will be held on March 2, 2020. Meanwhile in February 2019, the Guyana Elections

Commission stated “that there was not enough time left to organise elections by the constitutional deadline of mid-March. It was reported that the opposition might agree to postpone them until a later date”.

Nine (9) Political Parties expressed interest in contesting the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. The Campaign was filled with the usual manifestations of Guyana’s political landscape. On 19 January 2019, the PPP/C chose former Housing minister Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali as its presidential candidate. Former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips, was chosen as his running mate.

On 16 June, the AFC chose Khemraj Ramjattan as its candidate for Prime Minister should the APNU-AFC coalition be returned to power with Granger as president.

An agreement was made by Liberty and Justice Party, The New Movement and A New and United Guyana to combine their lists for the national allocation of seats. The pre-election agreement was for the parties to share any seats won for a period of time relative to their proportion of the vote.

E-DAY Elections day proceeded smoothly and efficiently. All political parties stated that the voting process, plus the counting of votes at polling stations, were free, fair and credible.

The International and Local Observers teams described elections day activities, voting and the initial counting of ballots at the place of poll as being free, fair and credible, it must be noted that in the International Observers team were the Ambassadors of the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union as well as former Barbadian Prime Minister, Owen Arthur.

Counting of votes was done in the presence of all political parties, as well as local and international observers. At every polling station, Statements of Poll (SOPs) were produced and signed by all political parties to verify their accuracy. These SOPs were displayed in public locations outside polling stations. Ballot boxes were then sealed, with each contesting party affixing their

own tamper-proof seal to the box, along with some other security measures specified by Guyanese electoral law. By the end of Election Day, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), local and international observers, the media and local individuals all had copies of the SOPs.

ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE

The tabulation process commenced at the ten (10) Returning Officers’ offices and was moving smoothly, by the evening of 3 March, nine of the ten districts had been tabulated successfully. A large number of SOPs for the final (and largest) district had also been tabulated. The results showed the PPP leading by around 51,000 votes.

The process then started to derail once it became clear that the Granger government was heading for defeat. Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo said he felt unwell and was taken to hospital, resulting in the tabulation being suspended for several hours while a replacement for Mingo was sought. That replacement then felt unwell so the tabulation did not restart.

Meanwhile, a data entry clerk was found attempting to load SOPs using a suspect laptop and flash drive. Apart from attempts to delaying the declaration by the Returning Officers in Electoral Districts 3, 4, 5,6 and 7 only Returning Officer District 4, the largest populated District, tinkered with the process to such an extent that it was described as, ‘the most clumsy attempt in rigging an election”.

There were several attempts to swear in Granger for a second term in office, for example on March 5, Granger addressed his supporters and thanked them for giving him another term. However, the PPP obtained a court injunction preventing the Region 4 returning officer from declaring the results until further verification had taken place. APNU+AFC continued preparations to swear in Granger.

On 11 March, the Supreme Court annulled the results of Region 4, ruled that a partial recount in the election must take place, ordering that Region Four continue verifying votes. According to the BBC, "Judge Roxane George also ruled the electoral body should not declare a winner before the recount is finished." She ordered that

the tabulation be completed using official SOPs in the presence of party agents. All stakeholders maintained the need to let the tabulation reflects the will of the voters.

The Chair of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, led a team of five Caribbean Prime Ministers to mitigate the crisis on 11 and 12 March, meeting with Granger and opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Following the development at the tabulation centre, on 14 March Mottley announced that, according to Stabroek News, "an independent high-level Caribbean Community team is [set] to supervise a full recount of the ballots cast in all ten regions at Guyana's elections based on an agreement by President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

A five-person high-level team was rapidly assembled and arrived in Guyana on 15 March. GECOM prepared for the recount to start. However, an election candidate (in the concurrent regional elections) from the APNU+AFC party obtained a court objection blocking the recount and the CARICOM team left on 17 March, which prompted a statement from Prime Minister Mottley that "it is clear that there are forces in Guyana that do not want to see the votes recounted."

After almost two months, the recount started on 6 May. The Government placed strict limits on the number of recount stations that would be allowed, citing COVID-19 precautions. As a result, the planned 25 days for the recount was insufficient, but the recount was completed on the 8 June.

The results were publicly available, and almost exactly matched the SOPs in the possession of all the political parties and the observers. The results showed a victory for the PPP/C's presidential candidate with the PPP/C winning 33 seats in the National Assembly. APNU+AFC won 31 seats, and three of the smaller parties shared 1 seat in accordance with the agreement they made before the election.

Statements of Recount (SORs) were produced to mirror the SOPs from Election Day. These SORs provided proof that the results announced by Mingo on March 13 had inflated APNU+AFC votes by 19,116 votes and reduced PPP/C

votes by 3,689.

According to Guyana's constitution, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali was deemed president-elect, and his swearing in should follow the formal declaration of the winner by GECOM

It was on August 2, 2020, after five months of high drama and steadfast stakeholders at the Local, National, Regional and International levels, that the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission announced Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali as the winner of the Presidential Elections. The Chancellor of the Judiciary, (Acting) administered the Oath of Office to Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s Eleventh President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, made a commitment in his first address that Electoral Reform will be a major task on his Agenda so as to protect this Nation from experiencing such horrific, destabilizing and fraudulent electoral practices in future.

REFROM

The Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance , under the Ministerial leadership of the Hon Gail Teixeira, MP and the Attorney General Chambers, under the Ministerial leadership of the Hon Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC commenced preparation for the widest possible consultation in implementing His Excellency’s commitment.

