Weekend Mirror 9-10 March 2019

9-10 March, 2019 / Vol. 10 No. 63 / Price: $100

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

After vote on no-confidence motion…

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Law makes it clear that gov’t remains in office ‘for the purpose of holding election’ Meeting with Granger ends without agreement on date for General and Regional Elections

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SEE INSIDE

APNU+AFC gov’t PAGE 11 continues to ignore ‘constitutional crisis’ Diaspora group PAGE 12 writes US Secretary of State on Guyana’s situation

GECOM has taken no decision to commence House to House PAGE 18 Registration

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

PPP/C Presidential Candidate reaches out to residents of riverrain communities

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

AFC’s claims about 180 days being needed for Elections exposed as false T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) continues to insist that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) cannot be ready for General and Regional Elections, within the constitutionally mandated period – all the while GECOM has made no move to ready itself for the elections.

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.”

With the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018, General and Regional Elections – as per the Constitution – have to be held within three months,

by March21, 2019.

The AFC has claimed that in 2014 the Guyana Elections Commission needed 180 days to be ready for Elections. As recent as Feb-

ruary 23, 2019, AFC Executive, Khemraj Ramjattan, said, “We know from a very long time, that for elections to be held in Guyana, it takes 180 days.”

However, the AFC’s misleading claims have been exposed.

On September 4, 2014, then Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally, when questioned about the Commission’s readiness for General and Regional Elections said, “Three months after he (President Donald Ramotar) has said he would like elections, he will have elections.”

Surujbally comment came at a time when the AFC had advanced a no-confidence motion against the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government, led by former President, Donald Ramotar.

Ramotar did not face the no-confidence motion; rather attempts were made to have dialogue with then Opposition Leader, David Granger and Parliament was prorogued in November

2014. Ramotar in late January 2015, announced a date for elections came after the objective of prorogation – dialogue in the face of political impasse – failed.

In 2014, a budgetary allocation of $3.3B for the Commission’s administration and other related costs was approved by the National Assembly. Of the allocations, $1.7B was set aside for the Commission and $1.6B for elections administration.

Both sums covered employment costs for 337 employees and other expenses, while $126.7M was earmarked for the provision of buildings, a trestle, vehicles, boats, engines, office furniture and equipment. GECOM’s allocations are intended to allow for the Commission to exercise general direction and supervision over the registration of electors and the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and more local authorities in Guyana.

Chief Elections Office misses another statutory meeting because of illness

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his week’s Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) statutory meeting, held on Tuesday (March 5, 2019), took place without the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, because of his illness.

Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Bibi Shaddick, when asked, disclosed that the Commission has been informed that the CEO is still ill and remains under the supervision of his doctor. She noted that it is unclear when Lowenfield will be able to return to work.

Lowenfield’s hospitalization came one day after President David Granger wrote the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) urging them to begin preparations for General and Regional Elections (GRE).

The fact that Guyana is heading toward a constitutional crisis was cemented further, following a vote on, among other things, a

motion to inform President David Granger that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) cannot deliver General and Regional elections within the constitutionally stipulated timeframe.

At GECOM, on February 19, 2019, during the weekly statutory meeting, the motion to inform President Granger that GECOM cannot deliver the elections was opposed by the Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners – Bibi Shaddick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn. However, the GECOM Chairman, James Patterson, sided with the Government-nominated Commissioners and the vote was carried.

With Lowenfield off, the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Meyers, is expected to be the functionary that is likely to ‘hold the fort’.

However, confidence in her capabilities is not high.

In June 2018, the three

Commissioners - Robeson Benn, Bibi Shaddick and Gunraj – walked out of a meeting after GECOM Chairman, Justice (rtd) James Patterson, exercised his casting vote to support the PNCR-nominated Commissioners’ rejection of the top ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud. As a result of his casting vote, the way has been paved for the second-ranked candidate, Roxanne Meyers, to be offered the post of DCEO. Myers has no election management experience.

She has been linked to PNRC-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, since at one point she was a student of his. She has also exposed herself as an avid supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition government, given her past social media posts.

As such, critics have said that Myers’ ability to function in an impartial manner is in question.

ExxonMobil increases Guyana’s oil resource estimate to 5.5 billion barrels

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xxonMobil Corporation, this week, disclosed that the 12 finds offshore Guyana translates into an increased gross recoverable resource greater than 5.5 billion barrels.

In its 2019 Investor Day Report released on March 6, 2019 the company said the value of its portfolio continues to grow, driven by five developments in Guyana and other countries.

Last month, ExxonMobil announced its eleventh and twelfth discoveries offshore Guyana at the Tilapia-1 and Haimara-1 wells.

The other 10 discoveries to date include: 1. Liza 2. Liza deep 3. Payara 4. Snoek 5. Turbot 6. Ranger 7. Pacora

8. Longtail – 1 9. Hammerhead 10. Pluma-1 The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres) and located approximately 120 miles (193 kilometres) offshore Guyana.

Local operator ExxonMobil’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is operator of the Stabroek Block, holding a 45 percent interest, Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.

Oil production is scheduled to begin in early 2020 with revenues for the country to begin being used for development projects soon after.

Last week, ExxonMobil disclosed that it added 4.5 billion oil-equivalent bar-

rels of proved oil and gas reserves in 2018, replacing 313 percent of the year’s production.

Internationally, over the past 10 years, ExxonMobil has added proved oil and gas reserves totaling approximately 17 billion oil-equivalent barrels, replacing 108 percent of produced volumes, including the impact of asset sales.

Reserves additions reflect new developments as well as revisions, including price impacts, and extensions of existing fields resulting from drilling, studies and analysis of reservoir performance. The annual reporting of proved reserves is the product of the corporation’s long-standing, rigorous process that ensures consistency and management accountability in all reserves bookings.

People's Progressive Party Presents

Fundraising B-B-Q & Lime Venue: Lusignan Market Square On Saturday - March 16, 2019 BBQ served from 2pm to 7pm Music by Popular Sound System

Tickets Cost

$1,000

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Guest

EDITORIAL Untrustworthy government deliberately jeopardizing Guyana

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eader of the Opposition, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, met with President David Granger on Wednesday, March 06, 2019. It was a crucial meeting with the general expectation by the populace that the country’s seemingly rapid descend into a constitutional crisis after March 21, could be halted. Dr. Jagdeo, having objected to the first agenda presented by the President, since naming an election date was glaringly absent, subsequently agreed after his demand was met.

Prior to the engagement of the two political leaders, he voiced his concerns over the meeting becoming another public relations stunt by the government given its track record of being disingenuous in its efforts to resolving vital matters of the State. None can forget the exercise in futility during meetings initiated by the President for the naming of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

In the end, the President, in the dark of the night unilaterally named a Chairman of his choice thereby making a mockery of the meeting with the Opposition Leader. It seems clear that unilateral action by the President’s was pre-determined before the meetings were called. That charade has become a trademark of the Granger administration making it untrustworthy and shamelessly insincere.

Despite being deceived in the past by the government when engaged to discuss matters to advance Guyana and Guyanese and having suggested a similar outcome for the March 6 meeting, Dr. Jagdeo, having at heart the interest of the country, attended. Just before its commencement, he again noted his lack of optimism being cognizant of the callous manner in which the government treats such issues, more especially, its blatant disregard for the constitutional process since the successful passage of the no-confidence motion of December 21, 2018.

He did made known his concern over the impact for Guyana and Guyanese as the government continues to trample on the constitution. He was emphatic that his participation in the said meeting was another act of good faith by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which has always put the interest of the nation first. True to his characteristics, the President refused to put the welfare of Guyana and Guyanese first and above the partisan interest of him and his Party, by not naming an election date during the meeting.

The constitution is without ambiguity; elections must be held within 90 days following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion. That period ends on March 21, 2019.

Instead of abiding by the constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, the government, having initially accepted that it will as expressed by both the President and the Prime Minister, disregarded its own words and rushed to the courts challenging the validity of the no-confidence vote.

Since then, it sought refuge in Parliament by seeking a reversal of the Speaker’s ruling on the no-confidence vote.

It failed, as the Speaker stuck to his guns and abided by the constitution. Not satisfied, it challenged the vote in the court and the Chief Justice, like the Speaker, not only upheld the constitution in her ruling, but reiterated the need for the government to abide by the enshrined process. Integral in that process is for the government to resign and elections be held within the 90-day period.

Still not satisfy that the no-confidence vote was upheld by the Speaker and the Chief Justice, the government is now in the process of appealing the matter. Such actions are deliberate to avoid holding elections and to illegally stay in office.

Why after almost 75 days following the December 21, 2018, vote, the President is now seeing it fit to meet with the Leader of the Opposition?

The only way, as clearly defined in the constitution, for

Guyana now firmly on path for an illegal government Dear Editor,

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n just about two weeks, Guyana becomes a dictatorship. The President and APNU+AFC are sinisterly eager to be a dictator President and an illegal government. The passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21st, 2018 set Guyana on a path to new General and Regional Elections. The date of the elections had to be chosen by the President, as long as it was within 90 days from December 21st. Beyond the 90 days, which means beyond March 21st, the decision on a date belongs jointly to the President and the Leader of the Opposition. Having squandered the first option, the President now depends on the Leader of the Opposition for legitimacy, even though he has adopted a position of an emperor.

Bharat Jagdeo took an Olive Branch, a genuine offer for compromise, to the President this morning. He offered the full support of the PPP for Parliament, under Article 106(7) of the Constitution and with the required two-thirds majority, to extend the life of the government for a reasonable period, beyond the deadline of March 21st, 2019. All Bharat Jagdeo, the Leader of the Opposition, wanted was for a good-faith agreement on a date for election. In keeping with the law and the constitution and representing a large section of the Guyanese people, the Leader of the Opposition presented the President with a face-saving way forward, so that

come March 21st, 2019, Guyana would not have an illegal government and a dictator President.

The President, not surprisingly, was unwilling to discuss a date for election.

The President abrogated his responsibility under the constitution to be the person who must decide on the date for an election. The law provides for two possibilities for the election date. The first was established on December 21st, 2018 when the passage of the No-Confidence motion started a timeline requiring election within 90 days. That meant the President had to choose a date before or on March 21st, the 90th day from December 21st. He and his Government deliberately ran the time down and now are faced with the daunting challenge of being an illegal government. There is a second option, provided for by the Constitution. This second option is a reasonable date after March 21st, if the Leader of the Opposition guarantees a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the extension of the timeline under Article 106(7) of the Constitution.

While the President has absolute choice in the first option, that choice is absolute only for a date anytime before or on March 21st. It is now impossible for him to exercise this first option. We are now left only with the second option and, for that, he needs the acquiescence of the Leader of the Opposition. In refusing to exercise the first option, President Granger arbitrarily wants to delegate the second option to GECOM

the elections not to be held within the prescribed 90-day period, is by a Parliamentary extension by two thirds and which can only be effected if the PPP agrees. Dr. Jagdeo had indicated that he is willing to support such an extension if it becomes necessary on condition he is satisfied that the government is genuine in its action of wanting to hold the elections and has taken steps to have the requisite process commence.

To date, and as the time winds down, the President has done nothing to have the electoral process commence. As a matter of fact, he and his government are parroting what their three loyal GECOM Commissioners having been saying; which is everything ludicrous under the sun to not hold the elections. One case in point is their call for fresh house-tohouse registration.

It should be noted that those said government Commissioners were in high praise for the Voters list, citing its unquestionable credibility, the smooth process and GECOM in delivering a very credible Local Government Elections (LGE), on November 12, 2018; mere four months ago. Just shortly after the December 21 no-confidence, they made an about turn claiming that said list in suddenly now not credible hence a need, in their minds, for new house-to-house registration.

In a show of unison, that has now become the government’s position to the point where the President is saying he has no role in naming an election date. Having continually

which has become another creature of APNU+AFC. But he conveniently ignores the law that states he cannot now act alone. The President gave up that option when he did not exercise his mandate to set the date before March 21st. He needs the Leader of the Opposition to exercise the second option. The President cannot arbitrarily delegate the authority to GECOM. The law that now governs the choice of a date for election is one that must be made only by a compromise between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

The President, APNU+AFC and GECOM are involved in a wicked, reckless conspiracy to violate the Constitution and the laws of Guyana. GECOM clearly has transitioned from it being a creature of the constitution to being a creature of the President and APNU+AFC. There are too many people and organizations who are silent. The trade unions, the Guyana Human Rights Organization, etc. are adding complicity to the recklessness of the government. This silence is permitting President Granger and APNU+AFC to formalize a dictatorship. The silence of CARICOM and the ABC countries are troubling.

They need to know that they are aiding and abetting a dictatorship in Guyana.

Sincerely, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

trample on the constitution, the President is effectively saying that GECOM decides when elections are held in the country.

That wasn’t his or his government’s position while in Opposition and when President Donald Ramotar was forced to call a snap election in 2015. They claim the onus was upon Ramotar having threatened to bring his administration to an end through a no-confidence vote.

From its despicable actions, the government has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that is it not in any way interested in holding elections and that it has no qualms in plunging the country into a constitutional crisis if no resolution is met come March 21. It’s said action reeks of its disdain over the impact such a crisis can have on the country and its people. It also shows that it will do all it can to stay in power even if it means putting the wellbeing of the Guyana and Guyanese at risk.

The President and his government have once again confirmed that they cannot be trusted and do not have the interest of the country at heart. A rewind in time will reveal the exact thing when the People’s National Congress (PNC) was in government prior to 1992. It is now the largest Party in the coalition government and is headed by the President. The actions therefore may not be coincidental; just characteristic.

The constitutional crisis, if reached, is therefore nothing but the creation of the President and the government he leads.

They will have to own it.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Parliamentary Opposition has been ‘extremely reasonable’ Dear Editor,

International community he Leader of the Opposition Jagdeo has T been understanding and bending backwards since the passage of the NCM (No being called on to support of Confidence Motion) in our National Assemon 2018-12-21.Our Coalition Government constitutional rights of Guyanese bly has been taking for granted and has been Dear Editor,

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hairman Justice (ret’d) James Patterson seems to shamelessly dance to the beat of the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNC/R) drums while defying the Constitution. In 2015, the APNU/AFC coalition Government took the issue concerning the life of the voters’ list to Parliament.

They placed into law that Continuous Registration will be an ongoing process, followed with Claims and Objections as the updating mechanism for the voters’ list to be ready for elections during any six months.

The delaying tactics now will not be able to stop the people in our country from demanding Regional and National Elections before the end of March 2019.

I join the international call for the global support of our constitutional rights. We demand the immediate isolation of this fraudulent, illegal APNU/AFC regime based on the colossal corruption and glaring violations of United Nations standards of acceptable human rights that are taking place under this Government.

The Guyanese nation calls for immediate and necessary intervention against this vulgar wrongdoing of this regime.

