The increasing instances of claims from members of the APNU+AFC Coalition of a Guyana being
a “dictatorship” under the PPP/C administration reek of dishonestly, according to Vice President and General
Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo.
“Anybody who says we
are a dictatorship – and we are in a free country, anybody can say that – but you got to be not just dishonest
but like hyper, super, extremely dishonest. If you come from APNU and you say that, having known that they're tried to steal the election, it is sheer dishonestly,” he said during a recent news conference.
Notably, the Coalition’s Amanza Walton-Desir, on June 8, 2023, waxed lyrical, saying, “In Guyana we do not have a properly functioning system…we are confronting a PPP/C government that is a full blown dictatorship.”
Responding to what he termed “unfounded” comments, Jagdeo said, “Amanza Walton was part of that plot. She was at the convention centre, part of the plot to help to steal the 2020 elections…. speaking about Guyana is in a state of terror and hopelessness. When I travel around this country, people are the most hopeful now. When they lost, hope was in those five years when they lost thousands of jobs. They're the most hopeful now about our future. They're getting help, they see a government that's engaging, that's addressing their concerns, thousands of new jobs are being created, etc… and they talk about jobs too.”
Notably, the report from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the General Elections of March 2, 2020, which was handed over the report to President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on April 26, 2023 by Chairman of the CoI, Retired Justice of Appeal, Stanley John, exposed the “shockingly brazen attempts” to thwart the will of the people.
The ultimate goal of former officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, Roxanne Myers and Clairmont Mingo, was the unlawful declaration of falsified results for Region 4, according to the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the March 2020 Elections. “From the totality of the evidence surrounding the RO’s declaration, there appears to be such collusion and collaboration between senior GECOM officials as to likely amount to a con -
spiracy to make what was undoubtedly a premature and unlawful declaration of falsified results which showed the APNU/AFC party as the winner of electoral district No. 4. This was the ultimate goal of the CEO, the DCEO and the RO,” the report said on page 102. The report found that Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo were principally responsible for clear and deliberate attempts to frustrate, obstruct and subvert the ascertainment of votes in electoral district No. 4. The report made clear that Lowenfield’s actions must be condemned as the “ultimate betrayal of trust reposed in the highest election official in the land by the people” of Guyana. Myers, according to the report, arrogated powers to herself to undermine the declaration of valid results in Region 4. Mingo, according to the CoI report, resisted all efforts to have the correct course of action followed. At page 105 of the report, the APNU+AFC Coalition Scrutineer, Carol Joseph-Smith, was referred to. The report stressed that her signature of the unlawful declaration of false results for Region 4 on March 13, 2020 was as an “endorsement” of the illegal act by the Coalition. The international Commission of Inquiry made recommendations for changes in five years, including reform of GECOM’s structure, the legislative framework, the role of the private sector, campaign financing, and the role of the Guyana Police Force.
The tabulation of the results of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections was marred by controversy and allegations of attempts to frustrate the democratic will of the electorate. This led to several legal challenges, both in the local and regional judiciaries, condemnation by international agencies and foreign countries, and an inordinate delay in the declaration of the results. After three months, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was declared to be the winner of the elections and sworn in on August 2, 2020.
Acall was issued to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, to investigate the “racist” messaging employed by the APNU+AFC Coalition-aligned entity, Village Voice, on Election Day, Monday (June 12, 2023).
At a news conference on Tuesday (June 13, 2023), he said, “On the day of the election itself, we saw some of the vilest campaign waged by arms of the APNU, the Village Voice. Village Voice was there posting all day long, vote for Crum Ewing, subliminal racist messages, etc.
“…all day long the Village Voice, which we know is an arm of the APNU, was putting out these racist messages. Throughout the day if you go back, they may rush to remove them now, but we already have them recorded. Tons of messages, all racist throughout the day. Racists trying to drive fear into people.
“Then they had a lot of the same social media activ-
ists that we've come to know who spread rumours. Some of them have emerged out of the woodwork and allday long start spreading the rumours again. In the City, especially to people in the City, targeting them, saying, ‘Oh, the PPP will remove the vendors; the vendors need to come out now’; ‘the PPP plans to take away your property’…lies all day long.
“This is clearly associated with APNU, and I hope that the ERC will investigate this because if they don't, then they will be not fulfilling their mandate.”
According to him, Guyanese, for the most part, thankfully rejected the race-baiting of the PNCRled APNU. “They were targeting people with racist messages throughout the day. And you know what? In spite of all of that, they failed miserably, really, to stop the red wave because the wave was real. You saw evidence of the red wave across the country. They've failed to stop it. No matter what they say. Tonight, they're licking their wounds and hiding. Hiding, basical-
ly, and shamelessly going to claim victory. I can't imagine for anything in the world, how you would claim victory when you're barely holding off another party in your stronghold.
“And our Party (the PPP) has made so much inroads terms of voters, who voted for you traditionally and who have defied the campaign of intimidation and racism to vote in a manner that that is national..”
Notably, political parties, independent groups, and individuals that contested the much-anticipated elections signed the Ethnic Relations Commission’s Code of Conduct on May 27, 2023 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). Executive Secretary of the PPP, Zulfikar Mustapha;, Shazam Ally of The Citizen Initiative; and Mark France of Guyana United, among other party representatives signed the code.
APNU, however, boycotted the signing of the Code of Conduct.
This signing was seen as integral to ensuring that contestants promote ethnic
harmony and abstain from hate speech before, during, and after the elections, in an attempt to preserve the harmonious relationship which exists between the Guyanese people.
ERC’S Chairman, Shaikh Moeenul Hack described it as significant while noting that this is the first time the Commission will be initiating this for the Local Government Elections. “We at the ERC believe that a Code of Conduct, in the context for which we are gathered here today as the case in 2020, is crucial to and helps
to advance the best interest of our country and our people. As a Commission, we firmly believe that as a constitutional body birthed out of political discord and one that is entrusted with the promotion of harmony and good relations, among other responsibilities, such an endeavour as this signing, becomes absolutely necessary,” he had said. Hack had also called for responsible approaches to ensure that the period for campaigning is free of ethnic division, discrimination, hate speech, incitement, and provocation while reminding that
achieving harmony takes a collective approach with the involvement of those who hold and who aspire to hold public offices.
Under Article 212D of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the ERC has 24 functions – one of which is a mandate to investigate complaints from citizens across the country where acts of alleged ethnic discrimination have been committed. Also, the Commission is mandated to enforce the Racial Hostility Act and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act.
Thescheming, spins and manipulations of Aubrey Norton, the head of the PNCR, Chairman of the APNU, and leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, have been shown to be ineffectual in the days following the 2023 Local Government Elections. The Guyanese people can no longer be persuaded that party loyalty based on race and ethnicity is the way to their prosperity by deliberate acts of ignorance in the face of reality.
In what can be described as an ‘overwhelming victory and a massive gain’ at the Local Government Elections, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) secure wins in 66 of the 80 Local Authority Areas, which include 610 constituencies. Overall, the PPP/C secured the popular vote among Guyanese voters. This means that APNU has only earned majority seats in merely 14 of the 80 Local Authority Areas, a decrease from 23 Local Authority Areas in the previously held LGEs. Notably, the PPP/C increased its wins from 52 Local Authority Areas at the 2018 Local Government Elections to 66 in 2023.
Further looking at the results, it is clear to Guyanese that the PPP/C made significant inroads in areas that were strongholds of support of the PNCR-led Coalition, including Georgetown, where the PPP/C picked up additional seats at the City Council, moving from five to 11 seats, while the APNU failed to maintain its hold on the Council. Meanwhile, in areas like New Amsterdam and Linden, the PPP/C was successful in increasing its votes, compared to the 2018 Local Government Elections. In two towns, Bartica and Mahdia, PPP/C and the APNU have reached a tie in terms of seats on the councils. However, the PPP/C has secured the majority of the popular votes and will consequently claim the Mayorship of these towns.
The PPP/C also managed to flip the Hague/Blankenburg NDC, under which Den Amstel, a PNCR stronghold falls. This means the PPP has won five seats on the council while the APNU has won four seats. The APNU’s attempt to hide behind the ‘Hague/Blankenburg Development Association’ was transparent, making Norton’s claim that the “APNU-supported groups increased their seats” a fallacy.
In Norton’s own village, the PPP/C secured a victory. According to results by GECOM, the Industry/Plaisance NDC, another APNU stronghold, the PPP/C managed to secure 1,775 votes while the APNU received 1,746 votes. This means the PPP has won five seats on the council while the APNU has won four seats.
These are the facts and Mr. Norton’s scheming, spins and manipulations cannot erase the fact of his massive electoral failure.
The PPP/C electoral successes come in the face of a campaign by APNU that was based on fear mongering, race baiting and appeals that has no basis in the APNU’s track record or ability to deliver and respond to the interests of Guyanese. The 2023 Local Government Elections also send a signal that more Guyanese are premising their support on issues, track record and a political party’s ability to deliver on the promises it made.
Facts about track record – whether or not the political party in power delivered on their promises made in its manifesto – matter. Facts about performance – how well the political party served the Guyanese people – matter. Facts related to whether the Guyanese people can trust the political party in power matters. On all three of these counts the APNU+AFC Coalition has proven that it is complete and abysmal failure. On its track record, the Coalition, almost all the promises made in its 2015 manifesto have been broken. On performance, the reality of average Guyanese make it clear that the ‘good life’ promised by the APNU+AFC Coalition was nothing, but a ‘good lie’. In contrast, since August 2, 2020, the principles of: governing for the people; transparency and accountability; and respect for the rule of law have been returned to its rightful place. It is only successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments that Guyanese have seen these principles being the order of the day. And it is only the incumbent PPP/C Administration that can continue to advance the transformational developmental agenda that benefits all of our people – regardless of class, religion, ethnicity or any other differentiating factor.
As a people, we have sent a clear signal that our collective progress and prosperity is endangered if we allow historical divisions to persist in our society today and that we are, indeed, stronger together as we work together to build ‘One Guyana’.
The PPP/C must be congratulated for its massive victory in the local government elections. And while the PPP/C was expected to do well, it was the big inroads that the party made in APNU strongholds in the municipalities of Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden and Bartica that will go down as the defining moments of the 2023 elections.