The political parties, civil society, faith based, gender based, ethnic based and non-governmental organizations as well as everyone else were invited to make submissions for amendments, inclusions, deletion to the Representation of the People Act Chapter1:03and the National Registration Act Chp. 19:08 Several submissions were received before the closing date, none- the- less, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance extended the deadline to encourage more submissions. After many submissions were tabulated and shared for further consultations another consultation was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center at which open as well as direct invitations were extended. It was a well-attended activity and relevant oral as well as written submissions were incorporated into the drafts and presented for gen-

eral debate in the parliament of Guyana.

The documents were debated and passed in the National Assembly in December 2022 and were assented to by his Excellency, Dr. Ali on December 13, 2022 and Gazette on December 13, 2022.

The approved amendments are in keeping with the commitment made by His Excellency and his government to prevent a reoccurrence of the illegal and undemocratic incidents between March 3 and August 1, 2020.

Some of the major areas of focus in the Representation of the People Act Chp 1:03 include:

• Criteria for the appointment of Polling Stations, access to physically challenged voters, number of voters per station, commuting distance for voters.

• Appointment of Polling, Counting Agents and Candidates to the Poll representing the interests of political parties.

• Dividing the large Electoral Districts, (Districts 3, 4 and 6) into Sub Districts to enhance management and reduce delays in communication results, as well as appointment of Supernumerary Returning Officer for each sub district.

• Clearly defined process of tabulating the results by Returning Officers / Supernumerary Returning Officers, using the Statement of Polls as well as posting results on GECOM’s website and the CEO’s declaration of the Results.

• Reaffirming that the CEO is an appointee of the Guyana Election Commission.

• Penalties were revisited, increased and introduce for all electoral offences by permanent as well as temporary staff of the Commission, as well as for members of the public and political parties’ representatives.

• Clarity was provided on the appointment of staff at GECOM, both permanent and temporary.

• Voting without an acceptable form of National Identification document was also strengthened by the legislation.

• Preparation of training manuals and other training materials.

Some of the major areas of focus in the National Registration Act Chapter 19:08 are as follows:

• The Cycle of Continuous

PNCR-led Coalition unable to advance ‘a single positive campaign message’ – Jagdeo

Inface of the ad hominem attacks by the APNU+AFC Coalition, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will remain focused on messaging to “every household” on how the Party intend to deliver transformational change and improved delivery of government services and opportunities, according to the Party’s

General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Speaking during a news conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday (May 18, 2023), he said, “We will go to every home and bring the campaign there…you have seen us in the past few weeks laying out what our campaign is.”

The PPP General Sec -

retary charged that the Coalition’s fear mongering on a range of issues from peddling untruths to vendors and persons who may be squatting in certain areas. “They clearly can’t campaign on anything positive,” he said.

Last week, Jagdeo noted that the PPP/C campaign for the 2023 Local Government Elections is being rolled

out. “It is happening already across the country…Guyanese are very discerning… they can separate the nonsense and the gaffe from real plans and real commitment to their progress…people have started working. Our strategy and the advice to our activists is take our message to every home,” he said.

He explained that the

Party activists are armed with flyers, specifical to the Local Authority Areas – the municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) – which detail the PPP/C promises that the Party will deliver on when elected.

The PPP/C is contesting all 610 constituencies in the 80 Local Authority Areas, as it did successfully in 2016 and 2018, while out of government office, according to the Party’s General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo.

OLD LINES REPEATED

The PPP General Secretary recently underscored the fact that the APNU’s Local Government Elections campaign launch in Georgetown was dominated by old lies – all of which have been disproved.

The APNU+AFC Coalition’s Christopher Jones, used the rally to repeat the already rubbished narrative about young Afro-Guyanese being killed. He said, “It’s to reminder the young men who may not know or who might have been small at the time of the operation of Jagdeo's Phantom Death Squad.” Notably, in November 2019, the 32-page findings of an investigate report by the independently–run Stabroek News, exposed the falsehoods peddled by the APNU+AFC Coalition about the crime wave and dismantled the notion that young Afro-Guyanese men were killed indiscriminately. While, the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition had claimed that -some 400 young Afro-Guyanese died as a result of extra-judicial killings during the crime wave. However, the Stabroek News investigative report pointed out that some 420 persons were killed between February 2002 and September 2006 – 151 murdered by bandits, 30 security officers were killed and 239 were killed during confrontations with the police and in unexplained circumstances. It added that the drug trade was a major part of the period in

question. After the report was published, comments along this line subsidised, but has returned and are now greatly exaggerated with the claim being almost 2,000 young Afro-Guyanese died under the former PPP/C government.

Norton, for his part, used the campaign launch to engage in scare tactics that targeted vendors. He said, “I want to warn the vendors they are out of power in Georgetown, and every day APNU so that you could continue to vend. To not vote for us is to give the PPP the opportunity to take away your livelihood. I want to warn the vendors they are out of power in Georgetown, and every day APNU so that you could continue to vend. To not vote for us is to give the PPP the opportunity to take away your livelihood.”

Last month, Jagdeo exposed a ‘whisper campaign’ being utilised by the APNU, attempting to incite fear in Georgetown vendors. Speaking at his press conference at Freedom House, Georgetown on April 20, 2023, the General Secretary reassured that vendors plying their trade in the city have nothing to fear from the PPP/C. Jagdeo had said, “They’ve gone through the market and told the vendors that if the PPP wins the election in Georgetown, they’re going to be thrown off the road and they’re not going to have a place to vend. Here, in the city too, the vendors have nothing to worry about, but the whisper campaign has started. This is how they work in Afro-Guyanese communities. They can’t campaign openly and spread their racist message, because they know they will be called out on it.”

The PPP General Secretary at his May 11th news conference made clear that the PNCR-led cabal clearly has nothing to offer, other than old, unsubstantiated rhetoric. “This is what they launched as a Local Government Elections campaign… there was nothing for the people,” Jagdeo declared.