Weekend Mirror 24-25 November 2018

Harmon’s threats 24-25 November, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 48 / Price: $100

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

to PPP supporters harm ethnic, political harmony in Guyana - Jagdeo PAGE 9

“The Minister made a direct threat - 'No more Mr. Nice Time' and that he would 'fix' it --to a large number of people on the basis of their political affiliation. We noted that the ERC sent out an appeal before the Local Government Elections to all political parties, including Members of Parliament to exercise restraint. I believe that most did during the campaign, but due to the results where the PPP/C won 386 of 596 Proportional Representation seats, these post-election threats must also be taken seriously and not be allowed to go unchecked. These elections were free from violence and reflect the overwhelming desire of the electorate at the polls. Now that the elections are over, such vitriolic and politically targeted threats must be investigated by the ERC.” (Excerpt from PPP/C complaint letter to the ERC)

Opposition Chief Whip fires back after National Assembly Clerk says ‘it is for gov’t to decide’ – Opposition call for early debate on no-confidence motion ignored PAGE 3

AFC reduced to a 4% Party PAGE 11

Coalition’s attempt to counter reasons behind PPP/C no-confidence motion rubbished PAGE 8

SEE INSIDE

PPP/C says no to 10-minute limit for the review of Constitutional Agencies’ 2019 budget proposals – Stands ground on legally mandated handover of documents PAGE 19

APNU+AFC gov’t silent on Berbice Bridge fiasco PAGE 23

– has nationalization of Bridge been exposed as political gimmickry?

Public Servants’ Union rejects ‘imposed’ salary increase PAGE 26

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

November 26 is Budget Day…

Opposition Chief Whip fires back after National Assembly Clerk says ‘it is for gov’t to decide’ – Opposition call for early debate on no-confidence motion ignored

T

he 2019 National Budget will be presented on Monday, November 26, 2018 – despite the fact that a motion of no-confidence has been filed against the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition and that there has been a call for an early debate on the issue.

O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r , treated with differently in the Notice Paper, only then Bharrat Jagdeo, last Thurs- various Parliaments in the is the Government in a posiday (November 15, 2018) Commonwealth. He charged tion act – by way of deterfiled the no-confidence mo- that the decision on a day mining when the no-confition and, later, during a for a debate on the no-con- dence motion will be placed news conference, charged fidence motion is one that is on the Order Paper/ Agenda that he had hoped for a made by the Government, of the National Assembly.

She said, “I have little debate before the national not the House Speaker.

That said, , he quoted confidence that the Speaker budget was presented. “If from the 24th edition of the will move with any haste to a no confidence motion is filed in the Government, Parliamentary Practice of approve it and put it on the you can’t proceed to a bud- the Commons Assembly of Notice Paper. This inaction get debate while that is Great Britian and Northern allows the government to hanging. What if it suc- Ireland, Erskine May (page do nothing, as it has to de344), which states that: “By termine when it goes on the ceeds?” he questioned.

The Opposition Leader established convention the Order Paper only after it is added, “We were hoping Government always accedes put on the Notice Paper.

“The British Fixed-Term that a decision would be to the demand from the Leader of the Opposition Parliament Act 2011 defines made and the matter would to allot a day for the disthe wording of a no-confibe debated prior to the budget. The budget has not cussion of a motion tabled dence motion. It says, ‘Be been presented as yet and by the official Opposition, it resolved that this House the convention is that once which in the Government’s has no confidence in Her a no-confidence motion is view would have the effect Majesty's government’. The filed that it takes precedence of testing the confidence same wording was used in over other issues. So, we of the House. In allotting the 2014 AFC motion and are hoping that this will be a day for this purpose the the 2018 PPP/C motion.

Government is entitled to A debate on a confidence done.”

Asked about his expecta- have regard to the exigen- motion will generally take tions on how House Speak- cies of its own business, precedence over the normal er, Dr Barton Scotland, will but a reasonably early day business of the day. By convention ‘if act, he said, “We’re going “I have little confidence that the Speak- the official opposition tables to be watcher will move with any haste to approve a motion of ing carefully to see how the it and put it on the Notice Paper. This censure of the Speaker acts inaction allows the government to do government, the governin this matter ment provides nothing, as it has to determine when it because it is n o t t h e e x - goes on the Order Paper only after it is the time for it to be debatecutive that put on the Notice Paper….a debate on ed’.” makes that According d e t e r m i n a - a confidence motion will generally take tion, it has to precedence over the normal business of to her, while the Clerk rebe the Speakferred to Erthe day.”

