Weekend Mirror 3-4 November 2018

PPP/C candidate at the frontline of case against AFC arrested 3-4 November, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 45 / Price: $100

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

– Jagdeo says matter smacks of political gimmickry PAGE 12

SEE INSIDE

Millions spent toPAGE 11 service two ‘David G’ busses in Region 6 No clarity on approved observers for 2018 LGE PAGE 11 Speaker supports gov’t moves PAGE 10 to infringe on people’s right to information

Berbice rejects AFC – Nagamootoo, Ramjattan greeted by protestors

Ruling in Red House case PAGE 17 expected by mid-December

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

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

Multiple examples of callous treatment of Berbicians by APNU+AFC Coalition gov’t

By David Armogan (GUEST CONTRIBUTOR)

S

ince the closure of the two Sugar Estates in the Berbice area businesses have suffered a serious decline.

Over 5,000 workers directly and another 10,000 indirectly suffered as a result of this senseless decision by the Government of Guyana.

During the campaign leading up to the General and Regional Elections in 2015 the APNU/ AFC Coalition swore at Public Meetings and on television that the sugar industry in Berbice will never be closed down. Nagamootoo and Ramjattan (both Berbicians) took the people for a ride and today they are afraid to face the people of their own villages at Whim and No. 48 All the pre- election promises to sugar workers, rice farmers, pensioners, teachers, nurses, public servants and the police have dissipated and instead they awarded themselves 50% increase weeks after taking office. This they said was to prevent the Ministers from stealing. Scandal after scandal have today left the coalition Government isolated and the people of Berbice do not want to see their faces.

The general belief is that they see Berbice as a PPP support base and as such

wants to punish us. Today, sugar workers and their families do not know where the next meal is coming from and the children are finding difficulty going to school.

Transportation cost is high and besides monies have to be found for meals and books.

Sometimes when you visit the homes of the severed sugar workers, tears come to your eyes. They were promised lands and to date none has been given. This is the cruelty of the present Government.

Local businesses have been laying- off workers because their sales have dropped by about 40% further compounding the unemployment situation. The construction sector is dead as the new Government failed to issue a single houselot or extended new housing areas.

They are now talking

about building one flat houses to be sold for $6 to$7 million dollars each. This is certainly outside the reach of ordinary citizens. I believe they will find their cronies to construct these houses and so find jobs for the boys.

The rice industry in Berbice is also in problems as this crop we only planted 47,000 acres, a far cry of 60,000 acres under the PPP/C Government. The Government has said clearly to the rice farmers that rice is a private business and they must pay to maintain their dams and drainage and irrigation systems.

Already for the second half of this year the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority has refused to help the Water Users’ Associations of Black Bush Polder and No. 52-74 Village to clean the primary drainage and irrigation canals to allow for a free flow of water. This will have a terrible effect on the rice crop as farmers may not be able to access irrigation water at the beginning of the new crop.

Already the costs of fruits and vegetables in the market have increased substantially leading to an increase in the cost of living.

If one is to carefully look at the infrastructural work this Government is doing in the Region it is clear ad day

“The general belief is that they see Berbice as a PPP support base and as such wants to punish us…all the pre- election promises to sugar workers, rice farmers, pensioners, teachers, nurses, public servants and the police have dissipated.” – David Armogan that most of the works are done in APNU/ AFC areas.

The PPP support areas are left out.

Many of the contracts awarded in the Region are now going to supporters of the APNU/ AFC Government who are incapable of executing proper work as a result which many of the projects are substandard (Palmyra Monument Project).

The Government has now stopped the system of open tendering and has moved to a system of selective tendering based on a pre- qualification system.

This system leads to cronyism and jobs for the boys as the Regional Executive Officer is the person who decides on the persons to be selected for tendering. In most cases, the person given the tender documents are those close to APNU/ AFC. This systems is designed to select their own people to do the jobs.

This is a complete departure from the open tendering system of the PPP/C Government where all contractors

were given an equal opportunity to tender for a job.

Even in the area of employment a certain ethnic group is given preference. If one is to look at the persons employed at the Regional Democratic Council for the last two years, it is enough reason to invite the Ethnic Relations Commission to do an investigation. The discrimination based on ethnicity and party affiliation is glaring but this does not seem to bother the Government.

Another shameless episode of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is the contract given to clear the road shoulders in the Region. No public tendering was done for these contracts but the work was parceled off and given to well- known and active AFC operatives.

This is the callousness with which this Government treats Berbicians, some of the AFC contractors on the road shoulders have been using CORE workers who are already being paid by the Ministry of Public Infrastruc-

ture. This is fraud but when the reports are made, they die natural deaths.

Contracts are being awarded in the Region by Ministries without even the courtesy of the Bill of Quantities extended. Persons in the Region have been asking us questions about these projects but we have no answers.

All three Chambers of Commerce in the Region have been complaining about the decline in sales and are now contemplating on contracting their business activities.

The Government is unable to attract new investments as a result of the level of taxation in the country.

The President is on record as saying that Berbice is a “sleeping giant” but it seems he is intent on putting us to sleep for a long time.

Unless measures are taken immediately to revive the Berbice economy many of our people will leave for greener pastures as happened in the Burnham era.

Berbice is crying for help!

PPP heads to Appeal Court to pursue challenge against AFC’s ‘fraudulent’ list

T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will be taking its case of ‘fraudulent’ names found on the Guyana Elections Commission list to Guyana’s Court of Appeal.

This move comes days after Berbice High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh ruled that there was no evidence of fraud, trickery or threat and noted that there was no basis to ask the Chief Elections Officer to strike out the names of the nominators from the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) Lists of Candidates at Whim/ Bloomfield Local Authority

Area, Berbice.

In the Notice of Appeal, the Party contended that Justice Singh erred and misdirected himself in law. The Appeal said, “The learned hearing Judge erred and misdirected himself in law by predicating his decision on a Police report which consisted of inadmissible evidence, incredible assertions and unsolicited conclusions rather than be guided by the relevant legal principles and the sworn Affidavit evidence of over fifty persons which were before the court.”

COURT CASE The case was filed against Orlando Christopher Persaud, who is the Returning Officer (RO) at the Whim/Bloomfield Local Authority Area and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law, Adrian Anamayah.

Anamayah was representing a PPP candidate, Shafraz Beekham, and 49 other per-

sons are seeking the removal of their names from the AFC list.

In a sworn affidavit Beekham said he were deliberately deceived into signing a document by an Alliance For Change representative, who fraudulently claimed that she was employed by GECOM. Beekham disclosed that he was told that he needed to sign a document to confirm that his name was on the voter’s list.

He said too that it was only after Nomination Day on September 21, 2018, that

he learnt that the signature which was taken from him was unauthorisedly used as a nominator backing the AFC candidate in constituency Number 3.

According to him, at no time whatsoever was he or the other residents informed, or did they know that they were in fact signing a list of backers in support of the AFC candidate(s). Beekham added that on becoming aware of the fraud perpetuated against him and other electors, he immediately demanded that their names be withdrawn or

deleted from the AFC lists.

Lowenfield and the Returning Officer, Orlando Christopher Persaud, were listed as the respondents in the court case advanced on Beekham’s behalf. The court document cites Persaud’s alleged refusal to withdraw Beekham’s name, as well as that of the other 49 electors, from the fraudulent list.

The court documents filed in the High Court state that unless the names are withdrawn, the election in the LAA would be tainted with “illegality and fraud.”

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Jordan backs down when called to on to Ailing Granger makes his comments about a ‘drug third overseas visit this year substantiate economy’ under former PPP/C gov’t to seek medical attention F I n May 2018, President David Granger visited Trinidad and Tobago for an annual medical checkup, after which he had claimed that he was given a clean bill of health.

However, this week, he left Guyana to seek further medical attention – the third time he has done so this year. On October 30, 2018, Granger and his wife, Sandra Granger, left for Cuba.

Prior to this week’s trip, Granger was back in Trinidad and Tobago, after his May 2018 visit there. Granger, according to the Ministry

of the Presidency, started to experience certain symptoms which were persistent – hence his decision to return to Trinidad to revisit the tests that were done in May 2018.

Notably, there was no word about this second visit to Trinidad and Tobago from the Government. .

About his visit to Cuba, Granger said, “Some symptoms which needed further investigation (were discovered), so I just agreed with that diagnosis and made arrangements to go to Cuba for further investigations. At this time, there is no clear indica-

tion of disorder or what the nature of the disorder is. It is a question of investigation and I think I can get the best advice in Cuba.”

Granger will return to Guyana on November 11, 2018.

Before leaving, Granger only met with Cabinet ministers from his Peoples Nation Congress (PNC) party on Monday (October 29, 2018.

It is unclear why he did not meet with his entire Cabinet.

There continues to be growing questions about the state of President Granger’s health.

his week, the embattled Town Clerk of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC), Royston King, tried to halt the work of the Commission of Inquiry into City Hall’s operations by filing an affidavit challenging the legality of its establishment.

Chairman of the CoI, Justice (Retired) Cecil Kennard, ruled that the probe was duly constituted, and in accordance with provisions made under the Local Government Commission Act and supplementary laws.

King had been subpoenaed to present himself for questioning. He turned up on Monday (October 29, 2018) with his attorney, Maxwell Edwards, at the Critchlow Labour College, where proceedings of the CoI are taking place.

A five-page affidavit was submitted, which questioned the manner in which the inquiry was established, and its legality.

“In terms of the affidavit, it says that…the Commission must be declined jurisdiction to conduct this inquiry, and the basis to that is, I would submit, that this Commission is void and a nullity on two grounds,” the Town Clerk’s attorney said. Edwards’s argument is that the Local Government Commission Act does not permit for an

investigation to be delegated to a Commission of Inquiry, but only that of a local authority. He also alluded to the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, which states that Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan is responsible for establishing such an investigation. He further stated that this was not done, since the Local Government Commission was the respective body that launched the investigation. “The first (point of contention) is the jurisdictional ground, and that has to do with the interpretation of Section 14 (1) and (2) of the Local Government Commission Act, under which this Commission has been established…having a right under the eighth schedule [of Chapter 28:01] to establish a Commission.

Certainly, this is not a Commission established by the Minister [of Communities],” Edwards said.

However, submission from the Commission’s lawyer, Everton Singh Lammy, is that the CoI was established legitimately under provisions made by the Local Government Commission Act, and the appeal was effectively dismissed by evidence presented in Section 14. He further noted that sections of Chapter 28:01 were exercised in the Local Government Commission Act.

Singh-Lammy referenced from the Act and stated, “For the purpose of the exercise and discharge of its function, the Commission shall have the power to initiate and conduct investigations into the activities of any local government organ…for the purpose of dealing with matters before it, the Commission shall have all the powers to submit witnesses, and all the privileges and immunities as vested in a Commission appointed under the Commission of Inquiry Act.” Provided with concrete evidence, the Chairman ruled that, “The magnitude of such an investigation demands that the inquiry be conducted by a trained legal person, and not lay persons who are commissioners of the Local Government Commission; and one would have to adopt a realistic approach and examine all the relevant sections. Does that mean that the Local Government Commission cannot delegate some of its functions? Surely not. That would be adopting a very narrow view. I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the various legislation, statutes, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this Commission of Inquiry was properly set up.”

The City Hall CoI was set up and commenced its work in mid-September 2018.

Town Clerk fails in his bid to challenge legality of CoI into City Hall’s operations T

inance Minister, Winston Jordan, when asked if he would be responding to the business community’s call for him to substantiate his comments about a ‘drug economy’, backed down.

“I don’t see any reason why they’re asking me for empirical evidence. I don’t know whether it’s a ploy.

I’ve made my contention, they’ve made theirs. I didn’t say every Private Sector person, business or wealth was derived from… I said, if you go back and check my speech, you’ll see what I said,” Jordan said.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) had called out the Minister of Finance over his comments about the impact of the proceeds of drugs on the economy. The Commission, in a letter, called on Jordan to substantiate his comments.

Jordan, in a letter to the press on October 9, 2018, said, “Lest we forget, too, that economy thrived on rampant drug trafficking, money laundering.”

The Commission in response said, “In an effort to understand the empirical evidence relied upon by the Honourable Minister, the Commission has sought to obtain a briefing by him and,

to this end, has dispatched the attached letter to the Minister.”

The PSC letter, signed

by Chairman, Deodat Indar, said: “The Private Sector Commission has noted several public pronouncements by you regarding the impact of proceeds of drug trafficking on the economy pre and post May 2015. We shall be grateful to be briefed by you on the assertions made that the economy pre May 2015 was heavily based on proceeds of the drug trade and that the current economy post May 2015 is no longer affected by such proceeds. As businesses it is important for us to understand the underlying structure of the economy and the various elements that contribute or inhibit its growth. We look forward to such a brief so that we could better understand the empirical evidence supporting your assertions.

This is not the first time Jordan has sounded rhetoric about a ‘drug economy’ being responsible for the economic growth under successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments. In an interview in 2016, the Finance Minister also attributed the reduction in consumer spending to a

decrease in illegal activities, including narco-trafficking, which he said had created a parallel economy.

Notably, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had indicated some weeks ago that Jordan would back down from substantiating his comments about a ‘drug economy’. Jagdeo had said, “You want to bet that Jordan will never do that? That he has no such evidence?

He has absolutely no such evidence. The buoyancy of the country had to do with several things. (It had to do with a) growing set of economic activities, growing tax base, larger deposits… more people borrowing and investing…all of that led to the buoyancy that we saw…. if there was so much money laundering or drug trafficking, have you ever seen them charge a single money launderer or drug trafficker (of significance) in the last three and a half years, or even (for) illegal proceeds?

So what is happening? The State Asset Recovery Agency keeps saying it will look into the matter and the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is still running behind a few of us…So where is this big money that kept the economy going?”

Voting in 2018 LGE a step to reducing hardships imposed on Guyanese by APNU+AFC gov’t – Jagdeo

T

he wasteful spending, incompetence and corruption of the ANPU+AFC Coalition Government remains in focus – a message reiterated during public meetings held by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, contends that despite being in office for three and a half years, the Coalition Government remains unable to deliver on the many promises made to the Guyanese people, even as it imposes hardships of thousands of Guyanese people.

