Weekend Mirror 13-14 April 2019

13-14 April, 2019 / Vol. 10 No. 68 / Price: $100

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

Relative of applicants seeking Guyanese citizenship confesses that law was not followed

PAGE 11

No response from Lowenfield, legal challenge likely soon PAGE 19

Wide group of Regional stakeholders being engaged by Opposition on local political developments PAGE 20

EU delegation meets with Parliamentary Opposition PAGE 2

SEE INSIDE

GECOM says house-tohouse PAGE 18 registration will begin in June Basil Williams refuses to say how much was paid to Francis Alexis to argue gov’t case in challenge to vote on PAGE 10 no-confidence motion Infighting in AFC for control of Region 6 PAGE 3 RMC results in thirdelection in less than two months

2

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

EU delegation meets with Parliamentary Opposition O

n Tuesday (April 9, 2019), a Delegation

of European Ambassadors along with EU Ambassa-

dor to Guyana His Excellency Jernej Videtic and

UK High Commissioner to Guyana, His Excellency

Gregory Quinn met with a delegation from the Parliamentary Opposition. The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) team included Irfaan Ali, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, MP and Bishop Juan Edghill.

Ali disclosed that governance challenges, including the breaking down of systems in government, transparency and accountability issues, and the use of public funds for political purposes by the APNU+AFC government, were raised during the meeting. According to him, the Parliamentary Opposition had an obligation to update

the delegation on the current state of affairs in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Teixeira explained that during the meeting, while there was a lot of back and forth questioning.

She added that no commitments were made by the members of the delegations, who have to first report back to their respective countries.

The EU delegation includes non-resident ambassadors, who hail from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania and Sweden. They are on a fact-finding mission in Guyana and have met with a number of key stakeholders.

3

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Many questions unanswered about conflict of interest involving Minister Cathy Hughes T

he award of a contract to a Media Company owned by Minister of Public Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes, which was exposed this week, is still shrouded by unanswered questions.

The company, Videomega Productions, received a contract to provide sample work to the Department of Energy for a massive $832,200.

The apparent conflict

of interest was addressed

by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, is a widely circulated recorded interview.

It was only after Teixeira’s disclosure that the Minister of Telecommunications responded. Minister Cathy Hughes. She said: “I was completely unaware of the award of any contract to Videomega Productions. In May 2015 upon my assump-

tion of the role of Minister of Tourism I relinquished any involvement in the day to day running of Videomega Productions.”

However, according to the company’s website, Hughes is listed as the company’s Managing Director.

Also, relative to her comment about relinquishing involvement in the operations of Videomega Productions, at the Caribbean

Broadcasting Union conference in the Bahamas, August 2017, Minister Hughes was touting the company’s work.

Observers contends that there are several questions that must be answered, including: 1. What process did the Department of Energy use to engage companies for this public awareness campaign?

2. Can the Department of Energy name all the other companies that submitted samples and what are the costs of those samples? Did Guyanese taxpayers pay almost $1million to other companies for the provision of sample work?

3. Was Videomega Productions engaged because the company is owned by a Cabinet Minister?

4. Can Minister Cathy Hughes

please say how many contracts Videomega production was awarded since 2015?

And how the contracts were won?

5. Does the Minister still collect a profit from Videomega Productions?

Additionally, it is also unclear if she declared the company to the Integrity Commission. The Integrity Commission holds confidential the declarations received.

Housing Minister dodges questions about conflict of interest involving contracts given to her husband C

hief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) Lelon Saul has admitted that the issuance of contracts to Godfrey Yearwood, the husband of Housing Minister Valerie Adams-Yearwood, should be reviewed since a conflict of interest exists.

He said, “I believe Mr Yearwood was contracted to build some units, about five houses specifically one duplex, two elevated houses and two flat houses sometime in 2017.

The project was launched in June 2017, two months before the Minister married the contractor on August 16, 2017. It is not clear if the contract with Yearwood was signed before or after his marriage to the minister.

The Minister married Godfrey Yearwood on August 16, 2017, at her residence in Bel Air Gardens, Georgetown.

Last week, concerns about possible conflict of interest in the Ministry of Communities, specifically in the Housing sector, as well as the dismissal of complaints were addressed by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. During his Wednesday (April 3, 2019) news conference, he explained that the husband of Minister of Housing, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood, has benefited from government contracts – hence the conflict of interest concerns.

The dismissal of complains relates to a documented case where Patterson-Yearwood’s husband sub-contracted out

works he was engaged to complete and failed to pay his sub-contractors.

Referring to letters from one of the sub-contractors, based on the East Coast of Demerara, Jagdeo noted that President David Granger was written to four times – in May 2018, June 2018, October 2018 and again in March 2019. “All he received was an acknowledgment….until now nothing has happened… this is what we get from this government…this is an ordinary contractor who is facing hardships,” he said.

Notably, Saul acknowledged that a sub-contractor had complained to the CH&PA that Yearwood had failed to pay him for works completed. “A complaint was lodged at the ministry sometime last year (and)

we would’ve called in both parties and we advised them to settle the issue,” he said.

The Minister, herself, who has responsibility for housing and direct supervision of the CH&PA, has

declined to respond to questions about a conflict of interest. She, however, has admitted that her husband has a contract under a special housing programme being carried out by the Central

Planning Authority. She also admitted that he has direct oversight for the programme.

“It’s one contract; I think it’s for two buildings….I am not too au fait with the details,” Patterson-Yearwood said.

Infighting in AFC for control of Region 6 RMC results in third election in less than two months A

fter a few Alliance for Change members in Berbice expressed their displeasure with the way the recent Regional Management Committee (RMC) elections have been held, a third election was held two days ago.

It resulted in a new RMC Chairman, Subash Orilall, being voted in.

However, questions are still lingering since this election was done with less than half of the registered members of the party. On the previous elections 72 members took part in the voting process.

In the latter part of March, infighting in the Alliance For Change, relative to control of the Party’s Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) Management Committee (RMC) saw chaos ensuing, as well an alleged altercation that resulted in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) being called in.

On Saturday (March 23, 2019), General Secretary of the AFC, Marlon Williams, met with executive members of the recently elected Regional Management Committee (RMC) to inform them that a new RMC elec-

tions will be held.

The RMC Executives include: Linden Jones; Donna Mathoo; Gobin Harbhajan; Kumar Bridgelall; Camilie Cox; George Stanley; Raynard Ward; Mavis Nagamootoo; and Terrence Moore. They were elected after a March 17, 2019 meeting that was held at the St Francis Community Developers building at Port Mourant. The Returning Officer was Audwin Rutherford who is also a Member of Parliament and the national observer was Joel Edmond who is a member of the

AFC’s National Executive.

The March 17, 2019 meeting was the second in two months.

The first election was held on February 17 at Khemraj Ramjattan’s residence at Number 47 Village, Corentyne. At that election, Subash Orelall was appointed as Chairman and Devin Sookraj as the Vice-Chairman. The Returning Officer for that proceeding was Derrick Basdeo, the AFC’s National Executive Member representing the diaspora.

Basdeo reportedly told the February 17, 2019 meeting

attendees that he was sent by the NEC to facilitate the Election. However, days later, the AFC General Secretary disclosed that Basdeo was never mandated to hold any elections.

That disclosure led to a new meeting and a new election on March 17, 2019.

Now, reports are that the March 17, 2019 election did not produce the ‘expected’ results. As such, on March 23, 2019, the AFC General Secretary called for new elections.

Williams’ announcement to hold new elections did

not go down well with some members and as such, the meeting turned into a turmoil. Reports are that the newly-elected RMC Chairman, Linden Jones, reportedly armed himself with a piece of wood and advanced towards some of the other members. The incident led to Basdeo filing a complaint against Jones at the Central Police Station at New Amsterdam.

The infighting comes at a time when the AFC is preparing for its National Congress, which is scheduled for later this month.

4

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Guyana’s Human Trafficking with a political agenda, full scale investigation by IOM and other agencies needed Dear Editor,

T

he recent exposure by the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Mr. B. Jagdeo, at his weekly press conference on April 3, 2019 of what he believes to be a “people smuggling racket” in the Ministry of Citizenship aimed at inserting the names of foreigners into the voting list should come as no surprise.

An overwhelming pattern has been emerging over the last year of ‘human trafficking with a political agenda’ and this requires a full scale investigation by the media, the IOM and other regional and international agencies that monitor human trafficking.

Mr. Jagdeo’s recent statement was backed up by a sample from a number of advertisements published in the state newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle, of persons applying for Naturalization in Guyana with the Ministry of Citizenship.

He observed that there were two ads with the photograph of the same person at different addresses, one in Lethem and one in Kitty, on March 27 and 29th 2019. The actual applicant, who lives in Lethem and who is known, is correctly portrayed in an ad on February 22, 2019.

In another two ads the photograph of another person appears with different names and addresses on February 5th and February 7th, 2019. Four mistakes such as these may seem insignificant but they do send up red flags for attention.

On investigating the ads for 2019 further, another two applicants have only lived in Guyana for a year and therefore are not eligible for citizenship, which requires five years consecutive residency. In addition, one of these same person’s name is different than in the ad.

This is not the first case we have encountered with persons obtaining Guyanese citi-

zenship who have not been resident here for the required time. In September last year, a non-national entered Guyana and was granted a Guyanese passport with a Guyanese name in the same month they landed even though their maiden and married names are completely different.

However, these concerns with regards to a political agenda behind a large human trafficking ring are not new. In fact, this issue has been on the radar of the Parliamentary Opposition since January 2018.

Over a year ago, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Affairs, which I chaired, discussed the issue of Foreign Nationals and concerns regarding Human trafficking, particularly, of Haitians. On February 26, 2018, the Committee wrote Minister Winston Felix, requesting information on the number of Haitians entering and departing Guyana over the last 5 years. After many reminders, Minister Felix on May 8 and May 23, 2018 provided information of the arrivals and departures for the years 2013- 2018 (April) of Foreign Nationals of China, Brazil, India, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Bangladesh. The Minister on July 20, 2018 provided information on arrivals and departures of CARICOM Nationals and other nationalities which did not show the same disparities between arrivals and departures as the May 2018 data.

On May 31, 2018, the Parliamentary Opposition Leader at his press conference of May 31, 2018, stated that “false documents, including birth certificates and passports, are being sold for US$6,000 per person and the illegality is being facilitated by the Ministry of Citizenship.” He further added that: “We have said that we are aware that Haitians are trafficked through Guyana, that is supported by the government…the evidence is that often groups are met airside at the CJIA by govern-

ment officials.”

I also wrote a letter to the Editor on June 14, 2018 headlined ‘State sponsored Human Trafficking in Guyana?’ and this was published in several newspapers. My letter used the data provided by the Minister of Citizenship for the years 2013-2018 (April) to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations. This information revealed that the years 2016 and 2017 showed the highest upsurge in the numbers of arrivals of several nationalities. Most alarming these figures revealed that the presence of 5,485 Haitians and 17,615 Cubans in 2018 could not be accounted for. This is a significant number of unaccounted people, speaking different languages, who represented 3% of the population.

These are rather serious indications of human trafficking on a large scale and its connection to the provision of Guyana identity documents (and in some cases creation of new identities) to the victims as part of their “safe passage” through Guyana, should have set off alarm bells. In fact, there were concerns that these new Guyanese identities could be used for registration of voters with the intent of padding the electoral list which seemed to have been dismissed.

This information emerged at the same time a new cycle of continuous registration was in progress and which ended on July 8, 2018. Yet none of this information triggered the media and the relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Citizenship, Guyana Registry, and, the Guyana Police Force to investigate.

Based on this information, it does not appear to be a mere coincidence that in April 2018, Minister Amna Ally, General Secretary of the People’s National Congress (PNC), called for a new House to House registration Minister Felix finally appeared before the Committee in the presence of the media on August 9, 2018. The Minister in response to

a series of prepared questions from the Committee emphatically said: “What you can see is not great disparities between the arrivals and departures…one thing I will assure is that you will not find Cubans neither would you find Haitians, they are not there…all that they do is come to Guyana and we are assuming that they leaving back track for Cayenne. I can assure you of that…we know where the Brazilians are, we know where the Cubans are but no one can tell me they know where the Haitians are.” He assured the Committee that “…we have not suspected any trafficking of Haitians in Guyana, through Guyana, or whatever. Not Haitians. At least up to this point of reporting, so far, zero.”

On the issue of special treatment at airside of the CJIA for Haitian arrivals, Minister said he needed evidence from the Opposition.

Despite the Minister’s denial one company employed by the Georgetown Hospital buses its employees, majority are Haitians, every day to work. Between the months of October 2018 to March 2019, some 3,800 Haitians landed in Guyana on COPA Airlines.

One may wish to remember that Minister Felix was summoned to appear before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations in 2016 to answer a number of queries: 1. With regard to the reasons for the refusal of entry of 168 CARICOM nationals (2015-2016); and 2. The role his new Ministry of Citizenship which is now responsible for Immigration plays with regards to the statutory Immigration responsibilities of the Guyana Police Force and its investigative role.

Minister Felix is in direct control of Immigration, GRO, Passport Office and the granting of citizenship—an interesting and convenient combination. However, for the (Turn to page 5)

5

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

APNU + AFC government’s bad policies, programs and practices make up very long list

More must be done in quest for a democratic P and prosperous Guyana

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

T

he decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to proceed with houseto-house registration despite strong objections from the Opposition-nominated Commissioners is most unfortunate and does not augur well in terms of the capacity of GECOM to deliver credible elections in a timely matter.

The constant walk-outs from GECOM meetings by opposition-nominated Commissioners bring back memories of the pre-1992 period when GECOM was a willing tool of the then PNC regime. Commissioners representing the PPP were forced to walk out from meetings on matters which were patently biased, such as the refusal to count votes at the place of poll and on the issue of overseas voters, among others.

Why the need for a new Voters’ List involving billions of dollars when the technology is available to sanitize the list and prevent multiple voting? Why is it that the Continuous Registration process is not utilized to update the List of Electors and bring in all eligible voters? Is the insistence on a new Voters’ List based on house-to-house registration another ploy to delay elections beyond the due constitutional deadline?

Guyanese are eagerly awaiting the CCJ ruling on the matter of the no-confidence

vote, but whatever the ruling, the imperative of timely and credible elections remains a national imperative.

The credibility of GECOM is once again on trial. Its inability to reach consensus on fundamental issues that will impact on free and fair elections is at best worrying.

Given the failure of GECOM to reach consensus on fundamental issues, an oversight mechanism should established at GECOM involving representatives from the United Nations to assist in arriving at consensus on fundamental issues pertaining to electoral fairness. The presence of a politically neutral oversight body at GECOM could also help to boost confidence levels in the electoral processes.

The credibility and integrity of the electoral process in Guyana is a necessary ingredient for political, economic and social stability which is so necessary at this time. We are soon to experience the dawn of a new day in our economic life, thanks to oil and gas which could have a transformative impact on the country and its citizens.

It is time for us to do the right things in our quest for a democratic and prosperous Guyana.

Sincerely, Hydar Ally

ermit me space to voice my disagreement with letter writers and commentators, whether on social media, discussion forums or the print media who argue that the APNU + AFC government has not hindered businesses and caused uncertainties in the business environment.

In reality, gov’t’s policies, programs and practices over the last three to four years have stymied progress among existing businesses. There have been a number of obstacles and uncertainties forged by the APNU + AFC government.

First they mismanaged the economy through bad policies that saw the loss of over 30,000 jobs in the private sector. The loss of jobs meant that people have no income or less disposable income which in turn, has led to reduced spending by those affected, not to mention, the impact of increasing GWI and GPL costs on pensioners.

Second, their lack of support for the rice industry through either inadequate knowledge of the role of rice production in the national economy as a foreign reserve earner and job creator or a deliberate ploy to disrupt/destroy the rice farmers/sector.

