Weekend Mirror 26-27 January 2019

‘One team, one mission, one vision, one goal’ 26-27 January, 2019 / Vol. 10 No. 57 / Price: $100

Internet: http: //www.mirrornewsgy.com / e-mail: weekendmirror@gmail.com

PAGE 19

– Ali on the way forward

ERC called on to condemn, address use of state-media to play ‘race-card’ PAGE 11

Widespread endorsements for PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali

SEE INSIDE

GECOM has constitutional obligation to be ready for elections - Jagdeo PAGE 10

CJ likely to rule on confidence vote by January 31, 2019 PAGE 25

Abuse of state resources raised with international agencies focused on transparency issues PAGE 9 Coalition PAGE 9 congratulated for selecting Granger as presidential candidate

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

PPP/C presidential candidate kicks off national outreach

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

New house-to-house registration cannot be accommodated – Shaddick C

ompliance with the Constitution of Guyana rules out the possibility of a new house-to-house registration being accommodated before the end of March 2019, when new General and Regional Elections are due, following the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018. This is according to the Opposition-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Bibi Shaddick.

As stipulated by the Constitution of Guyana following the no-confidence resolution, an election must be called in 90 days.

The Government-nominated GECOM Commissioners have been pushing for a new house-to-house registration.

Shaddick said, “It is agreed that there is a valid list up to April 30. The thing is, we’re working with the fact that there is a valid list…. one of the Commissioners

mentioned (house-to-house registration), but I don’t think that can be accommodated before an election. If that is accommodated, we’re saying to the Constitution, ‘go wherever you want, we’re doing what we want’. These are abnormal circumstances.

So we have to deal with it in a different way.”

DISMISSED Meanwhile, questions about the possibility of a new countrywide House to House before fresh General and Regional Elections are due

by March 2019 – following the passage of the motion of no-confidence in the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – were dismissed by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

He stated that the 2018 Local Government Elections were held with an updated list and this should be the same list that is used.

In October 2018, Jagdeo,

had publicly voiced similar concerns and warned about “huge dangers” if GECOM pushes ahead with the move.

The Opposition Leader referred to 1990, stating that elections should have been held that year but because the voters’ list prepared by the Elections Commission was flawed, the elections were postponed for two years because the PPP agreed to it. “Well we are not going to agree to anything now,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “The moment that the constitutional period expires for this government, we’re in no man’s land – constitutional crisis. Parliament would be dissolved. Spending would cease and any contracts signed in that period could be subject to review by the new government…the Parliament is automatically dissolved… we would not have a Government that is valid.”

If the purpose is the clean

up the voters’ list, he said, there are other ways in which the list can be cleaned up and the PPP can work with GECOM on it. He further opined that the Secretariat is “running ahead of the commission.” Jagdeo reiterated that the Guyana Register Office (GRO) can prepare a list of the thousands of persons who would have died since the last house-to-house registration, but remain on the voters’ list. The GRO can supply this information to GECOM, which, in turn, can share it with the political parties.

In response to the claim that house-to-house registration could be done in six months, Jagdeo said, this is questionable. “It is opening the door for a process that is potentially fraudulent,” he charged. He expressed the fear that enumerators would deliberately not go into PPP strongholds on the coastland or in hinterland and riverain

areas and so deny them the right to vote. With the current “machinery in place” at GECOM, he said, he was also fearful about the inputting of data and that the final list of voters would be significantly flawed.

Notably, the PPP had recommended that house-tohouse registration be done in 2015, but the Commission refused and pursued two cycles of continuous registration. Jagdeo contends that if a new house-to-house registration was done in 2015, the possibility of a delay of the 2020 General and Regional Elections would not have been great.

Meanwhile, in April 2018, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest party in the coalition government, called for house-to-house registration to clean up the voters’ list – one that came mere months before the November 2018 Local Government Elections

were due to ne held. PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally had suggested that a registration should begin as soon as possible. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement in response to Ally, had said it did not support the PNCR’s call for new houseto-house registration, while stating that it preferred to contest the local and general elections with the existing voters’ list.

Jagdeo said, “We believe that doing house-to-house registration at this late stage within the constitutional deadline for holding general elections could be used as a pretext for delaying the elections.”

The last house-to-house registration, in which persons 14 years and older were registered, was conducted in 2008. The voter’ list has since been updated through continuous registration cycles.

Investigation into bribery claims must be impartial – Opposition Leader

P

olice Commissioner Leslie James, has finally addressed the ongoing investigation of former government Member of Parliament (MP), Charandass Persaud, and said, “It’s a report of alleged bribery and perhaps some movement of gold from the state of Guyana.”

His comments came at a news conference on Friday (January 18, 2019), where James added, “…whatever it is that we obtain in our efforts, that will be submitted….whatever is given to us, it’s been taken and we submit for legal advice. The advice given to us, we respond to it.”

The Police Commissioner had shied away from providing details on the matter, saying it was a matter of national security. However, after his disclosure, James was questioned on his reasoning for saying the issue was a national security matter. He said, “It is a former Member of Parliament that is under investigation.”

Persaud has rejected claims that he was bribed by the Parliamentary Opposition to break ranks with the APNU+AFC Coalition Government when the vote on the motion of no-confidence was called. In response to the claims, Persaud said, “The only reason they’ve given up on (accusations of

me) accepting bribes is because they checked through Scotiabank, my account there and they found no money… they have nothing and will continue to find nothing…they cannot, no matter what they do with it, find that I accepted bribe, because nobody offered me any money to say I’m bribing you to vote. I voted because of my conscience….I am willing to submit to a lie detector test.”

As a result of Persaud’s vote in support of the Parliamentary Opposition, the no-confidence motion was passed by a majority of 33, resulting in the fall of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Meanwhile, on the question of whether he was personally involved in directing the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to investigate Persaud, the AFC Chairman and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, answered in the affirmative.

At a news conference on Wednesday (January 16, 2019), he said, “The personal involvement; yes, I got a call from Vice President Sydney Allicock indicating that there is someone that wants to give some information about Charandass and his conduct, and indeed I then put the Commissioner of Police after speaking

to Sydney Allicock. As a minister of security, if some information does come and it’s information you feel can go somewhere … he indicated to me certain things and I said Mr Commissioner, you better make a check on

what’s happening.”

Additionally, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo has underscored the need for an impartial investigation, when asked about his views on the matter. “You have to have an impartial investiga-

tion,” he said.

The Opposition Leader reiterated too that Persaud did not receive a bribe from the Parliamentary Opposition to support the no-confidence motion that was filed against the APNU+AFC

Coalition Government. “Not from the PPP. I am sure about that…we are clear.

We have conscience. I would call for an impartial investigation. An allegation has been made by the government,” he declared.

Guyanese interested in volunteering asked to contact Party T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is now available on WhatsApp number 592-611-PPPC (7772) and it encouraging Guyanese, who are interested in political activism and volunteering, to contact the Party.

WhatsApp allows persons to message from Guyana other countries at no cost.

Operators are manning the line on a 24-hour basis and interested Guyanese are asked to communicate this to the Party.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

EDITORIAL

United for Victory

By Zulfikar Mustapha

I

n electing its Presidential candidate, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) completed another step in its vigorous and thorough preparations for the upcoming General and Regional elections.

The competitive process, in which five competent and exemplary Comrades threw their hats into the ring, was demonstrative of the vibrant democracy that prevails within the Party. In the election process, three of the potential candidates redrew and supported their choice. In the end, the Party’s Finance Secretary and Executive Member, Comrade Mohamed Irfaan Ali, was elected by a two-thirds majority vote. Immediately on the competition of that vote, the four competing candidates, Comrades Gail Teixeira, Dr. Frank Anthony, Anil Nandlall and Dr. Vindhya Persaud, congratulated Comrade Ali and committed to work with and support him and the Party to ensure a resounding victory.

That show of unison once again demonstrates the dedication and magnanimity of our leaders and the strength of our Party. As it prepares for this very important election, our hard-working Comrades within the Groups, Districts, Regions and from the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), are energized and are working to ensure that the Party returns to government so that the sufferings the uncaring APNU/AFC government inflicted on Guyanese can ease.

The hard-work and commitment of all of our leaders, members and supporters resulted in the overwhelming victory at the November 12 Local Government Elections (LGE). The government was trounced as Guyanese, through the ballots, spoke unambiguously of which Party they are convinced can truly manage the affairs of the country in the interest of all.

That Party is the PPP; the largest and most diverse in our nation.

With a proven track record of unprecedented and sustained economic growth, positive social and infrastructural development through visionary and transformational projects, a PPP government will ensure the return of progress and prosperity which were very evident under its twenty-three year-rule from 1992-2015.

In every sphere of our country’s development be it, housing, water, electricity, health, education, roads and bridges, youth and women empowerment, international relations and trade, sports and job creation, the PPP delivered as the lives of Guyanese were advanced significantly.

That resulted from a combination of prudent planning and management and the delivery through the Ministries by our competent and industrious Comrades. The success of the PPP is not only evident across the country but in the hundreds of millions of US dollars that were in the foreign reserves when it left office in 2015. Under the PPP tenure, Guyana was transformed from a poor indebted country to a developing one which commanded respect on the international stage.

During that transformation, all of our Ministers and Members of Parliament demonstrated their proven capacity to the advancement of Guyana and the upliftment of the lives of all Guyanese. Irfaan Ali was one of those with unprecedented success especially in the Ministry of Housing and Water.

Thousands of ordinary Guyanese, who otherwise could not have afforded a house lot, did so due to the enabling environment created by the PPP. With easy and very affordable access to own a plot of land and a mortgage loan from the commercial banks, Guyanese were able to build collateral through home ownership. That in turn allowed for their personal advancement as they were able to raise their standard of living and that of their families.

Access to potable water is no longer a luxury bringing an end to the tedious and dangerous practice of being forced to transport it from unsanitary sources over long distances as was common under the PNC dictatorial regime. In addition, Guyana became an attractive destination for international tourists as the economy boomed and expanded. These successes were not just the accomplishment of Comrade Irfaan as a Minister but of the PPP and all Guyanese.

He did not only excel through his innovativeness in the Ministerial portfolios he held, but remained steadfast in the delivery of the PPP’s manifesto. That exemplifies his commitment as a team player and to work collectively for the betterment of Guyana and Guyanese. It is these qualities of

Ali has demonstrated a preparedness for leadership Dear Editor,

I

, too, would wish to chronicle my support for comrade Irfaan Ali as the PPP Presidential Candidate at the Elections held by the Central Committee on Saturday 19 January 2019 at Freedom House.

My support for Irfaan Ali resided in an immense awareness of his ability to lead in producing results within Government circles.

In my estimation, Irfaan has equipped himself well as he functioned as a Minister in successive PPP Govern-

ments, bringing acclaim to the housing sector in Guyana.

I have also worked closely with him and recognized his political devotion to Region 3 tendering to the needs of the Guyanese people there.

His work in these two areas has been constant in demonstrating the correctness of his approach in these two areas and the esteem with which he has been held by his co-workers , peers and followers.

Irfaan has translated his worth into a PPP icon and has achieved significant revelation at the level of ordinary party

members, and, particularly leaders from the coast, urban, and the hinterland.

The success he achieved at being elected as the PPP Presidential candidate should not be seen as a surprise despite the quality of his other contestants.

Guyanese must now join comrade Irfaan Ali in the broadest possible embrace to ensure that he works and produces tirelessly on all counts as he addresses the presidential mandate to which he deservingly aspired.

Regards, Dr. Roger Luncheon

APNU+AFC Ministers totally disinterested while rice farmers struggle Dear Editor,

I

t is an understatement that rice farmers across Guyana have no confidence in the Minister of Agriculture or in the APNU+AFC government. The No-Confidence motion of December 21st 2018, in fact, wholly captures the sentiments within the rice industry and within the agriculture sector. Rice farmers and millers have played a significant role in helping to keep Guyana's economy afloat in the midst of under-performance from every other sector in the country. In the midst of a stagnant economy, gross mismanagement and incompetence from the APNU+AFC government, the rice industry has continued to shine bright. But the APNU+AFC government has only been visible in its policies and programs to stymie the rice industry. This government has been missing in action when it comes to helping the rice industry.

At this very moment, rice farmers are struggling to irrigate their rice fields in Region 6, with almost 600 acres of rice fields under threat of being entirely lost. Similar struggles are evident in Region 2. Rice farmers in Region 2 are still struggling with non-payment, as are pockets of rice farmers in other regions. Rice farmers across Guyana are struggling to cope with rising lease and D&I fees. The Minister of Agriculture has remained totally silent, seemingly totally oblivious of the struggles of these rice farmers. For rice farmers across Guyana and for rice millers, this Minister has been MIA since May 2015, always seemingly unavailable, always absolutely disinterested.

While rice farmers have ensured they

sustain high production of rice, the potential for expansion is being squandered by an incompetent and disinterested APNU+AFC and a Minister who has been missing in action, totally MIA. In 2014, Guyana produced 640,000 tons of rice and was set to achieve 700,000 tons in 2015. In the first crop of 2015, Guyana produced almost 400,000 tons of rice and, therefore, was set to easily achieve the 700,000 tons target for 2015. Guyana failed because of the sabotaging policies of APNU+AFC. It failed to achieve the 700,000 tons target in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Yet no one can dispute that if the Minister and the Minister of Agriculture supported the rice farmers, Guyana can easily surpass 700,000 tons.

Minister Noel Holder is the responsible Minister for the rice industry. There should be no need to state this obvious fact. But in this instance it is necessary, it is a call to Minister Holder to remind him that the rice industry is part of his portfolio. This Minister is in the running for the title of the MOST MIA MINISTER. Not only is Minister Holder MIA whenever there is a problem in the sector, he appears to always be running far away from the problem. In the past, he has insisted that rice is a private sector business and he has no authority to intervene.

This is the same minister that once disowned SUGAR, when he insisted that GUYSUCO is not his responsibility, but that of the Ministry of Finance and NICIL. In fact, there are over 7,000 sugar workers who lost their jobs because four sugar estates were closed and these workers and their families are struggling to stave off debilitating poverty, but

competence, proven ability, experience, youth and working as part of team that makes him highly suitable to become the next President of our country.

This is the ultimate goal of our Party, its members, supporters, well-wishers and Guyanese who are feeling the brunt of the APNU/AFC’s mismanagement, corruption and squandering. There is a groundswell of enthusiasm at all levels in our Party and across the country to see the government voted out of office. They all want to feel confident again, to see

Minister Holder has never acknowledged that his Ministry has responsibility. In fact, this Minister is MIA as the country demands answers as to the whereabouts of the $30B taken as a loan by NICIL on behalf of GUYSUCO. No one knows where this money is, even as GUYSUCO/NICIL must pay $2.5B in interest for this loan.

Indeed, this Minister is suppose to oversee a sector that largely helped to limit the deficit in balance of payments, that is the balance between our export earnings and import expenditures. At the end of 2014, Guyana maintained only a small deficit because we managed to earned as much $US in exports as we spent on imports. Yet in 2018, the deficit has ballooned to almost $US100M. This is because export earnings have been reduced by almost $US300M. Most of that export earnings losses have come from reduced sugar, rice and fish exports. The Minister of Agriculture has been shamefully silent.

Agriculture has always been the strength of Guyana's economy, the sector that employs the largest number of Guyanese. It is the sector that feeds our nation and is responsible for Guyana being a food-secured country. We need an active, attentive Minister of Agriculture, interested in every problem that plagues the sector. As rice farmers struggle, they need the interest of their minister. But Minister Holder only offers a worrisome disinterest, always missing in action, MIA. This is why rice farmers and other farmers have no confidence that APNU+AFC can manage Guyana.

Regards, L. Ramsammy

Guyana return to the road of prosperity and its full potential to be unlocked for all to benefit.

This is what the PPP, which has always made the welfare of Guyana and Guyanese a priority, and Comrade Irfaan will deliver. With all our Comrades and supporters fully united in this national cause, our country and all of its people will once again see their dreams for a better life fulfilled under a PPP government.

Onwards to victory!

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Decision to elevate a young leader welcomed

Guyanese people have lost confidence in APNU+AFC's T ability to manage the public health system

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

W

hen it comes to the APNU+AFC Ministers, the discourse in most households and in most gatherings relate to which minister is mostly missing in action, which is the most MIA minister. In fact, the discourse relating to APNU+AFC ministers across the board is which one is the most incompetent, most corrupt or the most disinterested in their sector. A good example is the discourse relating to the public health sector.

Just one day of newspapers and TV newscast stories reveal something is really wrong.