“I never thought we would have gone back to the days of hunger but I’ve seen people gone back to hunger because I know as a boy how it was. I thought we have gone a long way in eliminating hunger. They killed the momentum in the economy growth,” he said.

Jagdeo pointed to the thousands of sugar workers who have been placed on the breadline. He said, “We had

“I never thought we would have gone back to the days of hunger but I’ve seen people gone back to hunger because I know as a boy how it was. I thought we have gone a long way in eliminating hunger. They killed the momentum in the economy growth.” – Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo said and I will say it again that when the PPP gets back in office we will provide a stipend to every laid off sugar worker, while we find jobs for them.” Jagdeo reiterated that not only the sugar workers are affected by the estates closure, rather it is the wider communities as well since businesses depended on their earnings as well. He acknowledge that people have complained about having to pull their children out of school because they can no longer afford to send them all because they had to quit care farming following the closure of the Wales Estate.

The Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary

has called on supporters to reject the APNU+AFC Government and send a message that they are exhausted with the constant promises and very little delivery. “We can only reduce the hardships if we participate in the Local Government Elections… this is an important referendum to send a signal to the Government that we are abhor to their national policies… we have to come out in our numbers… we have to crush them in a massive way so they can see the writing on the wall,” Jagdeo urged.

Local Government Elections are set for November 12, 2018.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Guest

EDITORIAL

Local Government Elections: Understanding how far we’ve come and the need for full turnout come E-Day

BY GANGA PERSAUD

L

ocal Government is one of the 6 tiers of Guyana’s governance structure. While there are many Articles in the Constitution of Guyana which speak to Local governance, Articles 74 91), 74(2) and 74(3) speak directly and specifically to Local Democratic Organs- namely, Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Laws of Guyana, Chapters 28:01 (Municipalities), 28:02 (NDCs) and 28:03 9 Elections) contain the requisite legal framework to guide all Local Authority Areas (LAAs) in our country.

Each LAA has overall responsibilities for the management, development, leadership, stewardship and democratic development of the area and its population within the boundaries of the LAA. Each LAA has the authority and power to: (1) Levy and collect rates on real estate; (2) Generate revenue through various fees, rents , tolls and fines; (3) Borrow money and accept grants; (4) Own, purchase, lease and sell land, buildings and other fixed assets.

From the above responsibilities, authority and powers it is very clear that as citizens residing within the boundaries of a LAA that we all get involved in the process of Local Government within your respective LAA. The People’s Progressive Party has and continues to be in the forefront in enhancing local democracy in our country.

Recall in 1994, the Local Government Elections were held after a lapse of 26 years under the PNC. Dr Jagan, the late great Father of this Nation, after winning the first free and fair elections in October 1992 held Local Government Elections in August 1994.

The next Elections were constitutionally due in 1997 ceded to the holding of General & Regional Elections in 1997.

The PNC took to the streets creating mayhem, being poor losers as usual. This saw the intervention of CARICOM and the signing of the Herdmanston Accord, resulting in the establishing of the Local Government Task Force so that the way could be paved for the holding of Local Government Elections using a more responsive system of elections to foster effective local governance.

The bipartisan Task Force which was established by the PPP/C government and the joint opposition in 2001 failed to complete its work within the prescribed time and so prevented the holding of Local Government elections from 2001 to 2010.

The PNC continued to oppose and exert all sorts of pressure against the holding of Local Government Elections while in the opposition. None-the-less it was the PPP and its Civic partners, which introduced and completed Local Governments Reforms to allow for the holding of Local Government Elections in 2016, albeit under the APNU/AFC. The results of the 2016 Local Government Elections brought to the fore, the reasons why the PNC and its allies feared the holding of Local government Elections. The PPP/C won in excess of 33,000 of the popular votes; the PNC and its allies found it impossible to find candidates to contest several constituencies in many LAAs. The embarrassment was so grave, that the ‘devils’ set to work immediately to manipulate and interfered with the established Local Government structures and Laws.

The Minister responsible for Local Government had picked mayors and chairpersons for several tied LAAs, although his actions were challenged in the Court of Law and stay Orders were issued, these were ignored by this useless, incompetent, corrupt, thieving government.

Further, local democracy is under serious threat when it was revealed that the very Minister had unilaterally/ dictatorially changed the number of seats in some LAAs in an attempt to shift advantage from PPP to his party. This action was exposed by the PPP as well as the complicit approach taken by GECOM to merge constituencies further seeking

Does Granger understand the consequences of a $90B overdraft of the Consolidated Fund?

I

n Guyana the Consolidated Fund represents the total of all public moneys that are on deposit and are available for use by the State up to the limit stipulated by way of the Budget Process and including the requirements of the Contingency Fund.

If the Consolidated Fund is in overdraft, it means that the State is spending money it does not have which translates to the facts that we have printed and used moneys that are not necessarily backed by real assets, so called “monopoly money”.

According to the Auditor General’s Report as at December 2017 there was an overdraft of some G$90 billion in the Consolidated Fund, meaning we have G$90 billion in paper money in circulation that may not have real assets to back it. Unbelievable, I am advised that the figure is now negative G$104

billion.

This is a problem that continues to go unacknowledged that will have long-term adverse results for the nation. Not even the oil money in the first four years of operations will be able to repair this fiscally reckless and dangerous situation. That means we should not expect betterment economically before 2023.

There is enough empirical evidence to prove that growing governments are not conducive to better economic performance and we have factual evidence in Guyana to substantiate such a prognosis. The size of the spending under Team Granger has expanded but the economic growth rate has actually moved in the opposite direction. This clearly translates into a situation where the government is spending more for the benefit of a smaller group at the top

creating at the expense of those at the bottom of the economic chain. Such a situation has created an even wider disparity between the “haves” and the “have-nots” if one is to compare the situation between 2015 and 2018. My discussion during October 2018 with some key stakeholders confirmed this fact. Such a situation will lead to a decrease in the nation’s competitiveness.

How to fix this?

Let us start with fixing GPL, GuySuCo, UG and the empowerment of the Private Sector. There is urgent work to be done and key doors have to be broken down.

Does HE President David Arthur Granger understand this elementary fact?

Yours faithfully, Sasenarine Singh

An attempt to raise AFC from its coffin by playing games with people's lives

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he AFC is dead, in the coffin awaiting its funeral at the LGE. But there are people playing stupid games to raise the AFC from the dead. AFC has authored a toll game, with APNU's complicity, and it is being played out right now. With APNU's support, AFC has created a Halloween bogeyman so that they can arrive on the scene to rescue people like white knights with shining armors.

David Patterson is a senior leader of the AFC. He is also the Minister of Infrastructure that has jurisdiction over the Berbice River Bridge. No increase in tolls to cross the bridge can happen without the Minister signing a Toll Order. That is the law of the land.

Patterson simply has to refuse to sign the Toll Order and that is the end of the matter. The Leader of the Opposition has unambiguously reminded Patterson that he does not have to look too hard for the answer. The answer is not hiding in plain sight.

Dr. Surendra Persaud is the AFC-handpicked Chairman of the Bridge, with a Board that comprises the majority of APNU+AFC-appointed members. The private investors own only a minority of the shares of the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI). The majority owners are NIS and NICIL, both owned by the Govern-

ment. The Board has not gone rogue on the government; it has been co-opted

by APNU+AFC in a hoax for a sinister purpose, playing stupid games with people's lives, the modus operandi (MO) of this government.

The threat of increased tolls on the bridge at this time is a non-starter because, first, it is not legally possible without a Toll Order signed by Minister Patterson and, second, APNU+AFC can reverse the decision by instructing its appointed Board members to rescind the decision. Patterson said the government is against this happening and now Basil Williams, the Attorney General, has confirmed that the tolls can only be increased through a government-endorsed authorization. Story done.

The increased toll announcement

by Dr. Persaud is a political gimmick, was from the start. The AFC wants to make it appear that a gluttonous group of private investors want hefty increases so that they can make enormous profits, filling their pockets by squeezing the last drops of blood from the people.

They are painting the private investors as the BIG BAD Capitalist Wolves. To maximize their role as white knights with shining armors, AFC paints the picture that the rogue board is working with the PPP and using a contract created by the PPP that requires the

to provide undeserving advantage to the PNC. We are at the crossroad where the APNU and AFC will be contesting the November 12, local government elections on separate slates.

All Guyanese must take their participation in these

increased tolls.

In so doing Patterson and the AFC can come huffing and puffing, beating their chests, as white knights in shining armors to the rescue. All this charade, all this stupid games, just because the AFC's coffin is about to have its last nails hammered in at the LGE on November 12. It is a wicked game, that we must reject loudly and unequivocally.

A few days ago, immediately after the AFC Chairman of the BBCI Board announced an almost 400% increase in the tolls, I warned this is a wicked game concocted by the AFC, designed to raise the AFC from its coffin in Region 6 and Region 5 and in Guyana. This AFC-led game is a carefully orchestrated game plan with APNU's complicity. Just as in the 2015 election, APNU/PNC knows it cannot compete with the PPP. APNU+AFC is hoping that somehow, by some kind of weird miracle, AFC will divide the votes in Regions 6 and 5 and reduce the PPP's margin of victory at the LGE. Having rolled out its campaign, both AFC and APNU now realize that this is a straight fight between the PPP and the PNC, AFC is dead and desperate action is needed to resuscitate the AFC. As the news continued to percolate over the pronouncement, people realize this is just a game designed to (Turn to page 5)

elections very seriously. Turn up in your numbers at your designated polling stations, cast your ballot early for the People’s Progressive Party Civic at the PR component and its candidates at the Constituency component in the Local Government elections.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Another multi-million dollar deal that reeks of corruption Dear Editor,

GECOM’s inaction effectively OnLabsthe 8th/ Ministry of August 2018, I wrote a letter pointing out that something stinks with the HDM of Public Health deal. At the time it was widely believed that the HDM Labs contract valued at $366,826,660.8 G or ($1,789,886 US). I asked Volda Lawrence, Minsanctioned electoral fraud ister of Public Health several questions in parliament. To date, she has refused to answer. But the latest report from the Auditor General report for 31st December 2017, has now confirmed perpetrated on Guyanese HDM Labs Inc. received a contract valued at $409.497 million on the 31st of August 2017, much more than was previously quoted.

Dear Editor,

I

t is quite an absurdity that the AFC is now concluding that ‘votes can’t be forged on Elections Day’, when the Party has forged signatures on the ‘backers form’, which has allowed the AFC’s candidates acceptance to contest on Elections Day. The learned Judge’s decision not to disallow the signatures on the backers forms due to ‘fraud, trickery or force’ can do nothing to eradicate the fact that 50 persons from the Whim/Bloomfield LAA signed affidavits demanding that their names be removed from the AFC’s list.

However, this will not deter them from voting for the Party of their choice. It is PPP who have the right to pontificate that ‘votes can’t be forged on Elections Day’, not the AFC. The affidavit did not lie-it is a sworn statement witnessed and certified by a Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits and Justice of Peace.

Has the AFC subsequently contacted these 50 persons and inquire why they have signed such affidavits?

These people wanted their names removed before the deadline on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, but the trickery and deliberate obfuscation of the GECOM Officials ensured that these people are denied access to such legal rights. More than 150 persons in Region Six claimed that their names should not have been on the AFC’s backer list since they are PPP supporters and have sworn to affidavits to attest to their claim.

Clearly, I cannot see why these people should be denied the right to back the party of their choice which is clearly not the AFC. In the investigation conducted by the Guyana Police Force this fact was reiterated and echoed with deep conviction.

Whether these people were subjected ‘to fraud, trickery or threats’ should not be the focal point of any argument. The conclusion is simple: ’I do not support the AFC and I want my name removed from the backers’ lists’. They should not have been denied that right.

The people gave evidence on their behalf and no one from the AFC was even in court to deny the fact. The Prime Ministers’ relatives could not have been located!

The police investigation team revealed that at the persons from Whim/Bloomfield stated that they did not know that they were

signing an AFC’s backers list and one person claimed that he did not sign at all-—his signature was forged. Why was this forgery not properly investigated and taken into consideration in the Court?

At #51/Good Hope, eighteen persons claimed that they never signed the AFC’s backers list, nine persons lived abroad, one woman is dead and one could not read and write but purportedly signed the list. Affidavits were also signed to that effect. An investigation is badly needed here. Even APNU and AFC members admitted to this fraudulent occurrence at No 51/Good Hope!

I wrote in a letter to the press months ago about a group of AFC conmen going around fooling people to sign on a list for certain favours such as repairs to streets and street lights. This is fraudulent misrepresentation. This matter was raised at our RDC Statutory since April this year and the REO had promised to investigate the matter since it is the NDCs and the RDCs function to make budgetary proposals for these works and not some AFC members.

The AFC boys indeed did a lot of preparatory work to get their ‘backers’!

It leaves no doubt in my mind from the very inception that the case will be dismissed given the recent trends in our courts and the fact that the GPF, which is under the directive of an AFC’s Minister is called upon to investigate.

The flag raising ceremony at Corriverton in February this year is still fresh in our minds.

However, this case should have never reached the Courts in the first place, but GECOM’s farcical comedy and deliberate procrastination sanctioned this electoral fraud perpetrated on the voters who have been denied the right to back the political party of their choice. Fortunately, they will be granted reprieve on November 12 to vote for the Party of their choice.

The AFC has tried to field candidates through fraudulent means to create an impression that they are ‘alive’ or should I say ‘fit and proppa’ but this is short-lived and all the ranting and raving about emerging with a majority at the LGE is an infinitesimal existence in fool’s paradise.

Undoubtedly, the AFC will finally be placed to rest.

The increases can only come into effect with his permission and with the support of APNU+AFC. The game is up, he is exposed and the people know that it is all a game to revive a dead AFC.

From this analysis, it is clear, that other companies had better prices than HDM Labs.

In justifying the need for restrictive tendering, a case was made for emergency supplies of medicines. I supposed that based on this evidence that the NPTAB agreed to this restrictive method of procurement.