Many small rice farmers suffered losses in revenue, especially when the foreign markets dried up, and some are still to be paid for their paddy from previous crops.

Third, the shutting down of the housing drive (until the recent frantic political gimmick which is yet to bear meaningful fruit for those who participated) disrupted

a chain of economic events. This closure, along with the closing/scaling down of the logging operations, has had a huge negative impact on the economy in terms of job loss and spending power.

For example, the sawmilling industry has had to lay off up to 60 percent of their workers due to the drastic fall in demand for wood and wood products. Concomitantly, many businesses saw a huge fall in sales for their building/construction-related products.

As a final point in this letter, revenue-garnering institutions have attempted to squeeze out taxes from declining businesses affected by bad gov’t policies. They refused to accept that revenue/earnings for these private sector entities have fallen to extremities, and continued to demand taxes based on earlier periods of high gains.

In fact, there was a joke on the street, the gist of which was the GRA would tax you as a street vendor if they found you coming from the laundromat with several newly-washed shirts.

In essence, this inexhaustible sample of the APNU + AFC government’s bad policies, programs and practices over the last few years showed some of obstacles and uncertainties which have stymied economic/financial progress among businesses. It is, therefore, difficult to fathom the arguments of those who hold steadfastly to the false view that the gov’t has not engendered uncertainties in the business sector.

Yours faithfully, Ronald Singh

Guyana’s Human Trafficking with a...

Guyana Police Force it has two masters it must report to and take instructions from- the Minister of Citizenship and the Minister of Public Security. It is therefore no surprise that the concerns regarding a human trafficking ring with the involvement of government officials have yielded no results.

When asked about the difference between the treatment of CARICOM nationals in 2016 and CARICOM nationals and other nationalities in 2018, the Minister merely said “the policy had changed.”

During the Budget debate, the Minister informed the House that the digitization of the GRO records had commenced and they had three million transactions thus far and that the GRO had ordered 300,000 birth certificates. In the case of the former, the issue of the integrity of the system and who is in charge of the system are critical to ensure that it is tamper proof since false data or “mistakes such as the Guyana Chronicle ads” can be inputted into the system, which can then be used

to give false identification to individuals both Guyanese and foreigners. If one were to input data for the last 100 years-births, deaths and marriages- one could estimate approximately 2.8 – 3 million records. But this is not the time period that is being inputted. In the case of the latter, since one does not know how many birth certificates are issued each year, but, assuming that each person applying for their birth certificate requests 3 copies, then 100,000 birth certificates would be issued.

If all the births in 2019 are issued their birth certificates coupled with those who request copies as these maybe lost or they never one, it is hard to conceive of 100,000 persons being issued birth certificates.

Therefore it should come as no surprise that concerns with regards to ads in the newspapers for applicants for Guyanese naturalization also came under scrutiny. Compounding this is the fact that birth certificates are also being given out at PNC “green” events in the presence of GRO staff.

In the light of the GECOM Chairman and government-appointed members refusal to comply with the article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution of preparing to hold elections within three months, and, instead bull-dozing their way for a House to House registration in order to “sanitise” the voters list- a list used in November 12th 2018 which the government nor any political party had any complaints-one cannot but be suspicious of the Government’s agenda to delay elections as long as possible.

The government’s objective to have House to House registration was part of the plan since 2018 in order to prepare for the scheduled 2020 General and Regional Elections.

This would allow for a new voters’ list which would include thousands of false identities and “new citizens”, many of whom would not have been eligible due to the 5 year residency requirement, while at same time disenfranchising Guyanese who were out of the country for more than three months.

The passage of the no confidence Motion

(From page 4)

put a “spoke in the wheel.” Nevertheless, the government and GECOM continue to relentlessly and hurriedly move forward to commence a House to House registration despite the appeal before the Caribbean Court of Justice. Interesting that such speed was not shown in complying with the 90 day requirement for elections by March 21, 2019!

We may not have conclusive evidence, but all these events, information and data point to an overwhelming pattern which requires a full scale investigation.

We welcome and want all people, regardless of their nationality, to love our country and be happy to make their home here. However, we cannot stand by silently when information keeps emerging that point to human trafficking of a significant level in which the victims are being exploited to serve a political agenda.

Sincerely Gail Teixeira

6

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

GECOM’s Chief Elections Office must rid himself of what is clearly a fraudulent scheme

APNU+AFC gov’t busy commissioning old things W while still ignoring people

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

B

oth Ministers in the Ministry of Public Health ventured away from their air-conditioned, plush offices on Brickdam and traveled to Region 6 last week, pretending they were there to commission significant upgrading of the health sector. In the aftermath of the December 21st No-Confidence Motion, APNU+AFC has embarked on a desperate charade, a "circus", to demonstrate they care for the people. After four years of total neglect, after four years of bourgeoisie-style and elitist government, the NCM woke them up. Just a few days ago, they stepped out of their castles into their front lawn at the Square of the Revolution, a mere one to two minutes walk, for a circus deemed "bringing government to the people", never mind the people had to travel to see the Ministers in the Ministers' front lawn. After that circus failed, the Ministers are desperately seeking some other way, any other way, to fool the people.

It is this desperation that brought the two Ministers in the Ministry of Public Health to Region 6. If the Square of the Revolution fiasco was the "biggest circus ever" in Guyana, the foolishness of this rare Region 6 visit by the Ministers was, simultaneously, farcical, disgusting and insulting. While the Ministers were present in Region 6, the whole area from Fyrish Village to Bloomfield was out of any potable water service from GWI. Thousands of families were exposed to major inconvenience, facing a serious public health threat.

Neither Minister showed any concern, providing no evidence they care an iota for these Guyanese sisters and brothers, for the thousands of Guyanese children living there. Sadly, a young woman in Williamburg, a small community about 5 minutes drive from the Port Mourant Hospital, was brutally murdered by her husband and neither Minister found it necessary to visit the family or address the out-of-control domestic violence against women and girls. Even as that tragedy was playing out, workers from the Albion Sugar Estates were on strike, their families further burdened, but neither Minister engaged them.

While savoring the idea of an appreciation dinner in their honor, the two Ministers went to New Amsterdam Hospital, totally ignoring the shame that the mortuary at New Amsterdam Hospital is closed and families who are already traumatized by the death of their family members must pay to use private mortuary services. The Ministers ignored also that just within the last two weeks, residents in Region 6 have been protesting poor services at the Hospital and the high-handed behavior of the present CEO. The Ministers pretended that nothing was wrong at the hospital, ignoring questions surrounding maternal and

child deaths at the hospital and the chronic medicine and medical supplies shortages. But the Ministers were gleeful that there was an appreciation dinner on their behalf.

Besides the local health officials prostrating themselves on the feet of the Ministers at their appreciation dinner, the two Ministers, pretending they brought profound new and improved health services, went and commissioned a refurbished kitchen at the New Amsterdam Hospital. After neglecting maintenance for the kitchen and after millions of dollars of questionable spending at the hospital, two ministers showed up to boast of a refurbished kitchen as a big health achievement for APNU+AFC and as an important upgrade of the health sector for Regions 6 and 5. The kitchen, of course, is important for the hospital. But the refurbishment would not have been necessary had they maintained the kitchen, rather than the total neglect since May 2015. In the meanwhile, the Ministers ignored that a High-Dependency Unit was constructed, but remained unused because it was constructed in the wrong place. It is a shame, an absolute disgrace.

The Ministers went to Port Mourant Hospital to re-commission the Port Mourant Ophthalmology Hospital. This important hospital has been dormant, literally closed soon after the May 2015 elections. After four years of ignoring the Ophthalmology Hospital, the Ministers, like Knights in Shining Armors, showed up to re-commission the hospital.

They failed to announce that the hospital still will not resume its main function, provide eye surgeries, like cataract surgeries. They did announce an outreach eye care team from the US military will be using the facility to perform some eye surgeries. This US military medical outreach has existed for almost two decades, it is an important and successful outreach program, but this does not solve the problem of a once successful hospital being virtually closed for almost four years now.

What were they commissioning?

This kind of comedic behavior is shameful. It is disgusting that taxpayers money is being used in such a wasteful manner, for a show. The Ministers' outreach insult has not escaped the people. They see it for what it is - a farce, disgusting and insulting. The people are not fooled. Their eyes are wide open and they are waiting impatiently for the elections because more than 80% of Region 6 cannot wait to register their rejection of these Ministers and APNU+AFC. The Ministers may be able to parade, in a charade of power, but the people have a simple X that is far more powerful than anything APNU+AFC has.

Regards, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

e the people, through our legitimate representative the PPP/C, are saying no to house-to-house “elections”, did I say house-to-house elections? Yes, I did and that was not a mistake, it was a deliberate statement. The details of what I said earlier will be explained later in my discourse. We vehemently reject any skulduggery whatsoever.

Only a free and fair process which rules out the house-to-house GECOM is promoting.

The house-to-house so-called registration is not to add those who have reached the age of 18 years and are now eligible to vote, far from it, this exercise is to verify an already padded voters’ list. That list has the names of persons who are all non-nationals, but persons who are nonetheless in receipt of a Guyana Identification card thus making them eligible to vote at the upcoming elections.

Information coming to hand is that there are a number of persons with fake ID’s who are to be placed on a voters’ list in preparation for Election Day. And here is how they plan to do it: Persons of the likes of Haitians and Venezuelans, even persons from faraway places like Ghana, are in receipt of Guyana ID cards with Guyanese names. Some of these persons cannot speak a word of English, nor are they familiar with the geographical location of the place they were told that they were born.

Nevertheless, they are persons who have been afforded the title of having been domiciled here in Guyana and are eligible to vote.

So, the house-to-house is a plan to re-register them in an area which is – as in the case of a Haitian I befriended – more “friendly” to their cause and in a place where their racial composition would not be called into question.

The house-to-house is to “perfect” or update the list, to match what would be declared on Election Day if a recount is so ordered.

Seeing that the PNC is not too au fait with figures, they are trying their utmost to get the numbers to match.

This is a seemingly airtight plan of theirs but information that is in our possession makes us all the more knowledgeable and more resolute to disappoint them. We would be blocking this avenue ever manifesting itself in a botched election victory for the fraudsters.

Now, those in Government circles would want to dismiss this as another Opposition propaganda attempt to derail the house-tohouse programme. But I ask them to take a

walk around Georgetown and speak to persons at random, you would get the shocking reality as to what I am talking about.

In another instance, some of the foreigners are already boldly using their fake identification to transact business. Fantastic! Some of the foreigners are so clumsy that they are utilising their ID to gain employment in some of those security services who underpay their workers. I say no more.

The next election is earmarked for a massive fraud as one PNC supporter puts it.

The PPP/C is in for a “great surprise” next election. That surprise is a one seat election victory for his party. He further asserted, “Is you all who want election … well is election you all gon get don’t be surprise”. So, there you have it, they have let the cat out of the bag, they have given their party’s plan away.

In all of this, I think the Chief Elections Officer is aware of the plan, he cannot feign ignorance of the fact because much of what I said is taking place right under his nose in Georgetown. It is the most talked about topic in the city so how can he say that he is not knowledgeable of it?

In any case, if he so claims ignorance of the fact then from henceforth he is put on high alert of this well thought out scheme and should make every effort to rectify it before it is too late.

I still think Lowenfield is redeemable because he is not too comfortable with the plan, he sees jail time awaiting them if that scheme is not abandoned. But others of the conspiracy are adamant that the plan will work. After all, they must do something for “their boy,” come what may we must push for that one-seat majority win again.

I call on Lowenfield to come clean and adhere to the Opposition’s call for a no houseto-house registration and go along with a clean voters’ list. The people would not be kind to you if you deny them the right to choose who governs them, they would call for the severest of penalties for the lawbreakers.

The people of Guyana would be asking for the head of those who denied them the right to choose their own Government.

I call on Mr Lowenfield to rid himself of this fraudulent scheme because at the end of the day the buck falls on him. You would have to face the music as the one who supervised a fraud committed on the Guyanese people. It is not too late to come clean on these actions sir.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Thorough investigation needed into Citizenship Department Dear Editor,

T

he alacrity with which the Department of Citizenship has responded to revelations of incorrect and therefore fraudulent notices of application for naturalisation as Guyanese citizens is surprising. Anyone who has had any dealing or transaction with any Government agency in our country knows of the sloth; it is legendary, a bureaucratic labyrinth from which it is painful to extract information and answers for any purpose.

The responses are themselves informative for what they say, as well as what is left out.

“The Ministry would like to make it pellucid that all of the processes that the Department of Citizenship applies to applications for citizenship are enshrined in the Laws of Guyana – the Guyana Citizenship Act 1401”, and Minister Felix “requires the applicant for naturalisation to publish their applications for naturalisation in one of the daily newspapers.

The department has nothing to do with what appears in the newspapers. If an error occurs in the publication, that is a problem for the newspapers and the applicant. They have to sort that out and clear up any error that may (Turn to page 19)

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

PPP/C has outlined a clear plan to remedy our existing economic framework Dear Editor,

P

lease permit me to respond to an article headlined ‘Irfaan Ali has selected two of the worst planks on which to walk’, which was published in a section of the media on April 8, 2019. In the letter, the writer raised a valid point on the possibility of the creation of 50,000 new jobs.

However, I beg to differ that such a figure is no nowhere close to an exaggeration. First, I would like to remind the writer that it is of public knowledge that the APNU/AFC Government, since taking office, is responsible for the extirpation of over 30,000 jobs. And in the interest of refreshing the minds of our readers, the composition of such a figure includes the direct dismissal of over 7000 sugar workers, 1974 Amerindian CSOs, hundreds of miners and loggers, and even some of our public servants. Indirectly, when accounted for the spinoff effect, the total number of jobs lost easily exceeds the 30,000 estimates. And note also, this figure was also cited in the 2014-17 Global Human Capital Index Report on Guyana.

REINSTATING 30,000 JOBS Hence, these jobs could be easily reinstated with a few policy adjustments such as repeal all 200 tax measures, re-opening of the sugar industries, tax optimisation, expansion of the housing drive, FD special incentives, and other forms of quantitative easing such as increased liquidation of our commercial banks. Essentially, the 30,000 job losses could be reinstated by simply remedying all incoherent policies implemented by the APNU/

AFC Government. In the interest of space, I will not dwell on the corollaries of such policies and since it is also well articulated in the media. Now, before I examine the origin of the remaining 20,000 jobs, I would first like to shed some light on our economy.

JOB LOSSES AND DETERIORATING ECONOMY Overall, the impact of the 30,000 job losses is evident in the deterioration of our economic structure. Starting with the manufacturing sector, in the 2018 mid-year report, it has been reported that our manufacturing sector contracted by over 3.7 per cent or $23.6 billion. What this tells us is that our value-added production is on the decline. And given the composition of our manufacturing sector, we are essentially referring here to the rice millers, sugar estates, lumber yards etc, industries that are directly engaged in the production of value-added. Hence, it now becomes clear that since the output level of the manufacturing sector is on the decline in tandem with its share of total employment, then inevitably, our economy is actually de-industrialising, an outcome that would see Guyana losing out on the opportunity of using manufacturing as an “engine of growth”.

Now, given our soon to be oil-driven economy, such predisposition could become one of our greatest impediments towards a mature and successful service-driven economy. In the long run, our economic structure could further deteriorate since a relatively small and weak manufacturing sector will become prone to crowding out. The theory in short and is as follows: increased spending in the

non-tradable sector (service) would lead to an appreciation of value relative to the tradable sector (manufacturing). As prices increase, such as wages, under the assumption that the elasticity of labour substitution is less than unity, workers would move to the non-tradable sector. In layman terms, we could see, for eg, a labour choosing to drive taxi over cultivating rice. In the long run, our over-reliance will increase on oil in tandem with the import of foodstuff.