Newspaper stories, TV newscasts, the social media today (Tuesday 22) tell stories of two children who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where parents and relatives have major concerns surrounding the circumstances of their deaths. A third child appears to be in critical condition because of the same issues that led to the death of the two children. More than one week has passed since the first child died. GPHC insists it is still conducting an investigation, an investigation that should have started, in accordance with standard protocols, the minute after the child died. Even as this scandal is eliciting rage in the population, there is another family asking questions about the death of a young woman after she gave birth to a baby at the same hospital that occurred earlier in the month, but the hospital insists it is still conducting an investigation.

Today (Tuesday January 22), people got up and were horrified by newspaper stories that, at least, four bodies have decomposed while stored at the non-functional mortuary at the New Amsterdam Hospital. There was prior knowledge the mortuary is not functional for some time now. I heard this story since Saturday last. It cannot be that the Ministers of Public Health are now finding out of this calamity, just like everyone else, from the newspapers. While this mortuary is creating even more grief and agony for people who have lost their loved ones, there is the continuing months-long problems at Skeldon Hospital. This hospital which used to receive electricity supply from the Skeldon Estate which is now closed, was eventually, after almost a year, connected to GPL. But the electricity supply is not stable, insufficient and plagued by constant blackouts. Management and staff have to determine which equipment will be used, since all of them cannot be used at the same time. This nightmare is not fiction, it is real.

These stories are only those in Tuesday's (January 22) news and do not include other stories that people are numb to. There are operating theaters not functioning, X-ray equipment out of order, laboratories without laboratory supplies and the continued medicine shortages, among the many woes that patients and health care staff confront daily.

While all of this are affecting people, the Ministers are busy with their politics, busy purging the staff of people they consider not supportive of APNU+AFC, busy bringing in people they consider as their "own PNC" people, as Senior Minister Volda Lawrence described them.

With all this chaos, one wonders where the Ministers are. Neither of them seem interested, they are distant from the problems and they signal a "don't-care-attitude" that compound the rage people feel. The Ministers are consistently, for the last three-and-a-half years, totally missing in action, MIA. Even professionals in the public health sector have deemed the Ministers of Public Health the MIA Ministers. The truth is that most, if not all, of the APNU+AFC Ministers are living in la la land, all MIA. With the magnitude of chaos in the health sector, this past week, the Senior Minister of Public Health was on the East Bank Demerara, at Diamond commissioning a Billboard touting the benefits of a Smart Hospital. Last week the Junior Minister of Public Health found herself assuring people again, while she was on the West Coast Demerara, that the Ministry is working on ensuring adequate medicine supply, after she was forced to acknowledge that complaints of medicine shortages are now worse than they have even been since APNU+AFC. Neither Minister seemed bother by the chaos in the sector, giving no sign that they care.

The Guyanese people across the board have no confidence in the public health sector.

No matter who they voted for in May 2015, no matter where they live, no matter their economic circumstances, no matter their race or religion, the Guyanese people have lost confidence in APNU+AFC's ability to manage the public health system. It is not only the incompetence, mismanagement and corruption which are rife in the Ministry of Public Health that exasperate people, it is the absolute disinterest by the Ministers that make people angry.

Regards, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

he Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), the Youth arm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends commendations to Mohamed Irfaan Ali on his election as presidential candidate of the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C).

Irfaan Ali has been a long-standing member and leader of the PYO and his election to lead the Party into the next General and Regional Elections is a signal to our country that young people are at the forefront of the PPP/C’s agenda for a greater and more prosperous Guyana.

He brings vibrancy, energy and great experience to this new endeavour. His leadership skills have always been exemplary and

hinge on intense effort and teamwork.

Team PPP/C is our brand and the party’s track record, vision, programme, work ethic and people-driven values are the centre of our elections campaign.

We, therefore, look forward to joining with the rest of our Guyanese brothers and sisters, especially our young people, to work together to remove the authoritarian and corrupt PNC-led regime that is currently occupying the seat of Government.

Congratulations to the PPP/C and to our Guyanese people on a strong decision to elevate this young leader to such an important and deserving position.

Regards, Progressive Youth Organisation

The APNU/AFC cabal must answer our citizens at the polls Dear Editor,

T

he Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) recently indicted its readiness to address competently, the institutional oversight of General and Regional Elections.

In the last week of December 2018, several of our widely circulated newspapers reported the following statement of GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Ms Yolanda Ward, who in relation to the passing of the No-Confidence motion, affirmed that GECOM would uphold its constitutional mandate. She said: “For us at GECOM, it’s our constitutional mandate to conduct General and Regional Elections as well as Local Government Elections. If that is the decision that we will have to conduct elections within a short period, then we will have to ensure that those elections are held as required, because it is our constitutional mandate. I’m sure that our Standard Operating Procedures will click into gear and we will be prepared to execute elections at a time we have been asked to do.”

Further, it is wide knowledge that GECOM has a register of registrants that is valid until the end of April 2019. It is based on the ninth and tenth cycle of continuous registration, and the last claims and objection exercises were undertaken in preparation for the November 12, 2018, Local Government Elections. Hence, GECOM should not have too many adjustments to be fully prepared for the Elections within the constitutionally due “90 Days”, after the Government has fallen. It is no secret that this APNU/AFC Government has demonstrated traits of being the most corrupt Government to occupy the seats of our National Assembly. In exercising Government matters, they are most dictatorial, non-transparent and acutely disrespectful to our people and Country’s obligations.

They have failed to fulfil all their Manifesto promises to the citizens while enriching themselves. Significantly, production in most of the vibrant activities and areas they inherited have dropped drastically. This vindictive regime has dashed our youths’ future to the wolves rather than secure it. Spiralling crime, cost of living, as well as increasing taxes, now threatens and enslaves our basic existence, as this illegal Cabinet now attempts to force our people to witness their mantra and geriatrics in Parliament. The mansions and expensive Cadillac lifestyles of the few in the APNU/AFC cabal are too much for our small and hardworking population to bear.

Ramjattan’s recent cries and utterances about new House to House Registration is merely a futile attempt to confuse the public and delay the process of having General and Regional Election in the stipulated, constitutionally-due date defined by the 90 days period. GECOM’s continuous registration activities improved the same list of registrants by way of the approved methods for use at the 2015, 2016 and 2018 elections.

Given there were no outcries from Ramjattan or the APNU who deemed it good for those occasions, what is the issue now?

It is public knowledge that there is a process in place to address the issue of deceased persons on the List of Registrants whereby the GRO department would submit a list of deceased names, which GECOM shall delete after authentication.

We now await the statements of GECOM’s Chairman Justice (Retired) James Patterson, who is expected back at work on January 22, 2019.

The APNU/AFC cabal must answer our citizens at the polls!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Focus moving forward must be to put Guyana first

Fake news about PPP/C presidential candidate can be expected Dear Editor,

I

first met Mohamed Irfaan Ali in 2009. He was a member of a cricket team I managed for a match in Wakenaam Island and despite being the Housing Minister at the time, Irfaan willingly subjected himself to my “tough” style of management without complaint. I was impressed by how this young man (he was 28 at the time) handled the pressure of expectation from the large crowd, his ease of interaction with everyone and his willingness to be a minor team player.

During the tussle with the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Cricket Board, Irfaan and I were on opposite sides of the fence. Irfaan did not change his attitude towards me, instead of becoming hostile as was expected of a powerful Government Minister; he expressed admiration for my willingness to stand for what I believed to be right. It was at that point I stopped believing the stories being peddled about the PPP/C and started my quest for the truth. Robin Singh won v the Attorney General and remains a landmark CCJ decision. I became vocal in matters of Government, I spent more time learning how government works, asking endless questions of my friends in the legal fraternity. I began writing my opinions on issues and suggesting solutions via the letter columns in local newspapers.

I watched the PPP/C suffer from a well-orchestrated public vilification rife with what we now call “fake news”, allegations of massive corruption totaling five times the annual budget, allegations so ludicrous that I soon realised that Hitler’s theory that “People

will believe a big lie sooner than a little one, and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

Irfaan Ali was delivering on promises; he was innovating, taking the “One Stop Shop” for housing to the people; house lots were being distributed at a record rate; wells were being built, construction was booming; special projects were being implemented with the Young Professional and Re-migrant Schemes.

During this period we would run into each other at various events and he would take my inquiries about his “mansion” in good grace and return the ribbing with good nature. I still marvel that all of this was done by such a young man; few could handle the pressures of the demand for housing and house lots, the Auditor General’s reports show housing stock increased by 28,456 during his tenure, they do not show that the projects he started are still the only ones being developed.

My sense of fair play led me to defend the record of the PPP/C and ask others to examine the facts rather than believe the big lies. I was never asked to do so by anyone in that party, I simply wanted the truth to be known.

After the Government changed in 2015, I again ran into Irfaan and he expressed a simple “thank you” for my support and belief in his integrity. That action spoke volumes on his character, and my respect grew as a result.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will all be subject to information and fake news about Irfaan Ali. I already know all that I need to about this man of the people.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Dear Editor,

S

ome people seem to feel that running a Government is a sole proprietor business – a one-man business – but this is so far from the truth.

It is a known fact that a Party goes into an election with a manifesto which sells the party to the electorate. If the party wins, then it is a team effort comprised of persons who should have the ability to deliver on those promises. In addition, there are many advisors who are strategically appointed to assist these persons. The presidential elect not only gives guidance but takes guidance.

In Guyana, the coalition and the new kids on the block with their handful of supporters, some claiming to be disgruntled PPP members and supporters, are hammering away at the election of Mr Irfaan Ali as the PPP’s presidential candidate, making their repetitive rounds of personal attacks while claiming that he is “Jagdeo’s third term”.

Bharrat Jagdeo has always been the focus of attack in and out of Office; his salary, his pension, his “mansion” as is claimed. Yet even the Prime Minister is now earning more than him and living the “Cadillac” lifestyle.

This Government utilised great efforts and massive financial resources to ensure that he does not get a third term as President since they are mortally afraid of his sharp intellect and his topnotch statesmanship. The decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice did not deter or daunt his spirit. It must be recalled

by Guyanese that after the PPP’s defeat by a one-seat majority he rose from the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix and began a political crusade that was unrelenting in exposing the corruption and thievery of the coalition. His weekly press conferences were just as eagerly looked forward to as “Days of Our Lives”!

Eventually, he strategised and orchestrated the downfall of the APNU/AFC Government; something which hardly anyone had believed would have been possible. Jagdeo’s relentless pursuit bore fruit and gave hope to the hopeless in this country which had begun to fall into the abyss of social and economic degradation. But while he did the Herculean

task, some were waiting like the hyenas to partake from the kill of the lion. A few of these were in the media headlines for all the wrong reasons! Now he is being vilified once again by those heartless opportunists who never even bat an eyelid for their country.

But I know that it will never derail his focus of ensuring the good life for his people!

As I recall, when Donald Ramotar became the presidential candidate twice for the PPP, there were no cries, wails and gnashing of teeth. He was not seen as the surrogate or puppet of Jagdeo. He was acceptable because they knew that they could out manoeuvre him at any time. In fact, they dubbed him the “Lame Duck”! The then Opposition took full advantage of this and Nagamootoo tabled a no-confidence motion which saw his Government’s downfall. Ramotar was the “perfect” opponent and now the coalition wants another one. However, when one listened to the debates and presentations of Irfaan Ali, it is evident that he has what it takes to not only run this country but to destroy the corruption posse and thwart the efforts of the APNU/AFC to bring down his Government if needs be. He has that charisma, courage and competence and enough has been said about his achievements as a Minister.

Finally, as a member of the PPP, I am in total agreement with the election of any presidential candidate since I have full confidence in the ability of my Party to choose the best candidate.

The Central Committee has 35 potential candidates from which one must be chosen.

When I was with the Alliance for Change I had no problem with either Trotman or Ramjattan being the presidential candidate. When I joined the PPP, I had no problem with Ramotar being the presidential candidate twice and today I have no problem with Irfaan Ali being the presidential candidate.

Let us put Guyana first and focus on the removal of this Government. God Bless our presidential candidate and God Bless Guyana!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

APNU MP must recognize that the truth outlives all of us Dear Editor,

I

t would be remiss of me to let a recent particularly glaring example of misinformation go unremarked upon, as presented by Member of Parliament Mr Jermaine Figueira.

I refer to his letter captioned “All Jagdeo and his PPP party care about is votes from the sugar belt region”.

Utter nonsense is my initial response, and I show why I arrived at this conclusion from the listed facts below.

I wish to draw to the attention of the reading public the following facts, and then seek to humbly ask them to ponder on the veracity of this Member of Parliament; one who is not an angel, but one who was caught on national TV dishing out explicit language in the august house of Parliament on December 21, 2018 as he added to the chorus of threats against a fellow Member of Parliament. I presume his character lends to this sort of behaviour, which by extension bolsters his engagement in these blatant untruths.

Here are some truths for him to learn from; it is clear he does have issues with his history.

1.

In the 2013 World Development Report as published by the World Bank, it outlines the following thought, and I quote, “The downsizing of the bauxite industry in the absence of new opportunities has contributed to a deterioration in family and community relationships in Linden. Between the early 1970s and mid-1980s, the bauxite mines were cut by half, and layoff continued into the 1990s. By 1999, formal unemployment in Linden stood at about 40 percent”.

2.

Please permit me, Editor, to continue for this young man’s benefit, since he was not even born, I suppose, when these economically destructive acts were being perpetrated by the then PNC regime. Did I say PNC? Yes, I did; because it was the PNC who was in power when the bauxite industry was cut by half and thousands were sent into the army of the unemployed in Region 10.

3.

In that report, one former bauxite

worker told the World Bank Team, “They (meaning the PNC leaders in charge at the time) treat us like we don’t exist”.

4.

From that experience, the World Bank Team found that there was an escalation of child violence and domestic abuse in the mining town, as the breadwinners of families were rendered into a stay-at-home people with little hope and purpose. The home was in crisis in the bauxite industry, and that did not happen under the PPP Government. It was conceived, created and executed under a PNC Government.

5.

It was the PPP — in 1999 — that saved the bauxite industry from total destruction by soliciting OMAI to contract mine between 1999 and 2004, and the process saved over 600 jobs. These arrangements then led to a partnership between OMAI and Government. This partnership led to OMAI injected US$10 million cash in vitally needed equipment and refurbishment works in the bauxite industry at Linden. This is what a caring Government does; not cut the industry

by 50 percent, as the PNC did in the 1980s, and has again so done in the sugar belt.

6. The PPP has since injected an average of G$1.7 billion per year from 1999 to 2010 into the Linden Community Power Supply, and then an average of G$2.6 billion between 2010 and 2014, when they increased the cash transfers to the mining town. In the last full year of a PPP Government, the cash transfers to LINDEN POWER were some G$2.8 billion. Add that up, Jermaine; and do not use Nigel’s arithmetic. From my detailed analysis of the individual years, it adds up to G$34 billion in subsidy being transferred to Linden by the rest of Guyana over a 15-year period.

7.

As a cushion to the mess that the PNC left in the bauxite industry, the PPP launched a G$3 billion project, called LEAP, to incubate new businesses and to refurbish the infrastructure in the town. It was fully executed.

8. Then the PPP paid off some US$40 million on the PNC borrowed SYSMIN (Turn to page 7)

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

PNC-led Coalition corrupt to the core Dear Editor

V

ery early in the reign of the Coalition, at a time when they were riding on the crest of their power and glory, I wrote an article captioned “They came in on a lie but they will be taken out with the truth.”

In that letter, I also made a damning prediction that the Coalition would not last a full five-year term. So, with accurate precision, my prophetic words have come to pass; reasons being that the corrupt nature of this coalition Government has made those honest predictions a stark reality.

This PNC-led Coalition is corrupt to the core, and for this fact they have done

themselves in.

They have dug their own graves, that’s a full blown fact, and the record is there to prove it. Talk to any Guyanese and they will tell you that these three and a half years has been the worst time of our lives, something we would not want to be extended any further. Hence we long for fresh elections and a fresh mandate. Guyana needs to breathe again.

Now, the real explanation behind all of these delaying tactics is not a shocking defeat at the polls, that is a foregone conclusion, their greatest concern is how to face the full brunt of the law for their thievery and outrageous corrupt acts against the people of

this great country. That is their greatest fear.

How will they face the gallows when their time comes up at SOCU and SARA? Be it known that they have done a pretty good job at exposing themselves on the world stage with that lying propaganda rhetoric that all those in the PPP/C would be incarcerated on the basis of their being the most notorious thieves in Guyanese history and the persons who carried out the most brazen pillage of state funds and assets.