The Auditor General’s report pointed out, “the supplier was required to supply the drugs two weeks after signing of the contract, which is all items should have been delivered no later than 22nd September 2017. At this date, no items were delivered, and delivery commenced in October 2017. As at 31st December 2017, items to the value of $141.892 M (35% of the contract price were delivered. The supplier fulfilled his obligations under the contract in March 2018, that is, six months after the agreed delivery date. ” As the Auditor General’s report pointed out some of the medicines arrived six months after the date of delivery.

This deal reeks of corruption. For the nine items that the Auditor General analysed, the government could have saved 166, 942, 315 million dollars if IPA was used. HDM Labs were required to deliver the drugs in two weeks but took six months. The Ministry of Public Health should explain to the public if it has taken any action against HDM Labs for failure to deliver as specified in the agreement. The National Tender Procurement and Administration Board (NTPAB) should say whether based on bad performance on this contract that the company would be blacklisted.

The Public Procurement Commission should launch an immediate investigation into the multiple breaches of the Procurement Act, and the wastage of taxpayers’ dollars. If the government is serious about corruption, it would call in the police to do a thorough investigation.

Sincerely, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Sincerely, Dr Frank Anthony, PPP/C MP

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

An attempt to raise AFC... fool them. Dr. Persaud, the AFC Chairman of the Bridge's Board of Directors, was set up to make the announcement of outlandish increases in tolls. When Patterson came out and announced he will invent a way to stop the tolls, note at no time did he say President Granger and the APNU+AFC Cabinet reject the tolls. But he never had to invent a way.

In a statement to parliament on the 18th July 2018, Minister Lawrence claimed, that only three of the six companies submitted bids. The Auditor General report has identified these companies as IPA, Caribbean Medical Supplies and Ansa McAl Trading. Each of these companies has been regular supplies to the Ministry of Public Health. But on this occasion, their bids were evaluated and rejected. The disqualification of the three bidders in the first round is highly suspicious; many believed that these bidders received unfair treatment. For us to understand why these three bidders were disqualified, the government should release the findings from the Bid Evaluation Committee.

In the first round, six companies were invited to bid, of these only three participated; of the three companies that participated all were disqualified. The Ministry re-invited the same six companies to retender. The logic behind the Ministry’s action is questionable, except if they had a prearranged outcome. Of the six companies that were invited to participate only one submitted a bid, that is HDM labs. It is unclear, whether an Evaluation Committee was established to evaluate the HDM Labs bid, if so the report of the committee should be disclosed. If there was no evaluation committee, then on what basis was a decision taken to give the award to HDM Labs? From the information that is currently available, it seems that the process was engineered to favour HDM Labs.

This flawed procurement has led to wastage of taxpayers’ dollars. The Auditor General’s report looked at nine items that were bought by this contract. The report compared the price paid to HDM Labs with that of IPA, Caribbean Medical Supplies and AnSa McAl. For this letter, I will compare HDM Labs, Price with IPA.

(From page 4)

6

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

There must be an acknowledgement of the wider impacts that will accompany implementation of copyright legislation Dear Editor,

S

tabroek News’ editorial on Monday, October 29, 2018, provided for interesting reading, more so given that some arguments proffered were not contextually based, not fully at least.

The editorial, in stressing the need for copyright legislation, took issue with comments made by former president, Bharrat Jagdeo, and raised several points.

The former president is quoted to have said: “We are a poor developing country.

Wait until such time in the future when people can afford to pay for the copyrighted stuff.

That is how I see it. It may not sound like the most enlightened position given that you have international treaties and stuff but half of those treaties don’t protect us small countries.

They don’t protect our interests”.

One, the editorial talks about photocopied text books and the need for copyright legislation to stop this practice. I have a simple question for the author of that editorial, when one text book costs thousands of dollars and many low income families survive on a minimum of $15,000 a week, how are people sending their children to school? I would vote for a government that reduces burdens on families trying to make a better life for their children, over one that would do the opposite, any day. Already the $10,000 cash grant to help with transportation for children has been taken away and in total that was about $1.6 billion a year. So how can the former president be wrong when he advocates for a delay in passing copyright legislation until people can afford to pay for the copyrighted stuff?

Two, Stabroek News states that under the former president’s tenure “Guyana’s development languished” and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is to be blamed for the economy’s performance. Editor, most all of Guyana is aware of the fact that Guyana’s economy under the Jagdeo presidency saw consistent economic growth and saw Guyana being one of the fastest growing economies in the Caribbean. Also, it was under a PPP/C government that Guyana was reclassified from being a Heavily Indebted Poor Country.

Three, Stabroek News argues that the absence of copyright legislation will undermine international commitments, for example under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

However, as I said earlier, the arguments raised are not completely grounded in the context of real time occurrences. Legislation does not guarantee compliance by countries that sign onto treaties. As recent as June 2018, Antigua and Barbuda was still battling

with the United States of America (USA) to have it comply with a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling. Antigua and Barbuda went to the WTO in 2003 and eventually won the right to compensation of US$21 million annually after the WTO judges upheld its complaint that US laws were discriminatory.

The US has not paid and Antigua and Barbuda has lost US$315 million so far, equivalent to more than a quarter of its annual GDP and less than 0.1 per cent of the U.S. economy, according to a Reuters report on June 22, 2018.

Four, the editorial said that the former president is “rushing to the aid of the same oligarchs” who would be in immediate jeopardy once legislation is updated. Who are the oligarchs? Are the schoolchildren, the hundreds of thousands of Guyanese who will be affected and the small vendors the oligarchs that Stabroek News is referring to?

The only oligarch here seems to be Stabroek TV Inc., which has a monopoly with the distribution of DirecTV. It is companies like Stabroek TV Inc. that would benefit once the copyright legislation in place. The cost charged to set this up is a whopping 45,000, plus a monthly fee. How much more will this cost increase once legislation is in place?

How much more revenues will the company rake in? So is this argument about some companies being made to pay more? Or about Stabroek TV Inc. being able to make more?

Fifthly, editor, copyright legislation is not just about the DVDs and music, as the Stabroek News tries to focus on. It is also about software. Has Stabroek News paid monies to Microsoft for using its ‘Word’ and other software, such as the very expensive Adobe Creative Suites? Has Stabroek News paid for its Servers’ operating system, as well as operating systems for users? Has Stabroek News paid for the software, which is used in the press department and needed to allow for the printing of its daily newspaper? Has Stabroek News paid for its anti-virus software?

I have to point out that these are not one-off payments that have to be made. Payments for these software are either monthly or yearly subscriptions.

There must be an acknowledgement that there are wider impacts to the proposal to implement copyright legislation.

Finally, the Stabroek News editorial created the impression that nothing was said by the former president about protecting local content. The former president said clearly: “We should protect the copyrighted material for our local artists.”

Yours faithfully, Kumar Kowlessar

Clear indication that APNU+AFC plans to increase rates and taxes across the country Dear Editor,

T

he political parties, their local government election (LGE) candidates and political sycophants are presently out in full force, across the length and breadth of the country. One matter of importance in all eighty (80) local authority areas (LAAs) is property tax increases. The PPP/C's national position, a position that all its local candidates firmly support, is they are unequivocally opposed to property tax increases in any of the LAAs. APNU and AFC clumsily deny any intention to increase property taxes, while simultaneously putting together the framework for massive increases in property taxes. Why else contract a Canadian Consultant firm for a new valuation system for property taxes around the country at a cost of $US1.5M ($G350M)? This exercise has started in New Amsterdam as the pilot LAA. Last week, at a poorly attended APNU public meeting in their Georgetown stronghold, in front of the Stabroek Market, the PNC Chairwoman, Volda Lawrence, clearly took side on this matter of national concern for citizens, no matter which community they live in. She chastised the PPP for promising no property tax increases, without stating clearly that APNU or the PNC oppose property tax increases in Georgetown, any of the municipalities around the country or any other LAA. It was a case of mouth open, story jump out.

The story that jumped out of Ms. Lawrence's mouth was depressing - the PNC is not opposed to increases in property taxes and wants the option of property tax increases on the table in all the LAAs. In opening her mouth and letting the story out of the bag, there is a clear political distinction the PPP/C wants the matter of property tax increases off the table, APNU wants it on the table. The AFC is trembling, desperately avoiding any discussion on this matter, while going along with the APNU+AFC plans, as announced in Budget 2018.

The property tax issue was raised during Budget 2018 by both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Communities. When both of these ministers announced plans to introduce new valuation for properties in Guyana for the purpose of taxation, they signalled that APNU+AFC is planning massive property tax increases around the country. Recognizing that the signal raised eyebrows and aroused a national resistance, APNU+AFC desperately tried to back-peddle by saying they have no immediate plans for an increase of property taxes and that their plan to revamp property valuation has nothing to do with any intention to raise property taxes. They insisted they were simply raising the need for a better valuation system, insisting that the PPP/C's

conclusion that APNU+AFC plan to increase taxes was merely a PPP scare-tactic.

Most people did not buy this fancy story because, for one, why the need to elevate the discourse on property valuation in a budget speech, and, second, the Government has since contracted a Canadian consultant firm at a cost of $US1.6M ($G350M) to revamp the property valuation system. The truth is that APNU and AFC ministers, sitting together in Cabinet under the Leader of the PNC, President Granger, agreed to start a process this year for a new valuation system intended to increase property taxes in all the LAAs in the country. No wonder, neither APNU or the AFC want to discuss and debate the issue of property taxes during the campaign for the upcoming LGE. But Minister Lawrence exposed the hypocrisy, even if unwittingly.

LGE 2018 is due in a matter of days. As one crisscrosses the country, listening to what the local candidates and their national leaders are saying and listening to the community discourses, a number of issues and matters of concern are being raised, mostly by the residents and those candidates representing the PPP/C. The other candidates appear scared to address any of the matters of concern at the community levels.

Other than the property tax matter and dozens of local matters, like drainage and irrigation and community roads, there are other matters of great importance, including, but not limited to the Parking Meter travesty that the PNC-controlled Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown intends to institute, the threat of increased tolls on the Berbice River Bridge, a threat that APNU and AFC are playing games with, the treatment of sugar workers, rice farmers, miners and land titling for Amerindians.

If you listen to APNU and AFC and their sycophants, you will not know that these and other matters are of interest to residents in the various communities. Candidates of APNU and AFC are more obsessed with Bharat Jagdeo and the PPP, not focusing on any of these matters of interest to the people.

The property tax matter exposes the contrast between the PPP/C candidates and the other contesting candidates in LGE 2018.

The PPP/C candidates around the country has made No-Property Tax Increases an unambiguous campaign promise. The candidates of APNU and AFC are avoiding a discourse on this and other matters or, in the few instances, when they are forced to, they dance clumsily around the issues. With property tax, however, the truth is hiding in plain sight - the PPP/C is opposed and APNU and the AFC want to increase the property taxes.

Sincerely, L. Ramsammy

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Bitter-sweet victory for sugar workers demonstrates the importance of struggle

Auditor General should investigate road projects S shadowed by corruption

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

G

uyanese must benefit when their tax dollars are being expended. There must be value for money. While meeting the public at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, I have received numerous complaints and expressions of grave concern by citizens, as it relates to unsatisfactory, sloppy and poor works done on our roads.

Our countrywide outreach has confirmed what we were hearing when groups of citizens visited our offices.

On behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) I am requesting the Audit Office of Guyana to do a special Audit of the following roads: • The East Bank Berbice road.

• Works on the Mabaruma road.

• Port Kaituma road works.

Concerns expressed were not only limited to the quality of the work, but had to do with improper procurement practices that allowed for contract costs to be inflated. The indiscriminate and excessive use of the “force account” facilitates the submission of huge bills without adequate supervision and verification.

The view expressed is that the actual works done does not represent the actual expenditure being reported.

Taxpayers are on watch for Guyana and as a representative of the people, we will always take their concerns seriously.

The incestuous behavior of this Coalition Government and the engagement of favored contractors and friends have not helped to allay the fears of our people, hence this call for a special Audit by the Auditor General.

We will expect to have the findings of the Audit Office to be made public very soon.

The matter at hand has to do with transparency and accountability – a promise that was made by this very APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

This call is another in a series of requests by the PPP/C for investigations into projects undertaken by the APNU+AFC government which are mired in corruption.

We continue to hold the torch and call for transparency, accountability, good governance and the rule of law.

Regards, Bishop Juan Edghill, PPP/C MP

Dozens of Guyanese were denied a basic right Dear Editor,

A

ny country, by adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has agreed that its citizens will benefit from all their basic rights; that every person, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, age or wealth has the right to receive and enjoy. Under the Guyana Constitution, it must be noted that “the interpretation of the fundamental rights provisions in this constitution, a court shall pay due regards to international law, international conventions and charters bearing on human rights “.

The human rights treaties are at the core of the international legal system for the promotion and protection of the human rights of every man, woman or child.

International human rights standards were developed to protect people’s human rights against violation by individuals, groups or nations. Every UN member state is a party to the major human rights treaties. Guyana has demonstrated its commitment to the preservation of the rights of all citizens at a working session of the United Nations committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights held in Geneva Switzerland in 2015.

The recent decision at the High court in Berbice where 51 persons were denied their rights to withdraw their names from an AFC document which ensured that the AFC can nominate candidates at the present LGE; The issue is whether this decision was made in haste, political judicial

pressure, doctored police reports(Minister intervention), or because GECOM had already printed the ballots for the LGE, and as such the judge had no other option but to rule and in a way that denied these people their rights to withdraw their namesand support- from the AFC documents irrespective of trickery or not.

In Article 2 of International Human Rights Declaration it states: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political jurisdictional or international status ……” this evidently ensured that even if people want to change their marriage, religion, nationality etc they have a right to, providing they follow the constitutional process.