Apropos to our balance of payment at the end of 2018, a deficit in excess of US$189 million or 239 per cent has been recorded when compared to 2017, in tandem with US$463 million or 97 per cent more when compared to 2017. Such an outcome has been furthered exacerbated by the mere fact that in excess of US$104 million was utilised from our Net Foreign Reserve in 2018 to service our debts, taking the revised balance to a mere US$240 million or 40 per cent less when compared to 2014. Other noticeable declines, when compared to 2017, include that of export by more than US$48 million and public enterprises and Bank of Guyana revenue by more than $3.3 billion and $1.8 billion respectively. There is a slew of other indicators that could be provided but in the interest of space, I will also stick to the aforementioned. Hence, essentially what is being conveyed is that there is ample evidence of gross underperformance of our economy.

And given our existing economic trajectory, our oil windfall might be more of a curse than a blessing. In order to mitigate such, urgent steps must be taken in order to remedy our existing economic framework. An outcome that is not impossible, but requires fiscal discipline, which unfortunately this Administration doesn’t seem to possess.

GETTING TO 50,000 JOBS The other part that I would like to quickly touch on, is how the remaining 20,000 jobs will be created. To understand how such a plan would unfold, I would like to bring to your attention a few areas of wasteful spending. First, the combined increase of the 2019 recurrent expenditure is more than $19 billion. In other words, expenditure on drugs, rental of buildings, security, celebration etc. in 2019 is expected to increase by $19 billion.

Moreover, our traditional sectors such as rice, sugar, bauxite, gold and forestry, since 2014

we have lost in excess of $58 billion or 13 per cent of our 2019 GDP when adjusted for inflation. What this means is that in addition to gross underperformance, there is a lot of economic slack within our economy. Essentially, a large share of our resources, both human and capital, lay idle. Now, if you look at the amount of revenue we have lost, and note, I have conveniently omitted to account for the increase in taxation, the figure easily surpasses $78 billion. That is additional funds we could easily amass by simply pursuing the coherent policies. And note, our economy could accommodate a massive increase in expenditure without fear of overheating because of the existing economic slack. Macroeconomic prudential coupled with strategic investments and policies geared at enticing private investment and consumption are more than capable of delivering in excess of 20,000 jobs. The housing drive alone, which is one of Irfaan’s specialties, will deliver a sizable amount of jobs. This has been done and is well within the grasp of re-executing.

In relation to foreign direct investment, it is public knowledge that the PPP had plans, as enshrined in their 2015 manifesto, to set up a free-trade zone, and undertake massive infrastructural and transformational projects such as the Linden/Lethem road and the speciality hospital project. In the business sector cheap credit, which again could be easily attained by simply increasing GoG deposits in our commercial banks, investment and expansion could further be spurred. Such an outcome would favour our business sector, and business once again would flourish in tandem with disposable income from the creation of the new jobs. Hence, given the massive level of underemployment and idle capital, which is an indisputable claim, Guyana is capable to absorb a huge increase in investment. And note, we are yet to account for the oil windfall and astute local content policy that would ensure our nation fully benefits from its oil endowment. Thus, the forward and backward linkages that would ensue, including the spillover effect to other industries and sectors, will push the number of jobs well above 50,000!

It is a pity that a majority of us are still oblivious, I would like to assume, of this vision.

Sincerely, T. Issacs

The PPP/C has produced a comprehensive plan for job creation Dear Editor,

T

he prospect of the creation of 50,000 jobs as envisioned and articulated by PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali seems to have generated a high-voltage shock to the APNU/AFC apparatchiks. The Granger Administration that has (so far) caused over 30,000 to lose their jobs and who boasts of creating 126 new jobs in four years is understandably flummoxed. Their views were championed by the re-migrant Chairman of the Guyana Gold Board, Gabriel Lall, in his missive to the newspapers (April 8, 2019).

Lall, who came to prominence in Guyana (his prominence elsewhere is unknown) via an anti-corruption platform which he mounted to criticise the PPP Administration but swiftly dismounted rather ignominiously since his political appointment with the Gold Board. GHK Lall has not made a mention of the corruption scandals that break the surface of the bog within which he stands. He never heard of the drug bond, the D’Urban Park missing $600 million, indeed Ministers do not grant contracts

to their husbands or collect monies on his (husband) behalf at her Ministries in GHK’s new world, one where a curve in the bush is worth $83 million in the hand. Delusion, like its twin, ignorance, must be bliss.

Lall casts aspersions at Irfaan Ali’s experience, in lieu of listing accomplishments; I offer a quote from Elizabeth Alleyne on Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson’s Facebook page “You will, I am sure, permit me to make a comparison. When a certain Mr Ali was in charge of issuing house lots, thousands of black Guyanese got house lots and were able to build their own houses. These included my black cleaner at work and my black part-time cleaner at home.” That, Editor, is the experience that matters to so many thousands of Guyanese.

Irfaan Ali presided over a system where applicants drew house lot numbers out of a bag, why? This was to ensure that the communities he created would be multi-ethnic and break the cycle of ethnocentric settlements. It has been an unheralded success because many were never aware of the purpose or design of that bag with numbers.

GHK himself, in all probability, lives in one

of these areas, blissfully unaware of how it was conceived or executed.

All of his usual snide aside, GHK tackled the claim that 50,000 jobs could be created head on. GHK reasons that large-scale job creation is “another of the usual empty political soundbites” for in Lall’s opinion “the calibre of local content minds and hands is not there… the local workforce – largely the youth brigade – is ill-equipped mentally, educationally, spiritually, and psychologically to rise to the challenge of responding to any invitation or environment that calls for tens of thousands of jobs. The ambition, vision, and drive are just not there. The mandatory focus and dedication are absent.” This is the view of an Administration that creates 126 jobs in four years; it is a snapshot of the elitist mindset that pervades the upper-echelons of the Granger cabal. Young people should take careful note.

Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C do not share this view of any segment in our society, I have noted that there are problems with entry-level jobs and those vying for them, but we have a large base of smart, bright and well-educated youth that can be employed

in the near future. The PPP/C has produced a comprehensive plan for job creation and 50,000 is the conservative number, it is not a plan that can be implemented in isolation, however, it is complex and has many moving parts that require competent management to create opportunities and an enabling environment for investment. All will be revealed at the launch of the PPP/C manifesto during the upcoming election campaign, until then, GHK and DAG can seek to come up with their own ideas for a change. An examination of the Foreign Direct Investment since 2015 will show the startling drop and continued absence despite claims from GO-Invest to the contrary. Our economy continues to drift despite the closeness of ‘first oil’, the nautical term for our position is “Ahull: Lying to the wind with no sail set”. We are crawling on the weight of bare poles; Guyana needs a visionary captain like Irfaan Ali to raise the canvas and make use of the heavy winds of prosperity that blow all around us.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Most all Guyanese want to return to the Polls Dear Editor,

T

he dictatorial posture and pomposity of the APNU/AFC cabal prior to the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) certainly served to reverse the upward positive trajectory on which Guyana proceeded under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C). In so doing, the many self-serving activities of the clique run uncaringly and counter to the objective enshrined in Guyana’s constitutional ideals for the wellbeing and development of our country and citizens.

There is almost a freefall to pre-1992 extremity status of the then PNC Government, inundated with incompetency, daring and intensified fraudulent manoeuvers, and bullish disregard for citizens’ rights. There is absolute public recognition of the overwhelming reversal of fortune of most Guyanese under the extreme maladroitness of the Granger-led team. It would, therefore, have been a failure of the Opposition if they had not moved with appropriate speed to protect the working-class and citizens at large in lieu of these emerged threats.

Indeed, the NCM was sensational, timely and sent shivers down the spines of those callous APNU/AFC power drunk leaders. Their reaction is one of defiance as they seek to activate a characteristic and unconstitutional preset mechanism of cheating the people of Guyana. The poisoned vendetta approach to governance by the APNU/AFC as they unleashed policies of uncaring hardships on the people while those in the Government, in the highest echelon, thrives.

Players of central roles in the wicked scheme are the unilaterally appointed octogenarian Chairman rtd James Patterson and the sand dancer Chief Executive Officer Keith Lowenfield of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). In addition to their irrational and unconstitutional bias in favour of the coalition’s supporters, perhaps deliberate moves to extend the illegal mutilation of the Guyanese people by spending a pretence filled and convenient observatory vocation in the hospital. At the same time, the President continues to be the most distinguished tourist and traveller.

There is no denying that the APNU/AFC has proved untrustworthiness in their practices, crime-driven high cost of living and devastating brutal political persecution and discriminative approach. They have put thousands of Guyanese on the breadline, closing instead of advancing proper initiatives to create jobs. The closing down of the Call Centre in Linden, the dismissal of two thousand Amerindians and the wicked and ruthless closing down of several sugar estates resulted in destabilising more than ten thousand sugar workers and their families.

Upon assuming power in 2015, the immediate imposition of Value Added Taxes on 217 household items was among other fiscal policy changes that contribute to the numerous deliberate and vindictive hardships that the APNU/AFC are imposing on our citizens.

It is notable that there is no withdrawal or relief of these impositions given the outcries of citizens and the calls of the opposition.

The now illegal cabal who continues to demonstrate that they will hang on to power by any means has driven Guyana to a crisis.

The People’s Progressive Party, with their proven developmental record of accomplishment, on the other hand, continues with their massive People’s outreach programme. There is much evidence that the PPP/C’s connection with the people is certainly igniting the masses into very focused and purposeful actions in their struggle for free and fair elections.

There is no doubt, therefore, that the resistance against this illegal APNU/PNC-driven Government is widely seen as necessary, and is fast gaining momentum.

The outcomes of the scheduled May 2019 hearings at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will have significant implications which are for not only Guyana, but the region and the Commonwealth as well. This is particularly relevant for the struggling image of the CCJ given that only a few of the Caricom nations have made the entity a final court. In this sense, any measure of partisan rulings will likely influence future regional commitments and respect, in not only the eyes of citizens, but also other States.

Further, in the face of the emerging trend of unacceptable undemocratic practices on the rise across several global fronts, the rulings will be under the highest scrutiny. Although there is a clear demonstration that leading world powers whom we hold collaborating relationships do not support such practices, the Granger cabal has persisted. The image of hope, therefore, in the CCJ is up for public examination and long-term acceptance, contrary to the rulings of our two Appeal Court judges, which have quickly become on unpopular among Guyanese people.

As they continue to sand dance, we are witnessing pervasive massive corruption as the Illegal cabal creates new rules for procurement outside of the National Assembly.

This is to ensure heads of budget agencies can spend more in breach of the Public Procurement Act. The obvious blatant malpractices in the Cheddi Jagan International Airport project is obvious and glaring in the approval and payments for one million truckloads of sand at double the cost per load. Many others of the cabal’s sand dancing will be exposed in future articles.

The same hands that were using the scissors to cut the budget from the speciality hospital proposed under the PPP/C Government are now collecting millions of dollars for medical treatment overseas. Guyanese are calling for the public declaration of the medical bills of the President and the Prime Minister. A peep at the ‘overseas medical bills’ of Cabinet members is indeed devastating and shocking, even as too many children and citizens die at our public medical institutions for lack of drugs and systems to address minor complaints allowed to worsen.

As Guyanese await the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) decision on the NCM, they are boiling over with passion for free and fair elections.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Nagamootoo must accede to the fact that his Government failed the electorate Dear Editor,

I

t is now approaching the fourth year since the coalition Government assumed office and the Guyanese masses are astoundingly disappointed by the increasingly high levels of corruption which is being perpetrated by this Government whose campaign platform was based on the eradication of corruption by removing the previous PPP/C Government. Some were gullible enough to accept this even though a casual perusal would have exposed the fact to them that it is the same old PNC which dominates the APNU and you cannot expect a drastic transformation from the 28 years of thievery, mismanagement, and institutionalised corruption.

I cannot help but recall Moses Nagamootoo’s startling ‘political theory’ which he revealed in January 2016 at Queens, New York. He said, “you should have a President for only one term or five years after which the leader should be changed since the ‘thieving’ starts in the second term”. He further added that “in 50 years, we have only changed Government twice…you have to think about changing Government as quickly as possible as you can, as periodically as you can, because thieving is a disease”.

Now, it is ironic that Nagamootoo failed to recognise the endemic corruption which has engulfed his Government almost as soon as they took over the seats of Government.

He was part of the Cabinet’s decision to pay themselves between 50-100 per cent wage increases supposedly to remove the temptation to be involved in “thievery” with his salary, perks and eventual pension greatly surpassing that of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. The masses were given an increased dose of the illusionary “good life”, our standard of living continues to plunge while more than 30,000 persons became jobless with many communities being transformed into ‘zombie zones’ overnight.

While it may be that Nagamootoo was targeting a third term for Jagdeo and was referring to him, it cannot be so interpreted when he said that, “you have to think about changing Government as quickly as possible”.

The coalition was already in Government, hence he must be taken to mean that if a Government does not perform well according to the expectations of the electorate then it must be changed. Therefore, this is exactly what the majority of the representatives did on December 21, 2018. This is what ‘Sovereignty of the people’ means. The Constitution, in Article 106 (6), provides for this – to remove a Government if it is corrupted and not performing to expectations by way of a “no-confidence motion”.

In just four years, corruption has eaten away many of the economic gains made by the PPP/C Government. It must be recalled that our economy, under the PNC, was bankrupt and 95 per cent of our GDP went to pay debts. Today, our US reserve which the PPP/C Government has managed to accumulate over the years has fallen by over 50 per cent while the cost of living has spiralled with no solution in sight.

It has been documented that the APNU/ AFC Government has been involved in more corruption in its four-year tenure compared to the old PNC Government, beginning from the undisclosed cost of inauguration ceremonies of the President, the D’Urban Park ‘thievery’, the US$18 million signing bonus, the $30 billion GuySuCo bond, the GPHC single sourcing of $605 million in drugs, the Sussex Street ‘Condom’ bond, the Demerara Harbour Bridge feasibility study, the ‘rehabilitation’ of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the blatant breaches of the procurement laws to facilitate bribery and ‘kickbacks’, the awarding of contracts to cronies like the awarding of the Corentyne Highway road slashing and cleaning, the rental of Broomes’ mansion, the Annette Ferguson affair and others too numerous to mention. It has also been one scandal after another, a media recently disclosed a number of these.

Nagamootoo should now accede to the fact that his Government has failed the electorate who have now decided that a ‘change in Government’ is now vital and the ‘disease’ eradicated for the nation’s survival!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Ali has done more with national outreach in months than Granger has done in years Dear Editor,

I

n the Stabroek News edition of April 8th, 2019, there was a letter from one GKH Lall, which sought to instruct Mr. Mohamed I. Ali (Executive Member of the PPP) upon which plank he should jump.

What campaign is Mr. GKH Lall talking about? There can be no official campaign until general elections are called by Mr. Lall’s candidate, Mr. David Granger.

It was Mr. GHK Lall who said in the 2015 campaign, that Mr. Granger was polite and acceptable (see interview with Chris Ram) and offered his support to him; that is his right as a dual citizen and voter and beneficiary of the Treasury but please do not play with the people’s intelligence and pretend that you mean well for Mr. Mohammed I. Ali or the people of Guyana.

This nation is yet to see the outcome of this politeness that Mr. Lall was referring to in 2015. Is the word polite now being re-de-

fined by Mr. Lall? Is it polite to ignore the Guyana Constitution and not follow the rule of law? Is it polite to unilaterally impose on the nation a GECOM Chairman who has revealed himself as nothing else but a political apparatchik? Is it polite to be untruthful to the youths by taking more than 30,000 jobs from them in three years, in defiance of your promises in 2015?

I was in Guyana in March, 2019 and asked Mr. Mohammed I. Ali some hard questions, one of those being, “Why are you (Mr. Ali) not more on TV explaining your policy measures?” In his wisdom, he asked me, “Has an elections date been announced?”