Well, that brutal assault on the Opposition is about to end, and another spate of accountability would be put on stream as the searchlight opens up on the PNC and their lackeys. In this regard, they are in a quandary as to their time before those very same state agencies in the very near future. Those agencies they so closely “control” will have the distasteful task of investigating and prosecuting them. The fear factor is very great!

For three and a half years, billions were expended on a massive witch hunt of every possible PPP/C and perceived PPP/C personnel. Throughout the length and breadth of this country, persons were shackled, humiliated, and brought before the courts on trumped up charges. It was the worst of times for persons called PPP/C, or even to be associated with that party for that matter, as the Guyanese version of the Ton Ton Macoutes went on a rampage.

Some gave up hope and vowed never to be associated with the party again due to the pressure and the shame they had to endure.

But thanks be to the Almighty, in all of this, no one has been found guilty.

Now, on a point of clarification, the expressed reason for the PNC not succeeding in their witch hunt expedition is that the PPP/C governed by the rule. The underhand corrupt deals they were accused of were found to be vulgar lies and pure propaganda. The fact is when you govern by the rules you fear nothing, and no investigation will bother you, hence SOCU or SARA could in any way intimidate. However, these same state sponsored agencies will become a problem for them when their time comes up for questioning on matters of governance and other issues. That is the question that has every member of the Coalition Camp quivering in fear.

On this note we are in receipt of information that a lot of skullduggery is in progress at most government ministries – the Ministry of Finance in particular.

They are in the process of falsifying documents such as the backdating of accounts of shady transactions and much more. The delay tactics is to give them time to somehow overhaul the damage already done in their heist of the country in those corruption scandals. But this is a Herculean task, as time is of great essence; nevertheless, they persist.

As we say in Guyanese creole, “Is you who knock me first,” but that is okay. However, when the last lick comes up, don’t act surprised and foolish when those hidden acts are revealed, all those who are to be prosecuted will be prosecuted. I rest my case.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Monies spent on frivolous ‘flag’ project can be redirected to more meaningful activities Dear Editor,

F

lags are a symbol of importance; they represent a form of identification.

The APNU+FC regime upon taking up the mantle of leadership in Guyana announced the need for regional flags. The idea of regional flags was packaged and sold as a representation of independence.

Editor, I believe the Golden Arrowhead serves that very purpose. In addition, this move was soundly rejected by residents and several of the regional officials who also are against the renaming of the regions.

In spite of this, on Tuesday 15th of January, the DPI posted an article, which stated that the Government is moving forward with proposed regional flags and the renaming of the regions.

This Government has had three and a half years to implement such a trivial project. That it finds the need to focus, at this time, on matters which will have no significant impact on the well-being of a population which has to grapple daily with medication shortages, run-down public infrastructure, higher cost of living and the other effects of the current economic downturn, is testimony to its misplaced

priorities.

The resources allocated towards this frivolous project can be redirected towards job creation, enhanced public security, better roads, improved potable water supply, efficient garbage collection etc.

On the Ministry of Communities website is a pdf document with ten well-designed flags carrying descriptions and an

explanation of the region. When was the graphic team procured? How was this done? Is this another situation like the seven regional newsletters; where a graphic artist is paid an astronomical amount monthly for those newsletters?

Readers may recall that this government fell on 21st December 2018 and rather than using the time remaining to further milk

APNU MP must...

Loans that were wasted under the PNC. Much of these funds found their way into the pockets of the PNC leaders who were financing their relatives abroad.

9.

On average, during the latter 15 years of the PPP administration, they spent over G$220 million a year on the Lindento-Lethem road, which adds up to over $3.3 billion. This investment aided the increase in the volume of trade passing through the town, and led to many new business activities in Linden. Think 2018: What is the state of that road under this now PNC led Government?

10. Under the latter 15 years of the PPP, they spent some G$80 million per year on the Linden Technical Institute. I am asking this question: Why was more not spent by

the treasury, the Government should try to bring relief to the long suffering citizenry.

For starters, the roads in Albouystown were destroyed during a pipe-laying exercise by the GWI, it has remained in a poor state for almost two years now.

Yours truly, Jason Abdulla

(From page 6)

this post-2015 PNC-led administration to expand the services at the Linden Technical Institute? Why are the children and youths of Linden being shortchanged today? Many would support such an agenda, which grants more scholarships to Lindeners, because history has taught us that Lindeners are a hardworking people who would exploit any opportunity provided to them.

11. Then we must ask which Government invested more massively in the refurbishment of the Linden Water Works? YES, the PPP; not the PNC, my brother Jermaine.

How do you think all of this was being paid for – taxation from people like the sugar workers.

We must all remain committed to the

truth, and you are being very economical with the truth my brother Jermaine. The PPP, like the PNC, did bring harm to the sugar belt, and I have written extensively of the harm that PPP appointees like Raj Singh and Donald Ramotar brought to the sugar belt. But let us be clear: as a developmental partner to the people, the PPP, as a team, was far superior to this incompetent and corrupt Team Granger and their PNC apparatchiks.

As a young man who may be a future decision maker of Guyana, learn one thing: the truth outlives all of us, and you must be more aware of the facts.

Regards, Sasenarine Singh

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

‘I make no apologies Rift in the AFC over decision on Granger as presidential candidate? for struggling hard T for the Party’ – Jagdeo

G

eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, has assured that he has a role to play moving forward and will not abdicate that role.

He said, “I have a job as General Secretary of the Party. Here, we’ve selected a presidential candidate.

My job as GS of the Party is many-fold. It’s to grow the Party; I’ve set myself the task of greater inclusion in the Party changing the face of the party, including more afro-Guyanese in our party at every level, because we are strongly represented by indo-Guyanese and Amerindians. “…number two is to galvanise this party to win

power. That’s the role of a General Secretary. The candidate runs for the elections, but my job is to bring people together and work on a campaign strategy.

And the campaign strategy is approved by the Party.”

“The (presidential) candidate runs for the elections, but my job is to bring people together, work on a campaign strategy and get it approved by the Party…. he (Irfaan Ali) will have to take positions on things, but I have my work cut out for me. I have to go across the country, bring activists together and assure we will keep our promises. I have to work the ground as any GS would to ensure that his party wins power. If you are

not doing that then you are not a good GS. “…I will not take no back seat until we win the elections.”

Meanwhile, at a recent press conference, Jagdeo noted that he will offer his services to a new People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government. “I said, this time around, I will play a formal role and every contender (for presidential candidate) said, unsolicited, that they want me to be part of the government…I make no apologies for struggling hard, working day and night to get rid of this corrupt, incompetent useless cabal that has abandoned all of the people, including APNU supporters.”

AFC unsure of Nagamootoo’s return as PM candidate A fter three and a half years as Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo’s return to the post is uncertain.

Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, at a press conference, noted that the party would be discussing this, among other issues, at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this weekend. “We’re not there at this stage in relation to that. All of that will have

to be decided at national congress,” Ramjattan said when he was asked whether Nagamootoo would return alongside the presidential candidate of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)/AFC coalition at the upcoming polls.

Nagamootoo has been dubbed a diminished Prime Minister, given that he is only responsible for the state media’s operations and holds no other significant

portfolio.

His actual responsibilities, however, were in breach of what the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had agreed to in the Cummingsburg Accord – the deal that inked the APNU and AFC partnership.

The AFC for months now has been trying to have a meeting with APNU to address a review of the Cummingsburg Accord, but has failed to do so.

he state-owned Guyana Chronicle confirmed that President David Granger will be the presidential candidate for the APNU+AFC Coalition Government at the next General and Regional Elections.

The January 19, 2019 report referenced comments from Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Raphael Trotman, who had made stated that his party supports the Granger for a second term.

However, the report also came three days after an AFC news conference, where AFC’s Vice Chairperson, Cathy Hughes, said the AFC is not ready to confirm its support for Granger as the presidential candidate moving forward.

On January 16, 2019, Hughes said, “We’re not there yet right now; we’re absolutely not there right now. We hope that Presi-

dent Granger continues the speedy recovery that he’s making…we continue to wish him the best, [but] we have no idea when the elections are going to be, and so we’re not in a position to answer that right now.”

Additionally, despite the indecision about Granger as a presidential candidate for the Coalition, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan pointed out that the AFC is ready for elections, should they be called.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, last month, dismissed the suggestion circulating in the public that President David Granger may not be the APNU+AFC presidential candidate for the upcoming general elections. “I think we have an excellent candidate in the president… I am not aware that there is any intention of changing that for the time being. I am not

aware of that,” he said.

A more definitive affirmation that Granger will run as the presidential candidate at the next General and Regional Elections came from General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform, Amna Ally.

In a letter she said, “I wish to categorically state: David Arthur Granger was elected unopposed as Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at its August 2018 Biennial Congress…. David Granger has been tried for the past three and a half years and has also proven his competence to lead Guyana for a second term… I on behalf of the PNCR would like to indicate that he is ‘fit and proppa’ for a second term and the PNCR endorses his candidature.”

The AFC has remained silent on the issue since initial pronouncements on the matter last week.

Magistrate’s Court barred

by High Court from hearing charges against Ali C hief Magistrate Ann McLennan has been temporarily barred from hearing the 19 charges brought against former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Housing Minister and current Parliamentary Opposition Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali, by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Following appearances by the interested parties on Thursday (January 17, 2019), High Court Judge, Franklyn Holder, granted a stay of Magistrate’s Court proceedings regarding Ali’s application that challenges the legality of the charges proffered by SOCU. Ali was handed 19 fraud related charges in November 2019 by Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

HIGH COURT MOVE Ali then moved to the High Court. In his writ, among several citations, Ali contends that the case, related to the sale of lands at Plantation Sparendaam (Pradoville Two), East

Coast Demerara is tantamount to an abuse of the court’s process.

According to the Writ, Ali’s position is that the charges are “irrational, arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, malicious, biased, without any proper evidential basis, made in bad faith, influenced by irrelevant and improper considerations and motives, unreasonable, discriminatory, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

In his application, Ali sought two orders of Certiorari – one quashing the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge him with the offence of Conspiracy to Defraud Contrary to Common Law. The second seeks to quash the oath of SOCU rank Corporal Munilall Persaud he gave at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in respect to the 19 charges.

He also sought an order to prohibit the chief magistrate or any other Georgetown magistrate from attempting to hear the matter or take any further

steps following the Corporal Persaud’s oath.

The Police Commissioner and Chief Magistrate are represented by the Attorney General Chambers, while Prosecutor Tashanna Lake is representing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack. State Counsel Leslyn Noble is appearing for Police Detective Corporal Persaud.

Ali further sought an interim order preventing the case being heard until the determination of the High Court challenge.

He called too for the High Court to declare that the particulars of the charge do not constitute an offence known to law and contravene Section 144 (4) of the Constitution and that there is not statutory or common law that requires a valuaton prior to the sale of property.

Ali, further, wants the court to declare that the decision to lay the charges is vague and unconstitutional.

Additionally, he is seek(Turn to page 25)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (January 24, 2019), ranging from the continued use of the race-card by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Coalition government to the developments in Venezuela.

Developments in Venezuela…

PPP/C will not act in manner that is inconsistent with gov’t D

evelopments in neighbouring Venezuela were the subject of a discussion between Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (January 24, 2019).

During his news conference on Thursday (January 24, 2019), Jagdeo, disclosed this and made clear that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will not be taking a position that is inconsistent with the moves taken to date by the Coalition Government.

He said, “I spoke to Minister Greenidge, who is in Washington…we do not have all the details…what I did was assure him that we don’t want to do anything that will be inconsistent with government’s actions.”

Jagdeo added that he has read the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PPP/C is “associating” itself with the statement. “We want to closely coordinate our approach this matter,” he said.

The government statement read: “The Government of Guyana is gravely concerned at the deepening of the political crisis in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and supports calls made at both the regional and international levels for immediate dialogue involving all political and social actors, with a view to the preservation of the democratic process and a return to normalcy.

“The Government of Guyana remains firmly supportive of efforts to resolve the crisis through peaceful means and with full respect for human rights and the rule of law.

“Guyana calls on all parties to desist from actions that might lead to further violence and loss of lives.”

In the past, Jagdeo has made clear that the PPP/C fully supports every effort taken by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to protect and preserve Guyana’s territorial integrity.

In early December, Jagdeo said, “We support all efforts of Guyana in ensuing that our territorial integrity is preserved…there is no equivocation on our part, where our national patrimony is concerned…this land belongs to all of our people, regardless of our politics.”

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the position of the PPP/C was also made clear.

Jagdeo had said. “Government has our full support on this matter. The PPP continues to treat this as a matter of national interest and not a partisan matter.”

MOVE TO ICJ On March 29, 2018, Guyana filed an application with the ICJ requesting that it confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award on the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.

The 1899 demarcation –

the 1899 Arbitral Award – of the territorial limits considered the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela settled and made clear that the Essequibo belongs to Guyana.

The Award was disputed and in 1966, Guyana and Venezuela signed the Geneva Agreement. This agreement took note of the fact that Venezuela was disputing the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award. While it did not take any position about Venezuela’s claim to Essequibo, it committed Venezuela, Britain and Guyana to ensure that “any outstanding controversy…should (be) amicably resolved in a manner acceptable to both parties.”

The move to the ICJ was advanced there was no success with a further attempt, using the United Nations’ Good Offices process, to resolve the matter of Venezuela’s renewed claim to Guyana’s territory, the Essequibo County. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in 2015, charged that the signing of the 1966 Geneva Agreement rendered the 1899 Arbitral Award null and void.

On January 30, 2018, the UN Secretary General, concluded that the Good Offices process which the two countries had engaged in for almost 30 years had failed to achieve a solution to the controversy and therefore chose the ICJ as the next means of settlement.

Coalition congratulated for selecting Granger as presidential candidate

E

ndorsements of a second term of President David Granger have come in from key leaders in the Coalition Government.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (January 24, 2019) has congratulated Granger. “We would like to congratulate them on selecting their presidential candidate,” Jagdeo said.

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Amna Ally, in a letter has said, “I wish to categorically state: David Arthur Granger was elected unopposed as Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at its August

2018 Biennial Congress….

David Granger has been tried for the past three and a half years and has also proven his competence to lead Guyana for a second term… I on behalf of the PNCR would like to indicate that he is ‘fit and proppa’ for a second term and the PNCR endorses his candidature.”

General Secretary of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, in his missive, said, “It is with a deep sense of pride that I endorse David Arthur Granger to be the Coalition’s Presidential Candidate for a second term.”

Smaller parties that form the APNU have also en-

dorsed Granger, including the Guyana Action Party (GAP) and the National Front Alliance (NFA).

Meanwhile, in the Alliance For Change (AFC) camp, the Party Leader, Raphael Trotman, last year made stated that his party supports the Granger for a second term.

More recently, AFC Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, said, “I support him fully as presidential candidate, personally… we’re having our national executive [meeting] and certainly you’ll have me supporting him there…I don’t think of anybody else with the quality of statesmanship as him.”

Abuse of state resources raised with international agencies focused on transparency issues T

he moves by the APNU+AFC Coalition government to “shamelessly” campaign using taxpayers’ monies were condemned by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his Thursday (January 24, 2019) news conference.

Referring to several ads in the newspapers, he noted that they are not only meaningless, but underscore the failures of the Coalition in the area of job creation and advancing efforts in education and health delivery, among others.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, refers to one of the ‘meaningless’ ads paid for using taxpayers’ monies

He condemned, too, the extravagance in a visit by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, to Region 9, which saw four aircraft being chartered.

As it relates to the recent events where monies were distributed as a form of housing support, Jagdeo questioned who benefited.

“Very few ordinary people are benefiting from this,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “We are worried about land issues… the distribution of land to people aligned to the government…they are using this period to use state resources to campaign and to collect as much as they can.”

According to him, the issue of abuse of state resources is being raised with some agencies dealing with transparency issues, including the World Bank, with which a meeting was held on Monday (January 21, 2019).

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (January 24, 2019), ranging from the continued use of the race-card by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Coalition government to the developments in Venezuela.

Coalition gov't attempt to normalize state of affairs will not diminish reality that gov’t fell after no-confidence vote T

he growing trend of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to normalize the current state of affair has not gone unnoticed, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (January 24, 2019) news conference he stated that while government insists that the Government continues to function as per normal, the fact is that the no-confidence motion, filed against the Coalition government, was passed by a majority in the National Assembly.

Last Friday (January 18, 2019), Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said, “There is no provision in our constitution that limits the exercise of the power

of the government to anything and in that regard the government will function in its normal capacity as a government and all of the attendant panoply of executive power will be exercised.”