The people’s rights of Whim – Bloomfield, however, were disregarded when their decision to remove their names from AFC backers’ lists was rejected -despite legal authorised documents presented to GECOM and the court to indicate their choice- and unfortunately, they were forced to support the AFC. The UN GHRA and the international community should pay careful attention to what is actually happening in Guyana.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

everal sections of the media have reported about the National Assembly’s unanimous approval of supplementary allocation in the sum of $2.451B. The now approved allocation will see the state-owned GuySuCo settling outstanding severance payments to thousands of workers who lost their jobs following the Government’s decision to close four (4) sugar estates over the last two (2) years. The approval of the sum came 306 days after Skeldon, Rose Hall, and East Demerara Estates were closed and 671 days after Wales Estate met a similar fate.

From the numbers, as reported by the Stabroek News, 5,016 workers are slated to receive payments from the now approved sum. Previously, several hundred workers from Wales were severed and paid during 2016 and 2017 by GuySuCo as the closure process at that estate commenced. When the LBI operations were ended in September, 2016, a number of other workers were also severed at that time, and just weeks prior to East Demerara’s closure in 2017, some other workers were also lost their jobs. Then they were several hundred temporary workers who did not receive severance payments after the Corporation refused to renew their contracts when it decided that the estates would be closed. When all is taken together we see the magnitude and the toll that the closure process has taken on so many ordinary Guyanese.

The approval of the sum which comes just a few days before the 2018 Local Government Elections will certainly bring some short-term relief to the beleaguered and largely jobless workers. The entire episode the GAWU recognizes too was most enlightening, especially for the workers and their families, and is a clear demonstration of the lengths those who hold the reins of power will go in order to stack the odds against the working-class.

The naked flouting of our laws, which have been enacted to protect our people and to strengthen their hands, is a most worrying development in our contemporary times and is yet another manifestation of the lack of respect held by those in power for the rights

of our country’s working-people.

This sad chapter of our history also reminds us that our successes can only come out of our united and consistent struggles. The Government’s reaction in this case, cannot be disconnected by the consistent struggle manifested in several picketing exercises, marches, public meetings, public statements, court actions, among other things that the workers, their families and their organisations have waged. The supportive voices of several prominent individuals and organsations also set fire under the Government’s feet and forced them to act at this time.

Of particular note is that the 350-odd cane cutters of Wales who, from all appearances, will receive their severance payments which have been unjustly withheld from them for nearly two (2) years now. This group of workers has been unfairly threatened with dismissal, have seen all manner of coercive ploys directed at them, and have simply been punished because they demanded was they rightly deserve. The fact that the Administration has decided to pay them, after their sustained calls for their rights to be respected, justifies that the workers and the Union were correct in their demands and throws cold water on the ignoble attempt to railroad the workers’ rights. The bitter-sweet victory of sorts for the workers demonstrates the importance of struggle to win out in our just demands, but also sadly illustrates the attempts and lows that are being sunk to rollback workers’ rights and gains’ While we are happy that the workers will finally receive what is due to them, we cannot ignore the fact that they still remain without jobs or the prospect of securing jobs.

The sums they will receive will be far from princely and cannot last forever.

The Administration cannot abandon these thousands of Guyanese who still will face difficult times in the weeks and months ahead. We urge the Government to act responsibly.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine, GAWU General Secretary

Jordan lacks the testicular fortitude to admit that he has peddled nonsensical talk about a ‘drug economy’ Dear Editor,

T

he PNC Party and its supporters have repeatedly made allegations which states that Guyana’s prosperity in the past under The PPP/C Administration was due to drug money. A highly libelous accusation constantly made by The PNC/APNU of money laundering and the usage of the proceeds for nation building. This comment recently resurfaced again, this time coming directly from the finance minister himself.

Now when confronted by the by The Private Sector Commission to provide imperial evidence of this highly inflammatory and controversial statement he flip flops on a reason, only resorting to the common street talk “it is said by individuals” that The PPP/C presided over a drugs economy and “who the cap fits.” These silly rehearsed lines are not reasons, so it is time the minister hush up. These wild unsubstantiated comments have been too frequent and annoyingly so, because for the most part the finance minister is exposing his emptiness before the whole world when he cannot provide any evidence to support his claim.

Further to our discussion is the fact that for a finance minister into a fourth year of his tenure cannot show anything tangible for the office he holds. Our country is in a financial mess with no relief in sight and here we have a finance minister mouthing foolish talk. Certainly, the finance minister should be mindful of public abhorrence and total disgust at his utterances.

What is clear, and Mr Jordan lacks the testicular fortitude to admit, is the fact that The PPP/C ran a country based on sound economic principles, that is the sole reason for their success in government. Jordan on the other hand, does not have a clue as to what economic principles entail much more how to manage an economy.

With each passing day his ineptitude is becoming more and more obvious.

Jordan is the representation of another obtusely annoying element of the PNC Party, which has nothing sensible to say. So, like the Chairman of The City Hall COI I would ask Jordan to shut up.

Regards, Neil Adams

STRAIGHT TALK 8

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

(In this article, written in April 1964, Dr Jagan examined the racial problematic in Guyana and argued that the root cause had to do with the machinations and intrigues of the plantocracy in active collaboration with the Colonial Office to ‘divide and rule’. Its re-printing is among several activities being undertaken during 2018 to mark the 100th birth anniversary – March 22, 2018 – of the founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.)

The Racialists of British Guiana

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

O

n 31 October 1963, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth and Colonial Affairs Duncan Sandys, said to the reconvened British Guiana Independence Conference: "British Guiana faces many difficulties but all that you have told me at this conference and all that I saw during my visit to your country last July have convinced me that there is one problem which transcends all others - namely the growth of racialism. That is the curse of British Guiana today; the whole life of the country is poisoned and weakened by mutual suspicion and fear between the two predominant racial groups, the Indians and the Africans. This state of tension has become acute in the last few years and has led to racial murder, arson and violence. Last summer it reached the point where law and order could not be maintained without the assistance of two battalions of British soldiers."

Writing in a British Journal - the London Weekly- on 19 March 1927, Mr. H. Snell, a member of the Wilson-Snell Constitution Commission, said on the same subject: "That the colony has been able to reduce these complexities to something like a working plan and succeeded in creating a basis of unity in the common love of their country on the part of Africans, Hindus and Chinese alike is itself a great achievement, and one that offers bright promise for the future. These separate races do, in fact, live side by side with each other, respect each other's ideals and prejudices, acknowledge allegiance to communal laws and work together to for the good of the Colony. Upon a basis of this kind the Colony can build for the future without fear and without failure." While Mr Snell was saying this to British readers, he was saying something else "officially" as we will see.

However, the span between Mr Sandys' and Mr Snell's statements is less than two generations and it is necessary for us to ask and

answer certain questions: How did the change in race relations come about and when did the trouble all start?

Also, who are the racialists responsible for the situation described by Mr Sandys?

In 1927, the British government wanted to alter the constitution of British Guiana. The Constitution then in force gave legislative control of financial matters to the elected members of the Legislature or "Combined Court" as it was called. At that time, the elected members of the Legislature were the following: Eustace G. Woolford, RV Evan-Wong, N Cannon.

It will be seen from the composition of the Legislature that control was in the hands of local people of divers races and that the expatriate representatives of overseas capital had almost been wiped out as a political force in the Legislature.

The Wilson-Snell Commission explained the position in the following words: "It is a general phenomenon in tropical colonies that the extension of the electorate and the greater frequency of contests makes it extremely and increasingly difficult for anyone who is not able and prepared to embark more or less whole time on the career of a politician to enter the Legislature by the avenue of the constituencies. The result is the loss to public life of no inconsiderable proportion of those who are best qualified for it, or, in other words, of the small but extremely important European class which still controls the principal agricultural and commercial

activities of the Colony."

It is important to realize that Mr Snell who remarked on the racial harmony prevailing in British Guiana in the extract quoted from the London Weekly, was the same Mr Snell who lamented the loss to public life of the "European class." The problem in 1927 was not one of disunity among Guianese, it was one of loss of influence and power in Guiana by the "European class."

The British government decided that for the "good" of British Guiana, the Constitution should be amended to give the Governor power to create a Legislature which he could control.

In this way, representatives of the "European class" became nominated members along with other willing local people and the power of the Planters was re-established.

Needless to say, none of the promised developments that were to follow the new Constitution took place.

After the introduction of the new Crown Colony Constitution in 1928, the "European class" in British Guiana regained and maintained control of the Legislature, the Executive, and the Civil Service until 1953, when pressure from the People's Progressive Party, which had been formed in 1950, and the logic of world developments, forced the granting of a "liberal" Constitution based on universal adult suffrage.

With the granting of the vote to every adult in British Guiana, the "European class" could no longer hope to retain control of the Legislature and, as things turned out, they also lost control of the Executive and were in danger of losing the support of the bulk of the Civil Service and the Police.

They had hoped to retain control of the Executive after the election in 1953 by exploiting, as they had done in earlier times, differences between individual elected members since they did not expect any single party to win a majority.

Also, they expected that, in the absence of a majority by any party in the Legislature, there would have to be some sort of "coalition" to ensure a general policy which took ac-

count of the expatriate interests of the "European class" as the primary concern of any government.

Things turned out differently however, and at the first election held under adult suffrage in 1953, a single party, the People's Progressive Party, won a majority of seats and became the "Government" of the day. This meant that a single party representing Guianese interests was able to administer the government through its majority in the Executive Council and make the laws it conceived best for the Guianese inhabitants of Guiana without having to obtain the consent of the expatriate "European class."

This is how the resultant situation was described in 1954 by the Robertson Commission which was appointed to justify the suspension of the Constitution in 1953: "The other elements in the community - of Portuguese, Chinese and United Kingdom origin - are much smaller in numbers, though their influence is great. Members of the last-named community are anxious at the way in which the Indian and African sections have now obtained virtual domination through universal adult suffrage. In common with the Portuguese and Chinese they have no particular enthusiasm for socialist policies, but many members of all three communities have a real understanding of the aspirations of the poorer people. They realize the folly of trying to resist the trend of the times, but they are not unnaturally fearful of the more extreme policies of the People's Progressive Party. We are convinced that, in a country where leaders are needed, they could play a more valuable part than they do."

In 1954, as in 1927, a British Commission was speaking of the loss to the government of the country of the people of "United Kingdom origin" - the "European class" of 1927 - and their great influence.

The Commission's comment about people of "United Kingdom origin" was further explained by the following

statement: "But, except for the Europeans, the PPP could count on a substantial number of supporters among all races and all classes in British Guiana, with the bulk of its supporters naturally to be found among the ordinary working people."

Here, the Robertson Commission commented on and conceded the same unity of the races which Mr Snell had found in 1927 and had commented on as "a great achievement, and one that offers bright promise for the future." The Robertson Commission, however, did not find this unity encouraging since it made the people of "United Kingdom origin" anxious.

The Commission set out to lay the foundations for suspicion and animosity between the Indian and African races who had attained "virtual domination through universal adult suffrage."

The Robertson Commission served their poison in these words: "Education is now eagerly sought by Indian parents for their children; many Indians have important shares in the economic and commercial life of the colony; the rice trade is largely in their hands from production to marketing. Their very success in these spheres has begun to awaken the fears of the African section of the population, and it cannot be denied that since India received her independence in 1947 there has been a marked self-assertiveness amongst Indians in British Guiana. Guianese of African extraction were not afraid to tell us that many Indians in British Guiana looked forward to the day when British Guiana would be a part not of the British Commonwealth but of an East Indian Empire. The result has been a tendency for racial tension to increase and we have reluctantly reached the conclusion that the amity "with which", as the Waddington Report said, "people of all races live side by side in the villages" existed more in the past; today the relationships are strained; they present an outward appearance which masks feelings of suspicion

and distrust. We do not altogether share the confidence of the Waddington Commission that a comprehensive loyalty to British Guiana can be stimulated among peoples of such diverse origins."

Following upon the publication of the Robertson Commission's Report, the British took other direct steps to exploit the "fears of the African section of the population." Notable British ecclesiastical and political figures were invited to British Guiana to meet the leaders of the People's Progressive Party and try to persuade the "moderate" elements to split off from the others. This was necessary because the Commission had concluded that: "We are, therefore, driven to the conclusion that so long as the PPP retains its present leadership and policies there is no way in which any real measure of responsible government can be restored without the certainty that the country will again be subjected to constitutional crisis."

This was another way of saying that the People's Progressive Party could not be expected to govern British Guiana in the interests of the "European class."

Among the many who visited British Guiana to try and split the Party into two or more parts were West Indian leaders including some who have since passed into the limbo of forgotten men.

Also, a leading expatriate firm employed in a high executive office a man who, with his wife, had had considerable experience in the British Secret Service. Eventually as we all know, the split was accomplished and the basis laid for the present Sandys' plan.

After the split in the People's Progressive Party, the British held new elections under an altered Constitution and on the basis of constituencies which were rigged to ensure defeat of the People's Progressive Party.

Indeed, when this was protested to the Chief Secretary of British Guiana about this, I was told that the constituencies were, in fact, constituted as they were in order to secure the defeat of the People's Progressive Party.

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t inaction this week

9

…a snapshot of headlines making the news

Ramjattan falls in line with APNU on issue of ‘drug economy’ Despite the fact that there is no evidence to substantiate the claims made, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, has fallen in line with his APNU colleague, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, to claim that the economy performed well under successive PPP/C governments because of a drug economy.

Notably, Jordan has been called on by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to back up his claim, but has failed to do so.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Opposition has rejected this claims as more campaign rhetoric from a desperate APNU+AFC Coalition Government, which has no other issue with which it can return to the electorate.

APNU+AFC continues attempts to get support from youths “The government will always give opportunities to youths who want to develop themselves and their communities.”

This was according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at a meeting at Arakaka, Region 1.

The meeting is the latest attempt by the APNU+AFC Coalition government to get support from youths, ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections.

The Coalition failed to deliver on numerous promises made to youths in the lead up to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, including jobs.

What was $5.843M spent on????

Over $7M of taxpayers’ monies was used for maintenance of two ‘David G school busses in Region 6.

Maintenance works on one bus, PVV 1992, cost $5.843M, while works on the second bus, PVV 1993, cost $1.301M. The details of the expenditure were included in the 2017 Auditor General’s report on page 368.