It seems that voting behaviour is
becoming more issue-oriented and not based on party affiliation as in previous elections. This is indeed a positive development in the democratic evolution of our society. Ethnic voting has for too long been a significant factor in our politics and had for decades been a drag on our national developmental efforts.
The PPP/C administration must be given credit for the even-handed approach to development which seemingly is paying political dividends. This
people-oriented approach to development is evident all across the country and is no doubt a major contributory factor to the gains made by the PPP/C in the recent elections. Congratulations are in order for President Ali, Vice—president Dr. Jagdeo, indeed the entire leadership and membership of the PPP/C.
Local Government Elections have always been the barometer or benchmark to measure the success of a political party at the General Elections. It is either a harbinger of good or bad news, of either a triumph or a disaster to that party -a resounding verdict submitted by a large section of the population. Hence, Local Government Elections are the large-scale opinion polls on political parties which will contest the General Elections.
In Guyana, the LGE has always been a good indicator of how well or badly a political party will do at the General Elections. It is also an indicator of how much more work needs to be done, and in which areas.
We have seen that, in 2016, the PPP/C won 48 out of the 80 LAAs; in 2018, it won 52; and in 2023, it won 66 of the LAAs. It must be recalled that the massive increase in the gap between APNU/AFC — from 24,000 votes to 50,000 votes in 2018 — despite gerrymandering efforts by the Coalition, formed the basis for the No Confidence Motion in December 2018. The LGE Result in 2018 signalled to the PPP/C that their tenure as an Opposition Party was at an end. On December 21st 2018, the successful passing of the NCM saw the collapse of the Coalition Government, which paved the way for the 2020 General Elections, after many legal dramas from the High Court, the Appeal Court in Guyana, and eventually to the CCJ.
The Coalition supporters witnessed a most dastardly attempt to rig the 2020
Elections, and thereafter were regaled with the many lies spun to them. The nasty past of the PNC was brought live and direct to them, and the seed of disappointment, distrust, and disillusion was sown in their minds. This seed began to germinate, and in 2023, the PPP/C has increased its LAAs from 52 to 66.
What does this indicate? The support for the PPP/C is increasing massively, while that for the APNU is dwindling drastically, as is evidenced even in the support of their traditional strongholds. This is also testimony to the fact that the PPP has been successful in convincing APNU members and supporters that the PPP/C is the only multiracial party capable of transforming the lives of each and every Guyanese, and that its ONE GUYANA initiative is the way forward in promoting racial and religious harmony across Guyana, regardless of one’s class, gender, or political affiliation, and so achieve social and economic prosperity for all.
We have seen that the PPP/C Government and leaders have reached out to every nook and cranny in this country, distributing economic resources in a most equitable manner. Guyanese have seen the true nature of the beast, and have moved away and distanced themselves from the destructive agenda of the PNC. This is not about bribery; this is about making rational decisions based on years and years of experience as they became helpless spectators to the PNC’s destructive agenda.
They have also witnessed the fact that the PNC is the party which actually marginalised its own people for more
than 33 years, which they spent in Government, as admitted by Dr Hinds. People like Ms Barbara Pilgrim, a woman of great integrity, who have lived her entire life as a PNC member and has seen from both within and without the true nature of the beast, became increasingly suffocated, decided to move away to the PPP so that Guyana could move forward into the promised land – One Guyana. The others felt the same.
Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult for PNC leaders to convince their supporters they are capable of delivering “the good life”, as was evidenced from 2015 to 2020, and these people are now convinced more than ever before that the PPP is the right choice; they are experiencing the good life under this Government.
Further, Dr Jagdeo pointed out in his press conference on 13th June that the people are fed up with racism and have now refused to drink the ‘racism Kool-Aid; and he summed it up aptly when he stated that the “PNC is the only racist party in Guyana”.
The PNC has now lost its trump card. The 2023 results have testified that the PPP works for all the people, and that a landslide victory is in the making in 2025, since the PPP/C will continue to keep its promises and deliver on them.
The PPP has definitely changed the course of history, and has been successful in castrating the beast, the total destruction of which is now just a matter of time.
Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf
Norton’s scheming, spins and manipulations cannot erase his massive electoral failure
Local Government Elections 2023 has provided the litmus test needed for all political parties, observers, and voters to understand the likely outcome of the next Regional and General Elections scheduled for 2025.
There are two major takeaways from the preliminary results. Firstly, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) undoubtedly showed the capacity to attract critical votes from within the Afro-Guyanese constituencies which have been predominantly PNC/APNU territory for several decades.
It bears reminding that the PPP/C’s Gen-
eral Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, while serving as Opposition Leader boldly declared publicly that the party planned to pursue the Afro-Guyanese voting bloc.
The second most important takeaway from the results of the LGE is the significant ground lost by the APNU, and by extension the coalition, nationally to the PPP/C.
APNU fielded no candidates in most of the traditional PPP/C support base which points to a fundamental flaw of the coalition in that it cannot appeal nationally to voters, particularly, the younger population who appear to be voting on message.
Aubrey Norton will ultimately become a causality of the LGE results.
As soon as the APNU’s false jubilation of election night has blown over and it becomes crystal clear that the party lost significant ground nationally, supporters and PNC top brass will be looking for heads to roll starting at the very top with Norton.
What we have witnessed since the 2020 elections is an opposition in disarray with considerable challenges among the leadership.
However, these challenges are fixable, but what will render the next leader, if they do manage to replace Norton, paralyzed and unable to appeal nationally to voters is the continued use of race-baiting messages.
Since 2020, the APNU has allowed and for a large extent supported the political strategy of race-baiting and victimization with little to no impact nationally which explains their new plan to take the message internationally.
Ultimately, this too will fail.
When Norton is removed, the APNU is too deep to reverse course on messaging because the base is well fed from a daily dose of victim advocacy.
We can count on the far-left fringe supporters or the so-called social media influencers, many of whom reside overseas and have lost touch with the Guyanese realities, to continue the charade of victimhood while the ma-
jority of Guyanese are seeking to emancipate themselves from the failed campaign tactic of race and instead embracing opportunities in the world’s fastest-growing economy.
Norton became a silent bystander to the WPA’s vile effort to boycott LGE using divisionary race-based tactics in APNU strongholds.
He did not publicly defend Indo-Guyanese members within the PNC when the WPA and others who are aligned with the APNU vilified those members.
Norton lacked the courage to publicly denounce the likes of Rickford Burke and Norman Browne.
If Norton is honest then he would readily admit the narrative being spun by the far-left is responsible for alienating persons from the APNU.
The new PNC leadership will fear retribution from the keyboard warriors and the remnants of the party’s old guard who will continue to dictate the race-based narrative for the party.
PPP/C will continue to force the APNU into further extinction because Afro-Guyanese who may not have openly supported the PPP/C before 2023, are now doing so in droves.
Hamilton
Dear Editor, Government has noted in the Friday, June 9th edition of daily newspapers, a letter with the headline “The PPP Government owes City Hall more than $1 Billion in rates and taxes and the Administration is not paying” by Mayor Ubraj Narine in which he attempts to mislead the people of Guyana through deliberate misrepresentation of facts pertaining to the management and accountability of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). Ubraj Narine’s letter on June 9, 2023, attempts to distort and discredit the facts stated in the Guyana Chronicle article of June 8 titled “An accountable City Hall stands to gain massive support from central gov’t – Jagdeo”.
In his letter of June 9, he poorly attempted to cloud the facts surrounding audits of the finances of City Hall by claiming “I have written to the Auditor General requesting an
audit of the accounts of the Municipality… I have never received a response to my repeated request”.
Given that the Auditor General would have informed the Town Clerk (ag.) of the status of the Audits, the 2021 Auditor General’s (AG) report on page 95 states that the last audited Financial Statements for the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown was in 2004. The Auditor General also highlighted that he has not received financial statements for a number of years including 2020 and 2021. In addition, the Special Audit Report of the Auditor General for the years 2019 and 2020, sent on 28 April 2022 to Ms. Candace Nelson -Town Clerk (a.g.), states “Financial statements were submitted for the year 2018 and 2019. However, they were subsequently returned to M&CC on 27 August 2021 for non-compliance with International Accounting Standards.” It must be noted that these periods directly relate to Ubraj Narine’s
tenure as Mayor. How can one reasonably expect the Auditor General to perform his duties, if the M&CC fails to supply the information necessary to carry out the Audit?
In his letter to the Press, the Mayor made the outlandish claim that Central Government has provided paltry sums of money to maintain the capital city. This is farthest from the truth. In fact, the PPP/C government has provided significant support to the citizens of Georgetown, some of which include:
● During the period 2020 to 2022, the Government expended over $6 billion to construct and rehabilitate roads in Georgetown;
● Between 2020 and 2022, the Government
expended $155 million to reconstruct and rehabilitate bridges;
● During the period 2020- 2022, the Government expended $1 billion to enhance the Old Railway Embankment, $1.6 billion on enhancement works along Independence Boulevard, Cemetery Road, and Internal Roads, Albouystown, Georgetown; and $250 million on enhancement works along Kingston Seawall;
● Between 2021 and 2022, expended $678 million to operate and maintain the main drainage system in the municipality;
● Between 2021 and 2022, the Government expended $600
The persistence of race as the predominant factor in the Guyanese political process, and the role which the country’s political leadership in the PPP/C is playing in healing the ethnic divide, is bearing bountiful fruit, despite coalition miscreants’ attempts to exacerbate disunity in the nation.
If one reads our history, and if one is aufait with the history of the colonisers, one would recognise that the predominant factor driving the power of the colonial elitists in every country they have occupied is a ‘divide and rule’ policy. Whether they create ethnic cleavages, exacerbate religious intolerance, or cause political divides, it was their strategy to conquer and rule countries that they occupied, primarily for the extraction and appropriation of the wealth of occupied territories. Today Haiti is still under siege by its former colonizers.
Guyana fell prey to this vicious strategy because the viability of the sugar estates under British rule was threatened subsequent to emancipation, when freed African slaves refused to be subservient to the ‘massa’ any-
more, and preferred to pursue agricultural activities for survival. When their demands for humane conditions of employment were not met, the British plantocracy was forced to import indentured labourers from various sources, but all except Indians refused to be held hostage to the exploitative plantation owners; hence the pitting of one exploited race against another for pecuniary interests.