Article 106 (6) of Guyana’s Constitution says: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Last week, Jagdeo made clear that the APNU+AFC Coalition is currently in breach of the Constitution.

He said, “Right now the Constitution imposes a deadline…we are sticking with that deadline at this

point in time,” he said.

He noted that, in accordance with Article 106 (7) of the Constitution, the President and Cabinet having resigned – can only perform a “caretaker” function – routine functions in office, until fresh General and Regional Elections are held. Article 106 (7) says that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office

following the election.”

The Opposition Leader stressed too that early General and Regional Elections have to be held this year.

He said, “The timeline is adequate now to hold elections by that particular time (March 21, 2019)…but we believe they still have enough room…but if the government refuses to honour the passage of the no confidence motion and they refuse to define a timeline for elections and the constitutional period expires, the government then becomes unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate.”

Early General and Regional Elections are due before the end of March 2019, following the passage of the no-confidence

motion against the Coalition.

Jagdeo also made it clear that after the 90 day limit – from the time the no-confidence motion was passed – elapses, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government would be in office unconstitutionally if there are no elections held.

“This will necessitate a whole different approach,” he said.

In June 2018, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was put on notice

by Jagdeo, relative to any move to delay elections to after the time they are constitutionally due.

He said, “There will be consequences if they think that they can rig the elections and have the kind of peace

that we have now, they’re wrong; very, very wrong. I hope they are not thinking that in their calculation…I am making it clear about that and it’s not coded language because then the nature of the struggle will be different. We will be struggling against an illegal, illegitimate government that is not in power through the ballot and it will be a different form of struggle, totally different…if they don’t live by the rules, they come to power without observing by the rules, then the other side should not be bound by any rules because it’s a freedom struggle. It changes from a struggle within an established democracy to one of fighting for freedom.”

GECOM has constitutional obligation to be ready for elections H aving warned that the Coalition Government is influencing the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to not advance preparations for elections due before the end of March 2019, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, charged that the increasing calls for a new house-to-

house registration make this more evident.

“Clearly GECOM is being pushed to slow down the process,” he said on Thursday (January 24, 2019) during his weekly news conference.

According to him, there were fears that the initial

calls for a house-to-house registration, before the fall of government following the passage of the no-confidence motion, was intended to delay the General and Regional Elections that were due in 2020. Jagdeo noted that this happened before when elections were due in 1990, but

did not occur until 1992, thereby extending the presidency of Desmond Hoyte to seven years, as opposed to five.

According to him, with the passage of the no-confidence motion, the calls for a new house-to-house registration have increased,

while there have been delays on other fronts, including the delay of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, to meet with the Opposition and Government Chief Whips on GECOM’s operational readiness for elections – an agreement that came out of the January 9,

2019 between Jagdeo and President Granger and their respective teams.

Jagdeo said, “GECOM has a constitutional duty to prepare for elections in 90 days…this means that timelines have to be accelerated… we are not backing down from the March deadline.”

Ramjattan tipped to be Prime Harmon will not protect public servants who are pressured into illegalities Minister by PNCR

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he desire of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Coalition Government for Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, to be the prime ministerial candidate is likely to be complied with.

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who noted that the “yes-men” in the AFC are unlikely to select someone else for the post.

“I am not going to be surprised about the outcome…I have been told by

several persons that they have heard from Ramjattan that President Granger wants him to the be candidate,” Jagdeo said during his news conference on Thursday (January 24, 2019).

He added, “And you know what the APNU wants, the AFC, consistent with yes men status, will accede to…I will not be surprised if Ramjattan is the prime ministerial candidate; that is what the PNC wants not necessarily what the AFC members wants.”

The move to select pres-

idential and prime ministerial candidates by the major political parties follows the passage of the no-confidence motion, which was filed by Jagdeo in the National Assembly, against the Coalition Government.

The motion was filed on November 15, 2018 and debated on December 21, 2018. After former AFC parliamentarian, Charandass Persaud, voted to support the Parliamentary Opposition the no-confidence motion was successful passed in the National Assembly.

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pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has been calling on public servants to be “on the lookout” for suspicious actions and “put Guyana first” as they perform their duties.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has since said that public servants should not listen to such calls. “It is an error to accept that advice (offered by Jagdeo), the budget programme continues,” he said.

In response, Jagdeo, during his Thursday (January 24, 2019) news conference,

said, “Harmon won’ be there to protect them…public servants have to protect themselves by keeping records and doing the right things.”

In April 2016, Jagdeo had said, “Some public officers may be exposed to political directions, they’re fearful that their jobs would be on the line if they don’t carry them out…so (the) whistle-blower legislation will basically protect those officers…we will understand that they were pressured by the political leadership into committing illegal acts.” In

light of this, Jagdeo urged that public officers keep records of the details such as dates and times, the nature of the instruction and to make copies of correspondence to support the fact that they would have been given illegal instructions by any politician.

Promising to investigate every act that is presented to the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), the Opposition Leader noted that for the public officers who act professionally they will have nothing to fear.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (January 24, 2019), ranging from the continued use of the race-card by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Coalition government to the developments in Venezuela.

ERC called on to condemn, Months later…. address use of state-media Guyanese still unclear on plans to utilize $30B bond to play ‘race-card’ U

nlike the APNU+AFC Coalition, there have been moves by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to, not only defend its track record, but also address plans for the future on everything from the creation of jobs to the management of the emerging oil and gas sector. This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (January 24, 2019) news conference, he decried the move by the Coalition to use the state-media to play the only card it can – the race card. “They have one game…they don’t have a track record…they have one line…the lies of the past are what they are trying to resurrect to polarize our people… these elections (due before the end of March 2019) area bout issues, not about race,” he said.

Referring to the content feature buy the state-media, he charged that the controversial publications include letters that argue which political party could win the next elections based on the numbers of Guyanese in the country of different races.

He said, “I will sit here and talk about inclusion, with no apology…it scares them (the Coalition) because they see what is happening… we just came out of the Local Government Elections (held on November 12, 2018) with 61 per cent of the votes.”

Jagdeo referred too to articles that repeat lies about 400 young Afro-Guyanese being killed, when this has been discounted as untruths on multiple occasions. He said, “We are prepared to subject ourselves to questioning…we will answer every accusation…the PPP will not be defined by ru-

mors, we will be defined by what we say and by our programmes.”

He added, “…what we are seeing is vile and every Guyanese must condemn this.”

All considered, Jagdeo called on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to not only condemn what is happening, but take steps to address it. “It is illegal and ERC has a responsibility to condemn it and address it,” he said.

Last week, this issue was also addressed by Jagdeo. He made clear that facts cannot be erased and the fact is that successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments delivered for all of Guyana. “They are polarizing our people using race…this is the told tactic…they have gone back to polarizing our people using old rhetoric,” he said.

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he move by government to borrow $30B continues to be criticized. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, charged that the Guyanese people are still no clearer on what the plan is for utilization of the monies.

“We don’t know what their plans are…in fact, I think, they have no clear plan,” he said, on Thursday (January 24, 2019), during a news conference.

When asked, he noted that a new People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government will look at the contractual agreement that is in place with the bank and the terms for the use of the monies. He made it clear that if they monies are not being used, it should be paid back.

Last year, the Government through the National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Special Purposes Unit (SPU) acquired the $30B bond.

In the latter part of June 2018, a leaked document - ‘The Private Placement Memorandum’ – details the arrangements of the $30B fixed rate bond.

The document shows that NICIL plans to sell off assets of GuySuCo, including land, to help pay off the $30B, plus interest, that it has borrowed.

The document shows that NICIL expects to start selling of GuySuCo lands in 2018 and expects to collect $14B in 2018 and another $22B in 2019. “The cash generated from operations appears sufficient to service the coupon and repayment of the principal for the bond facility,” the document said on page 14.

Notably, before now it was unclear if the $30B was a bond or a loan. The document makes clear that it is a bond.

The document also explains that the move to issue the Bonds, at a 4.75 per cent

interest rate, is a five-year agreement. Interest is payable semi-annually, starting October 2018. The Bonds will mature in April 2023.

Also, the bonds have been issued “free and clear” of all corporate taxes. It has also been issued 355 basis points above one-year Bank of Guyana Treasury Bills.

Additionally, the bonds have been secured by a government guarantee.

The 17-page document said the $30B bond facility is being arranged by Republic Bank, raising questions as to the amount of fees that are being paid to the bank.

Republic Bank has since halted disbursements of the bond monies over concerns related to spending mismanagement. It is unclear if these concerns were addressed and how much more monies were disbursed, if any.

Public pact to ensure political PPP/C gov’t will trace assets of all current, past MPs and parties not influenced by oil companies should be extended make it public L

ast December, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, suggested the idea that the political parties could agree to a pact to not accept monies from the oil companies, as campaign financing, to ensure that they are not compromised.

“We never approached an oil company. But, we should be very cautious.

Maybe we should have public pact that we will not take any money from any oil company. Let all of us sign on to that. People have to raise funds through local and other sources, we should have a public pact and say we will not take any money from any oil company; I am in favour of it. I can say that, you can quote me on that…I am in favour of a public pact,” he had said.

On Thursday (January 24, 2019), during a news conference, he added that this pact should be extended beyond the oil companies to the suppliers. He said, “I have not heard anything specific about any company.

But it is a worry. We have been told by the international transparency groups that you should not only look by the oil companies – look at contributions by the foreign suppliers.”

In September 2018, Jagdeo made it clear that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) supports constitutional reform and support for campaign finance laws – a position expressed also in March 2018.

Jagdeo had stated that the position of the PPP/C has been clear for months now,

while the position of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government remains unclear.

Notably, President David Granger, last Friday, when pressed on the issue said, “As far as the campaign financing legislation, I have not seen a draft myself.

Nothing has been formalized…I have not seen a draft and I don’t know what the implications are.”

Jagdeo decried the fact that Granger opted to talk about a draft legislation – when there has been no move in this direction – as opposed to making it clear whether he would support such legislation.

The Opposition Leader noted that this is another area where government policy remains unclear to the Guyanese people.

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commitment was made

by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, to have the assets of all Parliamentarians, current and past, traced and made public, particularly as it relates to holdings abroad.

“They could have done it. They refused to do it and it would have put to rest a lot about the corruption charges,” he said, on Thursday (January 24, 2019), during a news conference.

The call for an international firm to be engaged to investigate what assets are held, specifically abroad, by past and current government officials, was made by Jagdeo over two years ago and repeated several times.

Given the APNU+AFC government’s refusal to have this done, Jagdeo charged the findings of such an investigation would implicate several

government officials, hence the refusal. “They will be totally embarrassed by the findings,” he said.

He noted that once and investigation is done, the report must be presented to Guyana. “Granger cannot absolve himself from all of these things. He is ultimately responsible,” Jagdeo said, noting that corruption levels in all government ministries have not gone unnoticed.

Jagdeo had also stated that engaging an international firm will put an end to the claims being spouted by the Coalition government and remove the ‘cover’ being used to target political opponents. “They are targeting opposition people and private individuals only, what about government officials?” he had asked.

The Opposition Leader

added, “…we are prepared to do this, ask them if they are prepared to do this; to go with us jointly and make a request of anybody, if not Interpol, an investigative firm, together to look at all of the holdings of everyone.”

Government has not responded to his call. However, it has moved ahead to pass, by government majority, a law to empower what is now the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) – an agency whose powers have been widely criticised by civil society, including the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).

The involvement of the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU) in the arrests of several top Opposition members has also drawn criticisms.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (January 24, 2019), ranging from the continued use of the race-card by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Coalition government to the developments in Venezuela.

Dismissal of claim about Afro-Guyanese being killed repeated T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is not asking Guyanese to trust the Party blindly, but verify the facts that are being presented to them by the Party and not be misled by the Coalition, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (January 24, 2019) news conference, he said, “We are on the ground working… flyers are being circulated… we hope people will also do their own research… our young people are more sophisticated that they are given credit for.”

He noted that one of the most repeated lie is that 400 young Afro-Guyanese men having died as a result of ex-

tra-judicial killings under the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government. Jagdeo explained that one of the flyers being circulated, as the PPP/C continues it outreach to various communities, addresses this.

Additionally, as recent as in December 2018, the “fallacy” repeated by certain Ministers in the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – relative to 400 young Afro-Guyanese men – was rubbished in the National Assembly by Jagdeo.

Wrapping up the Budget 2019 debates for the Parliamentary Opposition on Friday (December 7, 2018), Jagdeo noted that the claim about 400 young Afro-Guyanese men being killed was

further distorted by Attorney General and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive, Basil Williams, in no place less than the National Assembly.

“So it used to be 400…Williams now says it is 800… this is another fallacy,” he charged.

Jagdeo repeated his call for a comprehensive Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the crime wave of the 2000’s – something he has called for over the last few months.

In the past, the Opposition Leader has addressed the willingness of the Parliamentary Opposition to work with the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to craft the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for a comprehensive

APNU+AFC gov’t rapped for not releasing valuation of sugar estates – any move to privatize estates will not be recognized as legitimate

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ricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) complied documents and submitted a report and recommendation on the three bids that were made on the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited’s (NICIL) on Monday (January 21, 2019).

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (January 24, 2019), said, “We are worried about this….what has not been released is the valuation of the estates….government has still not released the figures.”

Jagdeo made it clear that any move to privatize the

three sugar estates that were closed by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government will not be recognized, more so in this period – after the passage of a no-confidence motion and months out from the expected March 2019 General and Regional Elections.

Notably, despite being handed a two-year ban for allegedly overstating the earnings and assets of Indian software company Satyam Computer Services, the international audit firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) was engaged by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and commenced the process of valuing the assets of the Guyana

Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in January 2018.

In 2017, under the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the APNU+AFC Coalition Government set up a Special Purposes Unit (SPU) to oversee the divestment of assets owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

The divestment (selloff) of GuySuCo assets was intended to be guided by the Pricewaterhouse Coopers valuation report.

It is unclear if and when a completed Pricewaterhouse Coopers valuation report was submitted and considered by Cabinet.

CoI and to select credible commissioners. He charged that in this way, no political party can claim that the other is trying to secure “political mileage” from the findings of the CoI. “Let’s find out the truth,” he said, referring to the devastating incidents at Agricola, Lusignan and Bartica.

Jagdeo also decried Granger’s decision to “cherry pick” incidents for investigation, as was done with the Lindo Creek CoI. He said the comprehen-

sive Commission of Inquiry into the crime wave should start with the escape of prisoners in 2002 and also seeks to inquire about the political players in incidents subsequent to the jailbreak, as well as seek to ascertain how army weapons ended up in the hands of criminals.

“They can also look at the role of drug dealers and whether the drug dealers had links to the government,” he had said, referring to the criticism repeated by members of the PNC-led Coalition

Government, regarding Roger Khan.

Jagdeo added, “…it (a comprehensive CoI) is not going to happen because some of the players are now huge in the current Government.”

The Opposition Leader added that if there was a “real” CoI – a comprehensive review of the crime wave – several persons in the Coalition government, including Government Ministers, would be “really” uncomfortable.

Showing of support in Region 10 a result of hard work

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stronger showing of support in Region 10 communities, during visits by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, and team is evidence of the work that the Party continues to do in an effort to broaden its base of support. This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (January 24, 2019), news conference, when asked about the showing of support in Region 10 – an area that has been a stronghold of support for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – Jagdeo said, “We have worked hard in those communities…we were viewed by some with suspicious before, because of the rumors, but people are clever.”

He added, “…the PPP has things they can point to…we might not be perfect, but we did not…they (the Coalition) has done nothing practically and they have no plan.”

Only last month, Jagdeo,

trashed the claim that PPP/C administrations only governed for the benefit of “one set of” Guyanese. “What have they (the APNU+AFC Coalition government) done for Linden in the past three and a half years?” he questioned.

Jagdeo defended the former PPP/C government’s track record in working to improve the lives of Lindeners, as well other residents in Region 10.

He pointed to the fact that in 1992, the bauxite sector – on which Region 10 depended – was on the verge of collapse and it was the PPP/C that stepped in to not only restructure the sector, but ensure that no jobs were lost. “We started subsidizing the industry…we made sure that we delivered improved access to facilities to communities that were depressed…until today we spend billions in subsidies for entire communities in Region 10,” he said.

The Opposition Lead-

er added that further steps were taken when a government team visited Region 10, engaged residents and developed a plan that would improve the welfare of all in the Region. He pointed to: the construction of a road into West Watooka to open up new agricultural lands; the availability of small loans to support entrepreneurs; the establishment of a call center to bolster job creation – a call centre that was closed the APNU+AFC Coalition Government; the construction of a new housing scheme; the construction of a new hospital and four new schools; and the construction of a water treatment plan.