There have been no answers to the questions on the millions spent on maintenance costs.

Gov’t claims that crime crackdown continues, but robberies and rape on the rise

Gov’t silent on promised national job plan The promise of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition during the 2015 General and Regional elections campaign was to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible Instead, like President David Granger, Jordan is now talking up the focus on persons creating jobs for

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has claimed that the crackdown on crime is continuing and cited routine searches at local prisons as evidence of it.

However, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recorded an increase in the number of rape and robberies cases thus far this year when compared to the corresponding period last year. During his first press conference since assuming office back in August, Police Commissioner Leslie James, recently provided an update on statistics so far in 2018, ending October 22, 2018, in comparison to the same period in 2017.

This included robberies which saw an increase of eight per cent with 40 cases reported this year, compared to 37 during the corresponding period in 2017.

There was also a growth in robberies with violence, which saw 122 cases during this period compared to 120 last year – reflecting a two per cent increase.

Additionally, the number of rape cases also increased by seven per cent with 202 cases reported this year compared to 189 cases last year.

themselves. “All good paying jobs,

These are only some of the statistics that were released.

growth.”

as far as I am concerned, can come from self-generation and that is why we have to focus a lot on small and medium businesses, creating entrepreneurs rather than traders out of people,” he said at a recent press conference.

Of note is the fact that President Granger has admitted that under his Government, the economy has not been able to produce “sufficient” new jobs. This is in contrast to his message from in the APNU+AFC Coalition manifesto, which promised: “Employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mining, agro-processing and the arts to provide jobs and promote economic

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

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 (November 1, 2018), ranging from cuts to the 2019 Budgets for the Auditor General’s office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) – both being agencies that are tasked with the responsibility to investigate government’s actions – to continued corruption under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Cuts to Audit Office’s budget undermine scrutiny of gov’t spending T he Audit Office of Guyana, in its 2019 budget proposal, requested some $897.2M to fund its operations, but its budget was cut by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, contends that the cuts would impair the Auditor General Office’s capability to execute its current work, much less new work that will be required once the oil and gas sector’s operations gets into full swing.

Jagdeo’s comments came

at his Thursday (November 1, 2018) news conference, held at his Church Street Office, where he added that Guyana’s Audit Office is tasked with ensuring transparency and compliance in Guyana’s financial affairs.

“You see a pattern here… they are preventing scrutiny,” he said, noting that this is not the first year that the Audit Office’s budget has been cut.

The Opposition Leader added that government’s priorities in spending have also been exposed, since other ex-

penses such as dietary have been increased significantly.

“They are fat-fowling themselves, while everything else suffers,” he said.

The budget for the Audit Office of Guyana came up for review in at the National Assembly sitting on Wednesday (October 31, 2018). The approved sum was $822M. Notably, the most recent report from the Audit Office, its 2017 report, detailed damning findings, relative to the spending patterns of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

PPC budget cut, investigations into Opposition’s complaints still to be completed

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he 2019 Budget of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) was cut by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. And on Wednesday (October 31, 2018), during a House sitting only $218.9M was approved for the PPC. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his weekly news conference on Thursday (November 1, 2018) noted that the cuts were advanced despite protests from the Parliamentary

Opposition.

The PPC recently released a damning report on breaches of Guyana’s financial laws by Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, and the illegal actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government Cabinet, after a call from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) for an investigation to be advanced in relation to the award of a contract for the feasibility study on a new Demerara

River.

The PPC was also asked to investigate the controversial D’urban Park project.

The investigation into this matter is still to be completed.

Jagdeo contends that a reduced budget diminishes the capability of the PPC to conduct multiple investigations that would be, or have already been, brought to its attention.

The PPC had requested some $276.7M.

Jordan peddling ‘more nonsense’ asked to back up his talk Speaker supports gov’t moves to infringe when about ‘drug economy’

on people’s right to information

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here continues to be a surreptitious move to infringe on people’s right to know in the National Assembly, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (November 1, 2018), during his weekly news conference, he noted that the House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, aids this process.

“Most people take it lightly, but we must take

this seriously,” he said.

His comments were made with reference to the Government’s move to reduce the time, from 20 minutes to 10 minutes, for the scrutiny of the 2019 budget proposals for Guyana’s constitutional agencies.

He said, “We had budget cuts and we cannot ask why…we cannot make a policy speech against those budget

cuts.”

Jagdeo explained that the budget cuts to several constitutional agencies were advanced despite the fact that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government passed a law that allowed the agencies to set their own budgets.

The 2019 budgets for 16 Constitutional agencies were approved in the House on Wednesday (October 31, 2018).

Will guards benefit from massive increase in monies for security services?

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whopping increase of $542M is being spent in various regions on security services. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has questioned if the increased sums being paid to some of the companies engaged will translate into more monies for the security guards.

On Thursday (November 1, 2018), during his weekly news conference,

he said, “We want to know whether this money will get into the pockets of the security guards…we suspect not.”

Jagdeo noted that the owners of some of the security companies engaged are linked to some officials in Government. “We are investigating the principals and link between some people in government and

their beneficial ownership in these…we know where some of the money is going and it is our view that in some of these cases it is not the security guards who will benefit.”

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government, over the past three years, have come in for criticisms over the increase in operational costs – food, transportation, etc.

T

he APNU+AFC Coalition Government has “fed the country nonsense” about a ‘drug-economy’ under successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments for years – rhetoric that is being repeated to excuse the poor performance of the economy since it took office – according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

And on Thursday (November 1, 2018), during his weekly news conference, he charged that when asked to back up its rhetoric, all that Guyanese received was more nonsense.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, in a letter to the press on October 9, 2018, said, “Lest we forget, too, that economy thrived on rampant drug trafficking, money laundering.” The Private Sector Commission (PSC) then called on Jordan to substantiate his comments.

Jagdeo scoffed at Jordan’s response. Quoting from a report in the stateowned Guyana Chronicle, dated November 1, 2018, he read: “Jordan revealed the sources of his stance on the issue, stating: ‘Before I said that there were two or three studies done by Professor Clive Thomas. The evidence had been produced by Pro-

fessor Clive Thomas. Before I even said it in 2012, a similar statement was made by a high-level official of the PPP and it’s there, it’s reported in a number of newspapers.

I went back, I researched it, and it’s on the internet.

The name of the individual is there on the internet and everything’.”

The Opposition Leader charged that Jordan clearly cannot substantiate his comments, hence is relying on rhetoric from a biased source. “Isn’t it incestuous… imagine Clive Thomas, who works with this government, this is who he claims as his source,” he said.

Notably, Jagdeo, had indicated some weeks ago that Jordan would back down from substantiating his comments about a ‘drug economy’. He had said, “You want to bet that Jordan will never do that? That he has no such evidence? He has absolutely no such evidence.

The buoyancy of the country had to do with several things.

(It had to do with a) growing set of economic activities, growing tax base, larger deposits…more people borrowing and investing…all of that led to the buoyancy that we saw….if there was so much money laundering or drug trafficking, have you ever

seen them charge a single money launderer or drug trafficker (of significance) in the last three and a half years, or even (for) illegal proceeds?

So what is happening? The State Asset Recovery Agency keeps saying it will look into the matter and the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is still running behind a few of us…So where is this big money that kept the economy going?”

For 2017, initially, Government had projected that Guyana’s economy would have grown by a 3.8 per cent growth rate for 2017. This projection was reduced to 3.1 per cent. It was then revised downwards again to 2.9 per cent.

The actual performance, 2.1 per cent, was disclosed earlier this year.

The performance of major sectors according to final 2017 figures, which were revised in February 2018, show that: the agriculture sector only grew by 0.4% (projected to grow by 5.2%); the sugar sector contracted by 25.2% (projected to grow by 13.7%); other crops sector only grew by 2.4% (projected to grow by 4.4%); and that the mining and quarrying sector contracted by 8.8% (projected to grow by 0.7%).

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

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 (November 1, 2018), ranging from cuts to the 2019 Budgets for the Auditor General’s office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) – both being agencies that are tasked with the responsibility to investigate government’s actions – to continued corruption under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Fired sugar workers must Volda Lawrence hiding from questions about another corrupt not be made to wait any contract she presided over longer for their monies I At the Wednesday’s (October 31, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly, a total of $2.4B was approved as severance payments for over 4000, Wales, Berbice and East Demerara sugar workers who were placed on the breadline when the APNU+AFC Coalition Government closed several sugar factories.

Workers at Wales have been waiting since December 2016; while the others have been waiting since December 2017 to be paid in full.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thurs-

day (November 1, 2018) has called for the monies to be handed over to the sugar workers as soon as possible. He noted that during the House sitting, several attempts were made by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarians to get a timeframe within which the payments would be made, to no avail.

“We asked about five or six times when the monies will be paid out…no answers…they refused to give the date….we want it done done….the workers have waited for too long… we want the money to be in

their hands now,” he said.

There have been multiple calls from Jagdeo and members of the Parliamentary Opposition for the workers to receive their full severance, over the past two years. Additionally, there have been dozens of protest actions by the sacked sugar workers outside government offices, including the Ministry of the Presidency, where they called for their monies to be paid over.

With all but three sugar estates closed, an estimated 7,000+ sugar workers have been fired.

$1.301M. The details of the expenditure were included in the 2017 Auditor General’s report on page 368.

Jagdeo noted that the sums spent could have purchased more than one new school bus. “This is another scam…a burden on the treasury,” he said.

He also questioned if the busses form part of the State’s asset register, to warrant the use of taxpayers’ monies. If so, he charged that they should not have the

name David ‘G’ emblazoned on the sides of the busses.

Jagdeo pointed out that the Government had said that these busses were a donation to the PNC and they were then handed over to communities. If the busses are in fact state assets, Jagdeo made it clear that they should not be handed over at PNC/ APNU campaign events.

There have been no answers to the questions on the millions spent on maintenance costs.

Millions spent to service two ‘David G’ busses in Region 6 W

asteful spending of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was again highlighted by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Thursday (November 1, 2018) news conference he pointed out that over $7M of taxpayers’ monies was used for maintenance of two ‘David G school busses in Region 6.

Maintenance works on one bus, PVV 1992, cost $5.843M, while works on the second bus, PVV 1993, cost

n July this year, sole-sourcing of $366.9M in emergency drugs in June 2017 brought into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health as documents reveal that a company, HDM Labs was handpicked over three others that went through tendering and were declared to have failed the evaluation process.

The company is run by a campaign supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, in the lead up to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections.

The Auditor General’s 2017 report has since revealed that what was meant to be emergency supplies delivered in two weeks were, in fact, delivered after six months. Also, the report disclosed that the company was not paid $366.9M, but was paid over $409M. Opposition Leader,

Bharrat Jagdeo, has since put Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, on blast for presiding over yet another corrupt contract and hiding from questions on the matter – questions that were raised as recently as Wednesday (October 31, 2018) during the National Assembly sitting.

He rubbished one of Lawrence’s response for the difference in the sums paid to the company – over $409M as opposed to the approved $366.9M. Lawrence, when asked about the $40M difference, said that US$1.89M was approved by Cabinet to be paid to the company.

She said the difference is a matter of exchange rates.

However, if Lawrence is to be believed it would mean that the $366.9M would have been calculated at a rate of $194 to US$1. The $409M+ figure quoted by the Auditor

General’s report used an exchange rate of $216 to US$1. Jagdeo noted that Lawrence’s nonsense about exchange rates is an attempt to mislead, since the rate of $194 to US$1 is not used by anyone in Guyana.

“This is a totally corrupt contract in the Ministry headed by Volda Lawrence…she came to house and mislead the House….she hides from questions,” he said.

Additionally, Lawrence admitted that the Ministry of Public Health is yet to determine if the company will be penalized. Over 10 other questions posed by the Parliamentary Opposition on the matter were not fully answered.

Increasing cases of corruption, breach of financial rules and more have been exposed over the past three years of the APNU+AFC Government’s tenure.

Nagamootoo put on blast for wasteful spending – over 2M spent to frame pictures, buy cell phones, etc

In addition to the budget for the Office of the Prime Minister’s office, there is an additional $109.2M that was given to Moses Nagamootoo for ‘discretionary’ spending.

And the answers to questions on what the $109.2M was spent on, found Nagamootoo on the receiving end of criticisms by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Of the $109.2M: $5.5M was spent on outreach activities; $2.1M was spent

to frame pictures, buy cellphones, print badges and labels and buy tickets, etc.; and $1.4M was spent to repairs to the furniture at his office and residence.

Jagdeo noted that the wasteful spending by Nagamootoo continues. He added that some of the other spending, such as the 5.5M was spent on outreach activities is likely monies that were used for campaign purposes.

2017 SPENDING In 2017, questions put to Nagamootoo by the political Opposition found that Guyanese taxpayers are funding almost a dozen special and administrative assistants for him.

Nagamootoo was asked about the contract workers employed at the Office of the Prime Minister on December 13, 2016. The answers were passed through the National (Turn to page 12)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

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 (November 1, 2018), ranging from cuts to the 2019 Budgets for the Auditor General’s office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) – both being agencies that are tasked with the responsibility to investigate government’s actions – to continued corruption under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

PPP/C candidate at the frontline of case against AFC arrested – Jagdeo says matter smacks of political gimmickry

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mpartial investigators, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, are needed to look into what appears to be the targeting of a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) candidate by the Alliance For Change (AFC).

The AFC on Thursday (November 1, 2018) claimed that one of its activists was the victim of an arson attempt on Wednesday night (October 31, 2018). Soon after, the PPP/C candidate, Shafraz Beekham, was arrested.

His arrest came weeks after AFC Executive and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, on a televised programme, is alleged to have said that Beekham will be “fixed” for filing a court case against the AFC. Jagdeo, during his weekly news conference on Thurs-

day (November 1, 2018) said, “There is an issue that has the possibly of becoming incendiary unless we address it formally and impartially and some out outside of the executive has to look into this.”

According to him, efforts are being made to secure the tape that recorded Ramjattan’s comments.