When a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the treatment of indentured labourers by the plantation owners, it was freed slaves who testified on behalf of the Indian labourers, and forced concessionary measures that created some degree of alleviation in the ill-treatment that was similar to what had been dealt to the slaves by the colonial elitists.
So, at human levels in our country, descendants of African slaves and Indian indentured labourers have always co-existed in harmony. However, when the oppressive governance of the colonials was threatened by the strident calls of Dr Cheddi Jagan and the PPP for independence, they invoked their ‘divide and rule’ policy, and created rifts in Guyana’s first mass-based political party.
We have never recovered from the ensuing rancorous consequences in our nation, which have been exacerbated and exploited by opportunistic politicians whose only agenda is self-enrichment, self-empowerment and self-aggrandizement. However, the leadership of the PPP/PPPC has never wavered in its commitment to creating a united nation, and today Guyanese are well on the way to becoming “One Guyana” because, finally, we – individually and collectively — currently recognize and accept the reality that, instead of consideration of issues, race-based politics will always leave this nation vulnerable to the exploitative strategies of neo-colonizers who covet our wealth, and who are still using ‘divide and rule’ strategies to conquer us
and appropriate our wealth through various strategic measures, but mainly by purchasing the favours of key players in the political divide. We will forever be held hostage to the manipulators of our destiny.
The PPP will always be the people’s party, because the welfare of the people is the genesis on which the Party propelled its struggles to win independence and a democratic culture for this nation, and so PPP/C leaders continue to urge all our people to come aboard with us and let us be a united force for real change in the socio-economic dynamics of this country.
Yours sincerely, Alvin Hamilton
The LGE 2023 campaign conducted by the PPP/C sent a powerful message that politicians must work hard at the grass roots level to win votes. The act of voting is one of the most formidable and inalienable rights accorded to citizens in a democracy. And the exercise of this right should no longer be dependent upon consideration of ideology and race but must, at a minimum level, be based upon immediate ‘bread and butter’ issues.
A smarter electorate has evolved out of the prevailing technological and mass communication age, including social media, that increasingly wants to embrace reason.
Historically, ethnic tensions/conflicts, rivalry, and sometimes violence, had dominated the political landscape, while the salience of issues had been diminished. Despite gallant attempts, previous political leaders had been unable to overcome the divisions resulting from ideology, race, gender, religion, and region.
The current PPP/C leadership believes that they have produced an answer to these
gaping problems. After methodical analysis, they have grabbed the concept of a 21st Century Movement (21CTMOV) to transcend barriers of ideology, race, religion, gender, and region. From the 1942 Quit India campaign led by MK Gandhi, they recognize that for a movement to succeed, it requires: (i) transcending boundaries of race, ideology, region, and other differences; (ii) must have a clearly defined objective; (iii) it must have staying power; (iv) it must be led by charismatic leader(s) who also have a track record of accomplishments; and (v) it must revolve around a particular philosophy. A young and energetic leadership recognizes that the importance of traditional approaches to politics had not resulted in demonstrable advance in the quality of living, the narrowing of regional resource disparities, and any significant reduction of poverty. Winning state power is not enough. They believe that they must rise above ideology, race, and other barriers to lift Guyana into the 21st century and provide the good life for every Guyanese. And the vehicle for this transformation is 21CTMOV.
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Ina move that saw him coming to blows by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), former President, former leader of the PNCR, former Chairman of the APNU, and the APNU+AFC Coalition, David Granger, returned to the public spotlight with a lecture on “trust” in the political arena.
In a scathing response, the PPP on Sunday (June 11, 2023), charged that Granger’s ramblings were “seemingly emboldened by the misguided notion” that the Guyanese people suffer from short-memories.
The Party, in a statement, said, “To wax lyrical about trust, while uttering barefaced untruths, in his familiar ‘sanctimonious’ tone, is characteristic of Mr. Granger and his stewardship as a leader.
“First, Mr. Granger’s at-
tempt to credit the former APNU+AFC Coalition with the return of Local Government Elections as a signal of the APNU’ commitment to democracy falls flat in the face of the brazen efforts of his administration to block the holding of constitutionally due General and Regional Elections after the passage of a no-confidence motion, as well as the blatant attempts to steal the Election after Guyanese went to the polls on March 2020.
“Secondly, his further efforts to claim that the PPP/C cannot be trusted because it “spurned the Constitution” is unbelievably barefaced. The biggest, most flagrant and persistent violations of our Constitution and laws since Guyana gained independence have marred Mr. Granger's
record and that of his administration. Between May 2015 and March 2020, Mr. Granger and/or his Ministers repeatedly broke the law, often with his knowledge, and violated our Constitution. There are more than 15 where, under Mr. Granger’s watch, the Constitution of Guyana was violated. Mr. Granger did not give the sense that he wanted to stop these intrusions on our country's democratic structure with his detached and frequently aloof attitude in the face of these violations. One of the most egregious and poignant memory of his constitutional violations is his unilateral appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. Following retired Justice Patterson’s appointment as Chairman, the matter was filed in the High
Court, the Appeals Court and all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice. On June 18, 2019, the CCJ ruled that “we have no choice but to conclude that the process that was followed in the appointment of Justice Patterson was flawed and in breach of Article 161(2)” Guyana’s Constitution. The Caribbean Court of Justice, on three significant occasions, had to intervene to reverse Mr. Granger’s unconstitutional actions.
“Thirdly, Mr. Granger ought to be aware that naming a new town or proclaiming a National Day of Villages
– the only two substantive ‘achievements’ he pointed to in his almost nine-minute spiel – does not evidence a commitment to local democracy or development. It does remind, however, that Mr. Granger presided over a period where ‘pomp and ceremony’ mattered more than the people of this country and their prosperity – the decision to spend billions on food and other forms of consumption at the expense of taxpayers. Mr. Granger would have probably been better served if he, having finally emerged back into the public eye, could have
defended or at least attempted a defense of his Administration’s imposition of hardships on our people; the institution of over 200 taxes and fees; the firing of almost 2,000 Amerindians – who were the first of our people to be targeted by his Administration; the firing of thousands in the sugar sector; the massive loss of jobs in the forestry, mining, construction and retail sectors; the removal of the “Because We Care” cash grant from our children; the removal of the one-month bonus for our Joint Services, and the list goes on.
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Called out on the failure of the APNU+AFC Coalition, as the Parliamentary Opposition, to effectively represent national interests, members of the Party buckled and blamed their failings on there being too many issues to deal with.
Coalition Parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul, when pressed on the issue said, “Guyana is faced with a plethora of issues since the PPP took office…every day it is a new issue…..so I can understand that people are saying that the Opposition is not
doing enough.”
Mahipaul also jumped to blame the use of oil money on the effectiveness of the APNU+AFC Coalition. He said, “Notwithstanding our limited resources, we are working on all the issue…we still continue to fight and represent…
in a country with oil money, the allocation to the Office of the Opposition Leader has not been increased.”
Notably, all revenues from the oil sector are deposited to the Natural Resources Fund. At the end of March 2023, the balance in the NRF
stood at US$1.465 Billion. As part of the Budget 2023 process, Parliamentary approval was granted for a total of US$1.002 billion to be transferred during fiscal year 2023. Pursuant to Section 16 of the NRF Act 2021, US$200 million equivalent to G$41.6
billion has been transferred from the NRF to the Consolidated Fund to finance national development priorities. In keeping with the NRF Act 2021, US$607.6 million was withdrawn in 2022 to finance national development priorities.
Supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) were thanked by PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, for their participation at the 2023 Local Government Elections.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday (June 13, 2023) at the Party headquarters, Freedom House, Robb Street, he said, “I wish today to thank the supporters of the People's Progressive Party for delivering once again a massive and historic victory for the party. Supporters from all over Guyana, from Essequibo; from Berbice; from Region 3, 4, 5, 1; from Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden, Kwakwani, almost every part of this country we have seen either an overwhelming victory for the party or massive gains in places where we traditionally were not strong. And so it is only because
of those who supported this party, that victory was possible.”
The Party General Secretary also expressed appreciation to the candidates who stood as the Party’s representatives at the recently concluded elections. He said, “I wish to thank all of them. I want to thank the candidates in particular for contesting these elections. On behalf of the Party, I want to congratulate many of them who have done so well. And I hope that in the performance of their duties as Councillors in these Local Government bodies, that they live up to the ideal of the party and the clear message that we sent to them when they chose to be a part of our platform. That is a commitment to the people of our country, all the people of our country, regardless of their race and religion and being faithful to the developmental objec-
tives of and aspirations of the people in the communities in which they are going to serve. So, I want to thank the candidates and all the backers, the 26,000 backers who made their candidacy possible.” Jagdeo assured Guyanese that the PPP/C will fulfil its campaign promises.
The PPP General Secretary added that the many behind the scenes workers are also owed a debt of gratitude. “I wish to thank also the workers. People do not know about, sometimes they are behind the scenes, but for every polling place, you almost have an army of people working with them from people who deliver food to the polling agents, providing transportation to take the elderly to vote, the street captains who mobilise people to come out to vote, those who tabulate the vote, a number of others. There are large numbers
of people who work on these important logistics and without them too, the victory that we have would not have been possible. So, I wish to thank them.”
He added, “There are many leaders who are Ministers, Members of Parliament and other leaders, who waged a vigorous campaign and often had to give inordinate amount of time both to their official duties and also to campaigning and assisting in organising the campaign. And so it's a large number of people who work very hard to bring about this massive victory.”
Acknowledging the many persons who crossed over from the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition to the PPP/C, Jagdeo hailed their bravery in the face of harassment from the Coali -
tion. “I want to say a special thank you today, apart from the traditional supporters, to those who came across, who were formerly APNU leaders or supporters. Many for decades, and some of them for all their lives who voted for APNU and they came across, they accepted our invitation to come into our lives…I said a special thank you to them because I'm very much aware of the kind of personal vilification that they have had to endure from the leaders of APNU, many of their vile local leaders and activists and the abuse, the lies, the racism often that they had to face. And must have been particularly hard for them. And that's why today I wanted to thank them…we appreciate every bit of their support and we appreciate the chance they took because it was not easy having heard so many bad things, rumours about us, many of them must have been tentative, but I'm sure they gave a great thought to this issue and today they will find the warmth of the PPP family having come to us.”