“The list is long…this is our record,” he declared.

Jagdeo noted that the PNCR-led Coalition Government’s failures in Region 10 were clearly evidenced in the fact that “one out of every five” persons who voted at the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) voted for the PPP/C.

A UNIFIED FRONT

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

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With the election of the Irfaan Ali as the PPP/C presidential candidate, the four other candidates have made clear their support for their colleague moving forward and for the Party

‘I remain committed to the PPP’ – Nandlall

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he process to elect the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate was a fair one, according to PPP Executive, Anil Nandlall.

With the three other contenders having withdrawn, the 35 members of the PPP Central Committee were asked to vote for the remaining two – Nandlall and Irfaan Ali. The votes was 24 to 11, in favour of Ali. Asked to comment on the matter, Nandlall said, “We had a good contest. We agreed to a set of rules and

those rules mandated that the members of the Central Committee would, by secret ballot, elect the presidential candidate of the PPP/C and we have concluded that process. That process has produced comrade Irfaan Ali as the presidential candidate. “...the process was that which we agreed on…it is fair because the collective agreed to it…as you know, three other contestants withdrew their participation immediately prior to the elections…it was a two-person contest between myself and

comrade Irfaan “…naturally I am disappointed. You don’t ever enter a contest thinking you will not win. I thought that I would have won, but the Central Committee of the Party did not feel that way.

We have all pledged our commitment to working toward the Party’s victory at the next election and I am committed to that.”

Nandlall stressed that moving forward the first objective of the PPP/C is to win the next General and Regional Elections.

Ali will be supported, focus now on winning upcoming elections – Teixeira

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he focus moving forward must be on ensuring that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is returned to office, according to Party Executive, Gail Teixeira, who withdrew as a contender to be elected as the PPP/C presidential candidate.

Teixeira in comments said, “I want to congratulate my comrade, Irfaan Ali, who was elected by secret ballot on January 19, 2019 by the fully constituted Central Committee of the PPP as its Presidential candidate for the upcoming general and regional elections.

I have known Irfaan for many years and I know that he will do his utmost to not only win the elections, but also to be the President who will reverse the grievous damage and hardships that the APNU+AFC Coalition government has

wrecked on the lives of our people and on the nation itself.

A heavy responsibility, I know he will not shirk from.

“However, Irfaan cannot do this alone; he will be surrounded and supported by the entire leadership and membership of the party, supporters and sympathizers – all who want to see the PPPC back in power so that hope and optimism can be renewed in our nation. I, for one, will be one of those leaders who will support and assist him and work in the PPP to the best of my ability to ensure that the PPP/C wins with a significant majority.

“I wish to thank so many people, both inside and outside of the PPP, who encouraged me to put my name forward as a possible candidate for the PPP Presidential candidate.

People from all walks of life gave me the courage to do so and I wish to thank them for having such confidence in me.

“I recognized that despite this support that I did not have enough votes to win, and therefore I withdrew my name.

In doing so, I gave my support to Irfaan Ali. “Through a democratic process the PPP Central Committee elected its Presidential Candidate and President in Waiting. I am proud to have participated in this process.

“That contest is over, let us focus now on winning. I am ready to work for the PPPC victory on or before March 19, 2019.”

Teixeira, in addition to being a PPP Executive, also functions as the Chief Whip for the Parliamentary Opposition in the National Assembly.

Persaud says the will of the majority must be accepted as what prevails

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f the five contenders to be the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Dr Vindhya Persaud, was one of three to withdraw. After Saturday’s (January 19, 2019) election yielded Irfaan Ali as the presidential candidate, Persaud stressed that the will of the majority must prevail.

She said, “The party has clearly spoken through a vote….we have come out of a process and everyone has a right to what they think and they believe and that must always be what prevails at the end of the day. That is democracy.”

Asked about her reasons for withdrawing, Persaud noted that her decision was based on several factors. She

also rubbished the notion that she was pressured into withdrawing. “Nobody pressured anyone into anything,” she said.

Persaud added, “…there was a process and the process was carried. It allowed the 35-member committee to vote by secret ballot… for me the next step is looking to the election….I think what has to happen, is that we have to go out there and meet the voters…whatever decisions will be made, moving forward, will be made at the level of the Party’s leadership.”

As head of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, she was questioned as to whether the election of Ali, a Muslim, would diminish the PPP/C

support in the Hindu base.

To this, Persaud was unequivocal in stressing that a religious tolerance has been, and will continue to be the order of the day in Guyana.

“I think in this country, irrespective of this process, we have never had a practice of religious intolerance in Guyana. I have always been at the forefront in advocating for religious unity, tolerance and respect and understanding. I don’t think anyone’s religion should be focused on…at the end of the day we are all Guyanese…people’s religion should not be a factor in anything,” Persaud declared.

She reiterated too that she stands in support of Ali and the PPP/C moving forward.

Anthony says he remains committed to serving Guyanese people

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aving withdrawn as a contender to be elected as the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Dr Frank Anthony, made clear that he remains committed to serving the Guyanese people, moving forward.

In a statement, he said, “The 19th of January was a significant day for the PPP. It was the day that our 2019 presidential candidate was decided. I wish to extend congratulations to comrade Irfaan Ali. “As many of you know, I had signaled my interest in becoming a candidate.

I subsequently decided to

withdraw my candidacy, and many have asked me why I made this crucial decision.

While I knew that I had the support of some of my fellow Central Committee members, I felt I did not have a clear majority of votes to a win. I decided that it was appropriate to withdraw and gave my support to Anil Nandlall. I want to assure you that in the circumstances, it was the right decision to make.

“I wish to thank each of you who have supported and motivated me over the years to continue to work in the best interest of the Party and people of our country. Sincere thanks to those who believed

in and stood by me as the Party went through its process of selecting the presidential candidate. Your kind words, phone calls, messages and candid conversations have all served to motivate and encourage me.

“The decision to exit the race was not an easy one, but as leaders, we are often called upon to make tough and selfless decisions. In this instance, I did it with the belief that it was in the best interest of the Party and country.

“I want to thank comrades for the opportunity to be considered, and I remain a humble servant of the people of Guyana.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

After two-month process….

Irfaan Ali elected as the PPP/C presidential candidate T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) concluded the process of electing a presidential candidate, following a meeting of the Party’s 35-member Central Committee on Saturday (January 19, 2019).

Of the five contenders, three withdrew from the race – Dr. Frank Anthony, Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Gail Teixeira. After the vote was cast the remaining contenders, Irfaan Ali and Anil Nandlall, secured 24 and 11 votes respectively. The votes were cast by means of a secret ballot.

The PPP in a statement, released on Saturday (Jan-

uary 19, 2019), said, “The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) today concluded the process of electing its Presidential Candidate, a process which lasted for nearly two months. In accordance with the agreed process, the Central Committee elected Mohammed Irfaan Ali as the Party’s Presidential Candidate for the next National and Regional Elections. “…immediately prior to the elections Dr. Frank Anthony, Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Gail Teixeira withdrew from the contest leaving Nandlall and Ali as the two contestants. Ali received 24 votes and Nandlall re-

ceived 11 votes from the 35 Member Central Committee, thereby making Ali the Presidential Candidate. After the vote the four other contenders congratulated Ali and pledged support to working towards a PPP/C victory.

“The 38-year-old Ali has been a member of the PPP for over 20 years and a part of the leadership for 15 years where he held the position of Finance Secretary for several years. He served in the Cabinet for 7 years holding the portfolios of Minister of Housing and Water and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

“The Party wishes to

assure that despite a most rigorous and competitive campaign, the party remains united and stands firmly behind the Presidential Candidate and pledges to work fervently to deliver victory at the polls as we continue to struggle for a better Guyana.”

In addition to the Central Committee’s 35 members, its five other Candidate Members, who do not have voting rights, were also present for Saturday’s proceedings.

The process to select the PPP/C prime ministerial candidate is expected to commence soon.

The two candidates who were in the running to be the PPP/C presidential candidate

‘I am humbled by election as PPP/C presidential candidate’ – Irfaan Ali

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ours after being elected the presidential candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Irfaan Ali, underscored his gratitude for the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues at the level of the PPP Central Committee.

In a statement, he said, “I am humbled to have been elected by my Party as the presidential candidate. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to the leadership of the Party for reposing in me its confidence. I also thank the thousands, in and out of the Party, who have publicly and privately encouraged me to seek the Party’s nomination. I see myself as part of a broader team that will advance an agenda, which has as its primary focus, the people of our country.

“The assurance of my comrades, who also contested for the candidacy, to working as a team is evidence of a collective commitment to a united People’s Progressive Party (PPP). I commit, fully, to the programme of the Party, as it relates to delivering greater prosperity and progress for all our people, regardless of race, religion or gender, as well as to ensure the advancement of our nation.

“I am glad that the campaign is over. I hope that the

rumor-mongering, which was clearly intended to spread division in our ranks and to disparage me and the other candidates, will now stop.

“Over the last 20 years, I have served my Party at regional and national levels.

My work with the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), since 1992, has given me a unique perspective of the challenges facing our youths and the opportunities that exist to enable them to actively participate in the governance of our country and being part of the solution. My Party’s decision to select me, as a young person, is testimony to our commitment to not only talk the talk about youth leaders, but actively facilitate this.

I have been elected to the leadership of the Party for

almost 15 years and served in various capacities, including as Finance Secretary. My grounding in the PPP has imbued me with a deep sense of commitment to the struggles of all our people, especially the vulnerable, and inspired a personal commitment to the people of Guyana.

“My experience in government has allowed me the opportunity to design and develop strategies and policies, consistent with the PPP’s manifesto, to overcome hurdles in key sectors. My experience at the technical level, at the State Planning Secretariat and as Head of the Caribbean Development Bank Project Implementation Unit (PIU), allowed me the opportunity of overseeing the design, management and implementation of various projects and programmes across

Guyana. With seven years of Cabinet experience I was tasked with the management

of large-scale projects, which resulted in the delivery of key goods and services to the Guyanese people.

“I believe that the experience I have acquired, both in government and as the Finance sector spokesperson for the Parliamentary Opposition, has positioned me to tackle some of the most severe challenges facing our people and country – the increasing levels of joblessness, increasing debt, deteriorating investor confidence, poor performance of the economy, poor implementation of the PSIP, in-

competence in government, the diminishing of welfare programmes that benefited vulnerable groups, ill-informed decisions and taxation policies that has affected key sectors.

“I look forward, with great anticipation and with the support of my comrades to confront the many challenges that lie ahead to ensure that the People’s Progressive Party is returned to government so that we can resume the development agenda that will place our people and country back on the path of prosperity.”

PPP’s women’s arm endorses Ali’s election as presidential candidate

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he Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), the women’s arm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)), has congratulated Irfaan Ali on his selection as Presidential Candidate to lead the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to victory at the next General and Regional elections.

In a statement, the WPO said, “Irfaan Ali has more than twenty years of association with the PPP, having joined the Progressive Youth Organisation as a young man. He served the Party in different capacities and the PPP/Civic Government as Minister of Housing and Water/Trade and Tourism.

Under his stewardship, Guyana achieved the Millennium Development Goals of providing potable water to more than 80% of our people across the country. Further, Guyana reached the target of providing more than 100,000 families with house lots, turn-key houses, through the creation of several new housing schemes.

“Irfaan Ali hails from a rural village on the West Coast of Demerara and his roots are firmly grounded in improving the conditions and livelihood of the working people of this country; while he will not doubt encourage growth and development

through the Private Sector.

“The Women’s Progressive Organisation endorses Irfaan Ali’s selection as Presidential Candidate and pledges its support to ensuring that the PPP is returned to office to address issues affecting women, children, the elderly, youths and the fired sugar workers and to make Guyana a country that is once again free from discrimination and victimization.”

The WPO expressed confidence that Ali, as president, will serve all the people of Guyana and will continue to develop Guyana as his predecessors of former PPP/Civic Government.

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

15

Massive show of support for PPP/C presidential candidate at public meeting Hundreds turned out at a public meeting, held on Sunday (January 20, 2019) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, to show their support for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, who was elected after a PPP Central Committee meeting on Saturday (January 19, 2019). [See related reporting on Pages 18, 19]

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

PPP/C’s engagement with Guyanese continues A walkabout by members of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) on Friday (January 18, 2019) saw the continuing of engagement with Guyanese people. The groundwork heightened before the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) is expected to continue as the Party readies itself of early General and Regional Elections, expected to be held before the end of March 2019.

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

17

PPP/C’s engagement with Guyanese continues

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

A united PPP will make best of use of chance to return Guyana to path of prosperity – Jagdeo G

uyanese have had hardships imposed on them over the last three and a half years and they – both Coalition and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) supporters – are disillusioned, according to PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, who stressed at the PPP/C has been hard at work to ensuring the reversal of this.

Jagdeo’s comments were made at a public meeting that was held in response to the expression of support of the election Irfaan Ali as the PPP/C presidential candidate, at Leonora on Sunday (January 20, 2019).

With the passage of the no-confidence motion, which resulted in the fall of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, elections are expected before the end of March 2019 and Jagdeo charged that a key milestone is being ready has been crossed – the election of a presidential candidate.

WILL DELIVER He said, “I know Irfaan Ali is trustworthy. I did not say anything before because we were in the contest. But now the people has selected a candidate, I can tell you the attributes of Irfaan Ali. “You need a presidential

candidate that can deliver to people, that can deliver better education, health care, housing etcetera. In his housing, we have had the largest growth in the Caribbean [under him]. He has the skills to do that. You see the evidence when you drive around the country. He has the experience that you need as a president; that cannot just talk about it. You need a president that when the glamour has faded, will sit all night and work to make that happen. “…I think Ali is young; he can resonate with young voters. When you talk about youth, we are the party that lives this. I was the President of Guyana at 35 years old.

This party here elected me for that. Ali is 38. He is the youngest of the candidates. “…they talk about young people and their exclusion.

Young people are the majority of the voters…In 2015, APNU rode into office on the backs of the young people… since they got into office, you will see that (young people are) just a tiny make up. They talk the talk about young people but they will never include them…Irfaan Ali is a young man that can connect with young people.

He can empathise with the young people.

accepted that. Our members are doing the same,” he said.

“…he’s had several years as Minister, in one of the largest ministries. He has delivered house lots to people across every single race and every single religion … and thousands of that.

He was in charge of water, another big sector, and made a transformational impact in that period. “...you are going to hear all kinds of silly, outrageous things. Ignore them, just move on….they are saying all these things on social media…If any other candidate had been selected, they would say they were corrupt.

That is what they said about me all my life…three and half years, nearly four years and they can’t prove a single thing about any of this…

If you bring Jesus Christ or Lord Rama, I don’t want to say the holy prophet, but they would say they are all bad.”

UNITED The PPP General Secretary added that the PPP remains united, proving the Party’s detractors wrong.

He explained that much “doom and gloom” was being preached ahead of the

election of the PPP/C presidential candidate, including talk of fractures in the PPP is a particular candidate was elected.

“We saw the disunity in the PNC when they had to select a Chairperson…we in the PPP have proven how mature a Party we are…we went through a long and transparent process…there were many smart bright people with great attributes in the party. They presented themselves to the leadership. But we can only select one person and all the others understood that and

HARD WORK Moving forward, Jagdeo stressed that there is much work to do. He said, “We have one chance and we have to use that chance well in the future. We expect the party to go into that mode.”

According to him, the PPP/C is developing its manifesto and the Party’s programme is one that Ali has committed to – a programme for transformation that will involve all Guyanese.

And he has done grassroots work. Groundwork.

The PPP General Secretary also committed to working with Ali to ensure that the next PPP/C government will be successful in delivering for the Guyanese people. “In this period I work to make Irfan Ali a more successful president, so what’s wrong with that?

He is my friend and he is a member of the party, a longstanding and a valuable member of the party. All my skills, every single bit of it, will be at his disposal for Guyana and for the future of all of our people and I don’t have any apology to make for that, no apology whatsoever,” Jagdeo said.

‘Ali will deliver, PPP/C will lead ‘Clock is ticking’ on Elections deadline – PPP General Secretary country forward’ – Teixeira “W T he message of unity and teamwork was advanced

by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive, Gail Teixeira, as she addressed hundreds at a public meeting that was held in response to the expression of support of the election Irfaan Ali as the PPP/C presidential candidate, at Leonora on Sunday (January 20, 2019).

Dismissing the peddling of negativity following Ali’s election as the presidential candidate, she said, “Don’t let people get between us. We are going to win with Irfaan Ali. We can do it and we will do it.”