It is encouraging to read that President Granger is now coming around to understanding the importance of our country’s Constitution. However, even as he belatedly calls on GECOM to prepare for Regional and National Elections, there exists a deepened level of national distrust, given the tried and proven hypocrisy that usually emerges from his clan. It leaves one to wonder about the basis of Granger’s system of governing.

We recall that in 2017, Granger hurriedly appointed and swore in ‘pensioner’ Patterson

as Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission on Deepavali day. This happened to be one of the most auspicious and signature days on the Hindu religious calendar. Heaven knows why he is proposing to reach the Leader of the Opposition on ‘Ash’ Wednesday, March 06, 2019.

Given that, the political calendar is respected and not punctuated by the amount of days, but by the ‘events’ that take place on particular ‘dates’; Ash Wednesday is recognised as one of the most significant days on the Christian calendar, which signals commencement of preparation by our Christian brothers and sisters for the ‘holy’ period of ‘lent’. It is a time when our people are cleansing themselves from all evils with no use of alcohol, meat, and wrongdoings.

Selecting this date is certainly disrespectful to some Guyanese, or maybe a call for pious intervention.

March 6 is also the death anniversary of the Founder of the PPP, Dr Cheddi Jagan and the death anniversary of one of our country’s ‘heroine’ Kowselar. Maybe President Granger Makes his decisions based on significant dates.

Notwithstanding, GECOM must do one or both of the following: 1. Conduct a short Claims and Objections period so as to further sanitise the voters’ list and prepare immediately for elections.

Or 2. Have a short period of continuous registration along with a period of Claims and Objection for early elections.

The bottom line is that we must have elections when the voters’ list is valid!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

exploiting our LOP’s concern for not endangering the cohesion, integrity and peace of our nation. He has been enduring the taunts of supporters of the PNC and our Coalition Government and the fears of some of our PPP/C supporters that he is being outfoxed and outsmarted.

The Leader of the Opposition has all along been extremely reasonable – whilst holding that GECOM having held a successful LGE on November 18, 2018 should have had no problem in holding elections within the mandated period, he nonetheless has indicated on a number of occasions that once our Coalition Government was making good faith movements towards early elections he was open to discussions to accommodate good dates for our mandated elections.

Revelations of the two letters of the same date, 2019-02-25, addressed to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) each with the signature of the President, now in the public domain, are the latest test of our nation’s patience and faith.

How are we to resolve the significant difference in the tones of the two letters? Let us look at the two in some detail.

In the first letter which was shared with our PPP/C GECOM Commissioners, President Granger: • Acknowledges receipt of the letter of 201902-21 from the Chairman of GECOM. • Notes the Chairman’s statement that GECOM does not [now] have the capability to comply within the three month time frame commencing on 2018-12-21 (the day in which the No-Confidence Motion was passed.)

• Affirms that the Government of Guyana is committed (now) to doing everything to ensure that GECOM has sufficient time and money to conduct credible elections.

• Urges GECOM to commence preparations

for the General and Regional Elections (GRE).

• Asserts that the Government will initiate measures to provide the funds and seek approval of the National Assembly to ensure that an agreement can be reached given both the Constitutional requirements and GECOM’s capability.

PPP/C supporters and indeed our whole nation could have read this and did read this letter as a belated move to get on to the path which our Constitution mandates. This is the letter that our President should have sent to the Chairman of GECOM on the 23rd or 24th of December, 2018 and it would have been consistent with the initial response of the Prime Minister and many members of the Government immediately after the passage of the NCM on the night of the 21st December, 2018 and of our President in our newspapers the following morning.

However, the second letter studiously avoids any reference or acknowledgement of the NCM of 2018-12-21, and any Constitutional requirements, which are recognized in the first letter. This second letter reverts to the posture of, “Nothing happened on 201812-21… Business as usual.”

What are we to make of this second letter?

Was the second letter intended to supersede the first? Certainly, it raises the question whether different positions have been taken by different persons at State House, Ministry of the Presidency, Congress Place, and the Centre for Change? One must wonder what the positions are of the WPA, JFA and the other smaller parties of the coalition Government.

In the circumstances, Dr. Jagdeo and every fair minded Guyanese must be troubled by the presence of these two letters. Mr. Harmon should not find expressed fears of fraud to be malicious, deceitful and bewildering as the Chronicle Headline of March 01, 2019 bellows.

Yours sincerely, Samuel A.A. Hinds Former President and Former Prime Minister

Anxiety among Guyanese as to whether the days of rigged elections are once again upon us Dear Editor,

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he month of March is very significant for the People’s Progressive Party. It was on March 22, 1918 that Dr. Cheddi Jagan was born and he also passed away on March 6, 1997. As fate would have it, his wife Janet also passed away on March 28, 2009.

As we observe yet another birth and death anniversary of Dr. Jagan, it is important that we not only celebrate his life and works but also draw useful lessons from the struggles of this illustrious son of the soil, who together with his wife Janet, gave over a hundred years of dedicated and selfless service to the cause of a free and democratic Guyana.

One of the lessons to be learnt is that freedom and democracy do not come easy.

It has to be fought for and won. In the early 1950’s it was the struggle for the right to

vote, which prior to 1953, was only limited to the propertied class. It was only after robust representation made by the newly-formed PPP that the British Government agreed to a number of constitutional changes prior to the 1953 elections which included the granting of universal adult suffrage and the introduction of the ministerial system of governance. The PPP won a landslide victory in the 1953 elections gaining 18 out 24 seats.

That victory was short-lived due to a constitutional coup which overthrew the PPP from the seat of power after a mere 133 days in office. The reason advanced by the British Government for the suspension of the Constitution was that PPP was pursuing a ‘leftist’ agenda which was considered unacceptable and irresponsible at that time given the country’s location in what was perceived to be the US backyard.

The constitution was again manipulated by the British Government to remove the PPP from office in the 1964 elections even though the PPP won a plurality of the votes as it did in previous elections. The introduction of Proportional Representation in 1964 was a well-calculated ploy to prevent the PPP from winning.

The PNC teamed up with the United Force to form a coalition government which lasted until 1968 when the United Force was unceremoniously booted out from the coalition government, but not before the PNC took full control of the electoral machinery.

All elections since 1968 were blatantly rigged and Dr. Jagan and the PPP was kept in the political wilderness for almost three decades until democracy was finally restored to the country on October 5, 1992, thanks to the intervention of the United States and other western powers.

The country is once again facing an impending constitutional crisis. There is a fair measure of anxiety among Guyanese as to whether the days of rigged elections are once again rearing its ugly head and whether it will take another three decades before democratic rule becomes a reality.

Such fears are fuelled by the manner in which the Chairman of GECOM was appointed and how the Commission is treating with the issue of elections which are constitutionally due before March 19 following the successful passage of the no-confidence vote.

The words of the late Dr. Jagan seem once again to resonate among party supporters. ‘The struggle will be long and hard, but victory is inevitable.’

Regards, Hydar Ally

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Calibre and commitment of Ali is unmatched Granger should propose an election date then ask the P PPP/C to support extension of March 21, 2019 deadline

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

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hen I think of the looming constitutional crisis, I think of social contract.

In political philosophy, the social contract is the theory that speaks to the legitimacy of the authority of the state (government) over the individual (citizens). Most theories debate if the citizens have consented explicitly or tacitly to surrender some of their “freedoms” and to be under the authority of the decision maker (government), to keep social order.

They are multiple theories on the social contract. In all these theories, it’s usually the human condition that is examined, which causes the need for a social contract. “State of Nature” can be used to explain why any rational human being would give up their “natural freedom” to obtain benefits from a political order bounded by a social contract.

Two opposing views on “State of Nature” or “Human Nature” are proposed by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Thomas Hobbes in the Leviathan believed without a social contract to keep humans in check, we would have “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” lives, as such is human nature. Humans in Hobbes view were innately selfish and would lead

anarchic lives without a social contract. John Locke in the Second Treatise of Government, on the other hand, believed in human’s being innately moral and would seek no harm to each other be it lives or possessions. Locke believed that man can come together to create government (via social contracts) to have a body to protect these rights.

I would like to propose we accept our constitution as Guyana’s social contract. In this contract, there is a no-confidence provision, which has been put into motion. Upon the arrival of 90-days after the fact, and President Granger still hasn’t called elections, he will be in direct breach of such contract.

Editor, do we as Guyanese return to “state of nature”? If so which? One where we are all moral or one where we are nasty and brutish? With this looming constitutional crisis, what does the average man on the street expect? I would like to ask President Granger to propose a date for the election and then request the Leader of the Opposition to extend the life of the Government to this date.

Yours truly, Nalinie Singh

lease allow me to respond to the ongoing vitriolic and virulent campaign by the APNU/AFC supporters to discredit and disparage the credibility of Irfaan Ali, the PPP presidential candidate.

First, Ali is by far one of the most qualified persons to ever contest for higher office in Guyana. His exemplary and impeccable track record as a Government Minister, apart from being one of the leading figures behind the 2011-14 orchestrated economic boom, though the unprecedented housing programme, undoubtedly, allowed him to reach the zenith of his political career, whereby he is now the presidential candidate of the largest single political party in Guyana.

It must be noted, however, that the ongoing series of ad hominem attack and spurious allegations of academic fraud levied against Ali arouse much apoplexy amongst some of his closes acquaintances and comrades who are well familiar with his academic achievements.

Ali has a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) in Business Management from the University of Sunderland through the RDI distance learning program, a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Planning and Development from the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in India, and another Master’s Degree in Finance from the Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) which was offered through the Arden University.

Ali even went a step further and furnished the media with all his certificates upon their request, an unprecedented gesture by any statesman, to clarify all doubts. Such politeness and sincerity, however, has cost him. Ali is now faced with a series of unsubstantiated and spurious attacks, all with the sole intent to discredit and harm his personal reputation.

And what is even more unbecoming, is the fact that those who vehemently criticised

him didn’t utter a single word of apology after they would have received written confirmation by the various academic institutions validating and confirming the authenticity of his various certificates.

However, because of his rising threat to the Government, his critics are bent on keeping the propaganda machine well oiled. One of the latest allegations was by one who goes by the name of Shawn Sam, who, on March 2, penned an article in the Guyana Chronicle accusing Ali of obtaining a fictitious Master’s Degree in Finance from the Anglian Ruskin University (ARU). Again, like other false accusers, Sam didn’t offer any substantiated evidence to support his argument, but instead resorted to the much erroneous and misleading claim that no online programme is being offered by the said academic institution.

Hence, a simple google of Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) would reveal that indeed, the university is offering online graduate programmes in finance. To be specific, the program is being offered as an MBA in Finance.

Finally, Ali’s commitment to self-improvement and intellectual development is astounding and unmatched. In his latest quest for higher education, he is currently enrolled in the prestigious and internationally recognised LLM International Commercial Law at the University of Salford.

The programme, inter alia, will explore critical areas of international commercial law, corporate law and governance. Also critical to note is that he is currently awaiting results from the University of the West Indies on his PhD dissertation.

Hence, the calibre and commitment of Ali is unmatched and it’s in my humble view such qualities should be celebrated and not condemned for mere political credits.

Sincerely, A Grant

Politically conscious Guyanese know that the current political impasse is a result of government’s intransigence Dear Editor,

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egrettably, Guyana seems to be a haven for some of the most bizarre events ever witnessed.

Those of us who have lived here for our entire life would find such events a regular occurrence as we go about our daily lives.

A most recent case in point was the editorial of the Guyana Chronicle published on Thursday, February 28, 2019 headlined; ‘Putting country first.’

In a sudden, uncharacteristic departure from its usual anti-opposition, pro-government propagandistic vitriol the Chronicle editorial, in a record number of pronouns totaling 19 ‘ours’ and 22 ‘we’s’ made a surreptitious appeal to the nationalist sentiments of its readers.

The highly suspect call that ‘we’ must do this and ‘we’ must do that, along with numerous references to ‘our’ this, and ‘our’ that, was so pathetic that the end result was that editorial must have failed miserably to achieve its objective.

The vagueness as to who the ‘ours’ and ‘we’s’ are was so striking that any fifth form student would be at a loss to recognize who it was that the editorial was really targeting with the aim of influencing them.

The long and short of the ill- fated message in the editorial was that it must have gone completely over the head of the average Guyanese.

In this regard, it is left to wonder whether the editorial’s author is a crew member on the ‘Starship Enterprise’ usually featured in the fictional Star-trek serial.

Another bizarre characteristic of the editorial was its timing.

The editorial was published at a time when the Granger administration has found itself trapped in a game of its own making.

Now, in an attempt to temper the deep concerns, if not anger of Guyanese over the disturbing state of affairs obtaining in our country, the government, through the Chronicle editorial, sought to way-lay readers by appealing to their sense of nationhood at a time when the government is staggering to find its way out an impending constitutional crisis.

Further, what was bizarre about the editorial was this strangely concocted and convoluted diatribe about ‘political disagreements becoming political liabilities’ and Guyanese being ‘trapped by different approaches to national development.’

The editorial engages in ‘word-smithing’ as regards the ‘search for the magic touch of national harmony, but in the same breadth,

laments the ‘giving way to disharmony, which in the editor’s view, ‘stands in the way of national development.’

The editorial regrets the number of times ‘we’ have been on the ‘edge of ruin’ but its author avoids any mention about who is responsible for bringing the nation to its socalled ruinous ‘edge.’

The editorial laments that ‘we’ have become so ‘wedded to the politics of unreason ‘ so much so that ‘we’ have become victims of the ‘politics of unreason which has overtime become normative.’

Wow! To this lamentation, the question should be asked; from whence, in today’s context, when the country’s constitution is being violated, has unreasonableness become normative?

‘And as though to add insult to injury, we are told, ‘there must be a way out of this vicious cycle of aggression and victim hood.’

Yet another combination of suggestion and condemnation that points the ‘we’s’ and the ‘us’s to seek first the kingdom of ‘nationhood’ as the only means for survival.

Then comes the bizarre suggestion that somewhere out there exists a ‘zone of satisfaction’ like Lemuria is not only lost, but like a utopia, is where ‘most of our leaders flattered to deceive’ those who fell prey to the

practitioners of flattery and deception.

In the final analysis, however, one is tempted to concede that notwithstanding the editorial’s ‘word-smithing’, at the end of the day, it is a litany of mere sophistry.

And when the editorial suggests there is a shortage in supply of ‘the essence of civic engagement’ isn’t this is implicitly, a somewhat elitist approach to what should be the customary, hospitable Guyanese approach?

The Chronicle editorial ends with a call for ‘widening the dialogue away from political competition’ and further, that ‘this is not the time to be torn apart by the politics of expediency- it’s still nation time’ the editorial cries!

Incredible! Though the politically conscious Guyanese would be aware of the current political impasse arising from government’s intransigent and cunctatorian practices would therefore be lost for words were they to attempt an understanding of the Chronicle editorial’s jiggerypoggekry fashioned in a call that ‘it’s still nation time.’