Mr. Ali further told me that at this time, he is listening directly to the ordinary people in the villages and urban wards of Guyana on a one-to-one basis. His mission right now is to use the data gathered from these conversations to craft a menu of human development (Turn to page 19)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Confusion has taken the place of the logic that needed to need with the sugar industry Dear Editor,

T

he GAWU, in the April 05 Guyana Chronicle, saw the newspaper expressing criticism regarding talk to re-open the closed estates. The state-owned newspaper in championing its view quoted several individuals and advanced a number of contentions. The Union must say that it is confused that the Chronicle would venture in the direction it did. The very article, towards the end, reported that the Coalition Government, at this time, is actively considering proposals that would re-open the very closed estates albeit under private hands. So the obvious question is why the Chronicle is taking a position that is contrary to the Government’s stated-position. It seems that logic has been thrown to the wind and confusion has obviously stepped in as the paper seeks to defend the indefensible actions of the Administration.

In the article, the newspaper speaks about the support the Government provided to the industry which it said was intent “…to protect the livelihoods of workers”. In our view, any Government, worth its salt, has a moral obligation to protect the well-being and welfare of its citizens. But if the Government was so concerned about the workers livelihoods, why is it that it pursued a policy that put some 7,000 sugar workers out-of-work? Why

is it that by closing estates it has essentially harmed the future of thousands of our nation’s children? Why is it that by its decisions, it has, in essence, taken away the vibrancy from the many communities that were linked to the shuttered estates? For us, and for the thousands affected, it is most difficult to be convinced that the Administration really had the livelihoods of the workers at heart and in mind.

The paper next says that the State’s assistance to sugar was coming at the expense of other sectors. But lest we forget, the Administration’s support amounted to less than 3 per cent of its aggregate expenditure in office, so far. Moreover, that assistance benefitted at least 10 per cent of the Guyanese people.

Clearly, the investment was more than worthwhile considering that the State also recouped some through taxes.

We are also told that that some of the dismissed workers have been able to secure jobs at the operable estates. This on the surface sounds nice, but fails to consider how much earlier those workers must rise from bed to travel the long distances to the still-operable estates. The fact that workers are forced to do so, also tells us about the dearth of job opportunities in their communities. The Chronicle next says that some workers have been employed in other sectors while some

are engaged in self-employment. This again sounds plausible but has the Chronicle, or for that matter the powers-that-be, asked themselves to what extent is this really so?

The state-owned paper, quotes Dr Justin Ram, the CDB’s Director of Economics, who said that the sugar industry’s survival is linked to, among other things, “…the utilisation of technology to allow it to become competitive in the modern world”. The Union agrees with Dr Ram’s assessment and we urged such an approach be taken by the Government.

Dishearteningly, as we all well know, the Government went in a different direction.

Interestingly, and one could say perplexingly, the Administration, as far as we know, has not explained why it didn’t embrace the view expressed both by GAWU and Dr Ram. It seems to us that there is more in the mortar than the pestle.

The Chronicle next says that an economist, Sydney Armstrong, opined that the minimization of the sugar industry was “the way to go”. The GAWU wonders whether Mr Armstrong was correctly quoted as the article later quotes Mr Armstrong as saying that the industry’s survival could also be assured through “…getting GuySuCo into value-added processing”. Again, this was a major plank of the GAWU’s position. Moreover, the Government also accepts such an approach as it approved, ostensibly, the borrowing of $30B of which a significant proportion, we are told, will be spent on ventures that moves the industry up the value chain.

The Union saw too that Mr Armstrong is quoted as saying “…Brazil is producing it for about US$0.14 cents per pound”. We find this statement interesting as at this point in time sugar on the world market is being sold at a lower price. The point we wish to make here is that no country in the world produces at the world market price but the difference between cost and price are covered through various mechanisms employed by respective sugar producing states. On this score, Mr Christopher Ram, in his presentation to the Sugar CoI, pointed out that the World Bank said “…that the international sugar market is one of the most highly distorted agricultural commodity markets. Raw and refined sugar markets it noted are generally characterised

by significant and widespread domestic support and trade distorting policies, such as guaranteed minimum payments to producers, production and marketing controls (quotas), state-regulated retail prices, tariffs, import quotas and export subsidies”. Mr Ram goes on to say “[t]here is nothing in the available literature to suggest that this situation has changed in any significant way”.

The paper also spoke to Mr Rawle Lucas who opined that the assistance to sugar was not bringing any benefit to the economy. Here we wish to point, that the CDB, in assessing a request to finance the Sugar Industry Mechanisation Project opined “…it is economically viable for GOGY to continue subsidising and protecting the cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane and processing of sugar for export and local consumption.” The CDB further said “Projects and programmes that enhance sugar cane cultivation and sugar manufacturing have the potential to earn foreign exchange, but may not be always financially profitable. Consequently, given the importance of foreign exchange to the economy, such operations may, at times, need government’s protection and/or support in meeting operating and capital costs”. Indeed, given the situation playing out in the foreign exchange market, it is clear that the CDB’s assessment was correct.

The GAWU, like many others, strongly upholds the view that the decision to minimize the sugar industry was patently wrong and the ramifications will be felt not only now but in the future as well. Today, in the areas of the closed estates, some children cannot attend school regularly; bills are not being paid in a timely manner; families have broken up, and the provision of healthy meals for some is not a regular feature. While some may chose to consider economics and finance above all other matters, at the end of the day it is people who are suffering and facing hardship and no amount of propaganda can wish away that reality. At this time, we reiterate what President David Granger said in December, 2017, that people must come before profits!

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine, GAWU General Secretary

Treasury hemorrhaging cash to fund APNU+AFC gov’t ‘fronts’ and public relations exercises Dear Editor,

C

riminals are among the most imaginative and creative of persons, they go to great lengths to conceive and deliver schemes to illegally enrich themselves. However, there exists a fatal flaw in criminal behaviour that gets them caught no matter how brilliant the scheme. The same criminal who devises the brilliant scheme invariably continues to repeat the crime until law enforcement takes note of the pattern or stumbles onto the jig.

So it is with APNU/AFC and its creation of NGO’s to siphon monies from the national treasury and even votes from the gullible.

APNU/AFC began with the setting up of a “country coordinating mechanism officially named the International Decade of People of African Descent – Guyana (IDPAD-G)” to ensure that the objectives of the United Nations Decade of People of African Descent were met. At the time of setting up, no one objected, for this was on the surface a laudable initiative. The body was funded by grants from the national treasury to the tune of $168,000,000 (168 Million GYD) and within a year the truth began to find its way to the surface. President of the long-established and recognized institution, African

Cultural Development Association (ACDA) Dr. Eric Phillips revealed that The assembly is illegitimate from the beginning. Half of the groups under IPADA-G’s assembly were formed last year on the basis that they would be offered projects” and further revealed that IDPADA-G’s rental of office space at 121 Regent Street, Bourda from Charles Corbin was a clear conflict of interest between Corbin and IDPADA-G’s Chairman, Vincent Alexander because they are both Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission. In 2019 IPADA-G has held a number of outreaches where government ministry officials were present to assist with the filling of house-lot applications and birth certificate forms. Afro-Guyanese who were never given any help are now being asked to register to vote by this organization.

Emboldened by the success of the first scheme, APNU/AFC is now replicating this formula in other areas, in January 2019, a group calling itself ‘Policy Desk’ and claiming to represent ‘independent youth’ surfaced and began holding public meetings, easily exposed as a PNC front organization by the promotion by PNC youth leader Christopher Jones and AFC a pair of Sherod Duncan and Ruel Johnson and hindered by lack of originality, they soon faded. Lo and behold in

March 2019 a group calling itself Move on Guyana (MOG) appeared and its President declared as Vishal Joseph of the aforementioned ‘policy desk’. Within days of its formation, MOG met with (then) Minister Carl Greenidge in an ‘approach’ for government ‘support’ “in Cabinet, Parliament and on the international stage” as well as with another PNC bigwig Attorney General Basil Williams on the 2nd April.

The announcement via the letter column of Kaieteur Newspaper (7.04.2019) of a new Women’s Movement, Facts, informed of an invitation “to the APNU+AFC Government through the Ministry of Communities – to partner in the establishment of Yukuriba Heights Bowen Study Base”, based on the language contained in the announcement it can easily be surmised that this is but another APNU/AFC front organization, much like the previously mentioned pair.

Much like the creative criminal that succeeds with an idea, the Granger cabal is in full repetition mode, monies from the treasury are being used to fund a series of APNU campaign ‘youth concerts’ dubbed “Too Legit To Quit”; Outreaches by the Department of Energy that offer little by way of information and include talks by Dr. Mark Bynoe on

‘Christian oil and gas’ – a world first! The government has engaged the services of a high-level Trinidadian PR consultant and we can expect more front organizations and ‘outreaches’ such as the Taking Government to the People at Cuffy square.

Monies that could have been used to revitalize African culture has been siphoned, I can only imagine what could have achieved with $168 Million, it is a shame that a party that came to power on the back of a strong ethnic vote should so easily betray that vote of confidence by using the UN’s International Decade of People of African Descent to finance cronies and engage in election gimmickry instead of advancing those noble goals.

As the treasury haemorrhages cash to fund these ‘fronts’ and public relations exercises, I can only point out to the Granger administration that all expenditure of this period will receive intense scrutiny in the near future and give that with every passing day new corruption scandals are coming to light, a period of restraint on furtherance of these schemes may be in the best interest of all Guyanese.

Yours truly Jermaine Gentle

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

AFC member fired over financial irregularities appeals to Nagamootoo to reinstate him T

he General Manager of the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL), last Wednesday (April 3, 2019) was fired over several breaches of financial regulations.

And he has since appealed to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo. Duncan, like Nagamootoo, is a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC). Nagamootoo’s office has oversight for GNNL. Duncan served as General Manager of the company from June 1, 2018 to April 1, 2019.

The Board of Directors of GNNL in a statement said the decision to dismiss Duncan came after a five-hour long meeting at the company’s office where Duncan and his legal representative, Attorney James Bond were given the opportunity to provide an explanation in

response to the findings of the audit report, which was dated March 18, 2019, and answer questions posed by the Directors as to why he should not be disciplined in accordance with the recommendations of the report, which was presented by the Office of the Auditor General.

“All Directors agreed that numerous breaches identified in the report in all of the areas under review were of a serious nature and disciplinary action against the General Manager was necessary especially since he was on probation,” the statement said.

The GNNL Board comprises of a Chairman and six Directors; one of whom was absent at the time of voting and a workers’ representative without voting rights.

Duncan’s firing came after an audit report found

Fired: Sherod Duncan

that there were over 20 transactions conducted under Duncan’s watch or by Duncan himself, which were in blatant violation of financial regulations.

A special audit ordered by the Office of the Auditor General found numerous violations during the short three-month period under Duncan’s stewardship of the company.

Auditing firm Chateram Ramdihal Chartered Accountants conducted an audit of the State newspaper’s operations from June 1, 2018, to September 10, 2018.

The audit found that tender rules were violated, services were procured without contracts and approvals were given for payments without the regular procedure of company stamp or signature.

Further, cash advances were given to Duncan to travel overseas but he did

not clear the amounts.

It was also found that the company’s personnel policy and procedures manual were ignored during the recruitment, termination and dismissal of employees.

Guyana Chronicle has a Management Tender Committee, which approves transactions ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 before payments are made. But during the stipulated time examined, no approval was given for nine such transactions valued at $1.6 million.

Duncan took an overseas trip with the marketing coordinator for the resuscitation of the publication’s New York edition. This trip cost an excess of $736,028, but there was no approval for such an event and to date, no relevant documents were brought forward to support these expenditures, the audit found.

Basil Williams refuses to say how much was PPP/C Councillor takes paid to Francis Alexis to argue gov’t case in up seat at City Hall challenge to vote on no-confidence motion O T he amount of taxpayers’ monies used to pay Grenadian Queen’s Counsel, Dr Francis Alexis, for his services in the no-confidence case when it was before the Guyana Court of Appeal is still a secret.

Attorney General (AG)

Basil Williams SC has declined again to publicly state how much was paid.

“The attorney is very respected, a genuine scholar and author of leading texts on Administrative Law and our changing Caribbean Constitutions. So he was remunerated appropriate-

ly,” was all that Williams said.

When asked to specifically state how much money was paid, he said, “No I don’t wish to.”

The same question was also posed to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on March 29, 2019, during

a post-cabinet press conference. He also declined to say. Harmon said only that, “The gentleman has to be paid for his services.”

With Government’s continued silence on the matter, is it unclear if Guyanese will ever get clarity on this issue.

Volda Lawrence greeted with protests at Port Mourant

P

ublic Health Minister Volda Lawrence was last week greeted by protestors when she turned up to commission the National Ophthalmology Hospital at

Port Mourant.

Led by head of the Regional Health Committee Zamal Hussain, the protestors are calling for a proper health care system in the

Region. He said the Ministers, who have the authority to fix the problems which exit in the health sector, have been turning a blind eye to them. “Health is about people’s lives. You cannot give a donkey a mouth organ to blow; he

will chew it up, and that is what is happening in the health system in Region Six,” he declared.

Lawrence has not publicly responded to the issues raised by the protestors, nor did she attempt to engage them.

n Monday (April 8, 2019), the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillor, Dwayne Adams, took up his seat as a member of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

The PPP/C took seven of the 30 seats at City Hall after the 2018 Local Government Elections. Among the other PPP/C Councillors are: Bishram Kuppen, Nalissa Ferguson, Dimitri Ali and Param Persaud.

Overall, results from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) showed that the PPP/C won 61 per cent of the LGE with 122,307 votes, with the governing APNU took 68,060 votes at 34 per cent, while the AFC garnered a mere 8,719 votes.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Relative of applicants seeking Guyanese citizenship confesses that law was not followed T

wo persons who have indicated that they are Cuban nationals – Hajime Beltran Abreu and Julio Antonio Beltran –appeared in advertisements in the Guyana Chronicle on March 29, 2019, as applicants for Guyanese citizenship.

In speaking to the Mirror Newspaper on Monday (April 8, 2019), Madhai Abreu, the wife of Hajime Beltran Abreu and daughter-in-law of Julio Antonio Beltran, admitted that the two men have only been in Guyana for just over a year.

According to Guyana’s laws, any applicant seeking Guyanese citizenship must have lived in Guyana for five consecutive years. Only Commonwealth nationals can apply for Guyanese citizenship if they have lived in Guyana for one year. However, as Cuban Nationals Hajime Beltran Abreu and Julio Antonio Beltran are not nationals of a Commonwealth country.

Madhai Abreu also admitted that the name of her father-in-law is not Julio Antonio Beltran, rather it is Julio Antonio Beltran Rodrigues.

Hajime Beltran Abreu and Julio Antonio Beltran were among the persons whose names turned up in an investigation by the PPP/C of advertisement – intended to facilitate the award of Guyanese citizenship – that were published only in the stateowned Guyana Chronicle.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, last week, disclosed the findings of the investigation by the Parliamentary Opposition and described it as indicative of fraudulent actions by the Department of Citizenship, within the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to him, the reason for this corruption could very well be two-fold: • One, persons are being made to pay to secure Guyanese citizenship; and/ or • Two, the fraud is being perpetrated with the hope of having fake names inserted in Guyana’s National Register of Registrants, which is used to develop the Official List of Electors used for Elections.

“Maybe hundreds or thousands paying for citizenship and they are brought in here for other reasons…also, what we are seeing could be that people are given fake documents to influence any potential registration process,” he said.

FINDINGS On February 5, 2019, an advertisement in the Guyana Chronicle, indicated that a person named Gabriel St. Juste of Burma Mahaicony, Lot 65 East Coast Demerara applied to Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, for Guyanese citizenship.

However, on February 7, 2019, another advertisement was published by the Guyana Chronicle with the same photograph, but a different name and address - Daniel Garcia Farres of 10-10 Norton Street, Cemetery Road, Georgetown, also applying for citizenship.