– Opposition Chief Whip, er…check the skine May, democracies Gail Teixeira via a partial around the quote, the full world, that if is invariably found.” quote on the issue states a no-confidence motion is that: “From time to time filed [against] the governthe Opposition puts down ment, you can’t proceed to SPEAKER STILL HAS TO ACT a motion on the paper exa budget debate when that Meanwhile, Opposition pressing lack of confidence is hanging.”

Chief Whip and PPP Ex- in the government or otherecutive, Gail Teixeira, told wise criticising its general PROCEDURE Meanwhile, on Wednes- the Mirror, that while the conduct. By established day (November 21, 2018) Clerk has indicated that it convention the government evening, the Parliament is not the Speaker – rather always accedes to the deOffice, released a statement the Government – that de- mand from the Leader of from the Clerk of the Na- cides on a day for debate on the Opposition to allot a tional Assembly, Sherlock the no-confidence motion, day for the discussion of a Isaacs, of the procedures to the Speaker Still has to motion tabled by the official be followed in dealing with approve the motion before Opposition which, in the it is placed on the National government’s view, would a no-confidence motion. have the effect of testing the The Clerk stated that Assembly’s notice paper.

After it is included on confidence of the House. In no-confidence motions are

“If a no confidence motion is filed in the Government, you can’t proceed to a budget debate while that is hanging. What if it succeeds?” – Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

allotting a day for this purpose the government is entitled to have regard to the exigencies of its own business, but a reasonably early day is invariably found.

This convention is founded on the recognised position of the Opposition as a potential government, which guarantees the legitimacy of such an interruption of the normal course of business.

For its part, the government has everything to gain by

meeting such a direct challenge to its authority at the earliest possible moment.”

LETTER SENT Additionally, Teixeira, on Wednesday (November 21, 2018) penned a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The letter states: “Could you say if the Speaker has approved the no confidence motion being put on the Notice Paper as yet?

“In 2014 the AFC submitted its no-confidence

motion on August 7th, and it was placed on Notice Paper No. 353 on August 15th, one week later during the recess. The date for the Order Paper was listed as August 28th, 2014.

“As the PPP/C no confidence motion was submitted on Thursday November 15th, one anticipates that the motion will be placed on the Notice paper without undue delay.”

Up to press time there was no response on the matter from the Clerk.

Guyana submits ‘Memorial’ in border controversy case at ICJ A s scheduled, on Monday (November 19, 2018), the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana has submitted to the International Court of Justice its Memorial on Jurisdiction in the case brought against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to confirm, in a final and binding judgment, the full legal validity of the arbitral award that established the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela more than a century ago.

Guyana filed its Memorial in accordance with the Order of the Court dated June 19, 2018 that determined it would first resolve the question of the Court’s jurisdiction in light of Venezuela’s refusal to participate in the proceedings based on its claim that the Court lacks jurisdiction.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Guyana’s Memorial shows there is no foundation to Venezuela’s contention that the means of settlement listed in Article 33 of the UN Charter must be selected by the Secretary-General successively, such that the means listed ahead of judicial settlement have to be exhausted before recourse to the Court can be chosen. Nothing in the text of Article IV of the Geneva Agreement, which provides a menu of options, not a predetermined sequence, supports Venezuela’s interpretation.

Nor is Venezuela correct in arguing that, as it has recently asserted, the controversy must be resolved exclusively by friendly negotiations, a claim that is belied by the express terms of the Geneva

Agreement and contemporaneous statements by the parties during its negotiation and ratification.

“Guyana prepared its Memorial bearing in mind the Court’s instruction that it should be informed of all the legal and factual grounds on which the parties rely in the matter of its jurisdiction. Guyana’s submission accordingly sets out how the boundary with Venezuela was established by an arbitral tribunal constituted pursuant to a treaty concluded by Venezuela and Great Britain in 1897. Venezuela accepted this unanimous award, which was rendered by five eminent jurists on 3 October 1899, celebrated its outcome, participated in a joint commission to demarcate the boundary on the ground, and insisted on the award’s strict implementation. Only decades later did Venezuela, in anticipation of Guyana’s independence, cease recognizing the award’s validity and binding nature, using that pretext to lay claim to more than twothirds of Guyana’s territory.”