Your faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

PPP/C will only vote to extend life of Coalition gov’t if date for elections before April 30 is named F

ollowing an invitation from the Ministry of the Presidency to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, for

a meeting between the Parliamentary Opposition and the Government, the position of the People’s Progressive

Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was made clear.

In a March 5, 2019 letter to the Minister of State, Jo-

seph Harmon, Jagdeo said, “The Guyana Constitution is the supreme law of Guyana, and, therefore, the proposed meeting can only and must only focus on ensuring that the Constitution is not violated, and, that general and regional elections are held in compliance with Article 106(6) and 106(7) following the December 21, 2019 passage of the No-confidence motion.”

Jagdeo made several proposals for President David Granger to consider, including: 1. The date of the general and regional elections to be held before the expiration of the present voters’ list on April 30, 2019; 2. No new contracts to be awarded by the State, including Regional Democratic Councils, and, Stateowned corporations after March 21, 2019; 3. No new agreements, loans, grants, land leases, or any other such agreements or contracts after March 21, 2019, that bind Government; 4. No abuse of State resources for partisan activities/purposes; 5. Access to the State-owned media by all the contesting

political parties.

The Opposition Leader made clear that the naming of a date for General and Regional Elections – a date that is before April 30, 2019 – will be the only condition under which the PPP/C will vote to extend the life of the Coalition Government.

He said, “On the agreement of your Government to these proposals, the Parliamentary Opposition will be prepared to lend its support for the two-thirds majority required to comply with Article 106 (7) for an extension beyond March 21, 2019.”

On December 21, 2018, the no-confidence motion, filed by Jagdeo on November 15, 2018 against the Granger-led government, was successfully passed in the National Assembly – triggering the fall of the Coalition Government and constitutionally required General and Regional Elections before March 21, 2019.

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

Article 106 (7) goes on to state that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

After March 21, 2019, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, according to the Parliamentary Opposition, becomes illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional.

An extension of the March 21, 2019 deadline – an extension of the life of the Coalition Government – requires a two-thirds vote in the National Assembly.

Jagdeo has since said, “At this point in time we will not extend the life of the Government, unless there is an agreement to a date (a date for General and Regional Elections) that is a close to the constitutional requirement. The time is ticking. After March 21, the government becomes unconstitutional. I made that clear.”

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.

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Positions from the Office of the Opposition Leader No agreement was reached after meeting between Parliamentary Opposition, Granger-led gov’t O ne would have expected that President David Granger, having invited the Leader of the Opposition to a meeting, on the eve of a constitutional crisis, after March 21, 2019, would have come to the meeting prepared to avert the impending constitutional crisis.

However, the meeting today (March 6, 2019) with the Leader of the Opposition was another exercise in futility.

The Leader of the Opposition went into the meeting with some misgivings, as stated in our press release last night (March 5, 2019), but in the national interest he accepted the invitation and also proposed a reasonable and feasible solution to hold General and Regional Elections before the List of Electors expires on April 30, 2019.

The Parliamentary Opposition and the entire population have been subjected to a series of “bad-faith” actions by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, after the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018. Regrettably, this meeting did not offer anything different.

The President repeated the views of the government-appointed Commissioners and his party leaders, and, reiterated his position that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had to set the date for elections, and, that he had to await GECOM’s readiness to hold elections.

The Leader of the Opposition in response stressed

that GECOM, a creature of the Constitution, could not be above the Constitution, nor, could it usurp the powers of the President to dissolve Parliament and summon elections at any time.

Mr. Jagdeo’s proposal for elections before April 30th, 2019, an additional 50 days past the March 21, 2019 deadline was doable. Furthermore, he was prepared to support GECOM in three actions: to have enhanced safeguards at the polling stations; to use selective tenders to allow it to fast-track procurement for the elections; and to simultaneously train additional elections day staff to meet that timeline.

Mr. Jagdeo removed any doubt, if there was any, that were the Coalition Government to support a new National House-to-House registration process, which would delay the elections for at least another eight (8) months, especially taking into consideration that the November 2018 Voters list, used in the Local Government Elections, was pronounced “clean” by GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, and all the political parties contesting those elections accepted the list as credible, without any complaint, the Parliamentary Opposition would not support an extension past March 21, 2019, as required by 106 (7) of the Constitution.

The President undertook to meet with GECOM and get back to the Leader of the Opposition. However, it is clear that the three government-appointed Commis-

sioners of GECOM, and the Chairman, are taking instructions from Congress Place.

The positions being taken by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the Coalition government, and these Commissioners are one and the same.

No agreement was reached and no other issue was discussed.

In conclusion, the Leader of the Opposition stated that until the date is settled, there was nothing further to discuss.

The Opposition Leader informed the President that he would be calling for sanctions on the Coalition Government, after March 21, 2019, and reminded him that he would be invoking the same sanctions which Mr. Granger, as Leader of the Opposition, had called for in November 2014.

The President has not given the Guyanese people any assurance that the imminent danger the country faces will be averted. Instead, the Parliamentary Opposition could only conclude that the President and his Government have and will continue to act in bad-faith, and, that the President is willing to subvert and violate the Constitution to suit his Government’s objective of staying in power beyond March 21, 2019.

The Parliamentary Opposition maintains that after March 21, 2019 the APNU+AFC Coalition Government becomes unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate. (March 6th, 2019)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Meeting with Granger ends without agreement on date for General and Regional Elections

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alks between the Parliamentary Opposition and the Coalition Government on Wednesday (March 6, 2019) ended without an agreement on a date for General and Regional Elections to be held.

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) team was led by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and included: the PPP/C Presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali; the Parliamentary Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira; PPP/C Parliamentarian and former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall; and PPP/C Parliamentarian, Juan Edghill.

Government’s team was led

by President David Granger and included Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, and others.

On leaving the meeting, Jagdeo engaged the media corps, outside the Ministry of the Presidency, and said, “He (President Granger) is the one who is leading this country into a constitution crisis. I made it clear, I came here to engage on that basis, on one issue, and that is why when he wanted to discuss other matters, I said no, I have to have one issue clear - when is the date for elections. “…we didn’t get past the first item in the agenda, which is a date for elections.

As you know I suggested a date before the 30th of April – before the list (Official List of Electors) expires.

The President had indicated that he is prepared to discuss a date, but GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) will have to be ready.

I said to him that you are the President of Guyana and you have a duty to uphold the Constitution of Guyana; GECOM is a creature of the Constitution, GECOM cannot override the Constitution and therefore unless we have a discussion on the date, I am not prepared to move forward on any other issue on the agenda. So we did not get past the first issue on the agenda. “…the other issues on the agenda we did not get to those. They were trying to suck me back into discussions on useless things. The key thing here, I said, is that you are the President and you have to set the date for elections…we believe that the date, before the end of April, gives adequate time to complete all the tasks.

With the help of the Government and the Opposition, GECOM can have all the tasks completed that would

allow them to hold credible elections without disenfranchising our people.”

MEETING WITH GECOM Jagdeo disclosed that there be a joint meeting with GECOM. “The President said why not meet GECOM jointly. I said to him, no, we have absolutely no interest in meeting GECOM jointly.

I said that he should meet GECOM himself, because he has a duty to call the election.”

GECOM has not acted decisively in preparing for General and Regional Elections, which are constitutionally mandated to happen before March 21, 2019, following the December 21, 2018 passage of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

Last week, at the Tuesday (February 26, 2019) statutory meetings, GECOM Commissioners were presented with three workplans, none of which will see GECOM being ready to deliver General and Regional Elections within the constitutionally due timeframe – three months after the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion was successfully passed in the National Assembly.

The three work plans include plans for: • Claims and Objections, which if started now would GECOM being ready for Elections sometime in June 2019; • Continuous Registration and Claims and Objections, which if started now would see GECOM being ready for Elections sometime in July 2019; and • House to House registration, which would see GECOM not being ready for elections until year-end or sometime early in 2020.

The latter, house-tohouse registration has been vociferously opposed to.

Jagdeo said, “I said clearly that we are not supportive of going to house-to-house registration because that would delay the elections

by at least as eight months.

We are not interested in that at all. I made it clear that we can have safeguards if necessary to ensure credible elections, working together.

The State can pay for three polling agents from both parties to sit in every polling place to ensure that only people eligible to vote cast their vote so you don’t have to worry about the quality of the list or padding, etc.”

He added, “GECOM cannot override the Constitution. What is GECOM says it is not ready for two years, I said to him, does that mean that we will never have elections in Guyana again? The President said he will meet with the whole Commission.”

NEXT STEPS Jagdeo also told the media that Granger has proposed another meeting. He said, “He (Granger) said he wants to meet again. I said yes we can meet again, but only to meet on an election date. And it cannot be a date that is far into the future. I made a proposal already.

I believe it is a credible proposal.”

The Opposition Leader also reiterated that an extension of the March 21, 2019 deadline will only be done if certain conditions are met. He said, “I said at this point in time we will not extend the life of the Government, unless there is an agreement to a date that is a close to the constitutional requirement.

The time is ticking. After March 21, the government becomes unconstitutional. I made that clear. The ball is in his court.”

SANCTIONS Asked about a continued stalemate and his mention of lobbying for sanctions, Jagdeo said, “I mentioned to the President that he himself advocated for sanctions for Guyana, in the period after the prorogation of Parliament, in 2014, and I said we will do the same thing. We will advocate for sanctions.

We will take the President’s speech and play it for the international community and say this is what he wanted then.”

President Granger, in 2014, as then Opposition Leader, accepted the position that a country could be placed in for undemocratic acts. He had said then that: “Other countries in the Commonwealth have been sanctioned before for breach of democracy. I know Fiji has been sanctioned; Pakistan has been sanctioned; Zimbabwe, I think, has also been sanctioned. And it is in the interest of Guyana to avoid these sanctions.

These sanctions could have a deleterious effect on the economy and of course the way Guyana is perceived in other countries. Guyana wants to attract Foreign Direct Investment. Guyana wants to attract tourists and Guyana wants to be able to access donor funding around the world. But when it is perceived widely that Guyana is a pariah state, Guyana is an outcast, there will be less willingness on the part of donor countries to pump money into what is becoming a failed state – to pump money in a country which does not practice democratic behaviour.”

The Opposition Leader stressed that as President, Granger has a duty to uphold the Constitution. “I said to him that as President and leader of the PNCR, he has a duty. I said to him, your party has been threatening war, they have been picketing and they are putting GECOM under pressure and the three government-nominated Commissioners, political Commissioners, have been the ones delaying preparations for Election by GECOM. They are carrying a Party line….the President has a duty to uphold the Constitution of Guyana.”

Prior to Wednesday’s (March 6, 2019) meeting, the position of the PPP/C was made clear in a letter to the Ministry of the Presidency and a statement regarding the contents of that letter was also released to the public on Tuesday (March 5, 2019).

BELOW IS THE STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE OPPOSITON LEADER AHEAD OF THE MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT: Having received a letter on February 25th 2019 from

the Ministry of the Presidency inviting the Leader of the Opposition to a meeting with the President on March 6th, 2019 to discuss the following matters: i) “The National Assembly’s constitutional role in the present situation; and ii) The Guyana Elections Commission’s readiness and requirement for funding to enable it to conduct General and Regional elections”.

The Opposition rejected these grounds for the meeting in light of the apparent reluctance of the President to name a date for elections in accordance with article 106 (6) and 106 (7).

Recognizing that the date of March 21, 2019 was fast approaching without any indication by the President nor GECOM to meet the three months deadline, the Leader of the Opposition offered a reasonable and feasible proposal to the President in the national interest and to prevent the country slipping into a constitutional crisis.

The letter dispatched on March 4, 2019 stated: “I am proposing to the President for his consideration, the following:i) The date of the general and regional elections to be held before the expiration of the present voters’ list on April 30, 2019; ii) No new contracts to be awarded by the State, including Regional Democratic Councils, and, Stateowned corporations after March 21, 2019; iii) No new agreements, loans, grants, land leases, or any other such agreements or contracts after March 21, 2019, that bind Government; iv) No abuse of State resources for partisan activities/purposes; v) Access to the Stateowned media by all the contesting political parties.

On the agreement of your Government to these proposals, the Parliamentary Opposition will be prepared to lend its support for the two-thirds majority required to comply with Article 106 (7) for an extension beyond March 21, 2019.

I, therefore, am proposing that the meeting focus exclusively on the date for these elections.

Further, I believe that my proposal to hold general and regional elections before April 30, 2019 is

reasonable and feasible with a claims and objections period, provided that GECOM acts in good-faith and in conformity with its mandate and the Constitution. This proposal will ensure that the Constitution remains intact and prevents our nation slipping into a constitutional crisis.

If my proposal finds favour with the President, l shall be prepared to meet him on March 6, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. or at any other time.”

This afternoon (March 5, 2019), the Leader of the Opposition received a reply from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, stating that “the content of these letters has been conveyed to the President who advises that he is prepared to meet with you on Wednesday March 6th at 11:00 hours at the Ministry of the Presidency and to discuss the issues raised in your aforementioned letters.”

Many people believe that nothing positive will come out of the meeting tomorrow given the track-record of duplicity of the Granger administration thus far. The Opposition Leader shares some of these misgivings. Nevertheless, having been approached by many Guyanese, civil society bodies and members of the diplomatic corps to make one last attempt to avert the constitutional crisis that the President, with a complicit GECOM, is leading our nation into, the Leader of the Opposition is prepared to make one more good-faith attempt in the interest of the nation, and, will attend the meeting.

This is the last attempt by the Parliamentary Opposition to offer the government a way out of the constitutional crisis and to keep Guyana in the democratic fold of nations.

If the meeting fails, the true nature of the government will be seen by all those who urged the Opposition Leader to meet.

Tomorrow (March 6, 2019) will be a test of the integrity, credibility and sincerity of the President; he will be tested as to whether he can be trusted “as a man of his word” to put our nation, its future and its people first on a foundation of constitutional and parliamentary democracy. This will be a test as to whether the constitution or ‘power lust’ wins out.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

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

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (March 7, 2019), ranging from the continued denial that Guyana is facing a constitutional crisis, to the emergence of increasing evidence that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is not functioning in an independent manner.

After vote on no-confidence motion…

Law makes it clear that gov’t remains in office ‘for the purpose of holding election’

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s actions, following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion, which underscore a ‘business as usual’ disposition, is in clear contravention of what legislators intended when the Constitution was amended, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Bill 14 of 2000 – Constitution (Amendment) – addressed changes to Article 106 of the Constitution in December 2000.

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

Article 106 (7) goes on to state that: “Notwith-

standing its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

During his news conference, on Thursday (March 7, 2019), Jagdeo pointed out that the Explanatory Memorandum on the Bill 14 of 2000 – Constitution (Amendment) – made clear what legislators intended.

The Bill was published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday, December 5, 2000.