The second case related to an advertisement published by the Guyana Chronicle on March 27, 2019, where a person named Rubesh Abdus of Tabatinga, Lethem Region 9, applied for citizenship. However, on March 29, 2019, another advertisement with the same photograph had a different name and address – this time, Hajime Bel-

tran Abreu of Lot 39 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

In the third case, an advertisement published by the Guyana Chronicle on March 29, 2019, indicated that Julio Antonio Beltran of Lot 39 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown, applied to the Minister of Citizenship for Guyanese citizenship. This was the same address on another advertisement published by the Guyana Chronicle on the same day. Checks showed that the persons listed at the address - Lot 39 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown – do not live there.

A day after Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, raised the issue, Guyana Chronicle quoted Donna Todd, General Manager of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), as saying: “A mix-up in the computer system at the Advertising Department of the Guyana Chronicle was responsible for the incorrect names and photographs of persons seeking naturalisation status here being published recently…although Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo has indicated that the party was researching the issue, the group failed to notice the corrected copies

of the persons seeking naturalisation status were published following the mistakes.”

However, whenever a national newspaper publishes something inaccurately, a second publication with the correct information is accompanied by a clear notation that it is a CORRECTION. This was not the case with the Guyana Chronicle’s publication of fraudulent citizenship notices.

Parliamentary Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, has since called for a full-fledged investigation of the matter.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Holding the APNU+AFC Coalition to account – a review of local happenings

Another Court battle looms to rescue the hapless rice farmers of Region 5

By Anil Nandlall

T

he struggles of the sugar workers since May 2015, are well documented.

Rice farmers have not fared much better. From the inception, President David Granger led the charge with the revocation of dozens of leases of rice farmers of Region 5, within the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) scheme, issued to them by then President Donald Ramotar in 2014. These leases were first revoked by the Chairman of the MMA/ADA. I successfully challenged these revocations in the High Court. The Court ruled that only the President could revoke these leases. President Granger picked up the challenge and purported to revoke these leases. Again, I challenged these purported revocations in the High Court. The Court upheld the challenge once more on the ground that the President violated the constitutional rights of these farmers. The Attorney General has appealed these decisions. The appeals are pending at the Court of Appeal. Additionally, the Attorney General has retained Counsel at the private bar to challenge the legality of these leases on behalf of persons who claim an ancestral inheritance to

these lands. I am currently defending these challenges in the High Court.

Then the rice farmers suffered the loss of the lucrative Petro-Caribe market.

A suitable replacement has not yet been found by the Government. Their manifesto promise to the rice farmers of $9,000 per bag for paddy have become illusory.

Further, rice farmers occupying State lands by leases were clubbed with a humongous increase in land rents and drainage and irrigation (D&I) charges, nationwide.

At Hope Estate, for example, land rents increases skyrocketed. The farmers protested. They were served with notices to vacate the rice lands, which they occupied by leases. They ignored these notices. Legal proceedings were instituted against them before the Rice Assessment Committee at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court

by Hope Estate Limited.

Through the Rice Producer’s Association (RPA), I represented these farmers. All the legal proceedings were dismissed.

In Region 5, the new charges imposed by the MMA/ADA in 2017, upon rice farmers, were as follows: land rents increased from $1,000 per acre, per year to $7,000 per acre, per year and D&I charges increased from $2,500 per acre, per year to $8,000 per acre, per year. The lands occupied by these farmers are State lands held under leases. They fall under the administration of the MMA/ ADA by virtue of the cojoint operation of the State Lands Act and the MMA/ ADA Act. A few days ago, farmers who own lands within this locality by virtue of transports and certificates of title

(therefore not State lands) have received notifications in writing from the MMA/ ADA, which seek to impose a most punitive regime of charges as D&I charges for the year 2018, and for the first half of 2019.

It must be emphasized that these new charges were levied without any prior, or adequate notice, whatsoever, to these farmers and it was never explained to them, the reason for these charges and the manner in which they are being computed. So, farmers who occupy lands which they own by transport or certificates of title, have been imposed with these charges, of which they are notified in March 2019, for the first time, in respect of the year 2018, without them being ever informed at any prior time prior (that is, during the year 2017 or 2018) of these increase.

In the correspondence below, you will observe that one farmer was informed on the 15th day of March 2019, for the first time, that he owes D&I charges for the year 2018, in the sum of $1,412,650 (One million, four hundred and twelve thousand, six hundred and fifty) and for the first half of 2019, in the sum of $706,325 (Seven hundred and six thousand, three hundred and twenty five) amounting to a grand total of $2,118,975 (Two million, one hundred and eighteen thousand, nine hundred and seventy five).

The farmers are requested to settle this amount within 14 days. This another nail in the coffin of rice farmers.

As I have highlighted above, these lands are owned by these farmers by transports or certificates of title and therefore, they attract rates and taxes, which are payable to the relevant

Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in relation to where the lands are located. These lands also attract property taxes payable to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). Since MMA/ADA has authority over State lands, it is my respectful

contention that they have no authority to levy these D&I charges in respect of privately owned lands. However, assuming that they do, the imposition of these charges are unreasonable, arbitrary, capricious and are levied without any known reason

and accordingly are ultra vires, illegal and unlawful.

The RPA and Regional Chairman of Region 5 have already met with these farmers. I have advised the farmers not to pay these impugned charges. Another Court battle looms.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

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

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

C

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

14

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 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.

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 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.

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 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!

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

City Hall in Focus

The City Council, drainage and reserve lands

By Bishram Kuppen

A

t the Georgetown City Council’s statutory meeting on April 8, 2019, a number of important issues came up for discussion. In particular were the issues relating to the leasing of Council's reserve lands and drainage in Georgetown .

LEASING OF THE COUNCIL’S RESERVE One of the issues which were discussed was the leasing of the Council’s reserve land. Apparently, numerous leases were issued over the years without the full Council approval. The Ministry of Communities had recently notified the Council that a large number of leases were issued. This matter was referred to the Works Committee to investigate which will occur at their next meeting.

There were many allegations of lawless actions undertaken on the part of the former Town Clerk Royston King regarding the issuance of leases for the reserve lands.

It should be noted that a claim was recently made by a senior official from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) who said that the Council’s reserve lands were not the Council’s property. In addition, he stated that construction of any structures on the reserve was illegal and requested that the Georgetown City Council submit a list of all leases which had been issued. This claim was included in the Works Committee report of March 6, 2019. In addition, another similar claim was also made in 2016 by the same Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of GLSC as reported by Inews on November 5, 2016 under the caption “Town, City Council granting licenses to occupy reserves is illegal- GL&SC CEO.”

The Town Clerk(ag) Ms. Sharon Harry is relying on Sections 320 and 321 of the Municipal and District Councils Act to bolster their position that undivided lands fall under the management of the City Council which also gives the Council the right to issue leases on such lands. The Town Clerk is also of the conflicting opinion that the undivided lands are jointly owned by the Council, GLSC and an entity identified by the State Lands Act. At the meeting, I had suggested that undivided lands may be referring to residential or commercial lands identified for such use and those lands could be distinct from reserve lands. This matter was never fully investigated or resolved by the Town Clerk. In any event, GLSC has maintained for years that the Council’s reserve lands falls within its jurisdiction and that the GLSC was empowered by the State Lands Act to manage such lands.

Over the years, many residents had complained about the occupation of the Council’s reserves where many permanent concrete and other structures were built. Residents had also complained that the activities which were permitted on the Councils reserves were very disruptive. Many of the structures constructed were also said to be impeding traffic or creating encumbrances. In addition, many citizens were concerned about the legality of leasing the Council’s reserve and also the legality of permitting the construction of permanent structures on the reserves.

The Commission of Inquiry which was sanctioned by the Local Government Commission in 2018 to investigate the operations of the Georgetown City Council found many disturbing and illegal actions on the part of the former Town Clerk Royston King including leases which were issued.

The local newspapers carried the alarming headlines regarding leases: • Town Clerk briefing self on lease of Govt. reserve ... - Kaieteur News (KN Nov 4,2018) • Royston King backdated, signed lease for reserve ... - Kaieteur News (KN Oct 26, 2018) • Town Clerk fails to justify lease of Govt. reserve - Kaieteur News (Dec 8, 2018) • Royston King pockets $6.8M from sale of govt. reserve – Kaieteur News (Oct 25, 2018) • Town Clerk leased land to shipping company not owned by City Council - Kaieteur News (KN Sep 24, 2018) None of the leases which were issued for the Council’s Reserve were ever brought to the Full Council for approval and could certainly be considered as secret deals between

the former Town Clerk and the Lessees.

We were also advised that there are a number of new requests for the leasing of the reserve lands but those requests would have to be carefully examined and that verification is obtained regarding the ownership or management authority for the reserve lands.

Due to the contentious nature of this issue and also the legality of leases, the Council plans to publicly advice current lease-holders that all leases will be reviewed.

The Peoples Progressive Party Councillors on the Georgetown City Council will be pushing for the careful examination of all leases which were issued and also support the revocation for any lease which was not done in a legal, transparent and fair manner.

DRAINAGE – NDIA At Monday's statutory meeting, a very disappointing approach was taken by Mayor Ubraj Narine when I raised an issue related to flooding and drainage in Georgetown.

The Works Committee of the City Council decided to meet with the NDIA (National Drainage and Irrigation Authority) to discuss plans which the NDIA had to take over control for the maintenance of the main canals of the Georgetown drainage system. We were advised that this was the result of a directive from the government to NDIA to assist the City Council to deal with drainage issues. In addition, NDIA will also be taking over the operations and maintenance of the sluices and pumps.

I had expressed to the Mayor that all of the Councillors should have been invited to this meeting instead of only the seven members of the Works Committee. All of the elected Councillors would have been afforded the opportunity to get first-hand information from NDIA of the plans and also to get clarifications or to make a case for special circumstances in a Councillor’s particular constituency.

But the Mayor took the cheap political, irresponsible and arrogant stance, that Councillors are free to attend committee meetings.

But how would Councillors know what is on the agenda for these meetings when those agendas are only distributed to members of the committee and not other Councillors.

The Mayor was just covering up for himself for failing to recognize the importance of the issue and to ensure all elected Councillors were part of that meeting.

As you know, drainage issues and flooding affects everyone in Georgetown’s 15

constituencies so it should have been a requirement for Councillors from all 15 constituencies to be invited to such an important meeting to air their concerns or to make get clarification on drainage issues affecting their particular constituencies.

The seven members of Works Committee who are not drainage & irrigation experts would probably only be aware of drainage issues affecting their constituencies and not the whole of Georgetown so they could not speak for all the other Councillors at a meeting with the NDIA. As a matter of good management, any issue that would affect all residents of Georgetown especially when an important briefing or discussion is being made by an external agency, in this case the NDIA, must involve all of the elected Councillors.

As an example. the residents of the Riverview area have been complaining for years about chronic flooding in their area but nothing was done. I had visited this area a number of times and reported it to the Council and the Councillor for that area but the APNU Councillor had only arranged for one small drain to be cleaned last year which had no effect on flooding in the area.

When I raised this issue again at the statutory meeting, the Mayor said he also visited the area but he did not state if anything would be done. The Riverview area has complex drainage issues since it bordering the Demerara river and also has regularization issues.

The revetment is the area would most likely entail the involvement of the NDIA and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to bring some relief to the residents of that area but lack of representation at the NDIA meeting meant that this issued was not addressed.

In any event, I met with one of the Council’s engineers after the meeting and asked that they visit the Riverview as soon as possible and attend to the concerns of the residents.

The Georgetown City will continue to operate in a dysfunctional manner unless there is a complete overhaul. While there is a forensic audit currently being undertaken, the fact that the majority vote still lies on the side of the APNU+AFC who have controlled the City Hall for decades, means that the kind of transformative changes that are necessary to move Georgetown forward will not be forthcoming. The patchwork of half-hearted attempts to solve the Council’s issues will continue to translate to continuing hardships for the Citizens of Georgetown.

18

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Despite continued objections…

GECOM says house-to-house registration will begin in June W ith the Caribbean Court of Justice

(CCJ) likely to hand down the final decision in the

challenge to the vote on the no-confidence motion, the

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues

FACT SHEET

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

CURRENT LIST OF ELECTORS IS VALID The APNU+AFC Coalition has been calling for house-to-house registration, claiming that the list is not ‘sanitised’ and that young people – first time voters - will be disenfranchised since their names would not be on the list.

So what are the facts? » Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield, on February 5, 2019, declared that the List of Electors was, in fact, clean. » GECOM, less than four months ago, conducted a Local Government Elections on November 12, 2018 with the current List of Electors. None of the political parties, or independent groups and candidates, objected to the List that was used. There were no challenges based on the List of Voters that was used either. » The claim that first time voters being disenfranchised is another fallacy. The Coalition Government argues that persons who turned 18-years-old are not on the Voters’ List. The fact is that the Voters’ List has been updated during several cycles of Continuous Registration that were conducted by GECOM. So there is little chance of young persons, who are eligible to vote, being left off the Voters’ List. » The current Voters’ List was derived from a ‘Continuous Registration, Claims and Objections’ process, which ended October 2018. After such a process the List becomes valid for six months. The current List will expire on April 30, 2019. » Once a cycle of Continuous Registration has commenced anyone who will be 14-years-old or older by that time and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalization, or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, is eligible for registration during this exercise. During this registration exercise, persons who are eligible for registration are required to visit one of GECOM’s 28 Registration Offices across the 10 Regions, to apply for registration. » Not allowing someone who attained the age of 14 at the time that the cycle of Continuous Registration commenced to register is an offence. Section 6 of the National Registration Act, Chapter, 19:08, makes it obligatory for persons who meet the registration criteria to apply for registration. Persons eligible for registration could be prosecuted, fined and/or even sent to prison for failing or refusing to apply for registration. In the case of eligible persons under the age of 18 years by the qualifying date, the parents/guardians could be prosecuted for failure/refusal to apply for registration. » Article 42 of the Constitution provides entitlement for citizens of Guyana to be so registered. » GECOM’s website states: “Subsequent to the 2001 General and Regional Elections, political parties had agitated for legislative changes which would ensure that a new system of voter registration guarantees Guyanese in general, but more specifically their own supporters, their Constitutional right to be registered and vote at future General, Regional and Local Government Elections. This led to the introduction of Continuous Registration with two primary objectives i.e. (1) introducing a system which would ensure that all eligible persons are afforded unlimited opportunities to become registered on the National Register of Registrants Database and (2), ensuring that GECOM is in a perpetual state of preparedness which would enable it to respond to calls for elections in a timely manner thus guaranteeing eligible persons their Constitutional right to become registered in accordance with the relevant legal provisions and to cast their ballots at future General, Regional and Local Government Elections.” » GECOM is a creature of the Constitution. As an autonomous agency its responsibility is to comply with the Constitution – in this case that means readying itself for General and Regional Elections, which are due by March 21, 2019, following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion that resulted in the fall of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. » Article 162 (1) of the Constitution states clearly that: “The Elections Commission shall have such functions connected with or relating to the registration of electors or the conduct of elections as are conferred upon it by or under this Constitution or, subject thereto, any Act of Parliament; and, subject to the provisions (of ) this Constitution, the Commission – a) shall exercise general direction and supervision over the registration of electors and the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly; and b) shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution or of any Act of Parliament on the part of persons exercising powers or performing duties connected with or relating to the matters aforesaid.”

DESPITE THESE FACTS, THE APNU+AFC COALITION HAS BEEN INSTIGATING THEIR SUPPORTERS TO ECHO A MISPLACED CALL FOR A HOUSE-HOUSE REGISTRATION. THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE APNU+AFC COALITION IS A CLEAR PLOY TO DELAY CONSTITUTIONALLY DUE GENERAL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS.

its push for house-to-house registration. And despite objections, new national house-to-house registration is set to commence in June 2019.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Warde, has said, “The Secretariat has commenced its preparations for the conduct of house-to-house registration and so I think it was the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of March training for the trainers commenced.