To ensure a final resolution to the controversy through peaceful means, the Government of British Guiana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom concluded the Geneva Agreement on 17 February 1966. Article IV of that treaty authorizes the Secretary-General of the United Nations to decide which of the means listed in Article 33 of the United Nations Charter – which includes binding adjudication by the International Court of Justice – shall be used to resolve the controversy.

In agreeing to Article IV,

Venezuela consented to the Court’s jurisdiction in the event the Secretary-General decides that the controversy should be resolved by the Court.

Efforts over more than half-a-century, including a four-year Mixed Commission (1966-1970), a twelveyear moratorium (19701982), a seven-year process of consultations on a means of settlement (1983-1990), and a twenty-seven-year Good Offices Process under the UN Secretary-General’s authority (1990-2017), all failed to end the controversy.

On 30 January 2018, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, acting under the authority bestowed upon him by the Geneva Agreement, chose adjudication by the Court as the means for resolving the controversy with finality. Guyana commenced proceedings before the Court on 29 March 2018 in accordance with the Secretary-General’s decision.

“Guyana has no doubt that the Court has jurisdiction to resolve the controversy that has plagued its relations with Venezuela and undermined its ability to develop its sovereign territory and natural resources.

Guyana expresses its sincere hope that Venezuela will reconsider its refusal to participate in the judicial process that the UN Secretary-General has decided will be the means by which the controversy will be resolved,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Guyana’s representation before the Court includes the efforts of Sir Shridath Ramphal.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

A clear track record in leading the fight for the working class

Nagamootoo must not be allowed to misrepresent facts Dear Editor,

F

rom his press conference held at the PNCR Headquarters at Congress Place yesterday, it is clear that Mr. Moses Nagamootoo has much skills at deceit and deception. When he asked the question “Where is the Guyanese compassion?”, he opened himself to be accused of nakedly playing to the gallery rather than focusing on the more important question as to the health of the nation’s affairs and the reasons for the political shellacking at the just concluded polls.

It would be remiss of me to let him get away with this glaring act of spinning the truth and replacing it with his usual convoluted misrepresentation of the facts. Please permit me Editor to list these few facts.

Facts 1 – This no-confidence motion tabled by the Leader of the Opposition was brought against a Government; not an individual. For the record and emphasis, this no-confidence motion is being tabled against the entire APNU+AFC (PNCR-led) Government as a collective and not any individual.

Fact 2 – Whatever happens in Parliament when this motion is concluded will have zero impact on the personal affairs of His Excellency President Granger? After all, at this moment, he is the President of all of Guyana, legally and legitimately. If the current APNU+AFC (PNCR-led) Government of Guyana is to fall as a result of this no-confidence motion, the rules dictate that all current and former Presidents are entitled to a full Presidential Medical and Pension Package, which

means in common parlance – almost unlimited funds. So what is this nonsense from Mr. Nagamootoo about compassion?

Fact 3 – Mr. Nagamootoo in his usual style of empty flamboyance, deliberately chose to sidestep the record of his three-year-old APNU+AFC (PNCR-led) Govern-ment. Instead he sought to inject all sorts of innuendos, insinuations, words of intimidation and wild inferences into his statements. And after all the theatrics, he and his team, with their tails between their legs, hid from the scrutiny of Parliament yesterday. What manner of people conduct themselves in such a milquetoast manner?

Yours faithfully, Sasenarine Singh

PPP/C no-confidence grounded on substance Dear Editor,

T

he ‘No-Confidence’ motion filed against the APNU/AFC Coalition Government is timely and opportune, since corruption and mismanagement of public funds are at its zenith. The entire economy is in a downward spiral, crimes are on the increase, jailbreaks have now become the norm, and the entire social fabric is disintegrating.

It must be noted that unlike the motion brought by the Leader of the Opposition Dr Jagdeo, the ‘no-confidence’ motion brought against the Ramotar Administration in August 2014, was contrived solely to wrest power by deliberately creating the ‘reasons’.

That motion, presented by Moses Nagamootoo read, ‘BE IT RESOLVED: That this National Assembly has no confidence in the Government’.

The ‘no-confidence’ motion was to protest the spending of some $22.5 million without parliamentary approval, on items ranging from school stipends to an airport expansion project. This ‘scissoring’ of the budget was initiated

by Moses Nagamootoo, the same person who piloted the ‘no-confidence’ motion in Parliament! That $22.5 billion was the restoration of monies cut from the budget for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), hinterland airports, the University of Guyana student loan programme, vouchers for public school students, and the One Laptop for Family Project.