The Explanatory Memorandum, on Page 15, of Bill 14 of 2000 – Constitution (Amendment) – said:

The Explanatory Memorandum, on Page 15, of Bill 14 of 2000 – Constitution (Amendment) – said: “Clause 5 alters Article 106 to provide for the resignation of Cabinet and 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.”

“Clause 5 alters Article 106 to provide for the resignation of Cabinet and 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.”

Jagdeo said, “The Coalition government is shirking that responsibility…. for several months, since December 2018, now we have heard from the government that it is business as usual, therefore they can do whatever they want in this period. “…as a result of this, we have seen a prolifera-

Page 15 of the Explanatory Memorandum of Bill 14 of 2000

Granger must hold GECOM responsible for acting in accordance with the Constitution A

meeting has been set between President David Granger, the Chairman and Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The March 6, 2019 letter informing of the meeting read: “I write on behalf of His Excellency the President on the issue of the readiness of GECOM for

the conduct of General and Regional Elections.”

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his Thursday (March 7, 2019) news conference, noted that President Granger, at this stage, has to hold GECOM responsible for its acts in accordance with the Constitution. “The President has to do this…as Leader

of the Opposition if I am to meet with them I will get excuses,” he said.

Asked about legal action against GECOM to ensure that it complies with the Constitution, Jagdeo added, “We are exploring legal actions against GECOM…we don’t want it to be a cause for more delays. That is our concern….

the Government likes to use court for delays. So that is one of the issues we are contemplating.”

The agenda for the meeting, as stated in the letter to GECOM, will focus on GECOM’s readiness for General and Regional Elections.

GECOM has a 2019 Budget of $5.371B.

tion of handouts. We have seen contracts given out in direct breach of the procurement laws of Guyana.

Land leases, settling cases, travelling abroad. “…if they look at this (the Amendment) they cannot claim it is business as usual. The purpose of staying in office is to hold an General and Regional Elections – not to use up state resources, not to give out contracts, not to sign new agreements.”

The no-confidence motion was passed on December 21, 2018 – activating Article 106 of the Constitution. As such General and Regional Elections have to be held within three months – by March 21, 2019.

The Parliamentary Opposition maintains that after March 21, 2019 the APNU+AFC Coalition Government becomes unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

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

Guyana Under Review Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (March 7, 2019), ranging from the continued denial that Guyana is facing a constitutional crisis, to the emergence of increasing evidence that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is not functioning in an independent manner.

APNU+AFC gov’t continues to ignore ‘constitutional crisis’ A

t this point in time, Guyana is fast approaching a constitutional crisis, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (March 7, 2019) news conference, he referred to the move by top APNU+AFC Coalition Government officials to insist that there is no looming constitutional crisis.

A March 1, 2019 article published by the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, headlined ‘No looming Constitutional crisis’, quotes Attorney General, Basil Williams, as saying that: “There is no “drop dead date” after the expiration of the 90-day timeframe

for the holding of General and Regional Elections that would plunge Guyana into a constitutional crisis.”

Jagdeo said, “We see the national embarrassment that we have for an Attorney General saying no constitutional crisis….no drop dead date? Really? There is a drop dead date…can we continue to have this man advise the president of Guyana….Williams claims nothing happens after March 21, 2019….all of Guyana is clear on what will happen after that date.”

The Opposition Leader noted that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, was a “bit more clever” is arguing that

there is no constitutional crisis ahead of Guyana.

The state-owned Guyana Chronicle, in a March 5, 2019 article, headlined ‘There is no crisis, quotes Harmon as saying that: “Where some people see crisis, some see opportunity and I don’t see a crisis, I see an opportunity to work together to put Guyana first and ensure that this country is developed along a sustainable pathway.”

Jagdeo said, “After the no-confidence motion vote, I made a statement, saying this is not a cause for despair or triumphalism…I said we meet and also talk about the

future of Guyana…to talk about an arrangement of how we can work together to ensure we have best governance for future. That was the opportunity… they have squandered the opportunity to talk about mature governance system…how do you talk about opportunity with a government that does not respect rule of law, acts in bad faith. What kind of opportunity and partnership can you talk about it?”

The Opposition Leader noted too that President Granger echoed the line about there being ‘no crisis. Granger on Wednesday (March 6, 2019), after a

meeting between his government officials and the Parliamentary Opposition, insisted that, “There is no crisis.” Jagdeo contends that the President’s comment did nothing to address a real issue.

March 21, 2019 marks the three-month deadline imposed by the Constitution, following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018. The validity of the vote has been upheld by the High Court.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Gov-

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

Article 106 (7) goes on to state that: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

Guyana’s democracy cannot depend on readiness of GECOM ‒ Constitution must be complied with

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resident David Granger violated the balance at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) when he appointed, unilaterally, James Patterson as the GECOM Chairman, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

And, he contends that the dangers of such a move have manifested itself in the waning confidence in the Commission to act independently. “GECOM is no longer an independent Commission…we have four persons, the GECOM Chairman and the government-nominated GECOM Commissioners, who take instructions from APNU,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader explained that in the past GECOM included three Commissioners nominated by the Government, three Commissioners nominated by the Opposition and a GECOM Chairman who was appointed after collaborations between the Government and the Opposition.

“In the past we had a Commission with a chairman that enjoyed the confidence of both sides because of the appointment process,” he said.

Evidence of instructions being taken by the GECOM Chairman, as well as the government-nominated Commissioners, accord-

ing to him, was seen in the events after December 21, 2018.

On December 27, 2019, the state-owned Guyana Chronicle published an article headlined ‘GECOM ready for elections’. That article read: “Amidst the possibility that General and Regional Elections (GECOM) could be held within 90 days, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has given the assurance that it will do everything to ensure that the elections are properly conducted to the highest standards.

‘With this no-confidence motion, it means once the date is set, it will be held… it is our constitutional mandate to conduct the General and Regional Elections and Local Government Elections (LGEs) whenever they are constitutionally due; so whether it is in the 90 days then it is GECOM’s responsibility to conduct elections,’ said Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GECOM Yolanda Warde during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle.”

Warde’s comment came after the GECOM Secretariat had met on December 22, 2018, to address GECOM’s readiness for General and Regional Elections, as constitutionally due

James Patterson

Charles Corbin

Desmond Trotman

He said, “GECOM is saying they need a date from the President…the President saying he waiting on GECOM is ready… then we have GECOM saying it cannot start readying itself for elections without a date from the President…it is pure nonsense and delay tactics.” – Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo after the successful passage of the no-confidence motion.

The Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners have also confirmed with met that the December 22, 2018 meeting took place.

Less than a month after this declaration, the position of GECOM was that it could not deliver General and Regional Elections within three months.

With the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018, General and Regional Elections – as per the Constitution – have to be held within

three months, by March21, 2019. At GECOM, on February 19, 2019, during the weekly statutory meeting, the motion to inform President Granger that GECOM cannot deliver the elections was opposed by the Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners – Bibi Shaddick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn. However, the GECOM Chairman, James Patterson, sided with the Government-nominated Commissioners and the vote was carried.

Since then, Jagdeo charged that Granger and

GECOM keep ‘passing the buck’. He said, “GECOM is saying they need a date from the President…the President saying he waiting on GECOM is ready…then we have GECOM saying it cannot start readying itself for elections without a date from the President…it is pure nonsense and delay tactics.”

Jagdeo stressed that GECOM is a creature of the Constitution of Guyana.

He said, “GECOM is not above the Constitution.

Are we saying that all the constitutional imperatives

Vincent Alexander

will be subjected to GECOM readiness? I pointed out to President Granger that the Constitution says that GECOM must act in compliance with the Constitution… and it is the Constitution that imposes a three month deadline after a no-confidence motion….are we saying that our democracy now depends on readiness from GECOM; the same GECOM that is getting instructions from Congress Place (People’s National Congress Reform headquarters).”

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.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ‒ current list of electors is valid

T

he APNU+AFC Coalition has been calling for house-to-house registration, claiming that the list is not ‘sanitized’ and that young people – first time voters will be disenfranchised since their names would not be on the list.

On the first point, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission, declared that the List of Electors was, in fact, clean. Also, 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.

On the second point, the claim that first time voters being disenfranchised, this 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. 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.

So there is little chance of young persons, who are eligible to vote, being left off the Voters’ List.

Once a cycle of Continuous Registration has commenced anyone who will be 14 years 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.

That said, given that persons from 14-years-old were eligible for registration in October 2018, it is highly unlikely that young voters would be disenfranchised.

Moreover, not allowing someone who attained age 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.

Despite these facts, the APNU+AFC Coalition has been instigating their supporters to echo a misplaced call for a house-house registration.

Also of note is that 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.”

Finally, 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.”

Diaspora group writes US Secretary Wreath laying ceremony at Anna of State on Guyana’s situation Regina in hour of Dr Cheddi Jagan On Wednesday evening (March 6, 2019), a wreath laying ceremony was held in honour of Dr Cheddi Jagan at the Cheddi Jagan Play Park, Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

A

US-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Guyanese American Rights Association (GARA), has written to the Secretary of State of the United States of America (USA), Mike Pompeo, and soliciting help if the Government of Guyana becomes unconstitutional on the 21st day of March 2019.

According to the letter, “With the potential for Guyana to be an important player in the oil and gas industry within the next year; using the expertise and capital of ExxonMobil, it is imperative that a legitimately elected government administer the country. Our history of rigged elections must be avoided at all cost.”

The letter further stated that “We are, therefore, seeking the use of your good office to ensure that Guyana returns to the fold of democratic rule as wished for by the Government of the United States.

We plead with you to help the Guyanese people fulfil their democratic ambitions by helping them to further empower their independent institutions in order to better promote democracy as a means to collectively achieving stability, and prosperity across the Hemisphere.”

The possibility of the

Government becoming unconstitutional and illegal has become even more likely after the Government failed to name a date for General and Regional Elec-

tions on Wednesday (March 6, 2019), after meeting between the Parliamentary Opposition and the Dvaid Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Remembering the life and legacy of

Dr Cheddi Jagan

The people's hero set the stage for a modern Guyana almost 60 years ago

By Dr Leslie Ramsammy

M

arch 6, 2019 marked the 20th death anniversary of Cheddi Jagan. Guyana suffered a great loss that day and we still feel the pain and loss today. In spite of the great loss we experienced that day, we had reasons to celebrate a great life of dedication, commitment, sacrifice and achievement. In life, there were many who opposed him and who were critical of his politics. But on the day he died, even those persons conceded Cheddi was a great man, a patriot, a man of vision and dreams. Even among his enemies, Cheddi was a genuine hero. His life's work set the stage for a modern Guyana.

It was 1961. I was but a child, yet awed by the presence of some great men and one great woman. CV Nunes, then Guyana's transformational Education Minister, standing next to Cheddi, at our home, asked me if there was something I would like to ask Cheddi. I was reading the book 1984. I asked Cheddi what would he like for our country by 1984. He was simple: " We all will be free Guyanese citizens, none of us will live in poverty. Children like you, whatever, the economic status of their parents, rich or poor, will be able to follow their dreams". Cheddi was my hero then; he remains unquestionably my Guyanese hero. We will emulate him, as I do, but filling his shoes is not possible.

As a child growing up on the Corentyne, I saw him many times, as a visitor to our home. Two incidents are imprinted in my memories. The first was in 1961, during an election victory motorcade, he stopped in front of our home and asked for my bedridden grandpa. It was magical, as he took one of his garland, full of colored flowers, to place it on my grandpa, but it ended up around my neck.

The second was also in 1961, just before the election. Many of the PPP leaders were crisscrossing the Corentyne holding rallies. Cheddi was accompanied by leaders like CV Nunes, Fenton Ramsahoye, Ashton Chase, Brindley Benn, Jocelyn Hubbard, Victor Downer and, of course, Janet. On one of the stops at our home, around lunch, he came by and helped me with my homework. He enjoyed chatting with young people. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I remember him saying to my mom that "this boy is going to be a doctor".

A MAN OF VISISON, CHEDDI SAW BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL AS AN IMPERATIVE. But this simple man not only was a freedom fighter, fighting for Guyana's independence, he was a visionary who had a modernization blueprint for our country.

At the center of his vision, Cheddi insisted that we have to build human capital through a strong educational infrastructure, providing a platform for Guyana's children to become professionals, entrepreneurs, agriculturists, builders etc. He saw this as critical if Guyana was going to transform our sovereignty into a viable nation. It is, therefore, no coincident that in 2013, some of our most important educational and training institutions, such as UG, the Guyana School of Agriculture and many of our high schools, celebrated their 50th anniversaries.

At the apex of the human capital development vision was the establishment of the

University of Guyana. In October 2013, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the University of Guyana. In 1963 when the University of Guyana opened its doors, housed at Queens College, detractors like Forbes Burnham, deemed UG "Jagan Night School". Today, our doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, accountants, managers, pharmacists, medical technologists, nurses and other professionals are graduates of the University of Guyana.

Many of these graduates are from families who would not have afforded to send their children to colleges abroad.

The Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) celebrated its 50th anniversary also in 2013.

On September 9th 1963, the Minister of Agriculture, Brindley Benn, signed the Order establishing the GSA. Graduates of the GSA have served with distinction in the agricultural sectors of Guyana and countries around the world. Indeed, many of the graduates of the GSA can be found working in international agencies and universities such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-America Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), the University of Guyana, University of the West Indies (UWI) and McGill University in Canada. The school has trained young agriculturists from many Caribbean countries, following the footsteps of almost 200 students from various Caribbean and African countries who have graduated over the years from the GSA. Cheddi and the PPP at the time recognized the significance of agriculture in nurturing an economy with sustainable growth and a nation that was food and nutrition-secured. The GSA was established to ensure Guyana’s agriculture sector was the pillar on which our economic fortunes were built.

But there was another significant plank in the plan for building human capital through education and training in Guyana. Cheddi realized that the country must offer its children secondary education – the quest for universal education for Guyanese children became a part of the plan which begun implementation around 1963. His goal was 100%, universal access to nursery, primary and secondary education. The first public nursery schools were established between 1961 and 1964. In addition to the church-operated and private primary schools, public primary schools were opened across Guyana. Public secondary schools in many regions of Guyana opened their doors around that time. It was the first time that the children of poor Guyanese families were able to gain access to public, secondary education. Before that, there were only a handful of secondary schools in Guyana and most of these were private, fee-paid schools.

From less than 10% of our children accessing secondary schools in 1960, about 30% had access by 1964. After 1964, little progress in improving access to secondary schools was made. By 1990, secondary school education was only available to about 35% of Guyanese children who were eligible to attend high school. Cheddi resumed the task of ensuring universal access to secondary schooling when he became President in 1992. Today, because of the visionary leadership of Cheddi and the PPP, Guyana has achieved universal access to primary and secondary education. With

greater than 80% access to nursery education today, Guyana is one of the leading countries in the region for nursery school access.

It was also around that time, in the early 1960s, that the teachers training college started as an in-service program, with teachers training being done at various places as evening classes around the country. At the time, most of Guyana’s teachers were untrained.