Subsequently, there was the training in Georgetown I think at 16 locations on the weekend of the 30th and 31st (of March) and of as at yesterday (Sunday) training continued on the East Coast and on the East Bank (of Demerara….training is expected to wind down sometime in May. “…we anticipate all things being equal, that training should conclude sometime in May. We haven’t definitely determined that timeline as yet but once training is finished, I figure by the first week in June, the actual conduct of house-to-house registration will commence.”

A total of 1,332 persons are expected to be trained as enumerators and Assistant Registration Officers (AROs).\ Maintaining that there is no need for a new national house-to-house registration at this time, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is wary of the rush to have it done.

Nonetheless, he made clear that the PPP/C will take steps to ensure the integrity of the registration process. “We will be vigilant…we are a Party that has very good grassroots support all across the country and so we will be looking out for the interest of Guyana to ensure that we have the process done

properly but that is only if necessary….this is not business as usual from our side too. We’ll be very vigilant of any attempt to register people who should not be registered and to ensure that everyone gets on the list,” he said.

Notably, the PPP had recommended that houseto-house registration be done in 2015, but the Commission refused and pursued two cycles of continuous registration, instead, that year.

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 – a call that came mere months before the November 2018 Local Government Elections were due to be held. PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally had suggested that a registration should begin as soon as possible. The PPP, in a statement in response to Ally, had said it did not support the PNCR’s call for new house-to-house registration.

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.

The last cycle of continuous registration was held in July 2018.

Following this process, the Voters’ List was updated and used for the 2018 Local Government Elections. The Parliamentary Opposition has pointed out that there were no complaints about the Voters’ List used for the 2018 Local Government Elections – a fact that exposes the call for house-to-house registration as attempt to delay the General and Regional Elections.

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

PPP Commissioners muzzled at GECOM’s statuary meeting

C

hairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Retired Justice James Patterson has been accused of muzzling Commissioners of the People’s Progressive Party.

At Tuesday’s (April 9, 2019) statutory meeting, PPP Commissioners, Robson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick walked out of the meeting after Patterson refused to allow Benn to make remarks at the begin-

ning of the meeting which was held at GECOM’s High Street, Kingston, Georgetown office.

Commissioner Benn expressed dissatisfaction with the operations of the Commission. He stated that among the issues he intended to raise during the intervening period were the Ethnic Relations Commission’s (ERC) report and a legal letter against GECOM among other matters. “It

has been two weeks since a full meeting has taken place and we were still not allowed to say anything.

We have a democratic right to make comments at the beginning of the meeting and there is clear intention to have us not so do,” he added.

At the previous meeting held on March 12, the three PPP Commissioners walked out after realising that the matters on the agenda for

the statutory meeting had nothing to do with Regional and General Elections but rather, house-to-house registration. PPP Commissioner Sase Gunraj had told the media that the houseto-house registration is a policy that was taken from time to time by GECOM while the requirement to hold general elections is mandated by the Constitution of Guyana. He had noted that he along with the

other PPP Commissioners, could not “sit there and suborn the violation of the Constitution” by engaging in any discussion that does not countenance the holding of elections in the constitutionally-mandated timeline. Meanwhile, Commissioner Benn had said that he requested that GECOM cease and desist from undertakings relating to house-to-house registration and to take account of

the constitutional imperatives based on the no-confidence motion passed in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018.

The PPP Commissioners have maintained that the only way of “going forward” would be to have all Commissioners at GECOM commence discussions on the pressing issue of Regional and General Elections in Guyana as is constitutionally mandated.

No response from Lowenfield, legal challenge likely soon I

n an April 2, 2019 letter to the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, a demand was made for him to refrain from embarking on or, proceeding with, a new national houseto-house registration. The letter penned by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall to Lowenfield was done on behalf of Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Robeson Benn.

Lowenfield was given seven days to respond. “After seven days, I will assume that you have rejected my demand and I will have no alternative but to advise my client to institute legal proceedings against you, to restrain you from embarking on, or proceeding with, the aforesaid house-to-house registration,” Nandlall write.

To date there has been no response. A legal challenge is expected to be mounted.

According to Nandlall, the decision of GECOM to resort to house-to-house registration “with the express intention of removing persons” from the Voters’ List is a move that is “fraught with hazards, including, the violation of the Constitution and the constitutional rights of qualified electors to vote and creating the potential for a subsequent vitiation of the entire elections.”

GROUNDS Substantiating his demand, the former Attorney General noted that the move to houseto-house registration is said to be predicated upon the ground that the Voters’ List is “bloated” with dead persons and persons who have migrated.

He wrote, “The reason proffered for this proposed exercise is to sanitise the list of these two categories of occupants. It cannot be disputed that the List can be cleansed of dead persons by a simple

engagement between the Chief Elections Officer and the Office of the Registrar General.

Such an engagement of comparing the relevant data and making the adjustments can be accomplished with relative ease within a fortnight. Naturally, this does not require the tedious, expansive and anachronistic methodology of a house-to-house inspection – a process to which there is rarely resort in this technological age, elsewhere.

“However, it is the decision to resort to house-to-house registration with the express intention of removing persons from the List, who maybe out of Guyana that agitates my apprehension.”

The former Attorney General cited Articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution. Article 59 states that: “Subject to the provisions of article 159, every person may vote at an election if he or she is of age eighteen years or upwards and is ei-

ther a citizen of Guyana or a Commonwealth citizen domiciled and resident in Guyana.”

Article 159 provides that no one shall vote at an election unless he is registered as an elector and a person shall be qualified to be so registered, if on the qualifying day, that person is eighteen years and over and a citizen of Guyana or, a Commonwealth citizen, who is domiciled and resident in Guyana for a period of one year immediately preceding the qualifying date.

As such, he said, “It is excruciatingly clear that neither residency nor domicile within the State of Guyana are qualifications, which a citizen of Guyana must possess before he is eligible for to vote or to be registered as an elector. The natural corollary is the lack of residency and domicile within the State of Guyana cannot be the basis for disqualifying a person from being registered or from voting. In short,

Ali has done more with national outreach... policies which can be launched swiftly once his party wins power. The common theme he is hearing is the need to create new jobs sustainably and this is what he plans to do when the occasion presents itself. He outlined for me in detail how he is going to create these 50,000 jobs over five years and from my international experience, I am convinced that it is highly possible.

What is needed is proper programme management of the plan, which is a skillset

sorely lacking in Team Granger. So what appears like rocket science to these inexperienced and incompetent minds in Team Granger, is what the rest of the world is doing every second of the day – creating new jobs.

When I was a Project Manager on a CDB Project, I had the chance to observe Mr. Ali’s skillsets and from what I saw, he is a person who has real project management competence and skills, unlike Mr. Granger. This

on whose behalf it has been given, granted or been made.

• Offences: 14. (1) Any person who for the purpose of procuring anything to be done or not done under this Act or Chapter IV of the Constitution makes any statement to be false in a material particular, or recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than twenty five thousand dollars nor more than fifty thousand dollars and imprisonment for six months.

Editor, was there an inquiry at the Department of Citizenship into the instances provided by the Leader of the Opposition? Did anyone

who are currently duly registered and are on the List and, therefore, now qualified to vote but absent from Guyana, are now going to be intentionally excluded from the List in this proposed process, as this is one of the stated purpose of this exercise. In other words, these persons are going to be de-registered and thereby disqualified from voting and denied their constitutional right to vote, through no fault of theirs.

“The ultimate consequence of this decision of GECOM is that GECOM is, indirectly, adding a new qualifying requirement to vote, which is not provided for by the Constitution, and which is ultra vires the Constitution: that requirement is ‘residency within Guyana’.

This is clearly unlawful and unconstitutional.”

The letter was copied to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, James Patterson.

(From page 8)

skillset served him well when he accelerated and managed the PPP’s most successful public policy – housing. What the PPP did was to expand the stock of land available for housing by over 100,000 house lots in under 20 years. More than half of those lands now have real homes on them with real families in those homes, who are on a pathway to build real new wealth with their real equity; that is the sort of human development that continues to evade these friends of Mr. GHK Lall.

Thorough investigation needed into... have occurred.”

The statement by the Minister of Citizenship seems to be at odds with that of his ministry, for the laws are clear with whom the responsibility for false statements lies, and what the penalties are: • Laws of Guyana Cap 14.01 Evidence: 13.

(1) Every document purporting to be a notice, certificate, order or declaration, or an entry in a register or a subscription of an oath of allegiance, given, granted or made under this Act or under Chapter IV of the Constitution shall be received in evidence and shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been given, granted or made on behalf of the person by whom or

a Guyanese, residing either permanently or temporarily in Timbuktu, once he or she is eighteen years and over is qualified to be registered and, if registered, is qualified to vote. At this juncture, it is apposite that I emphasize that by acquiring citizenship of another country, a Guyanese citizen, does not necessarily lose his/ her Guyanese citizenship. He/ she remains a citizen of Guyana and, therefore, qualifies to be registered and, if registered, qualifies to vote. So, while dual citizens are disqualified from being elected, they are not disqualified from being electors.

“GECOM is now proceeding on a house-to-house registration to create a new List of National Registrants from which the Preliminary Voters’ List will be extracted and this is being done with the stated intention of excluding persons, who will be absent from Guyana during the exercise.

Consequently, those persons

I was advised that Mr. Ali will be telling his story nationally when Mr. Lall’s candidate, Mr. Granger (who has now been certified after three years as a human development failure), calls the elections. Until such time, Mr. Ali told me he plans to continue with his original plan – deepening his direct bond with the masses.

Yours faithfully, Sasenarine Singh

(From page 6)

pull these files and engage in close scrutiny of all documents provided? Was a biometric cross scan run to confirm no duplicity exists?

From the Chronicle, answers, or should I say excuses, were quickly provided by the General Manager of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, who blamed a ‘computer glitch’ for these ‘errors’. Given the glibness emanating from both entities, I would ask that an official Police investigation be launched into this affair. An inquiry not limited to the false notices, but to ascertain if indeed any effort was made at either entity to seek the truth.

In numerous years of using computers, I am yet to experience any of these fabled ‘glitches’, and I would ask who conducted

this inquiry at the Department of Citizenship, and if there was a written report submitted.

Computer systems have logs built into the software; surely we can access those and see what exactly caused these ‘glitches’, and also if there has been any access of these files in the Citizenship Department.

Given the concerns raised by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo about the digitisation of records and the ease with which excuses of ‘computer error’ are offered and accepted, a thorough investigation is of national importance.

Yours truly, Vickram Bharrat, PPP/C MP

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Wide group of Regional stakeholders being engaged

by Opposition on local political developments E

ngagement by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic with the international community, on the current political situation continues.

In the last week, letters penned by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, were sent to: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government and other regional heads; Opposition Leaders in CARICOM Member States; Speakers of the Legislatures in CARICOM Member States and other countries in the Caribbean Region; Regional Bar Associations; and other stakeholders.

The letter notes that developments in Guyana “have grave implications for the Region” and the cases before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCK) should be followed closely.

Acknowledgements, according to Teixeira, are being received.

BELOW IS THE FULL LETTER: April 3, 2019 From mid night of March 21, 2019 to 6:00 p.m., on March 22, 2019, a period of 16 hours, the Government of Guyana was illegal.

This may be the first recorded case that we are aware of where a Government in a Member Country of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) defied the Constitution and remained in office illegally.

The events that have been unfolding in Guyana over the last three months should be of great concern to all Member Countries with regards to the Region’s stability and reputation as a one of constitutional rule and democracy. Of particular concern to Member Countries may be the judicial decisions which have been made thus far, which could have major repercussions on legislatures throughout the Region.

On December 21, 2018, a no-confidence motion was tabled, debated and passed. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government lost the no-confidence motion brought by the Leader of the Opposition and former President, Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo, M.P. by one vote with 33 for and 32 against.

At that 111th sitting of the National Assembly, all 65 elected Members of the National Assembly were present. After six hours of debate, the motion was put to the vote. When the division was taken the motion passed with 33 in favour of the motion. The Speaker, Hon. Dr. Barton Scotland, declared the no confidence motion was carried.

“This National Assembly has no confidence in the Government.” These nine words constitute Resolution Number 101 of Guyana’s National Assembly. Following the passage of the no-confidence motion, the Clerk of the National Assembly on Monday December 24, 2018 circulated Resolution Number 101, which included the vote cast by each Member to all Members of the National Assembly.

It is worth noting that during the 1999-2001 broad-based Parliamentary Constitutional Reform process, extensive consultations were held across the country with hundreds of written submissions and public hearings. The 1980 Constitution was profoundly amended with progressive and democratic entrenchments that guaranteed the separation of powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary, inclusive governance, human rights etc.

One of the inclusions, by Act Number 17 of 2000, was the provision for a no-confidence, or confidence motion on government, which had been removed in the 1980 constitution. This provision, Article 106 (6) and 106(7) joined Guyana’s constitutional framework to universal and well known proceedings in democracies with regards to no confidence motions. Further, it re-affirmed Guyana’s commitment to a parliamentary framework of responsible government- responsible to the people and the Legislature, and maintaining confidence of both.

Article 106 (6) of the Guyana Constitution states that: “The Cabinet, including the President, shall resign if the

Government is defeated by a vote of the majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Article 106(7) goes on to unambiguously states that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by no 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 elections.”

The Explanatory Memorandum of this Constitution (Amendment) Bill stated that Article 106: “Provides for the resignation of the Cabinet including the President following the defeat of the Government in the National Assembly on a vote of confidence. Although defeated the Government shall remain in office for the purpose of holding an election.”

These articles were triggered into operation on December 21, 2018.

Nowhere in the Constitutional Reform Commission reports passed in the National Assembly in that era is there evidence that the framers of the Constitution, or, the understanding of all members of the National Assembly that “a vote of the majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence” meant anything but 33 is a majority of the 65.

Neither the framers nor the legislators defined or included terms such as “absolute” or “simple majority” in the constitution. This was not an omission or oversight by the framers or the parliamentarians, but rather a deliberate act of the National Assembly.

Leading up to and on the night of the vote on December 21, 2018, statements by high ranking government members reflected this understanding.

The Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, before the December 21, 2018 vote on the no-confidence motion, on November 23, 2018, said: “Our National Assembly has 65 members. It means that the motion of no-confidence, in order to pass, must have 33 members who are elected as members of the National Assembly. The Opposition doesn’t have that. It is the Government that has 33 members who are elected and sitting in the National Assembly…. this motion, by the Opposition, has no reasonable

prospect for any success in the National Assembly.” [https://dpi.gov.gy/statement-from-prime-minister-mosesnagamootoo-responding-to-a-motion-of-no-confidence-filedby-the-opposition/] General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNRC) – the majority partner in the Coalition Government – and Government Chief Whip, Minister Amna Ally, before the vote on the no-confidence motion, said: “Bring it on! Bring it on! The APNU+AFC is a solid 33, you have an indecisive 32.” [https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/news/ guyana/12/07/ally-teixeira-clash-over-good-life/] After the vote on the night of December 21, 2018, Prime Minister Nagamootoo, in the company of several Ministers, including the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, held a press conference, where he proclaimed that: “The confidence motion was put to the floor and the no-confidence motion was passed. The options that are available after a no-confidence motion is passed in the House is dictated by the Constitution, Article 106….the Government remains in office until such time as elections are called….the Constitution says elections in 90 days….The process in the National Assembly was an open and transparent process….

Parliamentary democracy triumphed.”

The objection to the 33/32 majority vote came several days after the no confidence motion (Resolution Number 101) was carried. A mathematical absurdity of 34 being the required majority of 65 members of the National Assembly emerged in the media propagated by one of the lawyers and Leaders of the Coalition partners.