Teixeira added, “I have seen him as a young comrade coming into this party. When you look at the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Granger group, they are all in their 80’s. We want the young people. We encourage them, we push them.

I know this young man, I

know he is going to deliver as President.”

According to her, moving forward, the success of the PPP/C at the next General and Regional Elections will be a “team” effort, as will the efforts that will be advanced once the PPP/C takes office.

She said, “We have to fix what PPP bruk up and give our people a better life…your presence here show us the strength and support that the PPP has. No

one can deny that. This is an opportunity for a young president, a strong PPP team to push forward….everyone has to work, not just the people at the top….I am proud to stand with my comrade with Irfaan and the entire PPP leadership.

We will lead this country to victory.”

Ali was elected at the PPP/C presidential candidate on Saturday (January 19, 2019) by the PPP Central Committee.

e have to prepare to win and win big,” declared PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, who charged that the “clock is ticking” on the deadline for the next General and Regional Elections – which are expected before the end of March 2019, following the passage of the no-confidence motion that caused the fall of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

His comments came a public meeting that was held in response to the expression of support of the election Irfaan Ali as the PPP/C presidential candidate, at Leonora on Sunday (January 20, 2019).

Notably, Article 106 (6) of Guyana’s Constitution says: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Jagdeo, at a prior event, proffered the view that the

APNU+AFC Coalition is currently in breach of the Constitution. “Right now the Constitution imposes a deadline…we are sticking with that deadline at this point in time,” he said.

He noted that, in accordance with Article 106 (7) of the Constitution, the President and Cabinet - having resigned – can only perform a “caretaker” function – routine functions in office, until fresh General and Regional Elections are held. Article 106 (7) says that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Jagdeo made it clear that early General and Regional

Elections have to be held this year.

He said, “The timeline is adequate now to hold elections by that particular time (March 19)…but we believe they still have enough room…but if the government refuses to honour the passage of the no confidence motion and they refuse to define a timeline for elections and the constitutional period expires, the government then becomes unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate.”

Jagdeo has also made it clear that after the 90 day limit – from the time the no-confidence motion was passed – elapses, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government would be in office unconstitutionally if there are no elections held. “This will necessitate a whole different approach,” he said.

In June 2018, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was put on notice

by Jagdeo, relative to any (Turn to page 19)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

‘One team, one mission, one vision, one goal’ – Ali on the way forward “I

will not disappoint you or my party. I will not disappoint the leadership.

I will work hard to ensure leadership for the People’s Progressive Party. I assure you I will not be lazy. I assure you I will not buckle under any circumstances.

I will stand with this party and I will stand with all of our supporters and any threat that comes our way,” declared the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Irfaan

tencies that will ensure… that we deliver on all of our promises to the people of Guyana…. I come from a party that has done so much for Guyana; the youths and women and others all working towards building a Guyana that is inclusive….this is not Irfaan Ali’s moment; it is all of our moment.”

Dispelling assertions about PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP/C presidential candidate said, “We are lucky to have

Addressing the road ahead, Ali said, “What will take our country forward, is a social and economic programme that would bring benefits to all the people; every single section of this country…be assured that the first act of the PPP/C government will be to reverse all those bad policies that took away benefits, that took away social goods, that took away economic wellbeing and that took away disposable income from our

“I come from a party that has done so much for Guyana; the youths and women and others all working towards building a Guyana that is inclusive….this is not Irfaan Ali’s moment; it is all of our moment.”

– PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali Ali. Speaking at a public meeting that was held in response to the expression of support of his election as the PPP/C presidential candidate, at Leonora on Sunday (January 20, 2019), Ali talked up the merits of moving forward as a team.

“We are one team. We have one mission. We have one vision. We have one goal.”

Ali added, “…all of these comrades (the other contenders for the post of presidential candidate) showed that together we are a team; a combination of compe-

a great asset in this party… that asset is our General Secretary comrade Bharrat Jagdeo. As the presidential candidate of this party, I would be foolish, as the leader of any other organization, to have your greatest asset and not utilize it to the fullest. So I commit to you tonight that this great asset that the party has will be utilized fully so that the transformation, the modernization, the growth and development of Guyana can recommence at an accelerated pace.”

NO FALSE PROMISES

‘Clock is ticking’... (From page 18) move to delay elections to after the time they are constitutionally due. He said, “There will be consequences if they think that they can rig the elections and have the kind of peace that we have now, they’re wrong; very, very wrong. I hope they are not thinking that in their calculation…I am making it clear about that and it’s not coded language because then the nature of the struggle will be different. We will be

struggling against an illegal, illegitimate government that is not in power through the ballot and it will be a different form of struggle, totally different…if they don’t live by the rules, they come to power without observing by the rules, then the other side should not be bound by any rules because it’s a freedom struggle. It changes from a struggle within an established democracy to one of fighting for freedom.”

the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Relative to investment, Ali said, “We will see more than US$500 million ($100 billion) invested in Guyana from year one, under the next PPP/C government.

We did this before, without oil and gas and we will do

world market. And our cost of production will come down. These are the types of programmes that would break us through into the future and create the wave of economic wealth and well-being of all of our people in this country.”

In the areas of jobs, he

“What will take our country forward, is a social and economic programme that would bring benefits to all the people; every single section of this country…be assured that the first act of the PPP/C government will be to reverse all those bad policies that took away benefits, that took away social goods, that took away economic wellbeing and that took away disposable income from our people.”

– PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali people.”

He noted that the Party continues to broaden its base of supporters. “We cannot build a Guyana where anyone feels excluded… inclusive democracy is not just talk for us,” the PPP/C presidential candidate said.

Detailing some of the Party’s plans for the future, Ali said there will be a move to reverse tax measures that are hurting local productive sectors and more.

He noted that in the oil and gas sector there will be greater levels of accountability – as opposed to what is being witnessed under

growth in our country,” he said.

Ali assured too that monies will be invested in training for Guyanese youths in various fields. “We are going to launch not only training programmes in the medical field, but we are going to find the brightest…so that we will develop those skill sets to take the country forward,” Ali said.

He promised, too, the development of a social programme that will benefit all Guyanese, particularly vulnerable groups, including the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from essential service and the improvement of the pension system.

According to him, there will be a reversal of the policies that took away benefits from Guyanese and that diminished their income.

Addressing in particular the closure of the sugar estates, specifically the closure of the Wales Sugar Estate and the impact it has had on Region 3, the PPP/C presidential candidate said, “We will correct the wrong and make right the injustices to the sugar workers all across Guyana. We are going to restore benefits to you. This is a promise to you.”

The PPP/C presidential candidate was also clear in stressing that real efforts will be made to tackle corruption.

“We cannot build a Guyana where anyone feels excluded…inclusive democracy is not just talk for us.”

– PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali it even better in the next government and (on) a much larger scale with the development of oil and gas.

We are talking about the development of farms, huge farms, and the giving of incentives to rice farmers so that they can expand their production, increase yield and our production in terms of tonnage can be increased so that we have more rice that can be exported on the

promised the creation of 50,000 new jobs. “In the next PPP/C government, we will be creating more than 50,000 new jobs all across this country. We will be creating, through the use of ICT, an education platform so that people could have education via distance learning. We are going to see all through e-governance, e-education, e-health…using the electronic means to achieve

Ali assured, “We will not make false promises. The PPP has always delivered on its promises. We believe that the manifesto is a contract between a political party and the people….we will correct the wrongs and injustices… this is a promise and commitment of the PPP…I am committed to the direction of the leadership of the PPP and the manifesto of the PPP.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Region 6 farmers lose 300 acres of rice

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n estimated 300 acres of rice has been lost in Region Six, Berbice as a result of the dry prevailing conditions and lack of water and another 500 acres are under threat, according to Regional Chairman David Armogan.

He said, “If the rice doesn’t have water in time to grow, it burns out. That has been caused because we had about five days during which the pumps were shut down as a result of not being able to get fuel for these pumps.

Since then the problem has resolved itself.

“On the Corentyne, the front lands must wait until farmers in the Black Bush Polder would have taken in water into their fields before enough is available in the canals reach the front lands.”

Armogan explained that the Regional Administration had started pumping water early so that by the time those farmers in the Black Bush Polder would have had had enough water and it will still be able to get to the front lands in time. However, the fuel shortage affected that plan.

“NDIA which has the responsibility for drainage and irrigation in the cultivation areas will have to do something to make sure that we have adequate pumping capacity so that our irrigation system can be fully equipped to supply all rice farmers,” the Region 6 Chairman said.

Some 18,000 acres are under rice cultivation in the Black Bush Polder whereas 25,000 are now under cultivation in the front lands.

Granger’s gov’t given one-week deadline to deal with pension payments as promised

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he Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Unions (GPTWU) has given the Guyana Government a one-week to resolve the decades-old issue regarding the payment of pension to retired workers of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GTT).

When the GTC was privatised in 1990, the workers who stayed on under GTT were promised that they would be paid their benefits when they retired from the telecommunications giant – an Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) majority-owned company – as if they were in the public service.

However, those former GTC/GTT workers who retired after years of service under both companies are still trying to get their correct outstanding entitlement.

President of GPTWU, Harold Shepherd, said, “We’re giving the Minister of Finance and the Government of Guyana, an opportunity once more to have dialogue with the union to address this issue. [But] we’re not prepared to wait indefinitely… we’re prepared to take the necessary actions to ensure that this issue is resolved… We expect at least a call from some senior official within the next week or so for us to sit down and have dialogue… if not we will seek legal advice and if we have to protest, we’ll protest.”

Documents shared with the media revealed a correspondence from the Privatisation Unit to the Finance

Ministry back in 2000 detailing excerpts from the 1990 sale agreement which states: “…You will be continued in employment with GT&T and your service will be treated as continuous and unbroken and other conditions of service will not be less favourable than what you presently enjoy. You are guaranteed employment with GT&T for a period of eighteen (18) months, subject, of course, to the right of the management to dismiss or discharge you for cause. These amounts will become due and payable to you when you finally retire from the service of GT&T, or your employment with GT&T is terminated, in circumstances in which, had you been employed in the Public Service, you would be entitled to Pension and Gratuity under Section 8 of the said Act. The liability to pay the above benefits, when they become due and payable will be transferred to the Government in the Ministry of Finance.”

However, over the years, GTC/GTT pensioners received a mere $22,000 instead of a minimum of $90,000 or a maximum of $700,000 in accordance with their last salary base.

The GPTWU also revealed that they had written to President David Granger back in November 2018, appealing for his intervention to have the matter resolved.

In December, Public Affairs Minister Dawn Hastings-Williams acknowledged receipt of the letter, informing the union that the President asked that the letter be forwarded to the Finance Minister “for action”.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

‘Significant progress made under successive PPP/C administrations to improve welfare of Amerindians’ LEGISLATION

The Amerindian Act 2006 is an embodiment of policies that cover the protection of the general welfare and rights of Indigenous Peoples. It affirms the declaration of rights of indigenous peoples in specific stipulations that include governance, land rights and preservation, and Amerindian heritage.

Passed a year before the UN-DRIP declaration, Guyana’s 2006 Amerindian Act includes key provisions relating to Amerindian people that are not dissimilar, in most instances, from those outlined in the declaration, and has thus been the legal stronghold for Amerindian development.

TOURISM SUPPORT

In 2012, the Ministry financed eco-tourism projects for 19 Villages, each receiving utmost $1.5M. In 2013, twenty villages will be receiving grants at $1.5M each to the eco-tourism industry in their respective regions.

The initial implementation of the first 27 Community Development Plans (CDPs) funded through the GRIF, 11 % account for projects that are related to ecotourism.

HEALTH

The Amerindian Hostel data on inpatients reflect access to medical services at Georgetown Public Hospital thereby reducing further aggravation of health situations of Hinterland patients and providing better access to quality health services; safe and adequate accommodation for patients and welfare cases help ensure the psychological health and general well-being of those that are affected by sickness and other social issues.

The fact that all villages have a health hut/health centre makes access to primary health care easier in villages and thus improving health conditions of villagers.

Amerindian Residence accommodated a total of 7017 patients with their accompanying relatives up to 2014.

The Residence provides a shelter for those patients who have been referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for medical attention.

Over the years, the purpose of this facility had evolved such that the most significant proportion of persons being accommodated is patients and those accompanying them.

The Residence has also expanded its services to encompass persons in difficult situations including Domestic Violence, Trafficking in Persons, labour issues, discharged prisoners or any other similar situation.

The Maternity waiting room at the Amerindian Hostel was constructed at a cost of $1.2M. The aim of the new facility is in keeping with Government’s commitment to ensure the safety of mothers and their babies and to ensure that every mother and child have access to adequate health care and provided with the best care and treatment.

SOLAR PANEL AND ENERGY ACCESS

A total of 11, 000 solar panels were installed across all the regions. A mini-hydro power plant is about to be constructed in Cheung Mouth River to supply renewable energy to Region 8 villages.

An additional 6000 solar panels are being procured for distribution to additional communities including some riverine communities CORE HOMES/HOME SUBSIDIES

A sum of $107.2M was spent on home improvement and 127 Core home were completed in the hinterlands

GOVERNANCE

Every year since the passing of the Amerindian Act, MoAA hosted the Annual National Toshaos Council Meeting (with an average budget of $50 M) to build capacity on: • Best practices in governance that includes transparency and accountability (audits); • Improved leadership for Toshaos and Village Councils in accordance to the Amerindian Act 2006; • Improved Community Management geared towards a holistic approach in Community Development; • Promoting dialog with government officials for the advancement of Amerindian welfare and total development of Amerindian villages; • Providing an opportunity for All Amerindian elected leaders to be able to have dialogue and exchanges on development priorities which challenges them; and • To provide a platform for the Amerindian Leaders have direct access to Government Ministers to dialogue on development challenges in various sectors and finding solutions ADF-GRIF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS

A total of 187 Amerindian Villages and Communities were considered for economic projects under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) - Guyana REDD+Investment Fund (GRIF).

Some US$6.3M from GRIF is allotted for said projects under the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF).

Twenty- Seven (27) projects from across all regions have been chosen for the initial implementation of the project which has commenced early part of 2013 with a budget of US$1.8M. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of all the projects are in agriculture with the aim of securing Amerindian livelihoods.

ADF Project Management Unit were up and running to facilitate full implementation of 160 CDPs. CULTURE

The preservation and promotion of Amerindian heritage is germane to Amerindian’s identity. The cultural activities have been the media for Amerindian culture to be accepted and understood by other groups in Guyana, at the same time, an avenue for all Amerindians to celebrate their heritage and embrace their indigenous roots and identity.

By continuing to protect Amerindian culture, Amerindians are able to understand the significance of their dances, languages, practices, local knowledge, cuisine, crafts, songs, and literature to the total development of their villages. The government is cognizant of the fact that culture is one of the pillars of sustainable development, and without it, and then development is not fully achieved.

Some $25M was spent on average annually in for Amerindian Heritage Celebrations to promote traditions, values, literature , dances of Amerindians. Another $6M was spent annually for other cultural activities The Initiatives include: Arawak Revival Language Project launched in Capoey; Support to Cultural Expo (North Pakaraimas) - $5M; and Support to cultural groups of Aisalton ($1.4M) and Santa Rosa ($7M) OTHER INVESTMENTS

• Mining including gold, diamond, various metals, bauxite • Forestry • Agriculture • Information Communication and Technology- 99 hubs were completed by 2014 to accommodate the computers 20 in number to commence the computer literacy training of youths, women and residents including children.

LAND OWNERSHIP

Prior to 1992, 74 communities were titled. Since, then 24 more villages were granted titles, thereby bringing the total of titled villages to 98, seventy-seven of which had been demarcated.

Six (6) titles were to be approved prior to May 2015 and seven (7) extension were investigated and in preparation for approval While Indigenous people in many Countries have right of use of the Land only, in Guyana where the Indigenous People account for approximately 9.7% of the population, Amerindians own land, including the forests resources within their Titled Lands.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT

The MoAA has launched the Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) aimed to train young Amerindians while employing them at the same time and become powerful partners in development.

Some $200M was spent on YEAP in 2013. Focus was placed on developing 2,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) participate productively in Education, Health, and Social Welfare, Community Development, Culture, ICT, Infrastructure and small business.

The CSOs received training in various areas, including: • Management of Photovoltaic System • Management of Basic ICT hardware • Governance & Amerindian Act • Youth Voices for Climate Change (Sponsored by the US Embassy/Caribbean Development Bank educate youths on the importance of Climate Change and its impact in the Caribbean) • Business & Sustainable Development • Various aspect of the Community Development Project training The Youth Apprenticeship Programme was aimed at training young Amerindians while employing them at the same time is a medium to empower the young as partners in national development. These youths will be our partners in the implementation of CDPs and other socio-economic activities that are taking place in the villages now. The inclusion of the young in gearing their villages towards progress by letting them participate productively in technical, mechanical, computer, and agricultural activities will definitely enhance the capacity of the villages’ human resources.

AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

Tractors, farm implements, fertilizers, acoushi ant bait, irrigation systems, and other infrastructures provided for villages every year An average of $50M per year was given in agricultural support for various villages through the years COMMUNICATION

Computer Accessibility through 100 computer hubs commenced in 2013. Some $287.7M was allotted for solar systems for ICT hubs; and 57,000 person-beneficiaries.

As at 2014: 72 of these hubs are completed;9 hubs near completion and the HUBs were constructed into Regions of 1, 7, 8 and 9.

All villages now have radio sets for fast communication, each one costs $500,000 Telecommunication facilities built in Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Red Hill, Morucca, Aishalton, Annai, Lethem, Ominaik, and Mahdia, thus improving communication in the hinterlands!

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WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office

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orruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office The Parliamentary Opposition has been monitoring the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s use of public funds and the levels of transparency and accountability. From June 10, 2015 to date, over 55 scandals have been uncovered – an average of one scandal for each month – some of which are listed below:

1. The cost of the inauguration ceremonies at the Parliament Buildings and, more particularly, the one at the National Stadium has never been revealed.

2. The removal of 8 containers containing steel by BK International from the Ministry of Public Health’s compound worth millions of dollars - in the first week after government changed - in violation of a court order.

The government did nothing to retrieve the containers and has been silent.

3. The dismissal of 1,972 Amerindian community service officers at “one stroke of the pen” with no cause by the third (3rd) Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Despite a promise by VP Allicock in the National Assembly, during the 2015 Budget debate that the government would create a new programme to hire Amerindian youths, they instead replaced this programme with the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youth Skills Programme (HEYs).

HEYS is a sixmonth training programme with no entrepreneurial or employment component, which is under severe duress as there are complaints that the facilitators and students have not received their stipends despite the budgetary provision of $1Billion.

4. The appointment of 33 foreign honourary advisors to assist the government and the appointment of a top heavy bureaucracy of Presidential and Ministerial advisors, which have only been partially disclosed in the National Assembly in response to questions to Ministers in 2016. The total numbers are approximated to be nearing 100 advisors (local and foreign) at a huge cost to the taxpayers.

5. India/GoG funded Speciality Hospital – the government gave

a contract to Fedders Lloyd (VP Ramjattan was its lawyer) without going to tender at a price yet unknown and in violation of the procurement laws. Despite public outcry, the government refused to terminate the contract for the Speciality Hospital. The company was delisted by the IDB and the Indian government and Eximbank withdrew the money for the loan. There has been no disclosure as to how much Fedders Lloyd was paid and what work had been done when the company was delisted and the project halted.

6. The first act of the government was to give themselves enormous salary increases between 50 -100 % of what the former government ministers received. This was quietly done in September 2015 and the parliamentary opposition had to wage a struggle in Parliament to bring a motion to reverse this. When the motion was finally heard in December, it was defeated by the government’s one-seat majority. It should be remembered that the media, having leaked the fact that the government was embarking on increasing the salaries of the President, VPs and Ministers, Minister Trotman, on behalf of the government, denied that the government was contemplating any salary increases for the Ministers. This was also denied during the debate on the 2015 Budget in August 2015. Having gone into recess mid-September, the government stealthily published Order No. 6 of 2015 in the Official Gazette, dated September 25th, 2015, increasing their salaries and making it retroactive to July 1, 2015. Contrast this act with the government’s refusal to increase the salaries of the public servants in accordance with their campaign promises.

7. Durban Park Development Project for the Jubilee celebrations - The government has refused to provide information on the “private company,” which was in charge of the preparations of the Durban Park prior to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s “take over” of the project on the orders of the President.

It is estimated that the costs, when finally exposed, will be close to $1Billion - for a one-day event.

8. The President pardoned over 100 convicted felons in 2015 and stated that this would be done annually. He promised that these would be felons with non-violent crimes and juvenile offenders. In fact, this was not true. A number of these persons had been sentenced for violent crimes and a number of them are back in prison.

9. The Rudisa case at the CCJ and the pay out to Rudisa - The APNU and AFC, while in Opposition, twice caused the defeat in the 10th Parliament of attempts by the PPPC government to amend the Customs Act in order to pre-empt the case going to the CCJ and save the country millions of US dollars. The APNU+AFC Coalition government settled to repay the entire amount of the Rudisa USD$16M claim without any negotiations for a debt repayment schedule and despite the fact that the company owed and appears to still owe millions of dollars in taxes to Guyana. The first payment was made late last year and the second budgeted for in the 2016 Budget.

10. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the Government and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council on the “Clean Up Campaign” in the city with no public tendering and handpicked companies. In some cases, new companies were created with no experience to facilitate this corruption. There has been no accountability of the amount of monies spent and the Mayor and Town Clerk have rebuffed efforts to allow the Auditor General’s office to do a forensic audit.

11. The write off of debts owed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the nation by DDL worth billions of dollars (April 2016). If DDL had not issued a press release announcing the write off, this would not have been known.

12. Other write-off of debts by the GRA for other companies who financed the APNU+AFC Coalition electoral campaign, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Minister Trotman said these companies have to be compensated for their financial investment.

13. Following the March 18, 2016 Local Government Elections, Minister Bulkan in violation of the statutes governing the local government system, appointed the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and the 5 Chairpersons and vice chairperson of the 5 NDCs in the 6 tied LAAs. All of these persons were APNU, although there was a plurality of votes in 3 of the 6 tied LAAs for the PPP and 3 for the APNU+AFC. 14. W r i t e - o f f s b y t h e APNU+AFC dominated Georgetown Municipal Council to many companies for millions of dollars owed in rates and taxes for undisclosed amounts. This is a City Council that is now cashstrapped and cannot pay contractors for garbage collection nor timely payment of salaries of its employees. The cost to the Treasury of these write offs by the GRA, the Georgetown City Council and other Local Authority Areas alone earmarked in this list of scandals is estimated to be between 23% to 36 % of the total 2016 Budget.

15. Parking meters contract with no public tendering, no involvement of the Georgetown City Council, no consultation with the citizens – the scandal deepens, even as the APNU+AFC Georgetown Mayor is being advised to do some damage control by attempting to amend the 49-year contract and make it less embarrassing for the government.

16. The three-year Pharmacy Bond contract between the Ministry of Public Health and the Linden Holding Company was not tendered for by Minister Dr Norton’s own admission on the floor of the National Assembly.

The PPP/C will be submitting its motion of privilege, calling for the Speaker to send the Minister of Public Health to the Privilege Committee for wilfully misleading the National Assembly and the nation.

17. The GoG/BK International settlement of $1.17 B for Haags Bosche - The Ministry of Communities’ settlement of $1.17B to BK International for the Haags Bosche project came to light as a result of a Supplementary Financial Paper on August 8th where the country learnt that this settlement was made and

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office would be paid in three tranches, even though the court did not award costs to BK Int’l.

The government paid BK Int’l the first third of the payment in January 2016, which begs the question - where did this money come from? It was not provided for in the 2015 budget, nor was there any SFP in the interim nor in the 2016 Budget or since to cover this first payment of G$500M. The August Supplementary Financial Paper covers the payment of the second tranche of $501M to BK int’l from the Consolidated Fund.

The third payment the Minister stated would be reflected in the 2017 budget. This is a scandal like the RUDISA and the DDL write offs. Interesting and of note is that BK International is being paid the entire $10M USD for the contract though BK Int’l only worked for 3 of the 5 years of the contract at substandard work. The PPP/C government had terminated the contract due to substandard work and delays.

Ministers Bulkan and Patterson late 2015 both publicly stated that BK Int’l had done substandard work on the project!

18. Two fuel scandals relating to the issuance of fuel licenses for the importation of fuel to companies that are made up of persons related to top officials or who are top officials themselves in the government, who have no fuel bonds, no storage facilities and no offices. The withdrawal of the fuel importation license to the Chinese company, which has invested millions of US dollars for storage facilities, appears to have been calculated to make room for these alternative importers. In August the second set of fuel licenses came to light regarding licenses issued to Dr. Van West Charles, CEO and other officials in GWI under a private company. It should be noted that an applicant for a fuel license has to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and 4 additional licences - provision of a bond under detailed specifications, transportation, storage, importation, and restrictions on where fuel storage can be located. It normally takes a long time for an applicant to obtain all these licenses---impossible to do so in 9 months. The licenses were issued in the month that Van West Charles became CEO GWI and,

therefore, he had ample time to remove himself from the company. At a parliamentary opposition weekly press briefing several months ago, this gentlemen’s role in soliciting donations for pipes for the wells in Region 9 was exposed. It was reported that the Brazilian contractors hired by GWI to dig 8 wells in the Rupununi region were unable to pay their workers as they allege that GWI is not paying them (the contractors).

19. Consistent and frequent violation of the Procurement Act by line ministries - e.g, the Minister of Agriculture admitted that the MOA nor the NDIA had gone out to tender for works totalling $234M due to emergency works for El Nino and flooding in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In fact, these monies should have been provided for in the Supplementary Financial Paper # 2 of 2016 for the Consolidated Fund.

20. Requests for information during questions to Ministers and questions during the debate on the two Supplementary Financial Papers on August 8th revealed that the government ministers’ will not release contracts unless they have the permission of the other person/ company/ party to the contract.

This is unheard of and a violation of the role of the legislature under the constitution to hold the government accountable.

21. Undermining the judicial process- the establishment of a Presidential Tribunal to inquire, investigate and recommend whether Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, should be removed from office for inability to discharge his duties. Since the charges against Mr Duncan are still pending before a Magistrate of the Georgetown Magistrate’s court, the establishment of this tribunal is premature, pre-emptive and repugnant to the very “due process” to which the President says that his Administration is committed.

22. Auditor General’s special audit of GECOM expenditure in 2015 prior to the general and regional elections—this is on-going, with the use of sole sourcing by the GECOM estimated to amount to $700M in the months prior to the May 2015 elections. However,

unlike other investigations where the heads were sent on administrative leave such as the Head of NICIL, Head of the NDIA, PS of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, head of the Public Hospital Georgetown, to name a few, this CEO has not been sent off on administrative leave.

23. $240M spent on refurbishing the Kitty Market. Photographic evidence exposes the corruption

by City Hall. There are no scope of works, estimates, etc that is available and the project was not put to tender as the city has hired the workers and is implementing the works itself. This project is still not completed.

24. The awarding of the contract for boxed juices for the school feeding programme to a Surinamese beverage company owned by RUDISA that was not the lowest or even the second lowest bid.

The impact on the local farmers and manufacturers will be felt.

DDL has come out publicly to criticise this, so too, has another company Guyana Beverages.

25. Award of the contract for quarry stone to a Surinamese company for the CJIA will have tremendous impact on the local quarries. Toolsie Persaud, one of the stone producers, has protested. There is more to come to light on this issue and this we have earmarked an emerging scandal where government needs to provide answers.

26. The discriminatory dismissals of hundreds of employers in the public service and in the state entities on the basis of their ethnic and assumed political affiliation which started in June 2015 is continuing unabated.

27. Some $1.64B was spent regionally on health, plus an additional added $2.5B that was spent on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) without tender – a massive total $4.17B that was spent by the Coalition Government in breach of the procurement rules.

28. Not satisfied with the huge increases in salary and benefits, some Ministers are greedy and the reports of paying off Ministers for licenses, contracts etc., is astounding. The government has got into the habit of putting

out tenders in the press and then cancelling them repeatedly until their chosen contractor wins the tender.

29. Chicken importation licenses to non-existent/ non-registered companies as well as another company in the name of the CEO, GWI, Van West Charles.

30. The Removal of 6,000 solar panels purchased for the Hinterland Household Electrification Programme and re-allocating them for use at the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

31. The Wind Farm project being done by Lloyd Singh, an AFC financier. Minister Trotman has said that it is “payback time for one of their election financiers”.

32. Antinfek in drinking water purchased by GWI without tender and without warnings of the health hazard by a CEO who was employed for years by the PAHO. Only after questioning by the Opposition in the National Assembly has the government provided minimum disclosure.

33. Contract for GPL Prepaid meters, awarded after 3 re-tenders to a contractor whose bid was the highest of all bids; in fact, $ 1 B more than engineers’ estimate.

34. Contract for the Water treatment plants- tenders cancelled twice before finally being awarded to their preferred contractor, who was higher than the other tenders.

35. Tendering for the GOG/ IDB Sheriff St road project was repeatedly done and no awards made until we lost that part of the IDB loan of $20M USD while at the same time paying penalty fees.

36. Procurement of drugs and medical supplies, in breach of procurement laws.

37. Consistent and on-going violations of the Procurement Act, financial rules and the Fiscal Management and Enactment Act are pervasive. The most recent examples were exposed during the August 3, 2017 debate with regard to funds for the State Assets Recovery Agency and constitutional bodies including the Public Procurement Commission and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

24

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office

38. The on-going saga of the Durban Jubilee Park. It is estimated that expenditure has reached $1.5 B. Auditor General Deodat Sharma aims to wrap up his special audit into the controversial Durban Park Project before the end of the year even if he does not receive certain financial records which appear to be missing. Mired in controversy, millions more are being spent in preparation for the flag raising ceremony to mark Independence.

39. Contract for CCTV cameras for the Ministry of the Presidency- not delivered and paid for since 2015. The company has been declared bankrupt. So where is the taxpayers’ money?

40. Purchase of the Prime Minister’s SUV- bullet proof, latest model, extraordinary extravagance for a poor developing country. Noticeable is the acquisition of a fleet of new vehicles for every Minister yet many have not been budgeted for in the annual budgets.

41. Secret COI targeting constitutional rights commissions, in particular the Public Service Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission. This is a form of intimidation. No report available.

42. President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt police promotions in contravention of the constitution.

43. The COI into the Police with regard to the way it investigated the intention or plot to assassinate the President. The real plot behind this move appears to be the decapitation of the Guyana Police Force leadership. The President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt these promotions appears to give credence to this theory.

44. The Georgetown Prison Camp Street Jailbreak and fire on July 9, 2017 and the Lusignan escapees coming after the March 2016 riots and fire that lead to 17 inmates being burnt to death. The COI of the March 2016 prison disturbances and fire has been kept secret but more evidence coming to light indicate that the government did not act on those recom-

mendations, including the establishment of a multi-agency multi-sectoral body being appointed by the President to implement the recommendations. Budgetary allocations for the Prisons, especially capital works to increase the inmate accommodation at the Mazaruni Prison in the 2016 budget was unspent and rolled over to 2017 and as of July 2017 these works are still not complete. The new request for $753M appropriated in Parliament on August 3 2017 cannot account for $ 153 M requested.

45. The Amendments to the Broadcasting Act passed in the National Assembly by the one seat majority government are an infringement on the f r e e dom of expression and freedom of the press. Despite public appeals to the President by reputable international organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute as well as denunciations by the Guyana Press Association, private sector, broadcasters, civil society, and the Parliamentary Opposition, the President as of August 17, 2017 denied requests to defer his assent and hold consultations.

46. The Commission of Inquiry into Lands – communal, joint and individual lands and any other lands – with specific focus on Amerindian land titling and land of Freed Africans.

There was no prior consultation with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) or any Amerindian communities on the establishment of this COI. The NTC, five Amerindian non-governmental organizations and the Parliamentary opposition protested the appointment of this COI as it threatened Amerindian land rights which are enshrined in the constitution and in the Amerindian Act. The Parliamentary Opposition brought a motion in parliament calling on the President to revoke the COI or at least the component which is treating with Amerindian land titling which was defeated by the government’s one seat majority. The government 4 months after it established the COI held its first consultation with the NTC. This COI is a recipe to drive rifts and strife between different ethnic groups

in the country.

47. Repossession of lease and transported lands and property - the revocation of 30 MMA farmers leases by the President, the Central Housing and Planning Authority ( CHPA) repossession of transported houses and land and its CEO’s recent renewed threats to take away land from private developers are all unconstitutional.

The judiciary in early August 2017 ruled that the President’s revocation of the leases of the farmers in the MMA was unconstitutional. In another instance the court issued a conservatory order to prevent the government from seizing and taking possession of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre until case is properly heard.

48. Rental of residences for Ministers- $500,000 each to 2 junior Ministers and one Minister $ 1.5 M. This has been exposed in detail in the media and by members of civil society and the Parliamentary Opposition.