Less than 5% of our teachers then had any training. Today almost 85% of Guyana’s teachers are trained teachers. It is truly a remarkable story of vision and leadership. In a parallel arrangement, Cheddi forced Bookers to convert its informal technician training into a school - the Technical Training Center at Port Mourant which has produced mechanics and other technical staff for Guyanese industries and many serve in countries around the world. That this center has essentially closed as part of SUGAR downsizing by APNU+AFC is an inexcusable travesty.

FOR CHEDDI, BUILDING AN INDUSTRIAL BASE WAS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE MODERN GUYANA HE VISUALIZED. Thus, early in the 1960s, the second pillar in the package of development initiatives resulting from the vision of Cheddi and the PPP was building an industrial base. Few realized that the industrialization of Guyana was started by the establishment at the time of the first ever industrial park in Guyana – the Ruimveldt Industrial Park. This is one of the earliest, if not the first, of the industrial parks in the Caribbean. Today, most of Guyana’s giant industries are still operating from that site.

Consider Banks DIH, Kissoon’s Group of Companies, Continental, Beharry’s Group of Companies, Gafoor Group of Companies, etc.

They all started out of the first industrial park.

When Cheddi became President in 1992, almost three decades after he was overthrown in a conspiracy between the PNC, America and Great Britain, Ruimveldt was struggling as our only industrial park. Now, because of the PPP, there are several other industrial parks.

Interestingly, Cheddi, the socialist, is mainly responsible for giving an impetus for the development of a capitalist cadre in Guyana. It was Burnham and the PNC, seen

by America as the capitalist beacon, who destroyed entrepreneurship and the private sector. As part of his industrialization drive, he forced the then bauxite company (DEMBA) to build an aluminum plant and this was the catalyst for constructing the Wismar Bridge across the Demerara River. Interestingly, it was under the PNC that the aluminum plant was abandoned.

FOR CHEDDI, GUYANA'S FUTURE, A MODERN GUYANA, WAS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT AN AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE. Cheddi saw agriculture as the backbone of a thriving economy for an independent and food-secured Guyana. He started agricultural settlements such as Black Bush Polder, Canal Polder, Tapakuma and Mara and established irrigation infrastructure such as Dawa, Mibikuri and Manorbishi Pump Stations and the Torani Canal that linked the Berbice and Canje Rivers. These today are critical elements in the growth of agriculture in Guyana, providing a sustainable base for

the growth of the economy and creating jobs for our people. In the late 1950s and early 1960s when these important agriculture infrastructure were put in place, rice production was less than 75,000 tons. Today, Guyana should have reached 700,000 tons by 2015.

In fact, Guyana now has the potential, with good stewardship of the rice sector, to produce more than 1,000,000 tons of rice annually.

EQUALLY IMPORTANT IN THE JAGAN VISION FOR GUYANA WAS BUILDING A TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE. It was in that critical early 1960 period that Cheddi initiated an improvement of the transport sector by expanding the ferry services in Guyana through the construction of ferry boats locally. The Torani and other boats which still ply our rivers were constructed about fifty-five years ago. The feasibility studies for the Linden Highway was completed at that time and later built under the PNC. The plan for a bridge across both the Demerara and Berbice Rivers entered into the planning agenda. Eventually, the PNC built the Demerara River Bridge and the PPP, under Bharat Jagdeo, built the Berbice River bridge.

IN CHEDDI'S VISION, A MODERN GUYANA MUST HAVE A FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE. Cheddi Jagan and the PPP also recognized that a financial infrastructure must be established to support the creation of a nation and to support the country as it moves from being a low-developing country to a middle-income country.

Guyana’s Bank of Guyana started more than 56 years ago too. Cheddi was convinced that a tourism industry is possible, but he recognized that every modern country had to have a hotel industry. The plans for Guyana’s first international hotel – the Pegasus Hotel -started to be arranged in the early 1960s, even though it was completed by 1968, after he demitted office. People questioned then, too, if we needed an international hotel.

Around 60 years ago, through vision and bold leadership the beginning of modernization of a nation started. It is unfortunate that political machination in Guyana by the US and the UK with local politicians resulted in slowing down that first modernization thrust.

Since 2001, another such period of rapid development has been taking place, initially led

by Bharat Jagdeo. The building of the Berbice, Mahaicony and Mahaica Rivers Bridges, the expansion of our highways and bridges, the construction of a ferry service to Nikerie, the construction of the University of Guyana Berbice campus, the construction of the Takatu Bridge, construction of a stadium, an aquatic center, an athletic track, an improved airport, the upgrading of the Ogle Aerodrome, the Marriot and many others have poised Guyana to become a modern state.

We must be bold and visionary just like Cheddi was when he started those initial transformative projects more than 60 years ago.

Guyana’s destiny as the Bread Basket of the Caribbean and our destiny to be a high-middle income country are at stake if we do not continue the work of modernization and transformation. With OIL on the horizon, Guyana must take a lesson from Cheddi - we need a vision and a plan. Where will we be in 2050?

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Cheddi Jagan: A Champion of Women and Youth G

uyana’s great freedom fighter and Father of the Nation, described as the Mahatma of the Western Hemisphere, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, believed in the equality of women and men in all facets of life and society. Being young himself, he encouraged young people to not only join the political struggle but to assume greater leadership responsibilities.

Age and gender were never impediments to one’s capacity to do anything in the PPP or for that matter for one’s country, Guyana.

The PPP from its inception in the 1950s was imbued with this radical philosophy and has remained committed to this the present day.

The Women’s Political and Economic Organization, the forerunner of the WPO, formed by Mrs. Janet Jagan and the Public Affairs Committee formed by Cheddi Jagan in 1946 and 1948 respectively, signaled the beginning of a new and changing dynamic to politics in the then British colony, British Guiana.

From the inception of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC), the forerunner to the PPP, the Jagans had established a vital women’s partnership, led by Janet, which struggled in sync with the parent body. From that movement, women for the first time emerged as leaders and many became well known leaders in the socio-political construct of Guyana.

The PAC, and later the PPP, was comprised of young leaders, Cheddi, Janet, Ashton Chase, Forbes Burnham, for example, not one of the founding members was older than 35 years. Their youthful and progressive ideas energized the sleepy backwaters of the British colony and gave the Colonial Secretariat much anxiety as to the security of the future of their colony.

After the formation of the PPP in 1950, the Women’s Progressive Organization was formed in 1953, a month after the first electoral victory of the PPP. The youth arm, the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) followed shortly after.

Noteworthy is that it is with this PPP victory at the first universal suffrage election that the first woman is made Deputy Speaker of a Legislature in the world. This was Mrs. Janet Jagan in 1953. Three women became members of the Legislature, the first women to sit in the National Assembly not only in Guyana, but in the English-speaking Caribbean.

In the struggles for independence between

1950 and 1966, archival and photographic evidence shows the active and large participation of women and youth. The first and only woman to head a union for decades until recently, was Mrs. Philomena Sahoye, who led the largest union in the country of predominantly male workers in the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union in the 1960s. The PPP’s linkage and partnership with this union spans 70 years. After independence, the women in the party and the WPO remained a vital partner in the restoration of free and fair elections and the struggle for women’s rights.

The PPP ‘s programme in office in the 1953, 1957, 1961 governments under colonialism focused on reducing poverty and providing access to education and health care throughout rural and riverain Guyana so that children could go to school and live a healthier life. The PPP believed that girls access to education was critical for their advancement in society. It is under the PPP government in the 1960s that the Public Service rule preventing women from remaining in the public service if they got married or became pregnant was abolished.

Women were elected to different levels of the party, including the Central Committee.

In successive governments in colonial British Guiana, the PPP continued to appoint women to be Members of Parliament. With rigged elections between 1968 and 1985, with only a handful of PPP Members of Parliament, there was only one woman, Mrs. Janet Jagan.

The PYO and the WPO have remained the backbone of the party for the generation of young potential leaders for the PPP and continuous regeneration of its own leadership.

As some party leaders became older, each Congress brought in new and younger members to the Central Committee. By 1992, the leadership of the PPP included many young men and female tried and tested leaders under the age of 45.

After the restoration of democracy in Guyana following the historic October 5, 1992 elections, women and youth continued to play major roles in the rebuilding process of the nation at the local government levels and in the party structures.

Moreso, the first Cabinet under President Cheddi Jagan included 2 women Ministers and half of its Ministers were under the age

of 45 years old. This was replicated in the five Regional Democratic Councils the PPP/C won in the October 1992 elections. Most of these Councils were run by elected representatives under the age of 45. The number of female PPPC MPs also increased.

This pattern continued after Cheddi Jagan died. Most significant were the choices of Mrs. Jagan as Prime Minister and Vice-President prior to her election as Executive President as well as a very youthful and incredibly brilliant young Finance Minister, Bharrat Jagdeo, becoming Head of State. The first female Head of State of Guyana was Mrs. Janet Jagan.

The youngest Head of State in the world was President Bharrat Jagdeo was elected under the name of the PPP/C in 2001. The new Cabinet appointed after these elections increased the number of female Ministers to 4, and the majority of Cabinet members were below the age of 45. The 2006-2011 Cabinet included 7 female members and Guyana was recognized as ranking 19th in the world by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for the number of women in Cabinet.

In the same period Guyana was ranked 29th in the world by the same IPU for the number of women in Parliament. The youth component of the Cabinet also increased in this period with two-thirds below the age of 40, with a number of Ministries headed by Ministers who were 29 years old. The PPP/C also gave Guyana its first female and first Amerindian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

The short-lived 2011-2015 Cabinet also included 7 females and the average age was 45 years.

Following the constitutional reform process between 1999-2001 the PPP/C administration adopted constitutional rights which provided for the equality of women in all facets of life in the society; anti-discrimination provisions with regards to gender, age, race, social origins, political beliefs, religion, geographic origin, pregnancy, marital status, and disability; provided for the creation of five rights commissions, including one on Women and Gender Equality Commission.

The electoral laws were amended to introduce eligibility criteria for political parties desirous of contesting general and regional elections, one-third of their lists were required

to include female candidates. This had a radical effect on the number of women included as candidates, and, although the law did not require the selection of one-third females as elected representatives, the 2006 post-election Legislature saw an increase from 10% female MPs to 30%. This increased to 33% by 2011 but has since declined under the APNUAFC government to 30%.

It is under the PPP/C successive administrations that the number of women holding high and decision-making positions increased in positions of Permanent Secretaries, Technical Directors of Budget and Telecommunications, Registrars of Lands, Deeds, and General Registration. Women assumed half of the positions as Judges and Magistrates.

Women also assumed more positions in the upper and middle management positions in the public service and in state-owned entities.

President Ramotar stated on the eve of the 2015 elections, “… The PPP/C has given Guyana its first female President, its first female Chancellor, its first female Chief Justice…” In the same elections the PPP proposed Mrs. Elizabeth Harper as its Prime Ministerial candidate from the Civic.

In the 2015 elections the average age of the candidates on the PPP/C lists was 45 years in comparison with the APNUAFC Coalition list which stood at 54 years old.

The PPP’s track record on women and youth is incontestable whether one compares it with any party in the Caribbean or even further afield. Its commitment to and provisions for the advancement for women and youth in the decision-making forums of the party and the nation may not have been recognized at the time, but now under the APNUAFC Coalition government we see visible reversals with the number of women and youth in the Cabinet, legislature, public service, stateowned entities and on Boards in breach of their manifesto promises.

Historically it is only under the PPP leadership that the advancement of women and youth have taken place and where they have been seen as integral components for the national development of Guyana.

Thus over its 68 years of existence the PPP has maintained and held true to its original philosophy, that age and gender were not impediments to political leadership within the PPP and the nation.

Jagan’s struggle to end ethnic insecurities “T

he four cornerstones of our present needs are racial harmony, national unity, national Independence and peace and progress. Without racial harmony there can be no national unity, and without racial unity there can be no national Independence and without Independence there can be no progress.” These facts were recognized by Dr Cheddi Jagan in the 1960’s and these cornerstones continue to guide the policies and actions of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) today.

Dr Jagan had promised: “I give my solemn pledge that my Government will never discriminate against any person or persons on the ground of race, religion or political creed, that the essential freedoms will be preserved and we will respect the rights of all. Our Party has always been and will always be, a multi-racial Party. Within it there is room for all. Its leaders come from every racial group.”

So strong were his views that he called racism the “greatest curse” of Guyana. “Anyone”, he said, “who spreads racial propaganda must be severely dealt with. Such a person is an enemy to himself and his country.”

A government of the people, according to

him, must work hard for all Guyanese people so that “we may proceed to make our country a fit and proper home for heroes in the struggle for political and economic independence”.

On June 6, 1994, Dr Jagan called on the people to be aware of racial division when he said: “I know that there are many fear mongers who go among you and try to influence you emotionally. Some go among the Indo-Guyanese and say that I am sacrificing them and wooing and embracing the Afro-Guyanese. Others go among the Afro-Guyanese and tell them that my Government is an Indian Government, that because of racial considerations it does everything for the country and little for the city, that the Indo-Guyanese own the land, real estate, and dominate business, and that if the Afro-Guyanese do not get together, they will soon lose even their jobs. In this way I am caught in the crossfire. Needless to say my Government cannot be for and against Indo-Guyanese, for and against Afro-Guyanese, at the same time.

All this propaganda is meant to build up fears in your minds."

However, it is noteworthy that this same propaganda was used repeatedly against

successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments and exploited to appeal to people’s ethnic insecurities in the lead up to the 2015 general and regional elections by the APNUAFC Coalition.

Dr Jagan observed that this struggle to end racial divisions was not peculiar to Guyana but also in other multi-ethnic societies. He said, "In multi-ethnic societies like Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, it is necessary to fight against racist ideology and racial stereotypes which were created and fostered by the capitalist/colonialist ruling class, and later exploited by self-serving politicians. It must be recognized that whatever our racial origin, we have a common heritage.

Our forefathers, regardless of ethnic, religious and cultural differences, watered the sugar cane with their blood, sweat and tears.”

Colonialism created the ethnic divisions in order for the colonial powers to execute their ‘divide and rule’ policy, but the genesis of the use of racial and ethnic insecurities and racialism by the People’s National Congress was cleared identified by Dr. Jagan in ‘The West on Trial’, where he said, “The PNC's defeat at the 1961 election caused it to move

further in the direction of African racism; its leadership launched a racist campaign at home and abroad. In New York City and in the UN corridors, American Blacks and African diplomats were told that the PPP government was penalizing the Africans. At home, the African workers were told that the Indians owned the lands and the big houses in Georgetown...and if they (Afro-Guyanese) were not careful, the Indians would soon be taking over their jobs…the PNC denies that it resorted to the powerful slogan of race.”

To his detractors, he said: “Those who see only race/ethnicity in politics in Guyana, as others who see tribalism and religion in other countries, are not viewing reality comprehensively, objectively and scientifically.”