The second reason, was the non-transfer of monies to the Consolidated Fund, which was held, legally, by semi-autonomous agencies, and the third reason, was a procedural breach in the $4 billion transferred to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and allegations of corruption. However, the Opposition Leader has maintained that,

‘They have not proven any of these issues so far.’

We have now seen that these allegations of procedural breaches are nothing when compared to what is happening under the Coalition Government. It must be recalled that the budget cuts during Ramotar’s Administration were meant to frustrate the functioning of the Ramotar Administration, to stymie social and economic development and to oust the PPP/C from power. The Budget was cut in 2014 by $37.4 billion, 2013 by $31 billion and 2012 by $21 billion. Those cuts were unconscionable and illegal to say the least! They were never proven to be illegal! Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang ruled that the National Assembly has no right to cut the National Budget, and the National Assembly has a role to either approve or disapprove the National Estimates, not to reduce them.

Yet they were used as reasons to bring down a democratically elected Government. Compare this with the intent and purpose of the PPP/C’s ‘no-confidence’ motion.

We have seen, that until now, the US$18 million signing bonus which was the subject of many deceptive statements from the Finance Minister and his government, is yet to be included in the Consolidated Account. The D’urban Park Project, in which over $1.3 billion was spent, is yet to be fully accounted for; the many breaches of the Procurement Act ($605 million sole-sourcing of drugs at the GHPC and the $148 million Demerara Harbour Bridge feasibility study, etc); taxpayers losing more than $1 billion in 2017 due to overpayments to contractors; payments for goods without vouchers, and payments for goods that were not delivered; unaccountability of more than $1 billion spent by the Amerindian Ministry; the numerous

cases of poor accountability highlighted in the Auditor General’s report 2017; the loss of more than 30,000 jobs; the devastation of the sugar sector and the impoverishment of the dismissed workers, and the negative ripple effects; the exorbitant increases in over 200 taxes, placing an additional $60 billion tax burden on the people and businesses; reckless and wasteful borrowing(over 200 billion); spiraling corruption at all levels of Government; decreasing budgetary allocations vital for agriculture and infrastructural developments; massive increases in various criminal activities including frequent jail breaks and increasing police brutality. How can there be any confidence when our treasury is being raided on a daily basis and we, the taxpayers, continue to receive less but are demanded to pay more.

The people have spoken at the Local Government Elections (LGE) as is evidenced both by those who voted and those who abstained. The APNU and the AFC must not be fooled that the reason for the poor turnout at the Local Government Election (LGE) was because voter-education was lacking.

Those who stayed at home did that intentionally. The voters’ apathy displayed was a result of the high cost of living, retrogressing living standards and lack of public security. These persons would willingly take part in a General Election to change the obstacles to the ‘good life’ sooner than 2020. On the other hand, those who have voted sent a stronger and graphic message to the APNU and the AFC that ‘enough is enough’ and it’s time to go!

The masses have lost confidence!

Therefore, the ‘no-confidence’ is definitely most opportune.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Dear Editor,

O

ver the past three years of this APNU/AFC Coalition Government, numerous challenges to our nation emerged, threatening with full-force the pillars of Guyana’s set development agenda and that of our residents.

Characteristically, the coalition has tried to camouflage its poor performance and dictatorship approach with over-utilised excuses of blaming the PPP/C for its inefficacies. Our citizens, as the judge and jury, will pronounce upon the coalition’s shallow defences as an absolute measure of lack of delivery, and will take required corrective actions.

The 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) again afforded citizens across the length and breadth of our land the opportunity to react to the many issues affecting them.

Reacted they have, and the results signal a majority disenchantment with the duplicitous approach of the Government.

They have provided a sound warning of intolerance to the partisan approach and serious mismanagement by APNU/ AFC Coalition, which has brought the abyss much closer than the evasive good life.

Notably, the role of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is critical in delivering the expressions of the populace. Its key functions have been under serious scrutiny, with many of the Secretariat’s principal actors and procedures being the subject of serious investigation for financial mismanagement and maladministration. Many stakeholders have justifiably criticised the organisation, which still have a lot to accomplish in establishing a transparent balance of its operations.