“I just asked our activists that they will get the tape… we need someone to commandeer the tape. It cannot be the GNBA (Guyana National Broadcasters Authority) or the police….we must investigate this matter fully. “…if it is arson, we must condemn it vigorously… but we believed that it is all contrived by the AFC to gain sympathy and to act an intimidation…it smacks of political gimmickry.”

Jagdeo noted that other

persons may now be worried about coming forward with information against the AFC, as well as APNU, for fear of being victimised. “We have to get an outside investigation into this…the only body I can think about is the ERC (Ethnic Relations Commission) to urgently look into this,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added that that the targeting of Beekham exposes the desperation of the AFC. Beekham was the litigant in the High Court case filed against Orlando Christopher Persaud, who is the Returning Officer (RO) at the Whim/Bloomfield Local Authority Area and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

Member of Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law, Adrian Anamayah. Anamayah was representing a PPP candidate, Shafraz Beekham, and 49 other persons are seeking the removal of their names from the AFC list.

In a sworn affidavit Beekham said he were deliberately deceived into signing a document by an Alliance For Change representative, who fraudulently claimed that she was employed by GECOM. Beekham disclosed that he was told that he needed to sign a document to confirm that his name was on the voter’s list.

He said too that it was only after Nomination Day on September 21, 2018, that he learnt that the signature which was taken from him was unauthorisedly used as a nominator backing the AFC candidate in constituency Number 3.

According to him, at no

“We believed that it is all contrived by the AFC to gain sympathy and to act an intimidation…it smacks of political gimmickry.” - Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo time whatsoever was he or the other residents informed, or did they know that they were in fact signing a list of backers in support of the AFC candidate(s). Beekham added that on becoming aware of the fraud perpetuated against him and other electors, he immediately demanded that their names be withdrawn or deleted from the AFC lists.

The court documents filed in the High Court state that unless the names are withdrawn, the election in the LAA would be tainted with “illegality and fraud.” The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will be taking its case

of ‘fraudulent’ names found on the Guyana Elections Commission list to Guyana’s Court of Appeal. This move comes days after Berbice High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh, dismissed the case – despite the findings of a police report, which detail instances of persons being tricked into signing AFC documents.

Jagdeo noted that the AFC is well aware that an appeal has been filed to expose its shenanigans and this may the motive for moving against Beekham.

Notably, the Guyana Police Force has remained silent on Beekham’s arrest.

APNU+AFC officials ‘growing fat on perks’ while average Guyanese face hardships – Guyanese must take their country back

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pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, hammered the Alliance For Change (AFC), during his weekly news conference, held on Thursday (November 1, 2018) for deliberately trying to misconstrue statements he made.

The AFC in its weekly column said the ‘PPP is of the view that it owns Guyana’. This claim came after Jagdeo at a public meeting ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) said that Guyanese must “take Guyana back” from the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

“I said very clearly that

we have to take out country back…back from this incompetent, corrupt cabal…when I say take our country back, I mean, we, all Guyanese, have to take out country back from this visionless cabal….they are growing fat on perks and running this country down,” he said, adding that crime rates are on the rise, cost of living in increasing and the Coalition Government has no plan for the future.

Jagdeo, in his initial comments on the matter, had said: “You (Guyanese) are part of a movement.

You’re part of a movement not only to change

the area which you live in but you’re the beginning of a movement to take back Guyana from the hands of the APNU/AFC disaster that we have running our country now. That is what is at stake here, this is the beginning of that fight. “…if the results of the last three-and-half years are anything to go by, then we have to get them out very early because this country will slide to the depths that we have never seen before if they continue with this approach to management.”

The Opposition Leader made clear that he stands by his comments.

Nagamootoo put on...

Assembly.

According to the documents, the advisors include: 1. An Advisor - $551,200, plus $95,000 in allowances; 2. An Advisor on Safety, Security and Information Technology - $391,125, plus $80,000 in allowances; Also employed were five special assistants: 1. A special Assistant, who was paid a salary of 224,361, plus $18,000 in allowances; 2. A special Assistant for Public and Diaspora Affairs and investigations,

who was paid $336,000, plus $70,000 in allowances; 3. A Special Assistant in Region 2 – with $205,640 paid as a monthly salary, plus $42,500 in allowances; 4. Special Assistant in Region 6 - with $205,640 paid as a monthly salary, plus $42,500 in allowances; and 5. Special Assistant in Region 10 - with $205,640 paid as a monthly salary, plus $42,500 in allowances.

The Prime Minister had two Administrative Assistants in Regions 2 and 6, who are paid $77,000 as a monthly salary and $20,000 in allowances.

Guyanese taxpayers were

(From page 11)

also paying for a Regional Representative in Region 3, who earns $205,640 as a monthly salary, plus $42,500 in allowances. Also being funded for is a Legal Assistant, who is paid $190,800 per month and $20,000 in allowances.

Another expense is for Nagamootoo’s press secretary and Director of Public Information, Imran Khan, who is paid a salary of $551,220. His benefits include a duty allowance of $10,000 and entertainment of $10,000. These are in addition to cleaners, maids and gardeners at the Prime Minister’s residence.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

SOESDYKE / HUIS'T COVERDEN

BHUPENDRA DEOKIE (CONSTITUENCY #1)

DINESH DYAL SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #6)

SAMANTA GOPIE (CONSTITUENCY #2)

RAGHUNANDAN SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #7)

MISIR MOHABIR (CONSTITUENCY #3)

VERONICA AERON (CONSTITUENCY #4)

BESHRAM BHAGWANDAT (CONSTITUENCY #8)

ROHONI MISIR (CONSTITUENCY #9)

KALOWTEE PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #5)

INDUSTRY / PLAISANCE

KAPILDEO PARSRAM (CONSTITUENCY #1)

SURUJDAI ABDIN (CONSTITUENCY #2)

IMTIAZ A.ZAFARAH (CONSTITUENCY #3)

BHYREO RAMDASS (CONSTITUENCY #4)

CAMILLA DAVI RAGOBAR (CONSTITUENCY #5)

DHANWANTIE CUNJIE (CONSTITUENCY #6)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES DIAMOND PLACE / GOLDEN GROVE

STIEVE AHAMAD RAFEEK (CONSTITUENCY #1)

PAUL ULRIC (CONSTITUENCY #2)

RAMKARRAN KISSOON (CONSTITUENCY #3)

NANDALALL NARINE (CONSTITUENCY #4)

INDRANI RAMNARINE (CONSTITUENCY #6)

RAM ANGAD (CONSTITUENCY #7)

TREVOR HOSSEIN (CONSTITUENCY #8)

CHATTERGOON JADOOPAT (CONSTITUENCY #9)

HEMAN NARINE RAMPHAL (CONSTITUENCY #5)

BETERVERWAGTING / TRIUMPH

KAMAL SUKNANAN (CONSTITUENCY #4)

NANDANIE DEVI SUKHO (CONSTITUENCY #5)

DAVANAND SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #6)

FEROZ RAFEEK (CONSTITUENCY #7)

TEIKADAI GOBERDHAN (CONSTITUENCY #8)

DINDIAL RAMPERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #9)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

HERSTELLING / LITTLE DIAMOND

DAX FERDINAND ALLI (CONSTITUENCY #1)

MAHENDRA ROOPNARINE (CONSTITUENCY #2)

PUNEET JAIGOPAUL (CONSTITUENCY #3)

SATYA ANAND SOOKNARNIE (CONSTITUENCY #4)

BIBI NAZEELA ARJUNE (CONSTITUENCY #6)

JASODA SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #7)

SUREANDRA BANSRAJ (CONSTITUENCY #8)

KHEMRAJ SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #9)

LAKERAJ RYAN MAHADEO (CONSTITUENCY #5)

CANE GROVE

NANCOOMAR PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #1)

MOHABEER KAWLESAR (CONSTITUENCY #2)

NEEMAWATTIE BALDEO (CONSTITUENCY #3)

MOTIRAM SAHADEO (CONSTITUENCY #4)

KESHNI ROOPLALL (CONSTITUENCY #5)

ANAND RAMDOWAR (CONSTITUENCY #6)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES ECCLES / RAMSBURG

MAHAMAD HAFEEZ CONSTITUENCY #1

CHAITNARINE PERSAUD CONSTITUENCY #6

ANAND PARSURAM KALLADEEN CONSTITUENCY #2

MEDHARISHI NARAYAN RAMDHANI CONSTITUENCY #3

RONALD ROHAN SARJOO CONSTITUENCY #4

IMTIAZ AHAMAD MOHAMED ISAHACK CONSTITUENCY #7

SEEPAUL NARINE CONSTITUENCY #8

RAMESH TOTORAM PERSAUD CONSTITUENCY #9

SUGRIM GANGARAM CONSTITUENCY #5

WOODLANDS / FARM

PAMEHU NOWRANG (CONSTITUENCY #1)

INDRANIE RAMSAMMY (CONSTITUENCY #2)

SEEVANNAND R RACKTOO GAVIN RONALD DAGLHAR (CONSTITUENCY #3) (CONSTITUENCY #4)

CYCIL SHEPHERD (CONSTITUENCY #5)

RAWL A RICHMONDS (CONSTITUENCY #7)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Ruling in Red House case expected by mid-December

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cting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire has set December 17, 2018, as the date to hand down her decision in the Red House lease challenge matter.

This follows the testimony of former President Donald Ramotar on Thursday (November 1, 2018).

During Thursday’s proceedings both Attorney General Basil Williams and CJRI’s lawyer, Anil Nandlall presented closing arguments on points of law before the court.

In an affidavit filed, when the matter first came up, Ramotar had made clear that

in challenging the decision of President Granger to revoke the lease for Red House.

The Cheddi Jagan Research Inc. is a limited liability company duly incorporated as a non-profit company under the Companies Act, 1991. Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, and Attorney-at-law Priya Manickchand represented Hydar Ally, who is Chairman of the Management Committee.

Granger’s revocation of the Red House lease has been condemned by scores of Guyanese, both locally and abroad.

As a memorial to former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Red House features holdings as President of Guyana he authorised and sanctioned the issuance of a lease of Red House to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Inc (CJRCI). He said, “At all material times, I was aware of, authorised and sanctioned the issuance of a lease of government land for educational/ research purposes, number 3068, dated 30th of March, 2012, in respect of Area “A” now called Red House, comprising lots 65, 66 and 67 High Street, Kingston, situate in the City of Georgetown, County of Demerara, by the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys acting on behalf of

the Government of Guyana and the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc…” The case concerns whether or not the 2012 lease was valid.

President David Granger, after taking office, moved to scrap the lease. Granger, at the opening of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) 19th Biennial Congress, in August 2015, charged that Red House must see former PNC leader and president, Forbes Burnham, represented.

The Management Committee of the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc. wasted no time

the philosophy, aspirations, preoccupations, the struggle and the accomplishments of Dr. Jagan.

The Red House or Kamana Court was once the official residence of the Colonial Secretaries and prior to that was occupied and owned by Sir Eustace Woolford, a former speaker of the legislature. Dr. Cheddi Jagan lived there whilst he was the Premier of British Guiana.

The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre which is privately run by Dr. Jagan's family and friends, was declared open on March 22, 2002 to commemorate the 82nd Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jagan.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings

GECOM Musings (A weekly feature that provides first hand updates from the weekly statutory meetings of the Guyana Elections Commission)

Two steps forward, one step back – several questions still remain unanswered

BY BIBI SAFORA SHADDICK (PPP-NOMINATED GECOM COMMISSIONER)

T

he October 30, 2018 Statutory meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), oddly, starts on time.

It is as if the Chairman, having just recently signed his contract has decided that meetings need to start at 13:00hours. Imagine, he did not even send his secretary to find out if there was a quorum, as is his usual practice. Even the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) and the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) had to rush to catch up. Fortunately there is a quorum, and a longer than usual meeting starts on time.

It is election season, so there are many issues to be discussed and the minutes are longer than usual because, at last, the report from the Admin and Finance Subcommittee is included. The minutes are of a meeting held since October 16, 2018, so people’s memories have faded and when, for example, Commissioner Trotman does not like the record of what he is reported to have said, he tries to correct it so that his contribution sounds better.

The CEO is unusually belligerent, and the DCEO is very much present, but speaks only when she is spoken to. I am convinced that she continues to be overwhelmed with the realization of how much she does not know about elections management. I

do hope that she is a fast learner!

One positive note was a report by the Public Relations manager who is rolling out the Civic and Voter Education for the Local Government Elections (LGE). She was able to report on the social media page which seems to be very informative and managed well, but she reported that she pays for infomercials on television. It is my view that LGE education constitutes public service announcements, so by law, they should be broadcast free of cost. I hope Ms Ward follows up with the GNBA. Up to today no one can say what the Civic and Voter Education budget is, or of there is an identifiable budget for this purpose.

Questions revealed the information that the agencies contracted to prepare the Civic and Voter Education materials, were taken from a list left on record by the previous officer with no attempt to advertise for the service. Of course, the previous contractors said that the material used in 2016 could not be edited for use this year! What could

anyone expect them to say? So completely new material was paid for, and we were assured that from now on, this new material can be reused in future. I, for one, am taking this with a grain of salt. I bet we will hear another excuse for the elections of 2020!

There is no visible activity in the compound. The chaos of last week is over and purportedly ballots have been enveloped for the voting on November 2, 2018, by the 7,918 listed ranks of the Disciplined Services at 81 Ballot Stations, using 63 ballot boxes countrywide.

The political parties’ representatives/chief scrutineers met with the CEO and his team yesterday and were given the D-day logistical details, which were shared with the Commissioners today. They look very good on paper. Let us hope they translate into smooth movement on D-day.

I asked and was assured that the eight aircraft and several buses will accommodate GECOM staff as well as party scrutineers with no one left behind. Let us hope that all goes as well as it looks on paper and no party agent will be told that there is no room on the bus or plane!

There have been too many such instances in past elections.

I seemed to have aroused a hornets’ nest with my inquiry as to who will be allowed to visit any ballot station on Friday, November 2, 2018, as well as Monday November 12, 2018!