Dr. Jagan cited the importance of political will of the leaders of Guyana to address these insecurities and build a united nation. He exemplified this belief; his entire political life was dedicated to building a unified Guyana.

On winning the first free and fair elections on October 5, 1992, after 28 years of fraudulent elections, he recognized that this was even more critical to move a collapsed (Turn to page 16)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Climate Change and a vision that still resonates with Guyanese

G

lobal warming and other terms that have come to be associated with the term climate change are now common place, but decades ago Dr Cheddi Jagan recognized that this phenomenon was critical for the survival of Planet Earth.

The early signals that Planet Earth was under stress came in the 1980s with a number of researchers studying the impact of pollution and uncontrolled industrialization on the ozone layer, what became known as global warming. But the world and the powers that be at the international levels were not taking notice.

In the late 1980s early 1990s, Jagan was advocating that countries which had not damaged their environment but who were heavily in debt be given debt write offs by the international financial institutions and developed countries. He believed that these countries should be recognized and rewarded in the protection of the Planet and allowed to become sustainable developed nations.

This concept was in 1993, further advanced by Dr. Jagan, who said: “The path of sustainability is attendant with hurdles for developing countries like ours. Entrapped by massive debt burdens, there are serious pressures to exploit our resources in a desperate manner. The preservation of our planet calls for a genuine partnership between the developed and the developing world. The entire planet is paying the price for the ruth-

less exploitation that helped to make some nations great. It cannot now be fair to ask the developing world to remain in a state of underdevelopment in order to clean the mess which they contributed very little to.”

Under the leadership of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo the concept of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) materialized. After two years of consultations across the country including in every Amerindian and hinterland areas, the Low Carbon Development Strategy was adopted in the National Assembly as the new national developmental strategy for Guyana. The LCDS generated billions of dollars through the Memorandum of Understanding between the Kingdom of Norway and Guyana, as payment for maintaining major sections of Guyana’s pristine rainforests through carbon credits services. This opened a whole new and revolutionary sector for revenue generation of the country.

What Dr Jagdeo advanced was a vision enunciated by Dr. Jagan, who had said that, “The developing world, which is geographically in possession of a sizeable part of the world’s resources can play a vital role in preserving our planet if it is given an even break and a new lease on life.”

Dr. Jagan also was the first leader to acknowledge and give credit to Guyana’s first people, the Amerindians, for their role in preserving Guyana’s forests. He noted that “The tropical Rain Forests of Guyana are in

the main still intact unlike the forests in most other parts of the world. And this could not have been so had it not been for the ecological prudence of Guyanese Amerindians. We have benefitted from the wise practices of the indigenous peoples over the centuries. We are now beginning a programme which will study these practices. In return, this programme must contribute in a very meaningful way to the maintenance of the great legacy of our Indigenous people, to the continuation of their prudent practices and to the sharing of their knowledge and wisdom.” This was a radical acknowledgment; at the international level, no leader at that time, and few since, has acknowledged the contributions of indigenous peoples to preserving the environment and protecting the planet.

This recognition became one of the very premises of the LCDS, which includes the active participation and involvement of the Amerindian peoples of Guyana as critical stakeholders and partners.

The Norway monies were directed into various programmes to advance Guyana’s development which was the thinking behind what Dr Jagan articulated. Even as he envisioned a focus on preserving Guyana’s natural resources, Dr Jagan also recognised the need for balance and the sustainable development of Guyana. Guyana would not become a “quixotic” country, stuck in time preserving the forests and riddled with poverty, for the

world to observe, but, a modern environmentally friendly sustainable developed nation.

In June 1994, he said, “The natural resources of our planet must be utilised for the benefit of mankind in such a way that they remain available for future generations, and that in the process of utilisation, fullest measures are taken to prevent environmental degradation. Sustainable development is an all-embracing process which is centred on human development. There are two major needs which have to be satisfied. One is to use natural resources for the material and spiritual upliftment of all people. The other is to maintain the delicate balance in nature reflected in the various eco systems adorning our planet."

The LCDS is a living testimony to this vision of Guyana. Regrettably, the APNUAFC Coalition on coming to office after the 2015 general and regional elections announced that it was abandoning the LCDS and all the projects that were in progress, and, declared that it is creating a new Green Development Strategy. After 3 years and no consultation with stakeholders, the country waits.

However, none of this can damage Dr. Jagan’s vision for a better world and a better Guyana nor can it destroy the validity of the Low Carbon Development Strategy as Guyana’s model for development whilst contributing to preserving and protecting the world.

Alliance Politics: Dr Jagan’s concept of ‘winner does not take all’

By Gail Teixeira

M

uch has been said and written about Dr Cheddi Jagan’s political philosophy, but close and impartial examination proved that his focus was simple. He encouraged one to think, not to be dogmatic, not to be a robot and not to be someone who just “parroted” what seemed to be the “going thing”. He encouraged polemical debates and discussions and challenges to his thoughts and arguments as these only helped to clarify and perfect his own ideas.

All of his work reflects attempts to analyze the world as it is and to look into the future. It is to his credit and a reflection of the “largesse” of his person that in the midst of repeated rigged elections, he advocated building bridges and partnerships and involving the broadest cross-section of people. He always wants to find an answer, a solution, to the two imperatives- the political and ethnic divides -that undermined Guyana’s national unity. The answer to these two imperatives would allow Guyana and its peoples to move forward and develop.

After independence and after two rigged elections, one of his earlier proposals, which he called Critical Support, was one which many people did not like mainly because it was difficult to understand. How could one support a government on some issues such as its progressive foreign policy and therefore lend it critical support on those issues while that government at the same time was stealing one’s votes? Yet today, the concept of critical support is now accepted and practiced at the international level as a very dynamic approach in preventative diplomacy.

Another of his early proposals in the latter half of the 1970s, was that of the creation of a National Patriotic Front and National Patriotic Front Government, inclusive of the People’s National Congress. Again this was a radical and very progressive proposal, but difficult to understand. It came in the context of a rigged referendum to amend the constitution, where the PPP, although a mass party, had little or no support at the regional or international

levels and little support from members of civil society even in Guyana itself. Cheddi Jagan recognized that the PPP needed to reach out beyond the party’s mass base. The rejection of the Burnham-led regime to this proposal did not deflate his objectives but rather fortified and expanded its reach.

These concepts of Critical Support and the National Patriotic Front and the National Front Government were extremely visionary, especially in the political and historical context of those times, and, are a reflection of the maturity and responsibility of Dr. Cheddi Jagan as a political leader and statesman.

The return of Dr. Walter Rodney and the emergence of the Movement Against Oppression and later the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), offered opportunities for broadening the democratic forces.

In the 1978-79 period, he tried to open relations with other forces beyond the PNC government; he developed a working relationship with the early WPA and made overtures to the religious leaders, the Bishops of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, and, the Hindus and Muslim leaders, as well as trade unions outside of the sugar industry, the PPP’s traditional base. This approach also included other small fringe Parties, many dissipated by the 1980-1982 period.

The PPP became an integral and accepted leader and partner in a number of broader based groupings that emerged in the latter half of the 1970s and early 1980’s. The creation of the Citizens Concerned about Democracy and other groupings representing retrenched and redeployed workers were fostered and included the PPP in a key leadership role. The succcessful boycott of the 1978 referendum and exposures of rigged elections in 1980 and 1985 by these combined forces forced the world to recognize the growing excesses of the PNC regime.

Cheddi led by example and convinced his party leaders to learn to sit across the table with people who may have interfered with and assaulted them just a few days before and to struggle to find a forum - a political space for discussion and common approaches

on issues of mutual interest. This approach evolved into his concept of “winner does not take all” politics.

The whole concept of “winner does not take all” is in itself radical, especially in the late 1970s. That concept gained greater international acceptability only in the late 1990s and the turn of this century as a means to find ways to bring some form of working resolution to strife-ridden countries.

The assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney in 1980 by the PNC regime was a double-edged sword; it dealt a grievous blow to the newly emerging democratic movement but it also had a galvanizing effect on them. The funeral march from Buxton to Le Repentir cemetery was a mass outpouring of thousands of Afroand Indo- Guyanese as never seen before.

By early 1986, after the December 1985 rigged elections (the first under President Hoyte who took over on the death of President Burnham and which is considered the worst rigged election recorded), the forces for democracy were growing. There is the visible involvement of a larger group of civil society representatives, religious bodies and progressive individuals coming on board.

Following these rigged elections, in protest the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) was born comprised originally of three opposition Parties -- the Peoples’ Progressive Party, the Working People’s Alliance ( WPA) and the Democratic Labour Movement (DLM). By 1990 The United Force (UF) and the United Republican Party (URP) had joined the PCD. Together these parties in the PCD created a united platform for the restoration of democracy and free and fair elections.

It is through this grouping that Cheddi hoped that he may have been able to foster an electoral alliance and that maybe this grouping could form a new government.

He knew fully well that the PPP on its own could win the majority of votes and form the government at a free and fair elections, but he was concerned about the sustainability of that government, and whether that government would be allowed to govern if it could not

win the confidence of a broader cross –section of Guyanese, if not all its citizens. The PCD successfully presented a united front for free and fair elections and the restoration of democracy at both the national, regional and international levels.

The attempts at achieving an electoral alliance under the PCD, however, failed, not because of Cheddi or the PPP. By 1991 discussions within the PCD focused on the possibility of not just an alliance to force the government to hold free and fair elections but also on the opportunity for an electoral alliance. The talks finally collapsed amongst the parties in the PCD in 1991, because of the proposal made by the WPA that they would accept Cheddi Jagan as the Presidential candidate and the President in the new government on the condition that the PPP would occupy only 13% of the seats regardless of what it had won at the polls, and, that all the other seats would be divided amongst the other parties in the then PCD. Although this era was fraught with worsening economic conditions, this was an era of hope; the possibility of the dawn of a new day was palpable.The history of the PCD is still to be written and in fact, the history of all the many attempts at building alliances and partnerships in Guyana over 50 years by the PPP is still outstanding and waiting to be written.

Amazingly, shortly after the PCD failed to become an electoral alliance, a new grouping was created by civil society and some political parties called GUARD. One of the spokespersons and a person promoted as a new leader was Mr. Samuel Hinds, a person who had no political allegiance, an unknown both in the political realm and in the city of Georgetown. He was a well-respected engineer and technical director of LINMINE, the bauxite company.

Although Cheddi was not deterred by the collapse of the PCD, he still wanted to further his belief that a “winner does not take all” approach was critical in the upcoming elections in 1991 (later postponed to October 1992).

He firmly believed that this was the best (Turn to page 16)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Annual Cheddi Jagan cycle race successful The 10th edition of the West Demerara leg of the annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial cycle race was held on Sunday (March 3, 2019).

Jagan’s struggle to... and battered country with the majority of the people living below the poverty line.

His short four years in office proved his commitment and that of the PPPC government he led to reconstructing the country, restoring democracy for all, and instituted the first government with the “winner does not take all” political framework for the country.

At his passing the overwhelming outpouring of all Guyanese, of all ethnicities, all classes and backgrounds, paying respect to this champion of Guyana and all Guyanese people was the most significant demonstration

(From page 14)

that the politics he espoused and practiced in and out of government was recognized and loved by all.

The PPPC in office over the 23 years in government continued this commitment to build a Guyana where all of its citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, class and geography could access goods and services and play a role in decision-making of the country. The evidence is there for all to see- constitutional reform which enshrined separation of the executive, legislature and the judiciary; the provisions of human rights and rights commissions including a spe-

cific one dedicated to Ethnic Relations; the opening up of the public service to reflect ethnic diverse; the provision of major poverty reduction programmes including access to water, electricity, a national housing programme, improved health care delivery and access for those living in riverain and hinterland areas; improved access to education and achieving universal access to nursery and primary education to name a few.

These policies and programmes were the living evidence and proof of Jagan’s and the PPP’s commitment to a Guyana for all of its peoples, regardless of race.

Alliance Politics: Dr Jagan’s... approach to building confidence and unity in a post-free and fair elections government thereby allowing for a more peaceful transition.

He therefore attempted to bring in new forces into discussions with him in the hope of finding an alternative to the PCD. Thus, he approached Sam Hinds to form a new alliance.

The Civic component of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was conceptualized by Cheddi Jagan, and debated internally and adopted by the PPP Congress in Georgetown in that year. The Congress went further and supported the combination of Cheddi Jagan for President and Sam Hinds as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Thus, a new political tradition emerged of naming the two top candidates which had never been done before by any party and which has continued by the PPPC and adopted by other political parties in subsequent elections.

The result was that in the PPP/C, Guyanese had representatives and persons who

originally belonged to other parties, now forming one unit, one alliance under the leadership of the PPP, and subsequently forming government. This was and still is one of the most innovative political models of inclusive government and power-sharing. There is no other such model that can be found in any other country.

The PPP/Civic further developed and expanded when at the first local government elections in 20 years the lists of candidates for the municipal and neighbourhood councils encompassed individuals that were not PPP members. In the appointment of state boards, this inclusion continued and further expanded. The fact that the PPPC won general and regional elections in 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011, and even local government elections in 2016 after the APNUAFC Coalition came into office is a validation of the appropriateness of the PPP/C, as an alliance model in the Guyanese context.

In contemporary times, one observed the fragility and

(From page 15)

contradictions within the APNUAFC Coalition, the PNC model of domination over the smaller parties and the dismissal of their voices on key and critical issues facing the country. In contrast the PPP/C continues to be recognized as a political force to be reckoned with, still valid and applicable to the Guyanese context.

Many have tried and still try to fit Dr Jagan into a category-- Communist, Marxist-Leninist etc. But in life as in death, his political thinking and writings and style of leadership defies categorization. He was a visionary who was compelled to offer solutions to end injustice and exploitation globally, to restore democratic rule and reconstruct a nation that had been battered at all levels – economically, politically, ethnically and culturally. His entire life was dedicated unequivocally and unstintingly to driving these processes for a new political dialogue and national unity. The PPP has remained faithful to these visionary innovations of his.

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Cheddi Jagan: An Internationalist with a vision of a New Global Human Order

Positions from Freedom House this week T (A look at the latest statements made by the People’s Progressive Party)

Dr. Jagan's greatest achievements were return of democracy, renewal of hope to all Guyanese M arch 6, 2019 marks the 22nd death anniversary of former President and Founder of the People's Progressive Party Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Guyana lost a great fighter, politician, statesman and human being on this day in 1997, a day that will forever be remembered as one of the saddest in the history of our country.

Dr. Jagan is regarded as the Father of the Nation for his relentless and selfless struggles against the colonial masters for Guyana's independence. A struggle he led to free our people from colonialism, to improve their lives and to return democracy following the dark, oppressive period when our people were subjected to a brutal dictatorship for almost three decades under the PNC regime.

His ideals and princi-

ples are as relevant today as it was then, especially during this period owing to the total disregard by the Granger administration of the constitution of Guyana.