In the lead-up to the elections, there were far too many issues, including the inconsistencies in the approach of many Returning Officers, which affected the dissemination of required public information that was transferred into the E-Day operations. The expected standard Information Clerks were visibly absent from polling stations; and that would have resulted in absolute mayhem, but for the ‘electronic App’, which allowed persons easy access to information regarding which station they had to attend to vote. Notwithstanding the strong requirement to improve transparency and address issues related to evidence of corruption, the results of the LGE are indeed a revelation for the PPP/C. The PPP/C, as a collective, has been very dynamic in leading the fight for the working class under the fearless, astute and masterful leadership of Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. His masterstroke to put a winning structure in place to manage and prevent rigging is highly commendable. Under his rejuvenated stewardship, he has led and walked on the ground in managing a brightened and spirited approach by members and interested stakeholders that certainly provide hope for all Guyana. There is no doubt that this approach significantly contributed to the PPP/C’s massive win at the LGE, and will be central to future considerations of the path of the Party going forward.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Nagamootoo’s tactics of deceit and deception exposed Dear Editor,

F

rom his press conference held at the PNC Headquarters at Congress Place, it is clear that Mr Moses Nagamootoo has much skill at deceit and deception. When he asked the question, “Where is the Guyanese compassion?”, he opened himself to be accused of nakedly playing to the gallery, rather than focusing on the more important questions of the health of the nation’s affairs and the reasons for the political shellacking his party received at the just concluded polls.

It would be remiss of me to let him get away with this glaring act of spinning the truth and replacing it with his usual convoluted misrepresentation of the facts. Please permit me, Editor, to list these few facts.

(Turn to page 5)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

The Whim Referendum: A total rejection, repudiation AFC now ‘dead meat’ and of Nagamootoo and the AFC of nominal value to APNU W Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

As a child I was extremely fond of reading fairy tales, especially those by Hans Christian Anderson and Grimm, but I learnt a lot from the theme of such stories. One such story is the ‘Fisherman and His Wife’.

The theme of ‘The Fisherman and his wife’ is to not be greedy, and be happy if you get rewarded in any way for a good deed.

The ‘Fisherman and his wife’ is about when the fisherman went out to catch some fish but caught a ‘prince fish’. He was granted some wishes which made him extremely wealthy, but his wife was not satisfied and wanted Divine qualities. This made the fish angry and they were cast again into their poverty-stricken days. The tale of the Alliance for Change makes me vividly recall this story!

The Cummingsburg Accord signed on Lover’s Day 2015 gave the Alliance for Change 40% of the number of seats in parliament and ministries in government. It was seen that just one month after assuming office in 2015, the AFC wanted to re-examine the Accord and as Moses Nagamootoo had suggested, ‘the accord itself is not something that is cast in stone. Things are going to be dynamic as we go along, and we will have to look at the dynamics of the situation’.

However, the Accord was indeed ‘cast in stone’, since from that date until now it has remained inviolable, even though Moses never chaired Cabinet. It was also seen that despite the fact that the AFC received the 40% share, it was devoid of any real power, since their ministers became mere figureheads or constitutional ‘nobodies’!

They only agree or disagree as the situation demands. This may have been the primary reason why the AFC felt that they should be getting more than 40% of the spoils and wanted badly to review the Cummingsburg Accord. They wanted real power!

Therefore, the AFC ceaselessly clamored for a review. In November 2017, they demanded a review by February 14th, 2018, and Granger had agreed to that review. However, in 2018, the AFC missed its own deadline for that review and Granger dropped

the bombshell on February 15th 2018 – that he saw no need to review the Accord. But Granger went further and challenged the AFC to prove their intrinsic value to the Coalition. They were asked to contest the Local Government Elections solo.

The ‘fisherman’s wife’ wanted control.

However, this insane obstinacy and greed for absolute power led to the AFC’s downfall and exposed the fact that they are now ‘dead meat’ and of nominal value to APNU. The ‘fit and proppa’ hype, the hallucinated and delusional boast, the extravagant waste of State resources, the lies, the deceit and the fraud serve only to expose and confirm the corrupt nature of the Alliance for Change. The voters had the final say on November 12th 2018 and curse of the ‘prince fish’ was completed.

However, the AFC predicament has now become worse than that of the ‘fisherman’s wife’’. They could only eke one seat in the entire Region 6 and that too in an APNU dominated area – New Amsterdam.

Nagamootoo, the man who made four visits to Whim, and temporarily transferred his Office at Port Mourant to Whim for two months to whip up support, was totally rejected by the people of Whim/Bloomfield.