In a statement released on 26 December 2018, the Guyana Bar Association urged that the results and consequences of the motion be accepted and that urgent preparations for elections by the Elections Commission be started. In that statement it was also said that the giving of effect to any contentions that there is some possibility other than elections being held within ninety (90) days of the passage of the motion could lead to instability and our democracy must be protected by the unambiguous adherence to the rule of law and to the provisions of Article 106(6) of the Constitution. The Bar Association also stated that it “noted various attempts to argue that the motion was not validly passed in the National Assembly, including from Nigel Hughes, a prominent Attorney-at-Law who contends that a positive vote of 34 members of the National Assembly was required for the passage of the motion. The Bar Council rejects as erroneous such contention that the motion was not properly passed, or, that the vote, is for any reason, invalid.”

The Government formally called on the Speaker on January 2, 2019 to review and reverse his ruling that the No Confidence Motion had been passed on December 21, 2018. At the 112th sitting held on January 3, 2019, the Speaker declined to reverse his ruling that the motion had carried.

On January 7, 2019, the Government then approached the High Court on two main grounds: 1) that the no confidence motion was not valid as the Government M.P. who voted in favour of the motion was a dual citizen, and, therefore was not eligible to be a Member of the Parliament, and as a result, his vote was invalid; 2) that 34 votes were required to pass the motion as a “majority of all elected members of the National Assembly.”

A “MAJORITY OF ALL ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY” Her Honour Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George-Wiltshire ruled on January 31, 2019, inter alia: “As a result of my findings above, I hold that the NCM was carried as the requisite majority was obtained by a vote of 33:32. The President and the Ministers cannot therefore remain in Government beyond the three months within which elections are required to be held in accor(Continued on page 21)

21

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Large group of Regional stakeholders... dance with art 106(7), unless that time is enlarged by the National Assembly in accordance with the requirements of the said art 106(7).”

Further the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) ruled, based on the applications of the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs challenging the 33/32 majority vote in the National Assembly as invalid: “While the terms ‘simple majority’ and ‘absolute majority’ may be useful in common parlance for the purposes of interpretation – and some Constitutions do have such language – it might be best to focus on the meanings of those terms instead of the terms themselves. That is, Instead of asking what constitutes an ‘absolute majority’, this Court will consider what constitutes a ‘majority of all elected Members of the National Assembly’.

“In our 65-member National Assembly, therefore, a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly, in accordance with the principle of “one over all rivals combined”, is thirty-three (33) members. This is so since the maximum number of potential opposers can only be thirty-two (32).”

In referring to others jurisdictions, the Hon. Chief Justice (ag) noted that: “In odd number Houses, there is no such potential when all members participate in the vote, as one side must have at least one more vote than the other side. “…a simple majority, being a majority of those present and voting, can be a very small number once a quorum is achieved.”

The Hon. Chief Justice, also emphasized that: “It must also be noted that, as the Applicant [Attorney General, Basil Williams] admitted in his oral submissions, no one in the National Assembly at the time, neither the elected members nor anyone else, indicated to the Speaker that the vote could not be carried by a majority of thirty-three – thirty-two (33-32).”

ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP Whilst the Chief Justice (ag) ruled that those holding dual citizenship were ineligible to sit as Members of Parliament, she validated Government M.P. Charandass Persaud’s vote in favour of the no confidence motion on several grounds, including the provisions of Article 165 (2), which states that: “The Assembly may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership ( including any vacancy not filled when the Assembly first meets after the commencement of this Constitution or after any dissolution of the Parliament) and the presence or participation of any person not entitled to be present at or to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly shall not invalidate these proceedings.”

The Hon. Chief Justice (ag) also astutely noted in her ruling that: “… in my view, one would not be able to choose an issue such as, for example, a no confidence motion to say that a vote in that issue that one was displeased with becomes a nullity because of the serious consequences for the government of the day while other matters including national budgets in which an unqualified member voted would remain intact. To my mind this is to approbate and to reprobate. While I agree the continued illegality should not be permitted, whatever was done, a vote of an unqualified M.P. cannot and would not nullify that which is occurred in the past where the proceedings were lawful. In the context of this case, a party cannot be complicit in the perpetuation of an illegality and cry foul when things go wrong. Indeed, as was pointed out by both Mr. Datadin and Mr. Nandlall, if the second Respondent had voted against the no confidence motion they would no doubt have been no contestation or protestation and Reid, the Attorney General and Mr. Harmon would’ve counted his vote as valid. I note that there was some prevarication in the different submissions on behalf of the supports to the invalidity of the vote as to whether a ‘no’ vote would’ve been equally invalid.”

Furthermore, the Hon. Chief Justice (ag) rejected the application to set aside or nullify the ruling of the Speaker on

the no confidence motion: “Owing to my findings above, the other questions raised by the Applicant are rendered moot and do not need to be addressed in this application except to say that this Court cannot set aside or nullify a ruling that was validly made in accordance with the provisions of Article 106 Sub Article 6 of the Constitution, nor can it stay the enforcement of a resolution validly declared in accordance with the same provision of the Constitution. Such is prohibited as is held in a number of cases, for example, the Attorney General and Trotman and Granger. While a Court can intervene to inquire what has occurred in the National Assembly, this can only be done if the National Assembly acted unconstitutionally. This is not the case here.”

The government then approached the Court of Appeal to reverse the ruling of the High Court.

At midnight on March 21, 2019, the time expired; the government was illegal.

On March 22, 2019, Guyana’s Court of Appeal, in a two to one, decision set aside the January 31, 2019, ruling of Chief Justice (ag) Hon. Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire.

Both Acting Chancellor (ag) Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards and Justice Dawn Barnes-Gregory, ruled that the no confidence motion required an absolute majority of 34 of all 65 elected members of the National Assembly to have been carried. However, all three judges upheld the Chief Justice (ag) ruling on dual citizens.

In the ruling, the Honourable Justices failed to substantiate that the framers of Guyana’s Constitution meant something other than what Article 106 (6) literally says – that “a vote of a majority of all elected Members of the National Assembly” on a vote of confidence is required for the passage of a no-confidence motion.

Both judges ignored the fact that the terms “absolute majority” and “simple majority” do not appear in the Constitution, nor did they take into account what the Chief Justice (ag) pointed out – which was that not one of the 65 elected Members of the National Assembly, nor, anyone else objected at the time the motion was carried with 33 of the majority of all elected members of the National Assembly. As already pointed out, herein, the common understanding of all of the 65 Parliamentarians, as well as the House Speaker, prior to and after the vote was that 33 votes represented “a majority of all the elected Members” in Guyana’s National Assembly.

Instead, the Acting Chancellor stated that the arguments made on behalf of the Government were “attractive” in the circumstances. Both Justices Yonnette Cummings-Edwards and Dawn Barnes-Gregory agreed to the government’s argument that 34 votes were required for the passage of the no-confidence motion. To arrive at 34, they divided 65 by half (32.5) and rounded up (32.5 to 33) and added one (34).Both Judges in their summations referred extensively to this mathematical formula presented by one of the Government’s lawyers, Dr. Francis Alexis – a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice’s Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission – during his submissions before the court. In doing so, the Judges were therefore imposing on the Constitution meanings that did not exist.

Clearly the words of the Hon. Chief Justice (ag) – that what she was being called on to do was “tantamount to reading a provision into the Constitution” – were also dismissed.

The Hon. Chief Justice (ag) made an important and clear distinction in her ruling regarding constitutional provisions with regards to “a majority of members present and voting” on any given day in the National Assembly with simple bills, budgets etc., which could be a small number once the quorum was maintained; and, those as in Article 106(6), which require “the vote of a majority of all elected members of the National Assembly” – the majority required being 33 of the 65 members.

The majority decision of the Court of Appeal goes against the intent and spirit of the Guyana Constitution with regards to Article 106 (6) and (7). It failed to prove that the framers of the Constitution meant anything other than the literal

(From page 20)

meaning of a “vote of a majority of all elected Members of the National Assembly”, and totally ignored the mindset of all the legislators who voted on the night of December 21, 2018 – 65 legislators who did not object when the Speaker declared that the no-confidence motion was validly passed.

Neither the High Court, nor the Court of Appeal, found that the National Assembly of Guyana had in any way not complied with or had undermined the Constitution, however, the Court of Appeal imposed and defined for the Legislature a majority totally unrelated and unforeseen, as argued herein.

This majority decision of the Court of Appeal, if upheld, will affect decision making in legislatures, in particular with regards to confidence motions. Based on such a decision, a government could find spurious grounds to undermine the legitimacy of no-confidence motions in the future.

If we accept this ruling that the judiciary can overturn the legislature, which has been found to have acted constitutionally, there will be further complications.

For these reasons, the Parliamentary Opposition has appealed the matter to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), to hopefully remedy a grave miscarriage of justice perpetrated on the Guyanese people. This case is scheduled to commence hearing on May 9-10, 2019.

One may wish to be reminded that the unilateral appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by the President, in violation of Article 161(2) of the Constitution, is also before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The hearing will commence on May 8, 2019.

Article 161 (2) states that: “Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4) the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”

Thus, the Chairman, in having the trust of both the President and the Leader of the Opposition, struck a delicate balance of independence and fairness in the electoral process and machinery.

Further, Article 161 (3) provides for three members nominated by the Leader of the Opposition and three members nominated by the President to be appointed as GECOM Commissioners.

These provisions were included in the Constitution, after the intervention of the international community, following years of rigged elections.

In October 2017, after 25 years of it being upheld and implemented in ‘good faith” by successive Presidents and Leaders of the Opposition, President David Granger overturned the delicate balance of trust and confidence required for political stability.

He dismissed a total of 18 eminently qualified Guyanese – from three lists – which was provided by the Leader of the Opposition, as required by Article 161(2), and proceeded to appoint his own choice.

It is this same Chairman of GECOM who has now shifted the balance in GECOM – from an independent constitutional body to one that is government-dominated, working hand in hand with the Government, and facilitated (and is still facilitating) the delay in preparations for constitutionally mandated General and Regional Elections, as was required after the passage of the no confidence motion on December 21, 2018.

In concluding, these developments in Guyana have grave implications for the Region and we urge you to closely follow these cases before the Caribbean Court of Justice, not only in the interest of Guyana, but also in the interests of all CARICOM member countries.

Sincerely Gail Teixeira, M.P., Chief Whip for the Parliamentary Opposition, Guyana

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

PPP/C details priorities to be included in Manifesto ahead of General and Regional Elections The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders is working on a detailed Manifesto, which will elaborate on the Party’s policies for improving the lives of all Guyanese.

Some of the priority actions of the next PPP/C Government will be to: 1. Restore– the $10,000 cash grant to school children. The APNU+AFC took away $1.67B per year, a total of $8.35B from Guyanese children.

2. Reinstate the water subsidies to pensioners. The APNU+AFC removed $500M in subsidies per year amounting to a $2.5B burden that had to be paid by our elderly.

3. Reverse VAT on essential services including water, electricity, and health care. The APNU+AFC imposed this on Citizens which led to billions in tax collection from Guyanese people and escalated the cost of living.

4. Reopen the closed sugar estates. Over 7,000 persons lost their jobs directly and another 4,000 lost their livelihoods indirectly.

5. Restore zero-rated VAT for machinery and equipment for agricultural, mining and forestry industries. For example, a tractor or excavator now attracts in excess of $5M in additional taxes.

6. Reverse cost of license and permits for doing business and accessing Government services. The APNU + AFC increased over 200 fees, e.g. vending licenses increased from $12,500 to a burdensome $65,000. This, added to the cost of living, hampered small business development.

7. Reverse land rents and drainage and irrigation charges. These have moved up in varying degrees, from $2,500 to $293,000 per acre, a policy that is suffocating many sectors including agriculture and tourism.

8. Remove age limits on vehicles. The APNU+AFC added at least $1M to the cost per vehicle, an unnecessary hardship for those aspiring to own a vehicle, especially young people.

9. Remove the restriction on used tyres. The imposition of this restriction increased the cost of tyres by 300%.

10. Reverse VAT on exports.

11. Reverse VAT on building materials.

12. Reinstate the joint services bonus. The APNU+AFC in a Grinch-like move took away the Christmas bonus from the joint services.

13. Remove VAT on data. The APNU+AFC has taxed the internet and your cell phone data.

14. Reverse the 2 A.M curfew. The arrogant implementation of this measure has not helped to address the noise nuisance issue and has affected quality of life and hurt job creation and businesses.

In addition to correcting these draconian impositions, the next PPP/C Government pledges to: 1. Create 50,000 jobs in the first five years.

2. Assist small businesses through the implementation of programmes to help small businesses grow by providing technical advice, small grants, loans, and training for workers. Women entrepreneurship will receive special attention.

3. Deliver 8,000 to 10,000 new house lots per year.

4. Implement a programme for affordable financing for home ownership.

5. Deliver quality health care and end drug shortages.

6. Improve the quality of and access to education at every level including offering 20,000 persons online University education.

7. Implement measures to expand the capability and increase the effectiveness of the security forces so that people can once again feel protected in their homes, on the streets and in workplaces.

8. Create conditions for our young people to prosper, realise their dreams and to involve them in all levels of Government.

9. Ensure better working conditions and remuneration for teachers, healthcare workers and other public servants.

10. Improve infrastructure (roads, wharves, bridges, airstrips, drainage etc) in Georgetown, other Towns and Villages across Guyana.

11. Extend and improve Government services and ICT on the Coast and in the Hinterland.

12. Ensure that revenue from Oil and Gas is not squandered and stolen and leads to the improvement of the lives of ALL GUYANESE. 13. Create the conditions and strengthen the institutions to expand and protect the civil, cultural and human rights of all Guyanese.

14. Improve governance, including expanding and strengthening measures aimed at fighting corruption.

15. Protect our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The PPP/C has said that it is time to restore Guyana to the path of progress and prosperity.

Since taking office, the APNU+AFC cabal has put forward five budgets, spent $1.3 trillion, borrowed US $ 900M and increased taxes by approximately $88B per annum.

They are spending every year $1.6 B more for food allowances, $1.1B more for rentals, $1.2B more for local travel among other things, as part of their extravagant lifestyle. Meanwhile over 30,000 Guyanese have lost their jobs. The cost of living has skyrocketed and health care, education and quality of life have deteriorated rapidly.

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people

A

fter three years since taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, published a list of 231 so called ‘achievements’ in May 2018.

However, a close look at the list, revealed Government’s desperation in trying to find ‘successes’. For example, the Government claimed “lower electricity rates” as an achievement, but listed this one point at least two times in the list of 231. A second example shows that the

1. FICTION: Four Budgets in three years FACT: All four budgets introduced policies that negatively impacted working class Guyanese and the productive sectors. Over 200 new taxes and fees were introduced. Others were increased astronomically.

4. FICTION: Youth skills training provided through BIT, HEYS FACT: The BIT is a PPP/C initiative. HEYS was introduced by the APNU+AFC Government, then the decision was made to scrap it.

Notably, HEYS had replaced the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), which was an initiative under the former PPP/C government. When the Coalition Government took power, the 1972 Amerindian community service officers who were part of the YEAP programme were fired.

7. FICTION: Created over 5000 jobs FACT: Since May 2015, over 25,000 Guyanese have lost their jobs. Government’s claim of creating over 5,000 jobs has been challenged. To date, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not responded and has not said where these 5,000 jobs were created.

10. FICTION: State Assets Recovery Unit set up FACT: SARA did not legally exist until May 2018.

The State Assets Recovery Act was only assented to by President David Granger on May 4, 2018 – over one year after it was passed in the National Assembly by a government majority, despite objections voiced by the Parliamentary Opposition.

As such, queries have been raised about SARA’s operations prior to Granger’s move to assent to the SARA Act – specifically as it relates to how monies were allocated to the State Assets Recovery Agency for the year 2018 Budget to acquire an office at Lot 56 Main and New Market Streets, SARA letterhead, staff, etc., prior to that date (May 4, 2018), when the agency did not legally exist?”