After about four years in office, the APNU/AFC government is swiftly pushing the country to economic ruin after twenty three years of unprecedented prosperity under the PPP government, started under Dr. Jagan in 1992 and dubbed the "Return to Democracy".

Dr. Jagan's greatest achievements would have been the return of democracy and the renewal of hope to all Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, gender, religion or class. Unfortunately today, PNC led government impunity has returned, discrimination continues unabated and hope is once again fading into the sunset as it did

during those dark ruthless days of the PNC rule.

Dr. Jagan was a champion of the working class and truly believed in equal opportunities for all - a fundamental ideal of the People's Progressive Party.

The PPP will not relent from its responsibility to represent the Guyanese people and to free them from the oppression that the current government is foisting upon the nation.

Dr Jagan led the struggle, and it will be continued by our Party until Guyanese and Guyana can return to progress. There are some who are bent on distorting our history in a calculated effort to diminish the outstanding contributions made by this Guyanese hero, but his work will live on and its relevance will remain firm in the hearts and minds of our people.

he concept of a New Global Human Order was Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s creation; the culmination of his thoughts over a long period of analysis. His vision of the world in which there is equitable trade relations, where there is harmony between the South and the North, between East and West, between South and South.

It was his belief that Human development cannot take place without democracy as a vital component; that human rights, political, economic, social and cultural rights, are all integral components of sustainable human development. His work and life was focused on the struggle against poverty and to improve the conditions of lives of the ordinary people in Guyana and all over the world. He recognized that there had to be fundamental structural changes in the relations between developed and developing countries otherwise inequality, poverty, strife and war would continue to undermine stability and development. Through the collection of speeches, he referred to a movement of forces left, democratic, progressive, private sector and government to bring change in the world.

On February 28, 1994, President Jagan addressed the International Conference of the Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies, where he rolled out the rationale for the need for a totally new global rethink of the way in which the world was ordered. What he called a New Global Human Order.

He had said, “The ending of the Cold War has brought about a marked shift in the world balance of forces. With the collapse of communist governments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, there is now only one economic/military superpower.

Instead of a new world order, mooted after the Gulf War, there is now disorder and disintegration. East/ Wast confrontation, based on ideology, has given way to conflicts rooted in racial/ ethnic, religious and cultural/ historical differences within states. Unparalleled technological developments -- the postindustrial Technological Revolution and the Information Revolution (Information

Super Highways) -- have brought about rapid changes, globalisation and the "global village".

But with the United States, Europe and Japan, not only dominating the global economy but also competing for a greater slice of the world market, the political situation and international relations have become more diffuse and multipolar: the very stable largely bipolar power structure of the Cold War era has given way to multi-polarity -a marked shift in the global diffusion of power.

The new production technologies in services, industry and agriculture and the communication and information technologies are shifting power to the transnational corporations, without any code of conduct and monitoring of their activities.

Through their investments which, in the 1980's, grew by about 30 per cent per year -- four times as fast as world trade -- they account, through production and sale to other countries, for nearly 50 per cent of world trade.

According to Peter Hansen, former Head of the UN Center on Transnational Corporations, "80% of this foreign investment was flowing within and among the triad countries: Japan, Western Europe and North America.

The developing countries in the 1980's dropped to about 16% of total global flows."

This has led, he pointed out, to a relative marginalization of many countries in the world economy."

The Carnegie Commission says: “Periods of economic boom draw developing nations into the world system, only to be followed by busts in which they are bitterly marginalised again.

The developing countries are being marginalised also by unequal and unfair international trade and the persistent and growing foreign debt, which doubled over the past decade. Through protectionism, tariff barriers, falling or stagnant prices, buying dear and selling cheap, they lost US$500 billion annually, equivalent to nearly ten times the aid received from the North. The total debt of developing countries was estimated by the World Bank to reach the staggering sum of US1.77 trillion in 1993,

up 6.5 per cent from the end of 1992. Debt payments have become a crushing burden.

“In Guyana, they were 105 per cent and 90 per cent of current budget revenue in 1992 and 1993 respectively.

The debt/service ratios (debt payments as a proportion of foreign commercial earnings) of the CARICOM countries’ foreign debt of US$9 billion was 12, 27, 30 and 46 per cent for Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana respectively.

“Between 1981 and 1990, Latin America spent US$503 billion on foreign debt payments (US$313 billion in interest). At the same time, the region's consolidated debt rose from US$297 billion in 1981 to US$428 billion in 1990. This mechanism whereby "the more you pay the more you owe“ is perverse and must be stopped, says UNICEF. According to the Carnegie Commission: "The resource drain from developing to industrialised countries now totals some $60 billion annually, a sum larger than the annual ODA transfer from donors to the developing world and a complete reversal from the 1970s.

Although some countries have negotiated debt relief, the burden for many others remains crushing."

“The World Bank, the international financial institution concerned with development, is now, according to Peter Hansen, "transferring more money in repayments from the developing countries than providing new loans". And the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is imposing severe economic adjustment programmes, based on devaluation, credit squeeze/high interest rate, and wage freeze/wage restraint.

“All of these factors cumulatively have led to a widening gap between the North and the South, the highly-industrialised capitalised states and the underdeveloped dependent-capitalist countries, the rich and the poor. Increasingly, poverty is taking a new dimension: from the South to the North, from regional to global”.

This analysis led to the recognition that there was a dire need for a New Global Human Order (NGHO). In 1995, President Dr. Cheddi (Turn to page 19)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

GECOM has been ‘captured and is being directed’ to comply with partisan political interests – Benn T

he Opposition-nominated Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday (March 5, 2019) walked out of a meeting with the entity’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, over arguments in relation to the placement of advertisements for workers to conduct houseto-house registration.

Commissioner Robeson Benn argued that it was not an activity established by GECOM’s budget process.

In fact, these Commissioners believe GECOM should be engaged in carrying out its claims and objection period based on an order, which should have been signed by the Chairman in 2018.

“Directions for the placements of ads were given by the Chairman. I objected and said this should not happen.

I said that the Chairman’s power and activity in the public and even there, arises from a decision of the Commission… either by or by consensus,” Benn said.

He maintained that house-to-house registration

is not a priority activity of GECOM, while explaining that a decision was not made on this matter because discussions were still ongoing.

He recalled that during the last discussion, it was suggested that house-to-house registration could take more than nine months, or the six months which was recommended by Commissioner Vincent Alexander.

Benn said, “Now here out of the blue we see ads in the newspapers for house-tohouse registration which is not a priority activity even for the resumption of GECOM by its normal activities… the undertaking of any house-tohouse registration when we have not finalised a discussion of the matter was going along with a partisan position in respect of the matter.”

He also reiterated that there was a conspiracy to delay the holding of General Elections despite the No-confidence Motion that was passed in the National Assembly. He claimed that Patterson leap-frogged efforts by advertising for house-to-

house registration staff, saying that it reinforced concerns about his partisan nature and his placement.

He said, “The Commission has been captured and is being directed otherwise by one side of the bipartisan political spectrum that we have.”

UNREALISTIC Last week, Commissioners were presented with three work-plans, none of which will see GECOM being ready to deliver General and Regional Elections within the constitutionally due timeframe – three months after the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion was successfully passed in the National Assembly.

The three work plans include plans for: • Claims and Objections, which if started now would GECOM being ready for Elections sometime in June 2019; • Continuous Registration and Claims and Objections, which if started now would see GECOM being ready for

Elections sometime in July 2019; and • House to House registration, which would see GECOM not being ready for elections until year-end or sometime early in 2020.

Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, contends that the proposal dealing with House-to-House registration, to be done this year, is not realistic, considering that GECOM has a constitutional mandate to deliver in.

According to him, the timings proposed will be insufficient and, even if houseto-house registration were to be done, then there is a strong possibility that General and Regional Elections will be held in 2019. “I don’t think that this is enough time,” he said.

General and Regional Elections are due by March 19, 2019 – as per the Constitution – following the passage of the no-confidence motion advanced by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), which resulted in the fall of the APNU+AFC

Coalition Government.

Gunraj argued that GECOM has a constitutional duty to comply with.

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.”

NO HOUSE-TO-HOUSE 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 – one that came mere months before the November 2018 Local Government Elec-

tions 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.

The Parliamentary Opposition has pointed out that the 2018 Local Government Elections were held with the current Voters’ List, which remains valid until April 30, 2019, without complaints from the Coalition Government – therefore exposing the call for house-to-house registration as attempt to delay the constitutionally due General and Regional Elections.

GECOM has taken no decision to commence House to House Registration

O

n Sunday (March 3rd, 2 0 1 9 ) , t h e O p p o s ition-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioners, made it clear that no decision had been taken by the Commission to

commence House-to-House registration. The comment followed the publications of advertisements for personnel to conduct such House-toHouse registration.

PRESS RELEASE We note, with great concern, several advertisements for vacancies at the Guyana Elections Commission, which appeared in the newspapers of Sunday, 3rd March, 2019.

These vacancies relate to personnel

required for the conduct of House to House Registration.

The Commission has not taken a decision to commence House to House Registration and as a consequence, these advertisements are perplexing, at best.

This comes in light of the impending need for the conduct of General and Re-

gional Elections, mandated by the successful passage of a no confidence motion in the National Assembly on the 21st December, 2018.

Despite our repeated requests, both within the Commission and publicly, for the Secretariat to commence preparations for the conduct of elections, no step has been

taken in this regard. Instead, one excuse after the other has been proffered as for the delay on such commencement. The latest excuse of funding is, in our opinion, a contrived attempt to cause further delay.

We maintain that House to House Registration is not necessary at this time. There are several legally prescribed processes for the revision of the electoral roll to enable the conduct of elections. These processes ought to be utilized in light of the constitutionally mandated timeline for the holding of the elections aforesaid.

We view this action of the Secretariat as a flagrant disregard of its mandate enshrined in the Constitution.

In light of the foregoing, we call on the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission to immediately withdraw the advertisements and with similar immediacy, commence the preparation for the conduct of elections in the manner and time specified by law.

Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners Bibi Shaddick Robeson Benn Sase Gunraj

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

Cheddi Jagan: An Internationalist with a vision of...

Jagan, called for a New Global Human Order at the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Prior to this, the NGHO was a topic for discussion at other international forums. In October 1993, the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Cyprus also considered the NGHO. In 1994, a similar discussion took place, at the level of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

There, the CARICOM Heads agreed to work together at the regional level and in concert with international groups, to advance the concept of the NGHO. Since then, it found resonance in a number of international fora, including the Caribbean Community, the Movement of Non-Aligned countries and more recently, the Group of 77.

On reading his book entitled ‘The New Global Human Order’, and comparing it with the 2002 comments made by Mr. McKinnon, Head of the Commonwealth, where the latter calls for globalization with a human face in order to reduce some of its harsh impacts on people’s lives, especially poor people in the developing world, and for more equitable trade relations, one recognizes that Cheddi’s analyses was ahead of his time. Ironically for some, it was his very political ideology that allowed him to have a profound understanding of global developments.

President Janet Jagan in 1999 addressing the CARICOM Heads of Government quoted from a speech her husband, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, had been preparing to make in the United Kingdom in 1997. This was never presented due to his untimely death.

She quoted "While all our countries are individually searching for more aggressive and innovative ways to cope with the growing inter-dependence and globalization taking place, there are fundamental issues which can be addressed only by new global initiatives. It is clear that if present worldwide trends continue, tensions, conflicts and disorders of potentially disastrous consequences could become the order of the day. Disaster can be avoided. As an adjunct to the UN Agenda for Development, Guyana has been advo-

cating a New Global Human Order which must have as its goal human development: meeting the basic needs of the people; cultural upliftment and a clean and safe environment. The proposal is founded expressly on the requirement for guaranteeing to every woman, man and child the rights, respect and recognition that have been so well underscored by international agreements; for ensuring effective, democratic, accountable and transparent governance, gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction of mortality rates for infants and children, primary health care systems to reproductive health services for individuals, diminished prevalence of disease, environment sustainability and regeneration, and basic capacity building for efficiency and effectiveness; for combating the environmental degradation; for attention to the root causes of poverty with diametric reduction by the year 2015 for securing the physical and material well-being of people through economic growth and development; and for facilitating these objectives through a global partnership that assures support for their attainment.

"It is relevant to note that Science and Technology today has within its grasp the ability, if properly harnessed, to cut hunger in half within a few years. But this will require a sound scientific development strategy, wider intellectual understanding, strong political will, deeper moral commitment and effective policy measures - a balanced and integrated set of economic, financial and social policies. There is an interconnection and interaction between the economic, political, institutional, ideological, ecological, social and cultural spheres.

"We also need to establish new global institutions to respond to the global dimension of the existing human society. The UN itself has to play a more central role in global economic management and should have access to larger financial resources -the possible source of which we have already identified.

The Bretton Woods Institutions -- the World Bank and the IMF -- have moved away from their original mandate and have to be brought back to doing what they were originally intended. They need to

concentrate on human development as distinct from the means of development. They have to be more concerned with social and human factors than with statistics of growth.

We need structural adjustment with a human face."

She went on to point out that “Cheddi Jagan was indeed a visionary and while his detractors would often disregard his analysis as being irrelevant, concrete reality itself bore him out to be correct. And many of his detractors would attempt to wish him and his ideas away as being steeped in Marxism or this or that -ism. The fact of the matter is that those detractors have been proven on many occasions to be suffering from a poverty of ideas and are often more inclined to leave things as they are. But Cheddi was a persistent advocate for change. He never gave up. He was convinced that the world situation would get worse, in spite of the ending of the cold war and the collapse of the socialist world. Not long before his death, in October of 1996, he attended the World Food Summit in Rome. A commentator, David Bacon had this to say: "None of the new participants in the world food debate had any simple solutions to offer. But they made it clear that pieties are no longer enough. Guyana President Cheddi Jagan, once the target of CIA destabilization efforts, offered the most eloquent testimony for the countries of the South when he recalled the idea that privatization, free markets and foreign investment would lead to food security "a myth." Many mistook his warnings as a way of hoping for the return of the bi-polar world. His grounding, however, was far beyond their understanding.”

The concept of the New Global Human Order calls for a people-centred sustainable development policy and programme aimed at the eradication of poverty and the establishment of a just and more humane system of international relations ---relevant in 1993 and relevant maybe more so in 2018. Where at the UN General Assembly, September 25, 2018, one heard the speech of one of the super powers denouncing multilateralism and promoting protectionism, insulation and strike.

The tariff wars initiated

by the present US administration will bring greater hardships to the poor and vulnerable in both the developed and developing world.

What is evolving now is in sharp contradiction to the call for more equitable trade relations and human-oriented development. It damages the very raison d’ete for the United Nations and multilateral versus unilateral solutions to conflict and differences of views. This development at a time when the UN at the General Assembly is examining reforms of the UN system cannot be interpreted as coincidental.