He was soundly kicked out of the ‘promised land’ The same fate was met by his counterpart Khemraj Ramjattan. In his now famous parlance, he was told in no uncertain terms to ‘haul his ***’!

I have written extensively on the corruption and cronyism in the AFC since 2011 and I have been ridiculed and was branded a liar and a ‘rogue’ councilor by the AFC. This was followed by an unceremonious expulsion. But I persevered and knew that one day the truth would come to light, and it has. Mahatma Gandhi once said that, ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win’.

The curse of the ‘fisherman’s wife’ is now complete!

Yours sincerely, H. Yusuf

Nagamootoo’s tactics...

Fact 1: This no-confidence motion tabled by the Leader of the Opposition was brought against a Government, not an individual. For the record and emphasis, this no-confidence motion is being tabled against the entire APNU/AFC (PNC-led) Government as a collective, and not against any individual.

Fact 2: Whatever happens in Parliament when this motion is concluded will have ZERO impact on the personal affairs of His Excellency President Granger. After all, at this moment he is the President of all of Guyana, legally and legitimately. If the current APNU/AFC (PNC-led) Government of Guyana is to fall as a result of this no-confidence motion, the rules dictate that all current and former Presidents are entitled to a FULL presidential medical and pension package, which means in common parlance almost unlimited funds. So what is this non-sense from Mr Nagamootoo about compassion?

We, the Guyanese people, including me, would rain down a ton of bricks on anyone if

(From page 4)

they attempt to mess with the medical benefits of any former or current President, because such an act would have been unconscionable and very un-Guyanese. But the truth remains: win or lose, Mr Granger’s medical benefits are fully protected and preserved, whether he is in office or out of office. This situation will not change; not now, not next year, not ever.

Fact 3: Mr Nagamootoo, in his usually style of empty flambouyance, deliberately chose to side-step the record of his threeyear-old APNU/AFC (PNC-led) Government.

Instead, he sought to inject all sorts of innuendos, insinuations, words of intimidation, and wild inferences into his statements. And after all those theatrics, he and his team, with their tails between their legs, hid from the scrutiny of the Parliament on November 16, 2018 like cowards. What manner of people conduct themselves in such a milquetoast manner?

Regards, S. Singh

ebster's Dictionary has chosen TOXIC as the 2018 Word of the Year. Local Government Elections (LGE) 2018 dramatically pronounced the AFC and its leaders TOXIC, everywhere in Guyana.

Not only the AFC did badly in the overall LGE 2018, they were toxic even in the towns and villages where their leaders were born and grew up.

Nowhere were the results more alarming for the AFC than in Region 6 which had become a sort of bastion for the AFC and is the region where most of the visible leaders of the AFC were born and grew up.

In this region, the AFC secured less than 0.1% of the votes. In Port Mourant, where the AFC had a pocket of support in 2015, the AFC barely secured 0.3%, even less than an independent candidate who beat them in this constituency. In Whim, the AFC and its pompous "elder Statesman", Moses Nagamootoo, was totally rejected and repudiated, just as they were across Guyana.

The AFC made Whim a referendum, insisting that Whim wants the AFC and not the PPP to represent them. Moses Nagamootoo's vanity transformed the Whim LGE into a referendum for Whim to choose between him and Bharat Jagdeo. Moses went to Whim the night before the election, holding a rally, emphasizing the AFC's claim of supremacy and laying his claim he was Whim's choice, not Bharat Jagdeo. But Whim unequivocally used the power of the X to overwhelmingly reject the AFC and to repudiate Nagamootoo. In stark contrast, Whim showed its unreserved support and love for the PPP and Bharat Jagdeo.

Nagamootoo descended on Whim on Sunday, November 11, with a convoy of security and assistants, totaling thirteen vehicles, spent more than an hour attacking Bharat Jagdeo, Leslie Ramsammy, Zulphikar Mustapha and Dr. Ramaya. He listed major achievements of the APNU+AFC - first "Seeta went to Auchlyne School and the children wanted a water dispenser and Seeta gave them an electric water dispenser with hot and cold water" and, second, "Seeta went to Auchlyne School and t h e c h i l d r e n w a n t e d a c o p y i n g m achine and Seeta gave them a copying machine". Sad, after three and a half years this was the sum total of his government's achievement, according to Nagamootoo's speech.