You see the law allows for any listed candidate to do so, but experience has shown that candidates have, in the past

been refused entry into ballot and polling stations. The CEO mumbles that persons like the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Scrutineers can visit, but discussions reveal that persons, candidate or otherwise, will only be allowed in of he/she is wearing some form of identification issued by GECOM! All Commissioners have identification.

Commissioner Corbin speaks very knowledgeable about ‘Candidates to the Poll’ so it turns out that the CEO will have to be given a list by the relevant stakeholder of persons who wish to visit ballot/polling stations, so that they can be issued with GECOM accreditation identification! Equal treatment even for the Leader of the Opposition!

Well I suppose the Ballot Officers/ Presiding Officers can always say that even former Presidents are not exempt from being properly badged and tagged!

There is never a dull moment during a statutory meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission. We received an invoice from the Law Firm of Fraser, Housty & Yearwood for work done by Mr Teni Housty during the 64.6 hours he spent representing the CEO in the application for Judicial Review filed in the Berbice High Court where he made 2 appearances.

The application was dismissed, not on Mr Housty’s affidavit of defence or submissions, but on a police report which was ordered by the Judge who was hearing the matter.

Remember, Mr Ashton Chase S.C. invoiced the GECOM for a total of $950,000 for a High Court and Court of Appeal matter? Well, Mr Housty charges an hourly rate of $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars) so his invoice total is $3,230,000 and this was approved by the Chairman who wrote a note thereon to his secretary to forward it to the Finance subcommittee.

We are still to get a final invoice from the CEO’s other lawyer, Mr Roysdale Forde whose initial $2,280,000 was already approved by the Chairman.

Mr Chase S.C. remains unpaid. There is no indication from which line item in the budget these sums are extracted.

There was a very lengthy discussion about the use of proxies by Polling Agents of political parties if they are serving outside of their respective constituencies. The majority decision taken is that the matter is to be discussed after the LGE and a decision will be taken on the issues of proxies and/ or Certificates of Employment for Polling Agents, long before GECOM enters the ‘operational mode’ for the 2020 elections.

Our meeting came to an abrupt end at 16:45hours, when the Chairman’s secretary sent in a note to inform that there was a fire risk due to melting and burning of a main electricity supply line attached to the building.

The meeting was abruptly adjourned and we were hurriedly ushered out of the building, As I said, never a dull moment!

Commissioner assures Almost 8,000 disciplined services ranks listed to vote Police of Ballot Box security B C allots for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) have arrived in Guyana on October 22, 2018. The ballots were bought from Canadian Bank Note.

A total of 7,918 ranks of the Disciplined Services - Guyana Police Force,

Guyana Defence Force and Prison Services – will vote on November 2, 2018 at 81 Ballot Stations using 63 ballot boxes.

The rest of Guyana heads to the polls of November 12, 2018.

Additionally, over 174 of the 596 constituencies –

in a total of 80 Local Authority Areas – involved on this year’s polls will not be contested, since only one party or a candidate would have made submissions to contest in those constituencies.

Notably, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic is

contesting this year’s LGE in all 80 LAAs. The Official Voters’ List is completed and 573,923 persons are on that list. There are 1676 polling stations. There are expected to be 10,723 polling day staffers on duty.

ommissioner of Police, Leslie James, has said that the ballot paper and ballot boxes are secured for Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled for November 12, 2018.

The ballots arrived in Guyana on October 22, 2018 and were escorted from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Headquarters are under constant security.

The ballot paper and boxes are expected to be moved to the various polling stations ahead of the elections.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings

Next day results Hundreds turn out for expected for 2018 Linden public meeting Local Gov’t Elections L “We welcome everyone… Who you

A

ll the results of the November 12th local government elections should be available by the end of the following day, according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“In my estimation, I don’t anticipate beyond the 13th, by the end of the 13th and that will only be for me for [Region] Four because all the others, [which are] relatively small Local Authority Areas (LAAs), should conclude their business by midnight and be prepared to issue those certificates for those who would have been elected,” said the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

There are a total of 1,674 polling stations for the polls, including 272 private residences. There

are 80 LAAs. The installation of Notices of Poll at the various polling stations has already started and should conclude on November 2, 2018 – to allow all voters to know where they will be voting.

LGE will be held in all municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in Guyana using a mixed electoral system of Proportional Representation (PR) and First Past the Post (FPTP).

The PR electoral system is one in which parties’ gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them in a municipality or NDC. For someone to be elected under the Proportional Representation system, they must be on a party list or voluntary group list.

Individuals cannot contest in the PR system.

The FPTP system has been explained as one in which an individual gains control by the number of votes cast for him or her.

These candidates can come from a party, voluntary group, or as independent contestants.

Fifty per cent of Councillors for each municipality and NDC are elected through the Proportional Representation component, while the other half comes from FPTP component of the electoral system. Under the FPTP system, an individual candidate can contest for only one seat in a single constituency in which he or she is registered and resides.

Candidates can only be nominated for one group for the PR and FPTP list.

No clarity on approved observers for 2018 LGE

W

eeks are reports that there are still no local observer groups onboard to participate in the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has said that some persons are onboard. However, there is still a shortfall in the numbers, when compared to the 2018 Local Government Elections. Also, to date, it is not clear on whether the commission has approved the observers.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) are among the local applicants.

The last time Local Government Elections were held in 2016, the US embassy and the British and Canadian High Commissions had

fielded observer teams. It is unclear if the same will be done for the 2018 Local Government Elections, as GECOM is silent on this matter.

LGE will be held in all municipalities and NDCs in Guyana using a mixed electoral system of Proportional Representation (PR) and First Past the Post (FPTP).

The PR electoral system is one in which parties’ gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them in a municipality or NDC. For someone to be elected under the Proportional Representation system, they must be on a party list or voluntary group list.

Individuals cannot contest as the PR system.

Meanwhile, the FPTP system is one in which an

individual gains control by the number of cast for him or her. These candidates can come from a party, voluntary group or as an independent.

Fifty per cent of Councillors for each municipality and NDC are elected through the Proportional Representation component, while the other half comes from FPTP component of the electoral system. Under the FPTP system, an individual candidate can contest for only one seat in a single constituency in which he or she is registered and resides.

Candidates can only be nominated for one group for the PR and FPTP list.

The People’s Progressive Party is fielding over 3,000 candidates and 20,000 backers in all 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

eader of the Opposition and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday (October 30, 2018) evening shared his enthusiasm of the Party securing victory at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) on November 12 and General Elections in 2020, reiterating to Lindeners that the Party will “sweep the polls.”

Speaking at Mackenzie, Linden, at a public meeting, Jagdeo reiterated the PPP’s goals, stating that the Party has regained supporters, who had previously been sidetracked. He said those persons have realised Government’s failed campaign promises and are now back in full support of the PPP. “Every single promise that they made to our people, they broke…now, people’s eyes are opened. They’re back with us and many who supported them are with us too. And that is why in 2020, we’re going to sweep the polls. You’re about a year and a half away from deliverance in this country, because we’ve worked together right across Guyana to take back this county…”, he told the large crowd, who gathered inside the compound of the Party’s Linden office.

Jagdeo added that the only way the election victory can be achieved is through support, as he also urged full support for candidates contesting in the upcoming LGE.

voted for in the past doesn’t matter. We work for Guyana, we work for all of our people…Every single person, regardless of your race, your religion, your gender, your class, you’re welcomed to the People’s Progressive Party, now as it was then. Because we were established for a cause. And the cause was one of justice and dignity for all of our people.”

– Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo

“The only way that we can achieve this is by all of you playing a role,” Jagdeo stressed.

He noted that while no candidate is perfect, all of the Party’s candidates stand for a cause. The Party’s General Secretary extended an open invitation, noting that all are welcomed to the Party, as he reiterated the basis of its establishment by founder-Leader Dr Cheddi Jagan.

“We welcome everyone… Who you voted for in the past doesn’t matter. We work for Guyana, we work for all of our people…Every single person, regardless of your race, your religion, your gender, your class, you’re welcomed to the People’s Progressive Party, now as it was then; because we were established for a cause. And the cause was one of justice and dignity for all of our

people,” he said.

Jagdeo added that voting at the LGE will be the first vote towards the Party taking back Guyana in 2020, as he shared his vision for progress.

He told supporters that under the current Government there has not been a single major investment, noting that every sector is currently on a decline.

Also addressing the gathering was Party member and Opposition Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill who stressed that the upcoming LGE should not be taken lightly. Once elected, he said constituency representatives will not be allowed to “do their own thing”. “We are on a march for victory come November 12”, Edghill reiterated.

Hundreds were in attendance.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings 2018 LGE campaign…

Mass showing of support for PPP/C public meetings Rosehall, Berbice

Crabwood Creek

Corriverton

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

21

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings 2018 LGE campaign…

Mass showing of support for PPP/C public meetings Kuru Kuru

Kwakwani

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings 2018 LGE campaign…

Mass showing of support for PPP/C public meetings Linden

Sarah Johanna

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

23

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings 2018 LGE campaign…

Mass showing of support for PPP/C public meetings Soesdyke

Swan Village

24

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Charges against former PPP/C gov’t officials….

Nandlall argues for against SOCU’s presentation of ‘doctored’ audit report – Magistrate orders the handover of full report I

n June 2018, Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), after being ordered by Justice Navindra Singh, handed over a redacted version of the forensic report, which was used as the basis to lay charges against several ex-Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) members.

Ricky Ramraj, a former Deputy General of GRDB; former GRDB Manager Jag-

narine Singh; former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine; and PPP/C MP Nigel Dharamlall, were among those arraigned on 34 fraud-related charges.

The charges against the accused alleged that they failed to record entries for funds amounting to over $250 million in the agency’s general ledger.

The audit report was prepared by Accountant, Nigel Hinds.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlall, contends that the Prosecution handed over a forensic audit report which was “doctored”, ultimately to benefit their case.

On Thursday (October 25, 2018), when the matter

was called, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly told the court that she had considered the arguments of the defence for the Prosecution to hand over the documents. She added that the court will peruse the forensic report and see what and how much the Prosecution should disclose to the defence. She further noted that the information that is contained in the forensic

report is in relation to other investigations, and she would not like those investigations to be compromised in any way.

Nandlall, in addressing the court, pointed out Justice Singh rejected the report because it is not the same report that was submitted by Nigel Hinds, thus he urged the Magistrate to do the same.

Nandlall further stated that the forensic report handed over by Hinds was comprehensive, unaltered and un-interfered with by any external force. He added that the statements in the forensic report are favourable to his client’s case, but have been taken out by the Prosecution, which is unfair and dangerous to his clients. “How can they do that when they have full duty to disclose all

the documents to which the charges are laid?” Nandlall stressed.

Attorney-at-law Glen Hanoman, who is also representing the defendants, told the court that from his investigation, he discovered that the names of other persons who were implicated by the audit report, person who investigators have decided not to charge, were removed from the audit report. This, he said, may have been because of political reasons. He asked the Magistrate to be very careful in what she deems relevant to the case.

As a result, Magistrate Daly instructed SOCU Prosecutor, Lawrence Harris, to hand over the audit report

by Nigel Hinds to the court at the next hearing slated for November 7, 2018.

PPP supports hundreds of sacked sugar workers from Rose Hall with hampers

A

s part of a continuing effort, close to 300 sacked sugar workers, who were attached to the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, on Thursday (October 25, 2018) received hampers from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

The Party made donations in East Canje, and at Islington to cater for the workers from the East Bank of Berbice. In East Canje, close to 200 hampers were distributed while about 100 were distributed at Islington.

Party Regional Supervisor Zamal Hussain said the Party was in a small way trying to assist the workers who have been jobless after they were dismissed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) after Government took a decision to close several sugar estates across the country.

“We will continue to assist the working-class people or the persons who were severed from the estates until they are able to get a job. The People’s Progressive Party is committed to ensuring that the lives of these severed workers are better on a daily basis,” he said.

The donations were made possible with support from the local private sector.

Additionally, on Tuesday (October 23, 2018), the Party in collaboration with an overseas-based Guyanese, donated $1M to 100 of the workers who lost their jobs in East Canje, and also to 100 who lost their jobs when the Skeldon Estate closed its doors also in December last. A total of 1851 workers were sacked from the Skeldon Sugar Estate when it closed.

The Party has repeatedly highlighted the devastating impacts of the estates’ closures of thousands of Guyanese.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

World Bank ranks Guyana eight places lower than last year in ‘Doing Business’ report G

uyana has been marked down on another international ranking – the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, which is one that has been much touted by APNU+AFC Coalition Government Ministers, including President David Granger’s son-in-law and Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin.

Guyana has dropped eight places in the World Bank’s rankings, moving to

ranking of 134 out of 190 in 2018 from a rank of 126 in 2017. In 2016, the country stood at a rank of 124.

The lower ranking means the business climate has become more difficult for new businesses.

The World Bank’s report found that to start a business in Guyana, one would have to complete seven procedures that could take up to eighteen days to complete.

When dealing with construction permits, a business has to complete 17 procedures and this can take up to a whopping 208 days, while getting electricity can see one spending 82 days to get eight procedures completed in Guyana. To register a property, six procedures have to be completed and some 45 days can be spent doing this.

The World Bank’s busi-

ness score captures the gap between an economy’s performance and its measure of best practice across the entire sample of 41 indicators for 10 ‘Doing Business’ topics (the labour market regulation indicators are excluded).

Doing Business is the World Bank Group’s flagship publication and the 16th in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activ-

ity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 190 economies.

Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business. Ten of these areas are included in this year’s ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing

with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures labour market regulations, which is not included in this year’s ranking.

Data in the Doing Business report is are current as of May 1, 2018.

Region 2 farmers protest lack of goverment support

26

WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Imposters posing as Over 30 persons CANU, police ranks arrested during terrorise two families police raids

T

he homes of two La Penitence families were raided by persons purporting to be officers attached to Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the Police Narcotics Branch.

One of the victims from the two families that were terrorized, Sheneza Bacchus, disclosed that at about 17:30 hours, last

Wednesday, a group of four persons, purporting to be from the Police Narcotics Branch, showed up at her lot 241 Independence Boulevard, La Penitence, home and demanded that they be allowed to search the premises. Bacchus said she was told that she would have to undergo a strip search. According to the woman, the ordeal lasted

for about 30 minutes.