He made clear that the PPP/C welcomes the support of all Guyanese and would welcome them with open arms. “Those who have come across the leaders, those who voted for us, supported us, work for us, who are formerly part of another party. They are being accepted wholeheartedly into this PPP family. They are our family now,” he stressed.
Further, barring minor hiccups that were resolved, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was also commended for its work in being able to hold the 2023 Local Government Elections.
“I think we should be proud of ourselves and we should thank the Guyana Elections Commission for doing a good job in the conduct of the polls. So far and during the course
of yesterday, we saw some minor difficulties that with the help of some officials of GECOM who were diligent, those issues were resolved. It was not that there weren't instances of misunderstanding and not following the procedures that were laid down by the Chief Elections Officer. However, when those were brought to the attention of the officials and the Ros, and, in most cases, those were resolved. And therefore, our assessment of the conduct of the poll is that it was well organised and it was completed, without major incidents,” he said.
The 2023 Local Government Elections, according to the PPP General Secretary, was memorable. He said, “I was so pleased with the campaign. It's a memorable campaign and it was characterised by a lot of hard work, enthusiasm, energy, liveliness. It was all positive.It was on message.
“If anyone looks at our campaign, throughout the country almost in every instance, you saw a great deal of energy and vigour and people who were steered away from the dungeons of rumour and racism and raised our campaign to a lofty level, a campaign of bringing people together across races and staying on message of development in every community….wherever the campaign meetings were held, whether in Berbice, Essequibo or Linden or here in Georgetown, it was all positive.
“It was not the vile sort of campaign that we've come to associate with the PNC and APNU. And for that reason, it's memorable and also we are proud of it, extremely proud of the campaign and all of those who waged that campaign.”
Already, the ERC has been called on to investigate the APNU’s play of the race card to hype up Guyanese along ethnic lines in a bit to have them vote in their favour.
TOTAL SEATS CONTESTED: 1,220
Neighbourhood Democratic Councils PPP/C : 813
Municipalities PPP/C: 93
MUNICIPALITY OF MABARUMA (REGION 1)
T he Local Authority Areas (LAA), Industry/Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), which is home to APNU Leader, Aubrey Norton, rejected him at the 2023 Local Government Elections, resulting in a win for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).
2
MUNICIPALITY OF ANNA REGINA (REGION 2)
1
MUNICIPALITY OF GEORGETOWN (REGION 4)
19
MUNICIPALITY OF NEW AMSTERDAM (REGION 6)
8
MUNICIPALITY OF ROSE HALL (REGION 6)
3
MUNICIPALITY OF CORRIVERTON (REGION 6)
PPP/C: 12 PPP/C: 15 PPP/C: 11 PPP/C: 6 PPP/C: 11 PPP/C: 13
The PPP/C was able to wrest the Industry/ Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) from the APNU’s hold, securing the plurality of votes. While the PPP/C and the APNU are tied with nine seats each on the Council, the plurality of votes means that the PPP/C will command the Chair -
manship of the area.
The Industry/Plaisance Local Authority Area is one of several APNU strongholds that the PPP/C made significant inroads in.
Notably, both the PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo and Norton voted in the Industry/Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
3
MUNICIPALITY OF BARTICA (REGION 7)
Claims by the leader of the PNCR and Chairman of APNU, Aubrey Norton, that the party “won” a resounding victory at the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE), were rubbished by former PNCR member and Coalition Parliamentarian, James Bond.
In a statement, he urged his fellow PNCR supporters
not to fall prey to claims by the PNCR leadership. “To my fellow PNC supporters if any leader tells you that this LGE was a success for us tell them they are delusional and they are liars. Do not let another leader lie to you. Time to be honest, time to change the culture of politics
“…it is high time we are
brave enough to see what’s wrong, find a solution and fix the problem. We are going to change the culture! We are not going to be cowards!”
Norton has downplayed PNC’s results from the elections, despite the fact that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) won 66 of 80 Local Authority Areas.
Leader of the PNCR and Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, on Election Day, Monday (June 12, 2023) admitted to the APNU’s failure to field candidates in all 610 constituencies, in the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) across Guyana.
this admission contradicted his earlier comments, Norton responded with a barefaced denial. When questioned by reporters after casting his ballot at the Plaisance Health Centre, Norton said, “I said we will focus on maintaining our strongholds. At no stage did I say we will run in all the constituencies.”
2023, during a news conference, Norton told Guyana that, “We (APNU have submitted (Lists of Candidates) across the country we have submitted in virtually all the NDCs, all the constituencies and all the towns, except I think for Lethem, where there is a problem…we might be shortened like three or
9
MUNICIPALITY OF MAHDIA
4
MUNICIPALITY OF LETHEM (REGION 9)
PPP/C: 9 PPP/C: 4 PPP/C: 10
MUNICIPALITY OF LINDEN
PPP/C: 2
When pressed on the fact
Notably, on April 20,
TURN TO PAGE 22
0
14
Former PNCR member calls out APNU Chairman for ‘false claims’ of success at 2023 LGE
Despite the results, the Aubrey Norton-led APNU persists in its “spins” to downplay its loss at the 2023 Local Government Elections, the fact is that People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) securing a “massive win” across the country based on results published by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Commenting on the wins, the PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, noted that the PPP/C secured wins in 66 of the 80 Local Authority Areas and won 906 of the 1,220 seats that were contested at the 2023 Local Government Elections.
During his news conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday (June 15, 2023), Jagdeo said, “The PPP has won 906 of the 1220 seats contested at the 2023 Local Government Elections. This is up from 779 seats in 2018….in 2018, APNU and AFC combined, won 390 seats and in these elections, they are down to 275 seats.
“…the PPP has won about 75 per cent of the seats that were contested in these elections, both the Proportional Representation (PR) and Constituency seats. APNU won 22 per cent of the seats and the independent groups won about three per cent of the seats.
“…and they are saying to people in this country that they won these elections and they made great inroads and the PPP did not achieve what it set out to do…they have rolled out all of the has-beens, they are back on television with their lies…. we will never allow them to succeed. They are the only party that publicly, in their public relations, that would make failure a virtue.
“By any definition anywhere in the world, a 75 per cent win is a massive win… this is a fact. APNU cannot change this….Norton can’t change this.”
In the 80 Local Authority Areas, there are 10 municipalities and 70 Neighbour-
Last Monday’s (June 5, 2023) vote by ranks of the Disciplined Services saw a 47.48 per cent voter turnout, according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
A total of 9,093 ranks were registered to vote in the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE). Of the 9,093 ranks registered to vote:
• 2,684 are members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) – of which 1,361 voted (50.7 per cent)
• 5,979 are members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) – of which 2,717 voted (45.4 per cent); and
• 430 are members of the Guyana Prison Services – of which 239 voted (55.5 per cent).
A total of 4,317 of the
hood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
In each of the areas, the vote at Local Government Elections is divided into two sections – the Proportional Representation vote and the Constituency vote.
The Proportional Representation system would have seen a voter supporting a political party or independent group. Based on the Proportional Representation, the allocation of seats corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party.
The Constituency system would have seen a voter supporting a particular person/ candidate either representing a political party or a group or running as an independent. Based on the constituency vote, the candidate with the most votes is elected to sever the constituency they campaigned in.
RESULTS: MUNICIPALITIES
Of the 10 municipalities, the PPP/C won outright in six areas:
1. Municipality of Mabaruma (Region 1)
2. Municipality of Anna Regina (Region 2)
3. Municipality of Rose Hall (Region 6)
4. Municipality of Corriverton (Region 6)
5. Municipality of Bartica (Region 7)
6. Municipality of Lethem (Region 9)
In the seventh area, the Municipality of Mahdia, the PPP/C and APNU are tied, with the PPP/C having the plurality of votes.
In Georgetown (Region 4), the PPP/C almost doubled its votes, compared to the 2018 Local Government Elections and picked up a total of 11 seats on the City Council. APNU failed to maintain its hold on the Council and won 15 seats on the City Council, less than it had in 2018.
In the Municipality Of New Amsterdam (Region 6), the APNU won 82 more votes compared to 2018, while the PPP/C increased its votes from 2018 by 1,242 votes. The APNU has four seats and the PPP/C has three seats.
Further in the Municipality of Linden (Region 10), the PPP saw a major increase in its votes – moving from 402 in 2018 to 2,464 at the 2023 Local Government Elections. The APNU has six seats and the PPP/C has two seats.
The PPP/C secured wins in 59 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.
“The pattern held in all the areas, increases in votes for the PPP, massive decreases in votes, compared to 2018, for the APNU,” Jagdeo said.
The PPP/C’s wins in the seven Municipalities and 59 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, according to the PPP General Secretary, is a result of hard work. “The APNU wants to hide the true picture from the people of Guyana…no amount of spin will change the fact,” Jagdeo declared.
9,093 ranks voted at 82 polling places countrywide.
INCREASED TURNOUT
Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud, explained that there was a single incident where a ballot was given to someone in error and said the affected person was allowed to vote on Monday (June 12, 2023).
“As far as I am aware, every single [person] who turned up to vote was allowed to vote, provided their names are on the list for that particular polling station,” he explained.
Persaud also reported an increase in the number of members of the disciplined services who voted at this year’s Local Government Elections when compared to the last election in 2018.
At the 2018 Local Government Elections, a total of 3,143 ranks of 7,918 ranks registered to vote, cast their ballots – a total of 39.7 per cent.
Previously, at the 2016 Local Government Elections, a total of 3,879 ranks of 6,978 ranks registered to vote, cast their ballots – a total of 55.6 per cent.
The votes of the ranks of the Disciplined Services will be mixed in with the civilian votes on June 12, 2023 and counted then. The Disciplined Services personnel voted ahead of civilians who voted on Monday (June 12, 2023). That is because police, soldiers and prison service personnel are required to provide security and peacekeeping duties on Election Day.
TheGuyana Elections Commission (GECOM) accredited a total of 236 observers representing 10 organisations, who participated in Monday’s (June 12, 2023) Local Government Elections.
Those approved included:
• The Canadian High Commission – 8 observers
• The Embassy of the United States of America – 42 observers
• The British High Commission – 3 observers
• The delegation of the European Union to Guyana – 5 observers
• The International Foundation for Electoral Systems – 8 observers
• The American Chamber of Commerce (Guyana) – 22
• The Private Sector Commission – 38 observers
• The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities – 42 observers
• The Ethnic Relations Commission – 61 observers
• The Guyana Public Service Union – 7 observers.