49. The appointment of the Chairman of the GECOM in violation of the constitution and the ruling of the Chief Justice.

50. The US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil placed outside of the Consolidated Fund.

51. Painting state properties in APNU colours.

52. Reduction of constitutional bodies budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 in violation of the 2015 amendment to FMA Act. These scandals, not limited to this list, have been uncovered and expose a level of corruption and discrimination that has not been seen since the Burnham era.

53. GPL and their contract with state created and owned Power Producers Distribution Inc. (PPDI) has inspired questions and raised concerns since GPL’s payments to PPDI are higher than those made to Wartsilla – yet there are unresolved electricity problems, including as it relates to the reliable supply of power.

54. Sole-sourcing of $366.9M in emergency drugs in June 2017 has once again brought

into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health, as documents reveal that a company, HDM Labs was handpicked over three others that went through tendering and were declared to have failed the evaluation process. The company is owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

55. Government has borrowed $30B G from a joint banking and commercial consortium led

by Republic Bank, for GUYSUCO’s remaining estates at 4.75 % interest rates. The members of the consortium are unknown and the terms and conditions of the loan are also unknown.

56. The contract for a foreign company to rebuild Camp St prison was announced by Minister Khemraj Ramjattan during the 2018 Budget debate and media stated that no one tendered, this also remains secret and no funds are allocated in 2018.

57. The PPC completed its investigation and handed its report over on August 7, 2018, to Teixeira, who has written to the PPC on the matter in 2017.

The report noted that several companies bid for the project – to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge – and 12 companies were shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals.

As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered. The project was not re-tendered. Instead a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged by Patterson’s Ministry. The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged.

What is clear, to date, is that the APNU+AFC Coalition government has no regard for the promised transparency and accountability, and is prepared to undermine and even violate the procurement and financial laws of this country, as well as other constitutional provisions and statutory provisions.

25

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

CJ likely to rule on confidence vote by January 31, 2019 T

he Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, having received written submissions in the three cases on the no-confidence motion, began hearing oral arguments in the first of the three cases on Wednesday (January 23, 2019).

And she has committed to trying her very best to deliver a ruling on January 31, 2019 at 13:30 hours.

CASE ONE The results of the vote on the motion of no-confidence, was challenged by Reid, a private citizen, in the High Court on January 4, 2019.

He contends that the vote by former Government Parliamentarian, Charandass Persaud, in support of the Parliamentary Opposition, was invalid because he holds Canadian citizenship.

Reid is being represented by a team of lawyers headed by Senior Counsel Rex McKay. Both Persaud and House

Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, have been named as respondents in the matter.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in his capacity as General Secretary for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), was also added as a respondent in the proceedings. Harmon was represented by Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde, in association with Attorney Stephen Lewis.

The Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, through a team of lawyers, headed

by Nandlall, filed a Notice of Application in the High Court to join court proceedings, filed by Compton Reid, seeking to invalidate the vote on the no-confidence motion. And Acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George, approved the application.

CASE TWO The APNU+AFC Coalition Government moved to the High Court on Jan-

uary 7, 2019 to challenge the validity of the motion of no-confidence – which was passed in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018.

Williams, who approached the High Court, asked for several orders: • One, to enable President David Granger and all his ministers to remain in office; • Two, to stay the enforcement of the no-confidence motion; and • Three, for a for a conservatory order to preserve the status quo ante that the President and all Ministers of the Government remain in office until the hearing and determination of questions surrounding the legality of the vote on the no-confidence motion.

Williams’s call for the orders was based on his argument that the no-confidence motion needed the support of an “absolute majority” of 34 members to

be valid.

The National Assembly has 65 Parliamentarians. In the current configuration, 33 seats are held by the Government and 32 are held by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). On the day of the vote on the motion of no-confidence motion, a Government Parliamentarian, Charandass Persaud, voted with the PPP/C. He argues that the National Assembly comprises 65 members and that, mathematically, half of all the elected members equals 32.5. Accordingly, he says that the figure should then be rounded to the next whole number, being 33, which would now represent half of the elected members and that the majority thereby being a number greater than half means that ‘1’ ought to have been added to the whole number ‘33’ to calculate an absolute majority of 34.

Oral arguments heard in first of three cases on no-confidence motion…

Ram’s lawyers insists that it ‘cannot be business as usual’

V

erbal submissions on the first of three no-confidence motion cases which were filed were heard by the acting Chief Justice Roxane George, were heard in the High Court on Wednesday (January 23, 2018).

Ram, an attorney-at-law and chartered accountant, filed legal proceedings in the High Court on Tuesday (January 8, 2019) to validate the recently passed no confidence motion and have Government comply with constitutional provisions to demit office and call elections no later than March of this year.

His attorney outlined that “business as usual” in Government must end.

In addition to Ramkarran, Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, and former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall made submissions regarding the bid of applicant Ram for Cabinet to resign and have President David Granger call elections with all convenient speed following the passage of the December 21, 2018 no-confidence majority vote.

Nandlall argued that

As such, he said, “The motion of no confidence was not validly passed by 34 or more of all the elected members of the National Assembly….the ruling of the Speaker that the motion was purportedly carried by a majority vote of 33:32 raises concerns of serious national interest and grave and significant constitutional issues that are central to Guyana’s democracy, stability and constitutional ethos and as a consequence, requires the Court’s urgent intervention.”

The action lists Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland, and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, as the respondents in the matter.

CASE THREE The third case was filed

by Christopher Ram, an attorney-at-law and chartered accountant, filed legal proceedings in the High Court on January 8, 2019 to validate the recently passed no confidence motion and have Government comply with constitutional provisions to demit office and call elections no later than March of this year.

Ram is asking to High Court to declare that the President and the Cabinet must resign in keeping with article 106 (6) of Guyana’s Constitution.

He is also asking the

court to declare that the December 21, 2018 vote on the no confidence motion was validly and lawfully passed.

Ram’s legal argument makes it clear that elections must be held no later than March 21 and he is further seeking the court to declare that these proceedings be dealt with urgency.

Ram is being represented by Attorney-at-Law, Kamal Ramkarran, who heads the Guyana Bar Association. The Bar Association has already made clear that the motion of no-confidence against the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was validly passed.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Meanwhile, clause (7) goes on to state that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Magistrate’s Court barred

by High Court... (From page 8) ing costs, general damages, exemplary damages, aggravated damages all amounting to not less than $100,000 and whichever other directions the court views as just.

Government could still continue to function save for the Cabinet, a nucleus of the Executive Government, which should resign. He reiterated that Government would remain in office until a President is sworn in. He disputed the AG’s position that Government deflector Charandass Persaud was a usurper as his previous voting on other matters was accepted since 2015. He reminded that it was the very Government that appointed

the former Member of Parliament, saying that it would have been silent if Persaud voted with Government.

Nandlall, in fact, said that the AG wanted the Judge to go on a “wild goose chase” owing to insufficient arguments, especially regarding the calculation of half plus one argument.

In court, Nandlall said, “Williams is asking Your Honour to go on a wild goose chase because he has nothing to go on; so he has to

make it up as he goes along.”

The no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) against the Government in the National Assembly succeeded when former AFC parliamentarian Persaud voted in favour of the motion.

Ram is asking to High Court to declare that the President and the Cabinet must resign in keeping with article 106 (6) of Guyana’s Constitution.

CHARGES REJECTED Ali has denied the charges levelled against him

by SOCU. He had said, “I deny selling any lands to any persons.

Moreover, assuming arguendo that the facts as alleged in the Charges are true, which is denied, I have been informed by counsel and verily believe that the particulars as contained therein do not amount to any offence known to law, which even if proven, are impossible to yield a conviction

for the offences charged. “…it is an open and notorious fact that I am being actively considered as a presidential candidate for the People’s Progressive Party…and the respondents’ failure to act swiftly and without delay in prosecuting the Charges has caused and is causing me grave and irreversible damage, prejudicing my eligibility.”

Ali is being represented

by Senior Counsel Neil Boston, Anil Nandlall, among other attorneys while the respondents in the matter are Police Commissioner, Leslie James, Chief Magistrate Ann The next hearing in the matter is set for February 5, 2019.

26

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

Man feared dead after Father of one killed execution style by men on motorcycle boat capsizes A

boat captain is now feared to be dead, while three other persons were rescued after the boat in which they were travelling capsized on the Essequibo River on Monday (January 21, 2019).

The missing man has been identified as Junior Benjamin of Fairview Village, Kurupukari, Upper Essequi-

bo River, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

According to reports received, at about 14:00hrs on Monday, the captain along with three other men left Mabura in the boat which subsequently encountered an engine failure during the trip.

At the time of the engine failure, the men who all work at

Mabura, were in the vicinity of Levi Falls heading to the Ewing Backdam. Reports are that after the boat capsized, the three other occupants swam to shore but as they reached the shore they realised that Benjamin was not with them.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Businessman intervenes in domestic row, stabbed to death P

olice say they are investigating the murder of Godfrey Phillip, 48, a contractor/businessman of lot 3028 ‘D’ Field Sophia, East Coast Demerara, which occurred about 23:45h on Sunday at ‘D’ Field Sophia.

According to Police, investigations revealed that

Phillip who also operates a shop at his residence, was in the process of closing the business when the suspect and his reputed wife had an argument that saw Phillip intervening.

The suspect of Pike Street, Sophia, reportedly became enraged, whipped

out a knife and allegedly stabbed Phillip in the abdomen area.

Phillip was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in an unconscious state and was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect who fled the scene is being sought.

Five held by police over illegal weapons, narcotics in separate busts

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in ‘F’ Division (Interior Locations) have arrested five persons following the discovery of grenades, several weapons, and a quantity of narcotics in separate interceptions.

These exercises were carried out by ranks conducting patrols in the Blackwater Creek, Cuyuni River, Essequibo on Wednesday and Thursday, last week. Among the five persons arrested were three Venezuelans and two Guyanese.

The first exercise was on Wednesday, when the ranks intercepted a boat about 13:30h and conducted a search of its occupants.

During the search, ranks unearthed a live 12-gauge cartridge and 271 grams of cannabis in the possession of the 26-year-old Guyanese Captain of Eteringbang Landing.

Meanwhile, about 15:30h on Thursday, the ranks intercepted another boat at Mode Hole, Cuyuni River, and two of the 17 occupants were found in possession of a live grenade each. Later in the day, a third vessel was intercepted around 17:30h and during a search, one of the two occupants who resides at Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) were found in possession of an unlicenced pistol with 11 live matching rounds. Then, later

on Thursday, about 23:30h, the ranks searched a boat at Eteringbang Landing, and found in possession of the 27-year-old Venezuelan Captain, five live rounds of ammunition.

On the other hand, Police ranks in E Division (Linden-Kwakwani), acting on information received, went to a location at Wismar, Linden, and found two and a half acres of cannabis with about 1100 plants measuring six inches to a foot in height, along with a nursery containing about 500 seedlings and a makeshift camp.

The plants and camp were photographed and destroyed by fire, the Police said.

A

young father was shot and killed, execution-style on Tuesday (January 22, 2019) night in the vicinity of the two Brothers Service Station, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The victim, Kelvin Walters, of Eccles Public Road died after he was shot to his face.

The ex-solider, who also worked as a bodyguard for a mining company was shot by one of two men, who rode up on a motorcycle after he reportedly refused to pull his car over into the corner. After being shot, Walters reportedly slammed into the two men on the bike.

Based on reports re-

ceived, the two men fell to the roadway, but hurriedly got up and escaped on foot leaving the motorcycle and a weapon at the scene.

An injured Walters was pulled from his motorcar and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he

was pronounced dead on arrival.

At the time of the shooting incident, his wife and daughter were in the vehicle and sustained minor injuries as a result of the collision.

Investigations are ongoing.

Taxi driver being hunted after attempting to rape school girl A n East Canje, Berbice teenager is now nursing minor injuries after she allegedly jumped out of a hire moving car to escape the sexual advances being made by the driver.

According to reports received, the girl boarded the taxi on Friday (January 18, 2019), with other passengers and sat in the front seat as she was heading home

from school. During the journey, the driver allegedly started sexually assaulting her. At the time, the driver had already dropped off the other passengers. The sexual advances continued against the teenager’s will.

However, as the driver attempted to rip off her uniform, she reportedly opened the door and jumped out.

She sustained minor injuries

as a result.

The victim was picked up by another driver and taken to the Reliance Police Station, where her parents were contacted. The student was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital to receive medical attention.

The Police have launched a manhunt for the driver, who has since gone into hiding.

Man killed in hit and run A

21-year old, an auto body technician, Brian Basdeo, of Grass Field, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara met his demise on Saturday (January 19, 2019) evening following a hit and run on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Reports are that the young man travelled to the Highway to tow another car to his home to get it repaired. The car with the mechanical issue was being towed by another car driven by a friend of the now dead man. As they moved off, the car that was being towed and steered by Basdeo started to make a loud noise. At that

time, Basdeo shouted to his friend ordering him to stop.

They both exited their vehicles to make enquiries.

However, another car pulled up to render assistance and in doing so, they recognised another car approaching them at a fast rate.

Basdeo was reportedly stooping down to conduct checks on the vehicle when

he was struck and pitched several feet into the air. He landed onto the roadway and reportedly died almost immediately.

His friend who attempted to run was also struck by the speeding car which did not stop to render assistance. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was examined and it was disclosed that his left leg was broken several places. He was treated and sent away.

Basdeo was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

Investigations are ongoing.

WEEKEND MIRROR 26-27 JANUARY, 2019

27

PPP/C presidential candidate continues national outreach in Region 10 communities People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) supporters in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) have thrown their support behind presidential candidate Irfaan Ali, who is continuing his countrywide outreach.

Process for selection W of prime ministerial candidate to begin soon

PPP/C Election Strategy approved

W

ith the election of Irfaan Ali as the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, the process of selecting a prime ministerial candidate will receive the attention of the Party’s leadership soon.

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, said, “The Executive Committee will decide how soon we’ll get to that. We’ve already asked activists from across the country to start submitting names for the regional list, the topup list and the geographic list. Because we need to be ready for nomination day, which we believe will be the second week in February…

as you know, we are sticking with a March 19 deadline … that’s it. “…we not only have to initiate the process, which we have done for candidates.

And there are thousands of those. But we also have to swiftly address the issue of the prime ministerial candidate…the prime ministerial candidate will come from the Civic. We still want that… but we have been broadening the Civic. There are thousands of people who want to come in. Some don’t want to be part of a formal Civic.

Some want policy promises.

You will see the quality of the people who are coming

to us and how diverse it is and who will be prominently featured on our campaign platform. So, we have a really good set of people from which we can choose a good prime ministerial candidate.” “…it is for the party’s leadership to decide. A lot of these things are fluid now we had to get past this milestone of the presidential candidate first, which is essential for the process to go forward and so we dealt with that.”

A timeframe within which the issue of the prime ministerial candidate will be addressed has not yet been pronounced on by the Party’s leadership.

ith elections expected before the end of March 2019, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is in full elections mode. And the PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, disclosed that the Party’s elections’ strategy has been cleared by PPP Central Committee.

According to him, the Central Committee met last Saturday (January 19, 2019) and, among other things, considered the election strategy for approval.

He said, “Our elections strategy is confirmed… all of our people have a role to play. Do not be misled. They (APNU+AF Coalition) are trying to play down what they have done…they see the writing on the wall. They are now desperate. “…we are in full preparation mode. We have one chance and we have to use that chance well in the future.

We expect the Party to go into that mode. You will see that being rolled out in the

next few weeks.”

Additionally, work on the compilation of the Party’s list of candidates continues.

In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six (6) of the Geographical Constituencies — totaling at least 13 seats — for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies Lists and National Top-up Lists.

This arrangement will provide for qualified contesting parties to submit, on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates.

Any political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day. Jagdeo stated that work is ongoing to compile all three lists – the national Top Up Lists, the Geographical

Constituencies List and the Regional List.

The lists are to be submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Nomination Day, expected to be in early February – given that elections are expected to be held before the end of March 2019.

The PPP General Secretary disclosed too that the manifesto committee continues to work. “A lot of the promises we have made have already been expounded on…we are looking at jobs, reversing the hardships imposed by the APNU+AFC government, getting the economy going again and involving youths,” he said.

Jagdeo stated that the Party is also welcoming input from civil society and other interested stakeholders in the compilation of the PPP/C manifesto. “We are going on a platform on inclusion… everyone in Guyana must benefit in the future,” Jagdeo said, promising accountability to the Guyanese people.

PPP/C TEAMS ELECTION-READY!

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