The imposters were using unmarked pickups.

It is unclear if any items were removed from the two homes during the incidents.

On Tuesday (October 30, 2018), CANU Head, Michael Atherly, said investigations are ongoing into the matter. However, he declined to offer any other immediate comment.

School fair becomes crime scene T he annual fair for the St. Joseph High (SJH) School was marred by violence as several patrons were attacked and robbed on Saturday night (October 27, 2018).

The School’s Parent-Teachers Association also released a statement yesterday condemning the incidents. “The PTA of the St. Joseph High School regrets the incidents that occurred during and after the

end of our annual fair held on Saturday, 27 October 2018. These incidents of unsavoury behaviour that keep reoccurring at activities held on the school lawns and at the end of the activity [on] Woolford Avenue are daunting. We are disgusted by it and the lack of interest by the authorities to bring control to this spiralling scourge,” the PTA said.

The PTA added, “… the Guyana Police Force

has once again failed the St. Joseph High School family and its patrons.

These incidents could have been avoided if the Police had been there to deter the thugs that were carrying out their acts of robbing, beating, and traumatising our patrons especially through the avenue at the end of the fair.”

Most of the attacks occurred while patrons were on Woolford Avenue.

Over 700 cases of break-ins, 464 armed robberies reported

S

eptember 2018 ended with an alarming number of Guyanese being victims of various types of robberies.

There were: 710 case of break and entry and larceny; 464 cases of robbery under arms where firearms were used; 169 burglaries; 114 cases of robbery with violence; and 177 cases of robbery under arms where other weapons were used.

Also reported were: Robberies – 39; Robbery with aggravation – 39; and larceny from persons – 94.

By the end of September 2018, there were also 72 murders: Disorderly – 30; Domestic – 20; Robbery – 136; Execution – 1; and eight murders that have not been classified.

Additionally, 97 illegal firearms have been taken off

the streets so far. Among the illegal weapons seized were: 54 pistols, 28 revolvers, 15 shotguns, 1 sub-machine gun and 5 rifles.

Notably, these statistics were released by the Guyana Police Force even as the current APNU+AFC Coalition Government remains under pressure for the lack of substantial action to address the crime situation.

Baramita woman brutally murdered

P

olice at Baramita in the North West District are investigating the death of a 23-year-old woman, whose lifeless body was found at the village on Wednesday (October 24, 2018).

The victim was allegedly beaten and raped. The woman’s body was discovered at Central Baramita, along an unfinished building along the airstrip Investigations are ongoing.

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force have arrested another 31 persons from the East Bank and West Bank of Demerara, for various offences, ranging from possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking to robbery under arms to unlawful possession and to wounding.

This recent ‘Operation Restore Order’ was executed on Sunday (October 28, 2018) morning, during which the ranks conducted a number of cordon and search exercises in Divisions ‘A’ (EBD) and ‘D’ (WBD).

The pre-dawn simultane-

ous operations — which involved more than 190 ranks, inclusive of senior officers — were carried out in the villages of Kaneville and Diamond on the East Bank, and Westminster and La Grange on the West Bank.

Among the items recovered were: two flat screen televisions; a DVR; a Technical Pro music box; a Motorola handset; 15 cellular phones; a Technical Pro 1200-watt amplifier; two video cameras; a Toshiba laptop; two car rear view mirrors; a vehicle headlight; a desktop computer; mon-

itor; 1500 grams of cannabis; a tablet; a toy gun; two digital scales, and $207, 740 cash.

Sunday’s raids followed a similar operation conducted on October 13, during which 38 persons, including one female, were arrested in Georgetown and on the East Coast of Demerara. Those raids were centred in the East La Penitence Station District, which includes Guyhoc Park and part of Sophia, Greater Georgetown; as well as in Beterverwagting (BV) and in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, on the East Coast.

Elderly Corentyne terrorized during home invasion

A

rmed bandits pounced on a Corentyne, Berbice couple, beating and terrorising them, before carting off millions in cash and jewelry, along with the rice farmer’s licensed firearm.

The incident occurred at Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. Reports are at about 18:45 hours on Friday (October 27, 2018) evening, two armed masked men scaled a side fence of the Lot 15 Section B Number 65 Village house, where 66-year-old Thirbenny Ramnauth, and his 62-year-old wife, Chandrawatti Ramnauth, were seated on the veranda.

The bandits then dragged the couple inside the house where they began to beat the businessman as they demanded valuables. Thirbenny Ramnauth said he was beaten by both men with their guns as they demanded cash and jewelry.

The men then proceeded to bind the couple’s hand with duct tape. Thirbenny Ramnauth was ordered to lie face down on the floor while the men proceeded to take his wife in the upper flat of the house in search of cash and jewelry.

The scared woman said she complied and handed over $300,000; US$2575; a

large quantity of gold jewelry; one Apple iPhone; two Samsung cellphones; three bottles of whiskey; and the farmer’s 12-guage shotgun, along with 25 live 12-gauge cartridges. The men then returned to the lower flat of the house where one of them placed his gun in Chandrawatti Ramnauth’s mouth, threatening to shoot her.

While the ordeal was ongoing, neighbours reportedly heard the woman screaming but no one called the Police.

However, the Police arrived on the scene after the bandits had already escaped.

Investigations are ongoing.

Almost 200 cases of reported rapes recorded at the end of September

B

y the end of September 2018, there was a two per cent increase in the reported cases of rape in Guyana, with a total of 189 cases being recorded.

No other information, as per protocols, was disclosed.

Civil society reps have made calls for more to be done to address the scourge of rape.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 3-4 NOVEMBER, 2018

Real Time Economic Insights

International Assessments on Guyana’s standing

A

ccording to the latest Global Competitive Report, Guyana has deteriorated significantly, from 2014 to 2016, with respect to other countries as it relates to bribes, wasteful spending, nepotism and transparency.

Though the government presented some of the largest budgets in history, international assessment has shown that the impact on overall infrastructure and education is insignificant due to, as outlined earlier, wasteful spending.

According to the latest Human Capital Index prepared by the World Bank, given our current education and healthcare systems, the productivity of a child, 18 years from now would be a mere 47% of his/her true potential. (Analyses done by Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP)

120

2016 Global Competitive Report: Latest 140 113

120

104

102

93

80

89

73

71

40 20 0 Irregular payments and bribes

Wastefulness of government spending

2014

Favoritism in decisions of government officials

Transparency of government policymaking

2016

Key Observations:

80

Human Capital Index 2018 • The Human Capital Index for Guyana in 2018 deteriorated by 6% to 47%, when compared to 2015.

• Guyana global ranking deteriorated from 79 in 2015, to 99 in 2018, and is now behind countries such as Kenya.

• The probability of a child surviving until age 5 in Guyana is below regional average of 98%.

• According to the World Bank, 75% of total adolescences (15 years old) in Guyana will survive until age 60, the lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America , and below global average.

70

60

54

59

55

40 20 0 Quality of road

Government budget balance, % GDP*

2014

Quality of the education system

Quality of math and science education

• The macroeconomic environment has deteriorated form a global position of 117 in 2014 to 120 in 2016, worst when compared to Haiti, Senegal and Uganda.

• The quality of the education system has deteriorated significantly with the span of two years, and globally has fallen by 5 positions by end 2016.

2016

Key Observations: Even though there was a massive increase in government spending in 2016, when compared to 2014 the impact on education, and infrastructure is insignificant.

• The country slipped by 2 positions globally in 2016 when compared to 2014, for wastefulness of government spending.

Key to note, in 2014, the country improved its position globally by 14, when compared to 2012.

When compared to 2014, according to the global competitive report compiled by the world economic forum, there is wide spread increase in corruption at the government level.

• The overall quality of infrastructure in Guyana has deteriorated from a global position of 85 in 2014 to 94 in 2016;

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• Overall, global ranking for Guyana fell from 117 in 2014 to 121 by end 2016, and is now behind countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia.

• Guyana is now ranked 119 of 140 countries in the world for irregular payments and bribes. Interestingly, in 2014 Guyana was able to improve its global position by 10, when compared to 2012.

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2016 Global Competitive Report: Latest

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119

Key Observations: A child born today in Guyana will function at 47% of his/her maximum potential in the labor force, 18 years from now, given the risk of poor health and poor education. In other words, given our current education and health system, the productivity of a child, 18 years from now, would be a mere 47%, which is 6% less when compared to 2015’s projection.

Guyana’s debt figures continue to skyrocket, APNU+AFC gov’t says loans are necessary E

ven as Guyana’s debt figures continue to increase, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government remains set in its intent to continue racking up debts.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, this week, insisted that there must be borrowing. “It has been mentioned in the press, often, about the state of borrowing or the state of debt…these are greater than the resources that we can garner… we must borrow.”

Government was recently approved to get US$20 million from the sum allotted to them by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in a resource envelope. This

money is expected to go towards the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Utility Upgrade Programme, in a bid to bring an end to the blackout woes.

Earlier this year, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) acquired a $30 billion syndicated bond at a rate of 4.75 per cent interest to spend on capitalising the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) remaining estates. The terms of the bond are five years, since it is expected that the proceeds of the land sale for GuySuCo would be used to repay the facility.

The Finance Ministry’s Public Debt Annual Report for 2016 had showed that

since 2015, there has been a 4.1 per cent rise in Guyana’s indebtedness to International lenders. A breakdown of the figures showed that total external debt amounted to $240 billion, a 72.6 per cent bite

out of the total public debt.

On the other hand, domestic debt stood at $90.6 billion, or 27.4 per cent of the total.

The report notes that Guyana’s four main external creditors are the Inter-Amer-

ican Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the State-owned Export-Import Bank of China (China EXIM Bank) and lastly, the Venezuela State-owned oil company (PDVSA).

Last year’s end of year outcome report had also revealed that for that year, the stock of public debt and the public debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio had increased. According to the report, total public debt was recorded at US$1.6 billion, exceeding the projected amount by US$8.4 million.

The public debt to GDP ratio actually increased by 0.9 per cent to be recorded at 46.1

per cent.

When it comes to servicing these debts, the report stated that total public debt service amounted to US$71.7 million for 2017. This was, in fact, lower by 2.5 per cent than the projected 2017 sum of US$73.5 million.

More recently, the Bank of Guyana Quarterly Report and Statistical Bulletin had pegged an increase in public debt at US$19 million over a matter of months. The report divided this debt into external and domestic. External debt increased by 1.5 per cent hike from a December position of US$1.241 billion. The report therefore pegged external debt at US$1.265 billion.

Challenge to appointment of GECOM Chairman…

Jagdeo hopeful that CCJ will overturn Appeal Court’s decision

E

xpressing concern about the decision of Guyana’s Appeal Court to uphold the ruling of the High Court, relative to President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, contends that he hopes that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will be able to offer a more profound reading of the Guyana’s Constitution, in the context of Guyana’s history, and overturn the Appeal Court’s decision.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling is being further appealed at the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Jagdeo said, “I have no doubt that a more profound reading of what we want in Guyana would result in the CCJ overturning of this.”

He added that, having read the Court of Appeal ruling, it could only be concluded that “strange logic” was employed in the Appeal Court’s decision making process. “I simply could not

“I have no doubt that a more profound reading of what we want in Guyana would result in the CCJ overturning of this. We are putting a lot of faith that the Constitution would be read properly at the CCJ.” – Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo follow the strange logic… it was very strange logic and often contradictory in my view,” the Opposition Leader said.

He added, “I thought that a profound analysis of our history would have situated this ruling in that context and situated it in line with the intent of the framers of the Constitution….we had a long struggle for free and fair elections.”

The Opposition Leader noted that much faith is being put in the CCJ. “We are putting a lot of faith that the Constitution would be read properly at the CCJ,” he said.

Additionally, court documents prepared by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian

and Attorney Anil Nandlall, who represents Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Zulfikar Mustapha, see the CCJ being petitioned to grant an order that security for costs be fixed in a “reasonable sum” in addition to further orders and/or directions that the court may find “just and appropriate”.

In Mustapha’s sworn affidavit, seen by this newspaper, he stated that he intends to appeal the said decision of the Court of Appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, having observed that the Appellate Court “incorrectly construed, misconstrued, incorrectly applied and misapplied Article 161 of the Constitution of Guyana and failed to redress the breach

of the said Constitution by the State”.

He said the issues which have arisen in the case are of great general, public and constitutional importance, as “free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law”.

“Guyana has an undisputed and universally recognised history of fraudulent elections presided over and administered by successive Elections Commissions chaired by two former Chief Justices of Guyana who were unilaterally appointed by the then Head of Government/ State,” he noted.

In June 2018, Chief Justice (CJ) Roxanne George-Wiltshire, ruled that President Granger was in

order when he unilaterally appointed 84-year-old Justice (rtd) James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. That ruling led to an appeal being filed with the Appeal Court.

Patterson was unilaterally appointed as Chairman on GECOM on October 19, 2017.

His appointment came after a meeting on the selection of a GECOM Chairperson, between Jagdeo, and President Granger, which only lasted five minutes. At that meeting the third list of nominees submitted by Jagdeo was rejected by Granger.

However, at a previous meeting on June 12, 2017 – the meeting before Granger made a unilateral appointment – there was an agree-

ment on what would be the way forward, if the third list was rejected. The June 12, 2017 joint statement said: “It was also agreed that a high-level team would be assembled representing the President and the Leader of the Opposition which will begin to work immediately on exploring modalities to bring a resolution to this matter in the event that the list is rejected.”

Given that there was a joint agreement, the Parliamentary Opposition has argued that Granger acted in bad faith when he unilaterally appointed a GECOM Chairman.

Article 161(2) provides for the appointment of a Chairman based on a consensual process in which a list of six persons, “not unacceptable to the President,” is submitted by the Opposition Leader. A proviso included in the law allows for the appointment to be made unilaterally, where the Opposition Leader fails to submit a list “as provided for” – but Jagdeo submitted three lists, which were all rejected

by President Granger.

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