All Local Observer Groups were 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; and Demonstrated commitment to democracy and human rights; The involvement of Observers in the electoral process by GECOM was in accordance with 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.
TheEthnic Relations Commission, (ERC), having observed the voting process in five Administrative Regions at over 250 Polling Places for Local Government Elections, made clear that it found it to be free, fair, transparent and conducted in an atmosphere of peace.
In a statement, the ERC said, “The Commission would like to commend Polling Day staff of the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM), for the professional execution of their duties and the resulting efficien-
cy of the process. The ERC is thankful for the exemplary conduct displayed by polling agents from all sides, and police officers for their security role in ensuring smooth polling.
“The Commission also takes this opportunity to commend citizens for their participation in the incident-free poll and will continue to work to the best of its ability to aid the promotion of harmony and good relations. As the country awaits the final results, the Commission, guided by history,
remains mindful that these circumstances can heighten anxieties and hopes the results will be announced within the shortest possible time, and be respected.”
According to the constitutional bod, credible LGE elections is vital for the benefit of citizens and eventual transformation of communities through local democracy – in the regions, villages and towns. “All stakeholders are therefore urged to work assiduously to ensure that communities are developed in the
LGE 2023 voting process free, fair and transparent - ERC
Party wins.... ● 7 towns ● 59 NDCs ● 906 of 1,220 seats contested countrywide
President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has expressed the firm stance that the Caribbean market must be positioned as a high-value specialised one, leveraging its scale, strategic location, and competitive advantages.
Dr Ali highlighted several commodities including honey, spices, cocoa, coffee, corn, soya, and fresh fruits, which he said, hold significant value and can contribute to the region’s economic growth.
He was at the time addressing a virtual Regional Agri Forum Tuesday (June 13, 2023), where he stressed the distinction between agriculture and the broader ecosystem of highly integrated food production. “When we speak about investment, we’re not speaking about charity. We’re speaking about creating a business and economic model that works…for the investor, for the people, and work for the country, in the context of what you want to achieve. And that context is food security and to create a high-value market,” he said.
To realise these goals, the president outlined several key areas that require attention. Transport and logistics, for instance, have long been a significant challenge for international trade and regional food distribution.
He said there are immense opportunities in transforming the transport and logistics aspect of the food production system, particularly through the creation of a regional food hub.
By reengineering the existing network and investing in the necessary technology and infrastructure, the Caribbean region can establish efficient transport routes, reducing delivery times from Northern Brazil through the Caribbean to North America to just 72 hours, instead of three weeks.
Further, the Guyanese leader stressed the importance of investing in technology, particularly to address post-harvest losses and increase value-added production. “And let me say this, the integrated food production system is changing. You don’t need 100 acres
of land to produce x tonnes of potato. With technology, you can now produce the same amount of potato that you produce on 100 acres of land, on less than five acres of land. Resilience and sustainability as part of the investment parameter in this integrated food production system are important,” Dr. Ali added.
Meanwhile, another key priority in the region is to ensure greater participation of women and youth, which will open up numerous opportunities and benefits.
Right now, we have exposed ourselves because of the high food import bill. Seventy per cent of our food is being imported into the region. We have exposed ourselves to the vulnerability of high inflation, the inflationary pressure, we have seen that and the impact it has on our economy, it setback our a social programme,” President Ali explained.
To this end, he said it is also crucial to address the volatility and price fluctuations in the global market.
TheGovernment of Guyana and the European Union (EU) officially inked an agreement to establish a comprehensive programme to protect and manage the invaluable mangroves locally.
The project is part of the EU/Guyana partnership agreement signed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 27 in Egypt last year, valuing approximately 4.6 million euros.
EU Commission’s Executive Vice President, Frans Timmermans, and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh signed the pact at State House, Wednesday evening (June 14, 2023)..
Addressing the ceremony, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali commended the EU for its unwavering support and pivotal role in providing support, promoting democracy, and bolstering governance in the country.
The head of state emphasised that Guyana’s policy framework prioritises environmental protection, embracing climate-smart approaches, and harnessing the country’s rich natural resources to improve livelihoods and foster economic opportunities. “We have
committed to expanding the protected area system from 8.3 per cent to 17 per cent, then eventually to 30 per cent. And these are targets that we are aggressively working towards. These are targets that are integrated into our planning framework, and our policymaking framework,” Dr Ali stated.
Guyana’s forest spans some 18 million hectares, and the extensive mangrove ecosystems occupy over 200,000 hectares of the coastal region.
The country’s coastal sea defence system extends over 425 kilometres, complemented by an additional 100 kilometres of earthen embankments along rivers, which are inhabited areas.
The Head of State said, “One of the things that we want the project to focus on is those earthen embankment and those riverine areas, where the population might be small, but agricultural output in those areas is very large.”
President Ali stressed that the project’s scope will also include the monitoring of mangrove seedling planting, the rehabilitation of existing forests, and the establishment of robust nursery programmes for aggressive replanting efforts.
“Our entire policy architecture, our policy framework is geared around ensuring that we are adopting the best environmental practices and doing everything in a climate-smart way, in protecting the environment, ad-
vancing our natural attributes of biodiversity. But more importantly, leveraging these natural assets now for improving livelihoods, creating economic opportunity,” the president added.
Vice President Timmermans said he is thrilled to witness Guyana making strides towards major development, noting that the time is only fitting for the EU and Guyana to strengthen their bilateral ties. “One of the ways to cooperate is to help preserve this country’s natural riches which are almost without limits. This is a partnership we’ve just signed so that we can support the efforts of Guyana to strengthen the position of mangroves. Mangroves are such a huge contribution to our fights against the climate crisis,” he stated. Timmermans strongly believes that forestry is one of the issues that the EU and Guyana can examine closely. “The ambition of your government, Mr President to make sure that Guyana in its economic development, in the development of the fossil fuel industry still maintains its high ambition for climate neutrality, and for maintenance of your natural riches is something we want to be a part of, and I hope we can elaborate very concrete measures,” the EU official said. The project will be implemented by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works.
Acknowledging that distance learning can transform education delivery nationwide, the Ministry of Education has ensured that the Guyana Learning Channel (GLC) is accessible to 85 per cent of the hinterland and riverine communities.
Since her appointment, Minister Priya Manickchand embarked on the revitalisation and rebranding of the learning channel and the establishment of the EdYou FM Radio Station.
A national project by the GLC which commenced in 2021, saw 55-inch smart televisions, solar power, and satellite connectivity being provided to every primary school in the hinterland and riverine communities.
The intention is to ensure that all students benefit from a channel that is dedicated to airing timetabled educational content, that aligns with the local curriculum for every grade.
It will improve the level of blended learning that
takes place in schools, where teachers can employ more audio-visual approaches to schooling.
The programme is expected to be completed this month and every hinterland community will be connected to the channel, benefitting hundreds of students residing in those areas.
Areas such as Berbice, Bartica, Lower East Bank, Lower East Coast, West Bank Demerara, and Georgetown could also access the channel on Atlantic Cable and E-Net cable. Additionally, the ministry’s EdYou FM Radio Station currently has a presence in the 10 administrative regions, including in Kurukabaru and parts of Arasawa – two villages in the North Pakaraima Mountains joining Kato.
It is also available in both sub-regions of Region Eight and all the sub-districts of Region One.
The radio station is also transmitting in Kamarang and the signal is expected to
reach riverine communities along the Mazaruni River, including Paruima, Waramadong, Kako, Jawalla, Phillipai, and Imbaimadai, among others, benefitting thousands of students and residents alike.
In Region Nine, the radio station is also transmitting in central Lethem and nearby communities such as Nappi, Moco Moco, Manari, and St. Ignatius among others; Annai and Karasabai in the North Rupununi and Aishalton in the deep South Rupununi are also benefitting.
Only recently, 12 teachers from schools across the coast graduated from the Post Graduate Diploma in Distance Education offered by the Indira Ghandi Open University (IGNOU) through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
The one-year course saw the educators being trained in key components of distance education delivery such as television, radio, and smart classrooms.
Four communities in the Matarkai sub-district, Region One are now able to expand their agriculture production and beautification project, with the distribution of tractors, trailers, ploughs, and harrows.
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal handed over the vehicles and equipment to the chairpersons of the Community Development Councils of One Mile, Citrus Grove, Mainab, and Tassiwini.
The small ceremony was held at the Regional Democratic Council’s office in Port Kaituma on June 6, 2023.
PM Phillips stressed that the government’s strategic
focus is the protection of the environment, food, and energy security.
He said the administration will work with farmers to cultivate their produce on a large scale to be shipped to Georgetown as well as the wider Caribbean region. “With regards to food security, the Ministry of Agriculture will be coming with their extension officers to visit every community to ensure that you get back into agriculture in a big way. Region One is a primary agriculture region…Everybody must benefit from the prosperity that we’re talking about in Guyana, where we are utilising the revenue from oil and gas to diversify the economy of Guyana,” PM
Students of White Water Primary School, Mabaruma, Region One are set to benefit from an improved learning environment, as extension works to the tune of $28 million will be executed at the facility.
The construction and maintenance of educational facilities remain high on the government’s agenda, to provide enhanced access to quality education at every level.
In February, the National Assembly approved some $94.4 billion for the educa-
tion sector in budget 2023.
As part of the capital programme, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Barima-Waini is inviting qualified persons to submit bids for the extension of the school in accordance with the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board’s (NPTAB) regulation.
Additionally, the electrical grid at Barabina will be renovated and expanded at a cost of over $20.8 million. The expansion will help to improve the electricity sup-
ply to residents.
Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures as specified in the Procurement Act 2003. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Mabaruma Administration Office. Bids must be addressed to the Chairman, NPTAB, Ministry of Finance, Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown no later than 9:00 am on Tuesday, June 27.
Atrial for the production of black pepper, cinnamon, and mint has begun in the Aroaima Savannah, Region Ten.
The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) met with farmers at the Kokerite Bush Concession recently to discuss expanding the cultivation of spices.
Farmers also received several agri tools to aid in land preparation for the new herbs and spices.