APNU+AFC Coalition claimed the work of private companies as their own success, when it listed “4G internet” in its list of 231. The work to bring better internet services to the Guyanese people was done by the private telecommunications companies.

This week, the Mirror, by simply looking at 30 of the Government’s claims, will expose the FICTIONS peddled by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and will detail the actual facts.

2. FICTION: $50,000 Christmas Bonus in 2015 and $25,000 Christmas Bonus in 2016 FACT: No attention has been given to increasing the salaries of public servants – teachers, policemen, nurses, etc. since the APNU+AFC Government took office. The two bonuses were one-off payments for only two years.

5. FICTION: Sugar industry right-sized fo5r self sufficiency through diversification FACT: There have been no efforts in the direction of diversification. While government said it has “right-sized” the sugar industry, all it did was close down major sugar estates – leaving thousands of sugar workers on the breadline – in the worst mass firing in Guyana’s history.

3. FICTION: Training opportunities for GuySuCo workers FACT: No substantive support has been given to the 7000+ sugar workers who were fired by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Government’s unwillingness to support the sacked sugar workers has been evidence in the fact that the government broke the law and did not pay the workers their full severance. It was seen again when Government refused to say if was informing the sacked sugar workers that millions were available under the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme, which is supposed to provide financial support for entrepreneurial ventures and create income-generating opportunities, etc.

6. FICTION: Reduce the sugar industry dependence on the national coffers

FACT: There has been no move in this direction, not even the start of a feasibility study to assess such a plan.

FACT: The sugar industry’s dependence on the national coffers has not been reduced. In fact the national treasury is exposed with the borrowing of $30B, via bonds issued at 4.75 per cent, since the borrowing has been backed by a government-guarantee.

11. FICTION: Special organized Crime Unit operational

9. FICTION: Lower Electricity rates

FACT: Three years of being operations under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, not a single case against money launderers has been advanced. SOCU has only been involved in cases filed against former government officials, one of which has already been thrown out of the courts. Also, in the case SOCU brought against GBTI, the expert witness fielded by the Unit was also rejected by courts, which ruled that the ‘expert’ was in fact ‘no expert’.

SOCU has been involved in a number of controversial operations. These include the high-profile car chase of the wife of a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP), which resulted in the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle and his wife Stacy, along with another civilian in a smash-up on Carifesta Avenue in December 2015 – an incident that remains the subject of many unanswered questions.

The Unit’s establishment was part of Guyana's international obligations to strengthen its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and was intended to support the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The mandate of the SOCU, as acknowledged in the protocols, is to address investigations, detection and preparation of criminal investigative reports and case files for prosecutions of financial crimes, including money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Little to nothing has been done by SOCU, under the current APNU+AFC Government, which fits the reason for SOCU’s establishment.

FACT: Electricity rates were subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2017, meaning that electricity costs were increased, not lowered.

8. FICTION: Plans to bridge Essequibo River

12. FICTION: Outstanding court settlement paid FACT: Court settlements have been subject to intense questioning, as it relates to the how these settlements were reached. The last big court settlement related to the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) matter. The sum owed by DDL, according to the GRA assessment, was $5.392B from 2001 to 2006. The settlement saw DDL paying only $1.5B and also writes off all possible liabilities in respect of Excise Tax up to March 9, 2016. Since then, Banks DIH has filed a case against the Coalition government, saying that DDL was given special treatment. In the meantime, several questions asked about the DDL settlement remain unanswered. The questions asked include: Was an assessment of DDL’s liabilities in respect of Excise Tax for the period 2006 to 2016 done and what was the sum of that liability?; Who negotiated the settlement?; Is it legal? Was the settlement approved by Cabinet or the Board of the GRA?; On what principles was the sum of $1.5B arrive at? And How many other deals have been concluded or are being negotiated?

24

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 13. FICTION: New Guyana Election Chairman appointed FACT: The 84-year-old GECOM Chairman was unilaterally and un-constitutionally appointed, in breach of 25 years of practice and common understanding of the constitutional procedures that have to be followed for such an appointment to be made.

14. FICTION: The establishment of three new towns FACT: The towns were established without consultation and in some cases encroached on titled Amerindian Lands in breach of laws --and showing that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has no qualms about breaking the laws of Guyana.

15. FICTION: Improved education attainment FACT: The 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana – released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department – underscores a major failure of the APNU+AFC Coalition government. Page 11 of the 207 report states that: “The standard of living in indigenous communities was lower than that of most citizens, and they had limited access to education and health care.”

In contrast, the 2015 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana, on page 14, said: “All indigenous communities had primary schools, and as of 2012, there were 13 secondary schools in remote regions. All indigenous communities had school dormitories that housed students at government’s expense. Government programmes trained health workers, who staffed health facilities in most communities.”

16. FICTION: Free transportation for school children FACT: A total of $1.7B was taken away from public schools when the $10,000 cash grant was scrapped. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government says it has provided buses, but these do not serve all public school children. The cash grant was given to every public school child.

17. FICTION: Provision of medical equipment FACT: Shortages continue to be reported. And with the dust barely settled over the $632M drugs and medical supplies procurement scandal, sole-sourcing of $366.9M of drugs and medical supplies in 2017 has once again brought into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health – and the likely of increasing corruption at that Ministry. As was the case with the spending of $605M, the Ministry – headed by Volda Lawrence – claims that the spending of the $366.9M was to cover emergency expenditures. Documents revealed that a company, HDM Labs Inc. – owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – was handpicked over three others that went through tendering process.

18. FICTION: De-politicized the National Toshaos Council FACT: The NTC is not a political body. It is the elected body that represents Amerindians in Guyana. As such, claims of de-politicizing the NTC have been viewed as APNU+AFC rhetoric.

19. FICTION: Extended the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) programme FACT: Not a single Amerindian village has received a land title under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock, admitted that he failed to do any work with the ALT programme, which gave the indigenous people legal rights to their communities. “I have not been able to title any village,” Allicock had said in May 2018.

Notably, after taking office, the Coalition Government, sent home the entire unit dealing with the Amerindian Land Titling programme. The Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to support the implementation of the project.

A total of US$10.7M was earned by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government and left for the purpose of completing the ALT programme.

20. FICTION: Piracy smashed FACT: Less than two months ago, a piracy attack led to several deaths of local fishermen.

The bodies of some of the fishermen have still not been found.

21. FICTION: Major criminal gangs smashed, members prosecuted FACT: There has been no such report. Also, no cases in Guyana’s court have substantiated this claim.

22. FICTION: Crime rate down FACT: As of June 2018, a whopping 304 cases of robbery under arms, where firearms were used, were recorded at the end of June 2018, marking an increase compared to last year. Another 116 cases of robbery under arms, where other instruments were used, were also recorded for that month. There were also 28 other cases of robberies, as well as 73 cases of robbery with violence. Robbery with aggravation cases numbered 30. Larceny from persons numbered 62, while burglary cases totaled 112 and break an entry with larceny totaled 498. In total these cases numbered 1,223. There were 44 murders. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to come in for criticisms over its inaction to address the current crime rate.

23. FICTION: Establishment of the Department of Environment FACT: There is no Department of Environment as of July 2018.

24. FICTION: Freedom of the Press restored FACT: The Guyana Press Association has blasted Coalition gov’t over ‘unmistakable’ signals of Executive control since it took office.

The Association cited other acts that include: The continued role of the Director of Public Information as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, publishers of the Guyana Chronicle; Direction from a senior government Minister on coverage of his office to the Editor- in-Chief; Direction being given to the Chronicle for stories sent for his approval once it has to do with his office or the PNC, the main party in the governing Coalition; and weekly meetings of the Prime Minister with senior executives of the state media.

25

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 25. FICTION: Constitutional Reform process initiated

27. FICTION: Code of conduct for public official completed

FACT: There has been no progress on the issue of Constitutional Reform.

FACT: There is no Code of Conduct in place.

A draft was proposed and was met with widespread criticisms. Even the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. said government’s proposed code of conduct is still deficient in many respects. The body expressed the view that the “lack of specificity appears as low commitment to integrity in public office” and it can ultimately impede the effectiveness of the Code and erode public confidence.

26. FICTION: Improved transparency FACT: The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been criticised as failing to honour of the promise of transparency. Among the untruths told by the government to the Guyanese people is the fact that Guyana did not receive the US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil. This lie was told for over a year to the Guyanese people, despite the fact that questions about the signing bonus were asked. Finally, documents leaked to the media, exposed the Government lie

a recent news conference.

He charged that

28. FICTION: Family Court opened FACT: The Family Division of the High Court began hearing cases since May 6, 2016. The Family Court was a PPP/C initiative. Before the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office, the Family Court building was completed and handed over to Government.

29. FICTION: Successful gun amnesty programme FACT: During the amnesty for unlicensed firearms in 2015, scores of Amerindians handed in weapons used to protect their cattle and crops and support their livelihoods, with the promise of receiving licences. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government delayed the return to April 2018 and has now delayed it again, until the end of July 2018.

This failure to deliver in a timely manner on a promise made has prevented the amnesty programme from being deemed a success.

30. FICTION: A new drugs procurement system introduced FACT: Health Minister, Volda, Lawrence had stated revised drug procurement system which will bring resolution to the ongoing drug shortage throughout the country is expected to be implemented by the month of June 2016. It is now July 2018.

After taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government scrapped the old method used to procure and deliver drugs and medical supplies across Guyana, despite the fact that it worked.

26

OBSERVER

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

Beware of the PNC-led Coalition government’s wild levels of borrowing A

usterity is the common response of indebted countries wherever they may be. And no more so than in Guyana. Once upon a time, Guyana was trapped, under the then pre-1992 PNC regime, in binding agreements for loans. The PNC leaders clearly did not think through the process and therefore saddled the unborn citizens of Guyana by 1991 with burdens that they could have ill afforded to pay.

By 1991, the Debt to GDP ratio was around 550%.

In layman’s language, that means Guyana has more debt than five and a half times more than all the goods and services produced across the

entire country. It took some heavy lifting locally since then, with much support from the international community to return Guyana to a debt sustainable position by 1997 when that Debt to GDP ratio dropped to 41%.

Debt is an impediment to poverty reduction and economic growth. This was recognized by the international community when they decided to fund the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPIC) in 1997 for countries like Guyana who were sinking under debt, most of which were incurred by the PNC regime, with no value for money outcomes. So as we all recognize from these

comments so far, too much debt is bad for Guyana. We have been there done that and it is not in the best interest of the citizens that the Debt to GDP ratio increases to unsustainable levels.

That is why it is important that all Guyanese open their eyes to what has been happening to our debt situation since Team Granger assumed power in the Ministry of the Presidency.

The PPP handed power to the incoming PNC-led Granger Government with a Debt to GDP of around 51% in May 2015. Today in 2019, after almost four years of the Granger boys and girls, that ratio is now almost 57%. In

dollars and cents, this Granger Team has borrowed some G$151,000,000,000 since they came into office. That is G$151 billion. That means on average they have borrowed G$108 million per day in the people’s names.

If this money was being borrowed to invest in productive public investments that would generate future revenue such as a hydropower plant, or an oil refinery or a deep-water harbor, there may have been some justification. But if you observe this PNC led Coalition, they have been wasting this money on idle projects like the Durban Park Parade Ground and other pageantry projects that are consumers of cash, not generators of new cash. That is why the above table tells a perilous story.

As you look at the table above you see the difference in the attitude of mind between the PPP vs. the PNC. Under the PPP it is about reducing the debt burden on the people and use the opportunity to expand economic growth and reduce poverty.

Under the PNC it is all about to spend, waste, squander and borrow which results in an escalation of net foreign debt.

What the PNC boys and girls have done in the past and are doing again is unleashing a wealth-destroying wave that could knock Guyana down even with the oil revenues expected in full flow by 2025.

When those oil revenues are supposed to be used to build the transformational projects like the Deep Water Harbor and the Amaila

Hydro project, it will not be used to pay escalating debt service payments. This is what destroyed Guyana under Burnham and this is exactly the same place where Granger is taking you.

It is in the interest of all Guyanese to call out this Granger regime now since the more they borrow, the more at risk is every Guyanese ability to improve their standard of living because something will have to give and from our history, it is usually the wealth of the ordinary people. Just remember what happened to the real value of the people during the ERP days of the PNC. In reality today, the economy of the country stands confronted with serious challenges on several fronts including increasing debt, expanding the fiscal deficit, dwindling foreign reserves, loss of over 30,000 jobs, etc. These liabilities do not allow the expected trajectory of growth to stay sustainable.

All Guyanese must beware of the PNC wild levels of borrowing, today, since it can damage the nation for a long time to come if not curbed soon.

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.

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 APRIL, 2019

PPP/C presidential candidate visits Number 7 Village, Blairmont mandirs A s he continues his national outreach, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, also took time out to join worshippers celebrating the Hindu occasion of Navratri at Number 7 Village and Blairmont, Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne).

PPP members, volunteers continue community walkabouts

C

ommunity outreaches, via community walkabouts, which see the distribution of flyers and engagement of Guyanese at the grassroots level continued this week. On Tuesday (April 9, 2019). Several volunteers supporting the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), as well as Party members, were in Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Similar Exercises continue across the country.

27

GECOM’s HR Manager, DCEO were operating under instructions when they ignored a constitutional commission – Edghill

T

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has still not acted on the report produced by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) – a constitutional commission – which was tasked with probing its hiring practices.

The ERC was tasked with probing the hiring practices

of GECOM following a complaint lodged by the three Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners. The call for an investigation came after the top-ranked candidate applying for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Vishnu Persaud, was passed over for the post.

The three PPP-nominated

Commissioners, in a joint complaint letter, called for a full investigation on the hiring practices at GECOM last year. The Commissioners charged that the state of affairs is “clearly indicative of a larger issue at the Guyana Elections Commission, which has an adverse effect on ethnic relations and

harmony in Guyana.” The investigation’s main finding was that Persaud was the most qualified person for the job.

GECOM has also remained silent on the failure of two top GECOM officials – the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) and the Human Resources Manager – to

appear before the ERC when summoned.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Juan Edghill, contends that the duo were clearly operating under instructions.

The ERC report detailed non-cooperation by the GECOM Chairman, James Patterson, as well as the Human Resources Manager, Marcia Crawford and the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers.

Page 29 of the report said: “The sub-committee was considerably handicapped by the failure of the following persons to appear: Ms. Roxanne Myers, Deputy Chief Elections Office of GECOM; Ms. Marcia Crawford, Human Resources Manager, GECOM; and Justice James Patterson (Rtd) (to produce documents…).”

The report added, “This failure cannot be described as anything other than deliberate and willful…the failure of these persons to assist the sub-Committee (of the ERC) in this inquiry is nothing but a clear and inexcusable dereliction of their public duty… it can also be seen as putting

their own personal interests above their public duty.”

Speaking to the Mirror, Edghill said, “Ms. Crawford and Ms. Myers, who never appeared before the ERC so that they can be questioned during the course of the investigation, must say publicly if they were operating under instructions.

“I could hardly believe that two subordinate officers of GECOM – the Human Resources Manager and the now Deputy Chief Elections Officer – would not appear before a constitutional Commission, when the Chairman of GECOM, the highest officer at GECOM, was summoned and appeared. It is clear that they were operating under instructions. If they were not operating under instructions, let them declare so.”

The ERC is a constitutional body established under the Herdmanston Accord.

It works with persons and agencies to promote harmonious ethnic relations. The Commission also deals with complaints, promotes training in racial harmony, and fosters a sense of security, among all ethnic groups.

Opposition Leader continues engagement with Guyanese

O

pposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo recently met with a group of young people from the East Bank of Demerara.

The group expressed displeasure with the failed promises of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. They also raised several other issues impacting their lives, including unemployment.

PUBLISHED BY NEW GUYANA Co. Ltd., 8 Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: 226-2473, 226-5875 Fax: 226-2472