One may consider that there is greater need for a New Global Human Order now than ever before at the international levels. The very philosophy behind the New Global Human Order (NGHO) is one of promoting multilateral approaches to the solution of global problems through the adoption of a holistic framework of development that focuses on integrating the economic, environmental, social, cultural and political aspects of development and to identify critical gaps that need to be addressed in the fashioning of this holistic approach.

The NGHO is quintessentially aimed at promoting a new and enlightened partnership for peace and development involving all actors of the world community, based on mutual respect, democratic governance and popular participation to deal with the challenges of development and poverty eradication and to arrest the growing disparities among and within countries Against this premise, the NGHO addresses in a coherent manner a number of inter-related issues that provide economic security and sustainable human development. In so doing: • To empower the United Nations capacity in developmental matters. The United Nations must be the main thrust of global policy making.

• To enhance global governance through the strengthening of multilateralism.

• To seek to bring in equitable trade relations • To establish partnerships between North and South and South and South.

• To empowering people with the capacity to meet their basic needs.

(From page 17)

• To integrate the key elements of human development, human rights and human security issues.

After much work, the NGHO was placed before the United Nations (UN).

In December 1992, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution – ‘New International Humanitarian Order’ – which urges governments, as well as non-governmental organisations, to provide comments and expertise for the Secretary General, regarding the humanitarian order and to develop international cooperation in the humanitarian field.

In bringing the NGHO to the UN, Guyana received global support. It was co-sponsored by 54 countries. The NGHO was also discussed at the UN General Assembly through resolutions approved in 2000, 2002 and 2007. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon, in his report on the implementation of the 2007 Resolution, highlighted its link to key UN initiatives.

The fact that President Jagan’s proposal for the New Global Human Order became a Resolution passed at the United Nations General Assembly and adopted in the year 2000 is to his credit as an internationalist who understood and cared about solving global problems, especially for developing nations.

Recently, at the 71st UN General Assembly, the NGHO came up for discussion. Already, many of its elements, which could garner international support, have been incorporated in other initiatives. The resolution before the UN General Assembly stated that: “The role of the United Nations in promoting a New Global Human Order was initiated by the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan as a passionate plea to world leaders to create a new approach to international relations in order to deal with the growing problems of social inequality, poverty, hunger, social insecurity and disorder.”

Unfortunately when questioned in the National Assembly in 2017 about the APNUAFC government’s position on the NGHO which was listed on the UN GA agenda, Minister of Foreign Relations, Minister Carl Greenidge indicated that its objectives had already been

incorporated into other international initiatives and there was no need to advocate for it any longer. Not surprisingly, the government is devoid of any philosophical global framework with no enlightened approach to global issues and the way in which Guyana can or should benefit in those global dynamics.

Unlike the APNUAFC government, Dr. Jagan and the PPP and successive PPP/C governments had a world view that was progressive, forward thinking and democratic. As President Janet Jagan stated in 1999, “Many mistook Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s warnings…His world outlook cannot be understood within the limited confines of any particular ideology: while he was committed to a Marxist outlook, he saw development of Guyana within the context its own historical experience and modern systems of democracy. Throughout his political life, he was successful in creating more and more political space for his people and country to survive in a world unsympathetic to those who have been historically disadvantaged.

In his advocacy for a New Global Human Order he had proposed that a special ‘peace dividend’ established from savings made from cuts in arms spending be used, as Roosevelt had done under his New Deal Administration, to embark on a Works Programme for physical and social and cultural infrastructure in the poorer countries.”

During his four and a half years as Head of State, President Cheddi Jagan had proposed a profound vision for Guyana and had outlined his basic world view in many of his speeches and writings which have been published over the years, the latest being "A New Global Human Order".

In the world today, with the rise of far right, right and centre political parties in power, and more belligerent language between nations, economic growth but not sustainable development with over a billion people still living in abject poverty, heightened conflicts between nations and worsened civil strife and war within countries causing the largest exodus of refugees ever seen in world history, there is still the need for a new way in which the world is ordered, a new human global order.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 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?

21

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 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.

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 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.

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

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

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

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

TOURISM SUPPORT

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

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

HEALTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLAR PANEL AND ENERGY ACCESS

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

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

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

GOVERNANCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LAND OWNERSHIP

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

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

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT

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

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

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

AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

400 child abuse cases No arrests after Albouystown shootout reported for 2019 A

man involved in a shootout with police at King Edwards Street, Albouystown, on Wednesday (March 6, 2019), managed to escape.

Information around the issue is currently sketchy and residents are tight-lipped. Reports are that police officers arrived in the area, the suspect started shooting at them, causing the law enforcement officers to return fire. There are no reports of injuries.

Investigations are ongoing.

E

ven though the year is only three months in, there have been roughly 400 reports of child abuse.

This was revealed on Tuesday (March 5, 2019) when the University of Guyana teamed with the Judiciary and UNICEF Guyana to launch a Forensic Psychology and Sexual Offences special training series.

Country Representative of UNICEF Guyana, Sylvie Fouet said the statistics are alarming and noted that a link between law and science will go a long way in changing the way Guyana deals with child abuse cases particularly as it relates to sexual violence.

The Forensic Psychology and Sexual Offences Special Training Series, which was launched on Tuesday, is an 8-module course being offered by UG.

Almost 2,000 grams of illegal drugs confiscated

A Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Emanuel Cummings, emphasised the importance that DNA plays in sexual offences cases as they look to improve the local criminal justice system.

“Evidence can make or break the outcome of a sexual offence case,” he explained.

Meanwhile, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, recognised the impact

insensitive treatment has on the victims especially within the criminal justice system.

“Victims not only require support services but they also need to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy,” she stated.

A United Nations study states that Guyana has the second highest rate of sexual violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Miner shot in alleged attempt to rob diamond trader

P

olice are investigating the death of Henry Johanison,25, a miner ,address unknown at this time which occurred on Saturday (March 2, 2019) about 12:10 hrs at Kay's Diamond Enterprise which is located at Lot 288 Middle& Thomas Streets, Georgetown.

Enquiries revealed that Kay's Diamond Enterprise Ltd. is licenced to trade in diamonds is owned and managed by a male Caucasian of the aforementioned mentioned address.

According to the owner, he was in his office conducting business when he received a telephone call from Johanison who told him that he wanted to buy diamonds and, at about 12:03 hours, Johanison came to the office and spoke to him in general and asked to use the washroom.

Upon his return from the washroom, Johanison

stop and search operation conducted by ranks on Tuesday (March 5, 2019), on the Ituni Road, Upper Berbice, led to the arrest of a miner.

The 41-year-old resident of Aroima, Upper Demerara River was arrested after he was found to be in possession of 1923 grams of cannabis.

The Guyana Police Force is continuing such operations at various locations.

Police raids at Stabroek Square turns up illegal drugs and more

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force drawn from

'A' Division, CID Headquarters, Canine Department, Crime Lab, Construction Department, Tactical Services Unit, Firearms Section, Public Relation Office and the Narcotics Branch conducted a Cordon and Search Operation at the following several locations in the City.

The areas included: Stabroek Market, Ferry Stelling Area and Route 31, 32, 40, 41 and 44 bus parks.

pointed a pistol in the direction of owner who was sitting in his chair behind his desk in the office and told him not to move, but he instinctively drew his licensed handgun and discharged several rounds in the direction of Johanison who was struck in the upper part of his body and he fell.

Personnel from EMT visited and pronounced Johanison dead.

A 9 mm pistol along with eight live matching

rounds in the magazine and one round in the breech which was allegedly in possession of the deceased, is lodged.

A black Fielder wagon motor car with three male occupants which was parked outside of the business premises ,is lodged and the men are in custody assisting with the investigation.

The body of Henry Johanison was taken to Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post mortem examination.

According to the Police, 128 grams of Marijuana seeds, 561 grams of cannabis, and a quantity of smallsized ziplock bags, were some of the prohibited items found.

Thirteen persons were arrested; three for narcotics possession and the others for questioning in relation to several offences.

25

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

International Women’s Day 2019

Struggles of Guyanese women a source of inspiration for all T

he Women’s Progressive Organization (WPO) extends warm wishes to the women of Guyana and the world over on the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD). We would like to use this occasion to pay homage to all those who have contributed in one way or another towards the advancement of women.

Reflecting on the rich history of and achievements made over the last century with respect to women’s rightful place in society we recognize as quite befitting the United Nations campaign theme, “Better the Balance, Better the World”. The struggle to achieve that balance, especially in the political and economic spheres, has recorded many gains. Nevertheless, the goal of full and just gender equality is still quite elusive for most, of whom the working class and the underprivileged make up the majority.

In Guyana, we have come a long way since the first IWD was celebrated in 1957 by the WPO under the PPP government. The event was hosted by then Premier Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Since then, annual events of different kinds are organized in almost every part of Guyana by the WPO to celebrate the progress made with respect to women’s

rights and gender equality and to critically review the many challenges that still stand before us. Of particular concern is the issue of increasing violence against women and children. If any inroad is to be made to eliminate this scourge it is imperative that women’s rights activists, decision makers and all other stakeholders work collaboratively and with one voice to let society know that

such impunity against our women and children will not be tolerated. The WPO stands ready to collaborate with others on this common platform.

As we celebrate March 8, 2019, we do so against the background of a very serious political and constitutional crisis. In spite of a successfully-passed no-confidence motion, the APNU/AFC government is refusing to resign from office and setting a date for national elections - a blatant defiance of the provisions of our constitution. The democratic gains, which have been made after more than 28 years of rigged elections and authoritarian rule, are under siege once more. The progress made by the PPP/C government is being eroded as a result of incompetence, ethnic and political discrimination, and lack of vision.

We call on all Guyanese to speak up against the trampling of our constitution and join the chorus for a date for national elections to be held.

Let us use IWD, which is a story of a number of grassroots women who have made history and who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women’s rights, as examples to follow. Let their militancy and determination be an inspiration to us all.

Drugs, weapons seized during New Amsterdam Police Station robbed Lusignan Prison raid

T

he Criminal Investigations Department at the Central Police Station, New Amsterdam was reportedly robbed.

The incident occurred sometime between Thursday

night (February 28, 2019) and Friday morning (March 1, 2019). Sources have confirmed that several items are missing, including evidence for several cases currently under investigation.

The perpetrators reportedly gained entry to the building by removing the lone padlock on the side door of the Police Station.

Investigations are ongoing.

Businessman busted with illegal weapon after making threats to village butcher

R

ickey Wahid, 49, also called Lall of Samaroo Dam Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, was busted on Saturday (March 3, 2019), with an unlicensed firearm and a magazine containing eight live rounds of ammunition.

Reports are that Police Officers were in search of Wahid in relation to a report made by a butcher, who claimed that the man had threatened to shoot him.

The businessman was however, seen driving

his car in the vicinity of the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Sta-

tion when he was stopped and told of the allegation made against him. He reportedly remained silent when the officers prompted to search his vehicle.

The black handgun with the magazine was discovered on the floor of the car.

As such, he was asked to produce his firearm license but told the Police ranks that he did not have one. He was immediately arrested and taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station where was charged.

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force and the Prison Service, on Tuesday (March 5, 2019), conducted a search of the Lusignan Prison.

Several prohibited items were found, including: Eighteen (18) cellular

phones; A sim card; Ten (10) phone chargers; Eleven (11) earpieces; Two (2) phone batteries; Three (3) phone cases; Twelve (12) charger heads; A mirror; A quantity of wires; Two pairs of scissors; A quantity of construction nails; A

tweezer; Six (6) improvised weapons; A quantity of dried cannabis; and Sixteen (16) lighters.

This is the latest prison raid that has been conducted to crack down on the presence of prohibited items in local penitentiaries.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 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.

WEEKEND MIRROR 9-10 MARCH, 2019

PPP/C presidential candidate hosts successful fundraising dinner

27

Jordan’s comments in National Assembly expose GECOM’s excuse about funding as delay tactic O

ne of the reasons for delays at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in readying itself for General and Regional Elections included concerns about funding.

This is despite GECOM’s massive $5.37B budget for 2019.

GECOM has said that when its budget was approved in the National Assembly, over $3B of the

$5.37B was earmarked for house-to-house registration.

The Parliamentary Opposition has argued that GECOM has prioritise its spending, based on the provisions of the Article 222 (A) Constitution and the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act 2015.

In August 2015 President David Granger signed off Act 4 of 2015 – the

Fiscal Management and Accountability (FMAA) (Amendment) Act 2015.

Section 80 B (8) – makes it clear that: “The appropriation of a Constitutional Agency approved by the National Assembly shall be disbursed as a lump sum by the end of the month, following the month in which the appropriation was approved.” Section 80B (7) of the same Act states that:

“The annual budget of a Constitutional Agency approved by the National Assembly shall not be altered without prior approval of the National Assembly.”

Moreover, Article 222A of the Constitution says: “In order to assure the independence of the entities listed in the Third Schedule – (a) the expenditure of each of the entities shall be financed as a direct charge on the

Consolidated Fund, determined by a lump sum by way of an annual subvention approved by the national Assembly…(b) each entity shall manage its subvention as such manner as it deems fit for the efficient discharge of its functions, subject only to conformity with the financial practices and procedures approved by the National Assembly to ensure accountability.”

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his Thursday (March 7, 2019), news conference, referred to comments by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, that exposed GECOM’s excuse about funding as a delay tactic.

In line with the FMAA amendment, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, on November 19, 2019, during the consideration of the 2019 budgets of GECOM, a constitutional agency, in the National Assembly, said:

“Mr. Chairman, the sum of $5,371, 061,000 is given as a lump sum to GECOM to use as it sees fit and as it prioritizes.”

After the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018 – the validity of which was upheld in the High Court on January 31, 2019 – GECOM was expected to start preparations for General and Regional Elections. The passage of the no-confidence motion meant that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government fell.

GECOM’s work is guided by the Constitution of Guyana. 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.”

Following unproductive talks…

Civil society stakeholders calling for engagement now see ‘true nature’ of APNU+AFC gov’t - Jagdeo L

ocal civil society stakeholders who had advocated for the Parliamentary Opposition to engage the APNU+AFC Coalition Government have seen the ‘true nature of the beast’, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo, during his Thursday (March 7, 2019) news conference, noted that the Wednesday (March 6, 2019) meeting between a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) team and one led by President David Granger, was unproductive. “The meeting did not achieve what I had hoped it would achieve,” he said.

The Opposition has communicated his call for specific items to be discussed, including a date for General and Region-

al elections, before the expiration of the present voters’ list on April 30, 2019. Elections are due by March 21, 2019, following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion against the Coalition Government.

“I want all the stakeholders to understand the true nature of this government…they all urged a meeting…we have a government that acts in bad faith and wants to hang onto power – Constitution or no Constitution,” Jagdeo stressed.

The Opposition Leader has since made it clear that any future meeting with Granger will not happen without a date for General and Regional Elections having been set.

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