The trial will help in assessing the growth of the plants so that improved strategies can be implemented to increase yields.
It is expected that agriculture production in Region Ten would increase and additional income garnered for farmers, owing to the expanded production and reduction in the importation of spices.
Meanwhile, 1,000 pounds of turmeric was also cultivated, following a donation by
NAREI.
Shortly, a quantity of ginger will be delivered to the farmers for cultivation. According to NAREI, its staff will conduct follow-up visits to the area, to provide technical support and advice to the farmers.
The cultivation of additional agricultural products in Guyana is part of the government’s commitment to significantly contributing to the 25 per cent by 2025 regional initiative.
Phillips stressed.
Meanwhile, Minister Croal underlined the importance of developing agriculture in communities, as part of the administration’s food security agenda. He stressed the importance of setting aside resources to ensure continuous maintenance of the equipment. “For the communities that are going to be receiving these expensive equipment, it is expected that you put a management system in place so that they can be operationalised, as well as have a structured management when they will be utilised,” Minister Croal stated.
The government has delivered over 200 tractors across hinterland villages to date.
While growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region is expected to decline from 3.7 per cent in 2022 to 1.5 per cent in 2023, Guyana’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to further grow by 25.2 per cent in 2023.
This was revealed by the World Bank Group’s Flagship Report published in June 2023, titled ‘Global Economic Prospects.’
It is important to note that Guyana is the lone country with projected double-digit growth in 2023.
The country with the second highest GDP growth in the region is Panama with 5.7 per cent in 2023 and 5.8 per cent in 2024, followed by St Vincent and the Grenadines with 5.6 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), GDP measures the monetary value of final goods and services, that is,
those that are bought by the final user produced in a country in a given period. It counts all of the output generated within the borders of a country.
In the Caribbean, apart from the oil boom in Guyana, the rest of the subregion’s countries are expected to grow at an average rate of 3.3 per cent in 2023, boosted by continued recov-
Over 2,500 farmers, agro-processors, wholesalers and retailers now have access to certified agro-processing facilities in their regions, as the government through the Ministry of Agriculture makes significant strides in expanding the industry.
According to information provided to the Department of Public Information (DPI), some 12 agro-processing facilities have been established in several administrative regions to date.
These food processing factories were established in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Nine, and Ten, under the leadership of Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha.
In addition, over 140 new local products have been introduced to the Guya-
nese market through the new Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC).
As a result of the significant investments in these areas, the agro-processed export earnings earned the country some $897 million, with a 61 per cent increase in the export volume from 1,071 metric tonnes in 2021 to 1,724 metric tonnes in 2022.
Apart from investing in the agro-processing industry, the government is also investing billions in the gas-to-energy project located in Wales, Region Three.
When this project comes on stream, it is expected to further advance the local agro-processing industry, which will bring significant benefits to the country, including employment oppor-
tunities and increased trade in Guyana.
The government has been investing heavily in the food sector to ensure it moves from a producer of primary farming to one of equitable value-added products. The establishment of the food processing hub is part of the government’s wider strategic plan to provide massive resources for the nation’s agriculturists to produce and export value-added products.
It is also part of the matrix of training opportunities for Guyanese in all aspects of economic activity.
Importantly, it will contribute to achieving CARICOM’s goal of reducing the billion dollars food important bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.
The Ministry of Education is predicting a better retention rate in schools with the slew of measures being implemented to address absenteeism.
Retention rate is a measure of the proportion of students who continue their studies after their first year.
Minister, Priya Manickchand made the disclosure during a recent interview. She said when the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant programme was reinstated, the number of students attending classes improved and more students were registered in the public education system. “You (a student) have to be on the register and attending school, so, if you don’t come to school, then you don’t get the grant. That has really brought people out and had people registering. We have
ery in tourism and buoyant remittances.
Overall, the Caribbean region is set to expand by 5.1 per cent in 2023. “The subregion’s outlook partly reflects the oil boom in Guyana, where GDP is expected to grow by 25.2 per cent this year and 21.2 per cent in 2024 as production at new oil fields continues to ramp up,” the report states.
More young Guyanese are being afforded the opportunity to partake in Guyana’s business sector, with the expansion of the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme being launched in secondary schools nationwide.
This year, the Small Business Bureau (SBB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education will be rolling out the programme to 15 schools countrywide at the Grade Ten level.
The students are being guided on how to create business plans and most importantly, will have the opportunity to receive assistance from the SBB to start-up their businesses.
The programme is a stepping stone for them to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.
also seen with other efforts to try to look for children individually, who are being absent from schools,” she pointed out.
Also, ‘Operation Recovery’ was piloted initially within the 11 Education districts to find primary school students who were absent since schools reopened fully and those who missed the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) mock examinations.
The programme was expanded to place a heavy focus on students at all levels who continue to be absent from the classrooms.
Minister Manickchand explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the education sector in two fundamental ways: loss of instructional time and learning loss due
to schools being closed for over 18 months, as such, this measure was undertaken. “I think we’ve tried to hold our own and we have held on our own on the dropouts issue but that’s a lot of work that went into that,” the minister expressed.
Currently, the education ministry has hired personnel in 80 of the 116 high schools across Guyana who are responsible for informing the ministry when a child is absent from the classrooms. This, she said, is expected to improve the retention rate in Guyana. “We’re hiring where we don’t have, staff dedicated to counselling, guidance in career counselling as well as psychological counselling. As soon as the child leaves, we’re supposed to know,” the education minister explained.
The enrollment exercise, which commenced in March has already been launched at eight learning institutions, including Kwakwani, Annai, St. Ignatius and Aishalton Secondary Schools.
It is aimed at helping students to develop an entrepreneurial attitude and to get them to effectively participate in the business world.
SBB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shazim Ibrahim said the initiative was introduced in schools due to the need for the development of entrepreneurship skills. He said, “We see the need for entrepreneurship in young people and that’s how we came up with the idea to do the programme with grade 10 students…so that they can start thinking about entrepreneurship. And so, with that, we collaborated with the Ministry of Education.”
Ibrahim explained that
the programme is reaching Grade 10 students and having a positive impact on their attitudes. “We are only choosing two projects from each school to fund. The teachers of the schools will mark the business plan put together by the students and submit only six to us,” the CEO added.
He explained that when the two projects from the schools are chosen, they will be funded in two phases.
The first phase will consist of half of the total fund being given to the students, while the other half will be given when works commence on the projects.
Ibrahim also said a total of $1.5 million was budgeted by the SBB to help initiate these business projects. The programme will be rolled out to more schools subsequently.
Construction works are being accelerated on several secondary schools nationwide to comfortably accommodate students by this September.
This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the $688.1 million contract signing ceremony to reconstruct Christ Church Secondary School, in the ministry’s boardroom on June 7, 2023.
Among the learning institutions to be completed are Queen’s College, Bish-
op’s High, St Rose’s High, Good Hope, Yarrowkabra, Abram’s Zuil, East Ruimveldt, and St Winifred’s Secondary schools.
“This will allow us to accommodate, significantly, more children. North Ruimveldt should be finished by October of this year. Even as we are doing that, we are rebuilding Christ Church, the cabinet recently offered its no objection for St George’s High…St Mary’s and some hinterland schools with dorms and teachers’ quar -
ters,” Minister Manickchand told reporters.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alfred King said contractors have started the process of putting systems in place. He said the construction of these facilities will serve to provide access to quality secondary education thereby achieving universal education.
Meanwhile, construction began on the $1.7 billion state-of-the-art Karasabai Secondary School in Region
Better retention rates expected with implementation of measures to address absenteeism in schools – Manickchand
The120 tractors and trailers procured by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development for Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and towns have all been distributed.
The update was provided recently by the ministry.
The entire investment totals some $696 million and is the fulfilment of a commitment made by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to have the resources as well as financial assistance, provided to the local authority areas.
The aim is to enhance the service quality and delivery by the local government organs in agricultural production, waste disposal, transport of goods, and other key areas.
Soesdyke NDC’s Vice Chairwoman, Kalowtee Persaud noted that the tractor will assist greatly in cleanup activities around the community.
Chairman of the Lamaha/ Yarrowkabra NDC, Floyd Smith emphasised that the tractor will be beneficial for farmers in the area.
During the distribution
exercise, Minister Nigel Dharamlall cautioned NDC leaders and councillors against the improper use of the assets.
He also suggested that vulnerable populations, including the elderly, widows, and persons living with disabilities, should be given priority during community activities.
The local government minister also handed over cheques valued at $2.5 million to each NDC chairperson, as the subvention for infrastructural and developmental works in each area.
In a significant move towards infrastructure development, the Ministry of Public Works on Friday signed contracts worth a staggering $809 million with 25 contractors.
The signing ceremony which was held at the ministry’s headquarters, marks a major step in the rehabilitation of roads in Region Four, spanning a length of 10.642 kilometres from the East Coast of Demerara to Mahaica.
During the ceremony, Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill emphasised the government’s commitment to bringing development to various communities across the country. “Every time we have a contract signing or an announcement of new projects [and] interventions in various communities, a light of hope, and that flame of anticipation burns brighter.”
He further highlighted that more than 20,000 contractors have applied in the procurement process, stating “That is the nature of what
is going on in the country.”
The infrastructural project is being rolled out under the Miscellaneous and Urban Roads programmes and has a stipulated deadline of five to 12 months.
Communities that will be engaged include Annandale, Mosquito Hall, Better Hope, Plaisance, Mon Repos, Diamond, Grove, Sixth Street Helena in Mahaica, and Sophia.
The rehabilitation/construction of the roads will be done in either rigid pavement or asphaltic concrete.
Meanwhile, Minister Edghill took the opportunity to remind Guyanese that the government works in compliance with the country’s laws and financial management obligations stipulated by the Procurement Act of 2003, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Following the recent circulation of misleading information, which suggests that the government only gives work to family and friends, the minister
Nine, which will benefit 500 students and 250 students in the dorms.
The government has invited bids to construct and extend several schools throughout the country. Communities including Jawalla, Kwebanna, Hosororo, Kopinang, and Tuschen will get new secondary schools.
White Water Primary, Region One is set to benefit from extension works valued at $28 million.
Some $20 million will be expended to rehabilitate several educational facilities in Region Seven, while $54 million will be spent to construct a primary school at Hogg Island, Region Three.
Residents of Mahdia, Region Eight can expect the enhanced delivery of healthcare services, with an investment of over $89 million to construct living quarters for healthcare professionals.
This is in accordance with the government’s strategy to create an enabling and supportive environment for healthcare professionals in the hinterland regions.
As such, the government
will be investing $39.1 million to construct a doctors’ quarters while $50.2 million will be spent on a nurses’ hostel in Mahdia.
The government has upped the budgeted allocation for the health sector to $84.9 billion in 2023 to enhance and modernise Guyana’s healthcare system.
To complete the capital works, the administration has requested bids from qualified
contractors through the Regional Procurement and Tender Administration Board.
Tender documents can be uplifted from the Regional Accounting Unit (RAU) Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Region Eight. Tenders must be addressed to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board no later than Tuesday, June 27 at 9:00 am.
outlined the procurement process, which includes the advertisement of bids for a minimum period of 21 days, submission and opening of bids by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, the appointment of evaluators to select the lowest responsive bidder, obtaining no objections from the Cabinet, and issuing a letter of award to the successful bidder.
Following these administrative procedures, contracts are prepared, and contractors receive a mobilisation advance after fulfilling all requirements.
Minister Edghill emphasised that even in emergencies, the government seeks to minimise sole sourcing. Instead, multiple contractors are engaged through a swift evaluation process to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to procurement guidelines.
This approach aims to uphold transparency and fairness, even in urgent scenarios.
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Most of the schools will be outfitted with TVET labs, dorms, teacher’s quarters, a combined home economics and cafeteria area, an outdoor seating plaza, a main teaching block and related lecturing facilities, and modern science laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
June 16, 2023, marked 75 years since five sugar workers, Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi and Harry, were killed
at Enmore by police while protesting with hundreds of others for better working conditions.
Just after on the fateful
morning of June 16, 1948, the five sugar workers were brutally shot to death at Enmore Estate in Guyana. Their protest was against
the harsh “cut and load” system which demanded that the workers cut and fetched the canes to load into punts. They wanted that system to be scrapped and replaced with “cut and drop” where they cut and others load the punt.
At that time the sugar workers were also poorly
paid and forced to endure horrible living conditions on the estates. In addition, they wanted the union of their choice, the Guyana Industrial Workers Union, (GIWU), to represent them since they felt betrayed by the Man Power Citizen’s
Association, (MPCA) which was imposed. Their fair demands were ignored by the sugar producers who introduced drastic measures to force the workers back to the fields. That led to protest action, which was supported by the
late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
The killing of the five workers, who became known as the Enmore Martyrs, caused Dr. Jagan to pledge the dedication of his life to the cause of the Guy-
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anese people and to fight to free them from bondage and exploitation. Less than two years after, he founded the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which led the struggles for independence, freedom and democracy. The Enmore Martyrs,
along with the others, were simple sugar workers who wanted to live a better life and in the course of that, stood up the establishment for their rights. The struggles of the Enmore Martyrs, and the resultant gains, demand action to ensure that
there is no regression. There can be no move backwards – our democracy, our right to have out vote for a government of our choice must be respected. The struggles of 75 years ago still resonate today.
“Fourthly, Mr. Granger’s lecture to Guyanese on the issue of trust warrants underscoring that if anyone should trust the PPP/C it is Mr. Granger. Despite his vindictiveness in taking action to remove access to medical care for former presidents,
he was fully supported by the PPP/C government during his difficulties and enjoyed the luxury of having his medical expenses fully covered by the State. To date, Mr. Granger maintains use of the most expensive vehicle purchased in Guyana’s history for a public
official because of the PPP/C Administration, which refused to lower itself to the levels of his APNU+AFC Coalition administration and graciously allowed him to do so.”
The PPP stressed that Granger is correct in one respect “…that local represen-
tation is based on trust and the PPP/C stands confident that all right-minded Guyanese trust that: the PPP/C is the only party they can trust to deliver on their promises; the PPP/C is the only party that has matched its words to its actions; the PPP/C is the
only party that has worked, and continues to work, assiduously to bring our people together, and further the advancement of our nation for our collective progress and prosperity.”
The Party underscored the fact that the only thing
Guyanese can “trust the APNU” to do is to: look out for their own elitist interests. Granger’s comments were intended as a last-ditch effort to ramp up support for the APNU among Guyanese at Local Government Elections.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs shooting, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to remind of the selfless sacrifices of the five slain sugar workers, Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi and Harry and the profound relevance of the incident today.
In 1948, having been strangled by social and
economic hardships, the burdensome “cut and load” cane harvesting system and being deprived of having a union of choice to represent them, sugar workers were forced to mount protest actions after their fair demands were continually being ignored by the sugar producers.
Instead of their demands being met, riot police fired on the poor,
The PPP/C leadership knows that citizens have been moving away from race-based to issue-based voting as evidenced in the 2006, 2011, 2015, and 2020 national polls. For example, in 2006, the new AFC party won 5 seats and in 2011, it won 7 seats. These were at the expense of the PNCR. At the 2015 polls, about 10% of traditional PPP/C voters cast their franchise for the PNCR-led coalition. The PPP/C would have not win the 2020 polls had it not been for crossover voters. These crossovers were influenced by issues. This emerging trend would integrate well within the 21CTMOV and add momentum to it.
The force of the 21CTMOV has been resonating well at the PPPC’s LGE 2023 campaign. The proverbial ‘red wave’ built around grass roots governance and mobilization, has been sweeping across the country
simple workers killing five in the process. They died in their quest for a better life for all the workers and their struggles and horrific deaths significantly impacted Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
On that unforgettable day of their funerals, he silently pledged to dedicate his life to the cause of the Guyanese people and to free them from bondage and exploitation.
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and shown also on TV and podcast screens in Guyana and in the diaspora. These powerful signals indicate that Guyana is on the path to break away from the shackles of racism, ideology, and other barriers which have historically tormented citizens and stymied the country’s development.
This movement finds its full expression in the philosophy of ONE GUYANA (where commonalties take precedence over differences, where race is demystified, and where nationalism is paramount).
The 21st Century Movement is poised to put Guyana and Guyanese in the best socio-economic place they have ever been. And the results of LGE 2023 test the efficacy of the 21st Century Movement.
million to upgrade the water transmission lines in Georgetown;
● The Government expended $510 million on Solid Waste Management that benefitted the citizens of Georgetown And the list goes on. The lack of accountability by M&CC necessitated these interventions be undertaken directly by Central Government, as it was clear that resources for these developments would have otherwise been squandered and mismanaged by the Mayor and his team. Ironically, in terms of the Mayor’s accusation that Government owes the M&CC rates and taxes, the Mayor has failed to mention that the M&CC in fact owes the following to Government Agencies:
● Guyana Power and Light Inc. – $3.2 billion
● Guyana Revenue Authority – $1.7 billion in taxes for the period 2016 to 2023, representing outstanding PAYE which was deducted from employees but never remitted to the GRA. As an employer, M&CC has a legal obligation to deduct and remit such to GRA in a timely manner.
● National Insurance Scheme – $387 million owed in NIS contributions as at end of April 2023, jeopardising workers benefits. Further on in his letter, Ubraj Narine ranted that the PPP/C Government has wilfully refused to do property valuations that would have resulted in the citizens paying higher rates and taxes. Here he exposes his party’s plans, some of which have been coyly used as reverse psychology in his party’s Local Government Elections (LGE) campaign ut-
Sincerely, Dr. Tara Singh
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terances. In examining this statement and based on the APNU/AFC’s accusation in its current LGE campaign that the PPP/C will increase rates and taxes, this statement clearly indicates that it is instead the APNU/AFC that intends to do this.
This is the nature of APNU/AFC, to repeatedly claim that they will cut taxes when, to the contrary, as has been demonstrated in their previous term in office, they instead did the opposite and imposed over 200 taxes and fees including taxes on electricity, water, medical supplies, education services, and construction materials and equipment.
We should not be surprised of the dishonesty of Ubraj Narine and the APNU/AFC who have demonstrated their blatant disregard for the principles of transparency and accountability, pillars upon which democratic governance in modern societies are based.
The General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Bharrat Jagdeo highlighted the support that Central Government has provided to the citizens of Georgetown, and with a supportive Georgetown Council the lives of the citizens of Georgetown can be improved at a faster rate. The PPP/C Government has and will always stand on the side of transparency and accountability and safeguarding our sacred Constitution. Our record is clear to see.
Sincerely, Hon. Dr Ashni Singh, M.P. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance
Fortified in his belief and determination, he was unrelenting in his struggles for the advancement of Guyana and Guyanese. Having founded the PPP in 1950, Dr. Jagan, despite being incarcerated and deprived of his rights during the decades of his unremitting struggles, never succumbed to the atrocities meted out to him and his followers by the oppressive forces.
The struggles of the Enmore Martyrs and Dr. Jagan were guiding forces during that ominous period
when thousands of sugar workers were coldheartedly fired and plunged into economic despair through the politically motivated closure of estates by the APNU+AFC coalition.
It was also a source of inspiration when the APNU+AFC government, through its visionless and inept leadership, strangled our people through harsh and unjustified economic policies and when in full view of the world, they shamelessly tried to steal the March 02, 2020, elections in defiance of
four if so many.”
Questioned about the fact that People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, had indicated that APNU did not contest in many constituencies, Norton doubled down on his position at the April 20, 2023 news conference and said, “Jagdeo is a pathological liar. Look, we are contesting all constituencies in Georgetown, all constituencies in New Amsterdam, all constituencies in Linden,
the will of the Guyanese people.
Their efforts have imbued in us that profound sense of the value of our freedoms and the need for them to be safeguarded from those with a penchant for totalitarianism and constitutional transgression.
The PPP will continue to honour the memory of those martyrs so as to ensure their sacrifices will not be forgotten.
People’s Progressive Party
June 15, 2023
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all constituencies in Anna Regina, Rose Hall, in Corriverton, I think one might be out. We are contesting. The only place we are not contesting in which we said, we had a problem with is Lethem, which means more than 90 per cent of the local authorities of the town council by us.”
Jagdeo’s position was supported by the Guyana Elections Commission on May 25, 2023, when it 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).
interest of the inhabitants. The Commission wishes to state that the holding of free, fair and transparent elections is a vital tenet of democracy and for the promotion of unity and peaceful co-existence. The ERC fielded an observer team of more than 50 members for Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10,” the ERC said.
Ahead of the June 12 polls, political parties, in-
dependent groups, and individuals contesting the much-anticipated elections signed the Ethnic Relations Commission’s Code of Conduct on May 27, 2023 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). Executive Secretary of the PPP, Zulfikar Mustapha;, Shazam Ally of The Citizen Initiative; and Mark France of Guyana United, among other party
← FROM PAGE 13
representatives signed the code. The APNU boycotted the signing. This signing of the Code of Conduct was geared toward ensuring that contestants promote ethnic harmony and abstain from hate speech before, during, and after the elections, in an attempt to preserve the harmonious relationship which exists between the Guyanese people.
Local Government Elections 2023 (LGE 2023) have come, the elections are gone, we know the results, but the meaning of these elections will now transform forever elections in Guyana. The PPP won these elections; the PNC took major blows in these elections, the small parties recognized that they are out of their league. But LGE 2023 was also a referendum on a number of issues – President Ali’s ONE GUYANA push, PPP’s General Secretary’s continued onslaught against ethnic and racial voting and his push to strengthen the PPP’s multi-ethnic and multi-racial credentials and on the PNC’s leadership issues. These are not diverse issues, these issues have overarching long-term implications for Guyana’s future and are all connected in one way or another to the “1953” movement when our people stood as one, standing up against the British as ONE PEOPLE.
The landslide (some call it the LGE 2023 Wipeout) victory of the PPP, winning a minimum of 66 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) out of 80, while winning 7 of the 10 municipalities and 59 of the 70 NDCs sent a powerful signal that the people of Guyana embrace President Ali’s ONE GUYANA movement. No matter what and how the naysayers “spin” the results of LGE 2023, this is a massive victory for the PPP. The PPP wiped out the opposition in all the PPP’s traditional strongholds, beat them in several of the PNC’s traditional strongholds and made massive gains in many other PNC’s traditional strongholds. The PNC made no gains anywhere in the country.
It is true that they held on to the Georgetown, Linden and New Amsterdam. But they barely scraped by in New Amsterdam, where they won a constituency by a bare 4 votes. Were it not for those 4 votes, the seat allocation in New Amsterdam would have been 7 to 7. The PPP gained a minimum of 4 seats in Georgetown and from a single seat, the PPP moved to 2 in Linden. These are gains for the PPP; the PNC lost ground in municipalities just one year ago people would have thought impossible.
It is disappointing, therefore, to see how biased the newspapers were. Stabroek News headline was “Jagdeo claims massive victory in LGE”. Kaieteur News front page in a little corner stated PPP claims victory in 66 LAAs”. Both were patently misrepresenting the truth. The truth was that the PPP had a massive victory.
At the same time, the results, including that the PPP won more than 82% of the LAAs and almost 80% of all seats available in the LAAs, show that Guyana’s Vice President and the PPP’s General Secretary, Bharat Jagdeo, is succeeding by leaps and bounds into strengthening the PPP’s multi-racial and multi-ethnic credentials. In its 73 years of existence, the PPP has never given up or reduce its resolve to remain as Guyana’s only multi-ethnic political party, one that never has attempted to use race to maintain a base. Bharat Jagdeo made this the most important mission for the PPP. LGE 2023 confirmed that BJ is winning in this quest and, therefore, the PPP and Guyana are winning.
But the results of LGE 2023 also was a referendum on the racial politics of Aubrey Norton and the
PNC. In their strongholds, like Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Bartica, Mahdia, Fyrish, and NDCs, such as those that include Mocha/Archadia, Den Amstel, Victoria, Golden Grove, Manchester and Lancaster, Dartmouth and many others, where the PPP for decades could not hope to attract more than single digit support, the PPP succeeded in having dozens and hundreds of voters. The people sent a clear message to the hate-mongers and to the race-baiting leaders of the PNC that ethnic-based and racial-based messaging will not suffice in keeping the PNC from descending into a small political party and then into oblivion, unless it changes. The PNC wears like an albatross its race-based politics and its DNA for rigging elections. LGE 2023 sends a chilling message to the PNC leadership – the time has come for a serious introspection, for changing course, for embracing the ONE GUYANA message. The narcissism of the present PNC leaders might not allow them to see the clear and unambiguous signal that the people sent in LGE 2023.
There are some political events that represent milestone events, that shape how the future looks. Local Government Elections 2023 is one of them. Politics in Guyana which after 1953 reflected the racial polarization in our country, which dominated the way the vast, vast majority of Guyanese people voted is probably going to play a significantly less role in the future. This does not mean that ethnic and racial considerations will disappear forever when the Guyanese people make their political choices. But the weight that ethnicity and race play in
how people and why people make choices in elections will reduce significantly. This has major implications for development and major implications for President Ali’s ONE GUYANA promise.
The PPP is clearly the only national party in Guyana today. The LGE 2023 results reflect this. But Nomination Day for the June 12 LGE had already underlined that when the party was able to field candidates for all the 610 LGE constituencies. The other major political party, the PNC, could only run as a socalled coalition (APNU) and could only field candidates in 55 of the 80 Local Government Areas (LAAs), in 260 constituencies. A political party that sees it self as a national party not being able to field candidates in about 55% of the constituencies in an election raises major question about its capacity to function as a national political party.
Since 1957, no matter how questionable, the PNC was able to represent itself as one of two national parties, with reach in every region of Guyana. In LGE 2023 this has changed. The PPP competed everywhere, in all regions, in all constituencies, within constituencies dominated by Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Amerindians and within constituencies where other ethnic and racial groups have an influence. The PNC was only able to focus its attention on its “strongholds” which invariably are dominated by Afro-Guyanese. Parties like the AFC, WPA, ANUG, the URP etc. are small political parties that became non-existent or became even more diminutive.
The LGE 2023 results have shown that the PPP has grown in its national appeal, attracting support ev-
erywhere, in all 610 constituencies. In a few of these constituencies, the PPP gained small amount of support. In others, the PPP gained significant cross-over support. Clearly, the strongest support base of the PNC has been in municipalities where the population are dominated by Afro-Guyanese. In Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Bartica, and Mahdia, the PNC was unchallengeable in past elections, either national or local. LGE 2023 completely removed this shield for the PNC.
In constituencies dominated by Afro-Guyanese in the city and in towns controlled by the PNC from the party’s formation or from the formation of the town, the PPP gained support. In at least two towns, Bartica and Mahdia, the ethnic and racial cross-over votes were enough to give the PPP control of the councils. While the PNC was able to hold on to the City of Georgetown, the PPP gained more seats, increase its overall percentage of votes and give signal that the PNC’s absolute domination in Georgetown is over. Mahdia is now a PPP-town. Bartica now is a PPP town. New Amsterdam will be an 8-6 town council, with the PPP increasing its number of councillors by 100% and its voting strength by about 140%. This is the story in the NDCs too.
People decided in LGE 2023 that ethnic and racial voting is not in their welfare, not in the interest of their families and communities. This is the trap that the PNC found itself in. It continues to exist on the basis that the party is an Afro-Guyanese party, that the party is for and of the Afro-Guyanese people. It has always based its existence this way. This is in complete
contrast to the PPP which has always insisted that it is not an Indo-Guyanese party, that it will not be based on promoting only the interests of the Indo-Guyanese people. This does not mean that the party was oblivious of the reality that the Indo-Guyanese people found comfort in the PPP. After decades, the party which has been the home of the majority of Indo-Guyanese and Amerindians, is now finding itself the home also of a growing number of Afro-Guyanese and people of other ethnic and racial groups. The PNC which also had been the comfort zone of the business class has now alienated this group which is finding a comfort zone in the PPP.
By breaking ethnic and racial barriers, the PPP has finally succeeded in its founder leaders’ mission – people must consider their political options on the basis of trust, ideas, accountability and transparency and competence. The PPP entered the LGE 2023, with these as their major promises to people and on their track-record. The PNC, for unfathomable reasons, decided to push its ethic and racial politics. It deemed the PPP’s efforts to have a discourse and build trust with the Afro-Guyanese populations as an intrusion into the personal space of the PNC and on stealing its God-given “property”. Thus, Afro-Guyanese who decided to support the PPP were deemed “soup-drinkers and “houseslaves”. This insult to the Afro-Guyanese people was not left unpunished.
Politics will never be the same in Guyana. President Ali and the PPP’s General Secretary, Bharat Jagdeo, have brought alive 1953 and have shown that ONE GUYANA is a real thing.
The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), having secured major wins at the 2023 Local Government Elections, has its sights set on the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
And PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has made clear that the Party intends to work harder to render the APNU+AFC Coalition’s use of the race-card useless, unite Guyana and in-
crease support for the PPP/C.
Jagdeo said, “I anticipate big victory for the PPP in 2025. But we are not an arrogant party. We will work towards it. People will see us. We continue to fulfil our promises. We continue to fulfil our promises that we made in the past that we're making now in the local government. And we hope that in numbers that this started now people who have come to us, that
number will grow. And I see it started small, it's growing and with it come, it would become an avalanche.”
He charged that the PNCR-led Coalition, as evidenced by the 2023 Local Government Elections, seem incapable of not resorting to stoking racial divisions among Guyanese, having no track record to stand on.
Jagdeo said, “How you're going to win. You're going to get rid of your track record? You're going to try to mobilize people in a changing country where people are fed up with this racism and they don't want their families to move on their children to grow up in a multiethnic society that is not fulfilling all its promises? How are you going to win?”
According to him, the group that will support the APNU+AFC Coalition, regardless, is growing smaller by the day. “In all the parties who would be hard core that will be no matter what you
say to those people, they would not change their vote, no matter if the facts stare them in the face. But that's a dwindling number…more and more people on all the parties are a group. There is a growing majority on all sides, PPP, APNU everywhere, people of every race who want you to account for your stewardship. They want you to so focus on things that matter to them. So that group that they are hoping to excite, that they are hoping to excite through the last campaign, which operates purely on the basis of race, that's a dwindling group in this country,” the PPP General Secretary said.
Jagdeo assured that the PPP/C will continue to deliver for Guyanese and keep people at the center of all the work that is done. “You have to, in this country, change and work for all the people. And they (PNCR/APNU/ AFC) they can't do that,” he declared.