Only a raging narcissist would risk his reputation by making any election a referendum on himself. The siren-blaz-

ing Prime Minister completely ignored the many things that worry people in Whim and across Guyana. He ignored the threat of his government for dramatic increases in property taxes, the poor health services, the GPL blackouts, the increasing taxes, the closure of sugar estates and loss of employment, non-payment of severance for sugar workers, the increasing cost of living, spiraling crime, crippling illicit drugs in the communities, etc. He ignored the obnoxious growth of corruption and the rise of dictatorship.

Instead, for Nagamootoo, the most important LGE 2018 issue for Whim and the country was his coronation, over Bharat Jagdeo. His obsession over Jagdeo, his hate for people he deems Jagdeo's acolytes, made him come to Whim instructing people to use their X to prove he is number 1.

Whim-Bloomfield used the power of their X and unequivocally rejected and repudiated both Nagamootoo and the AFC. It is a total rejection when even the people you claimed signed as backers for your party did not vote for you.

None of the individual candidates for the AFC in the various constituencies in Whim-Bloomfield even garner enough votes to equal the number of backers they needed to become candidates in the elections.

The Whim voters proved the police, a Judge and GECOM wrong - the AFC did fraudulently use people's names as backers.

The AFC did not win a single constituency or a single PR seat in Whim-Bloomfield. It was a total annihilation for the AFC and Nagamootoo in Whim. His own relatives and the people he grew up with rejected him.

It is a devastating blow to Nagamootoo. The man who once walked with Cheddi, surrendered his advantage of being a home-village hero when he betrayed the people and joined the PNC in fighting Cheddi's party, the PPP. For the people of Whim, Nagamootoo was not a home-village son of renown, but a man who betrayed them, who is a traitor. They saw a man who was only interested in himself, they saw his pomposity and his burning ambition to be President, even if he has to betray them.

Whim nailed the political coffin of Nagamootoo by resoundingly voting against him and the AFC, by using their X to serenade the PPP. Sincerely, Zulfikar Mustpha Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Serious shortcomings in the health sector must be addressed Dear Editor,

B Intimidation and hostility is new behaviour for APNU, it is the norm Dear Editor,

I

tuned into the live broadcast of APNU+AFC’s Press event, I hesitate to use the word ‘conference’ as it seemed to have been held in a mini-rally format. That this Party event was being broadcast by the Department of Public Information was no surprise. What was astonishing however was the absence of representation from the WPA, JFAP and NFA parties, who are supposedly still members of APNU. Given that the reason for this event was to demonstrate the solidity of the Coalition, it raised more questions than answers.

The mistreatment of members of the Press at this event has been well catalogued in the complaint released by the Guyana Press Association, which prompted a response from the APNU+AFC public relations machine.

It stated, “The APNU does not condone nor endorse any conduct that serves to intimidate and hinder duties of media workers.”

Editor, what nonsense! The leaders of APNU+AFC sat there, behind their enormous name tags and watched silently and in some cases nodding in agreement as their bussed in supporters abused the media. This is not remedied by press releases.

Actions speak louder than words is a truism that has withstood the test of time.

This intimidation and hostility is not new behaviour for APNU; it is the norm.

How many ‘counter-protests’ have we seen since the APNU+AFC administration came into office? There is video of Presidential hopeful PNC Chairperson Volda Lawrence pelting a glass (and hitting) at Jason Abdullah as he peacefully protested outside of the Red House. There is videoed evidence of PNC supporters hurling abuse at retrenched sugar workers who were forced to protest for severance pay being unlawfully withheld.

I urge the Press corps to earn respect by walking out of any event at which they are so abused in the future.

Mr. Editor, I will not delve into the substance of the mini-rally as there was little, the voodoo mathematics of 8000 votes out of a total of 238,000 was equivalent to 10% did provide a clue as to why our Nation has moved from an $11 billion surplus to $$56 billion deficit in little more than three years.

That the ‘fearless’ coalition cowardly absented themselves from work at the National Assembly later in the day came as no surprise. The false bravado fooled no one but themselves.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Credibility of the Speaker is under question Dear Editor,

T

he filing of a no-confidence motion by the PPP/C brings the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, and his actions back into focus.

Since the new Parliament commenced sittings, several of Dr. Scotland’s actions have brought his credibility into question.

Now, his treatment of the PPP/C no-confidence motion will either confirm the views of his critics or see him vindicated.

Will he delay the no-confidence motion?

If he does, his reasons will be interesting. The fact is that the 2018 national budget has not been presented as yet and there are no other matters before the National Assembly, which have implications like the ones attached to a no-confidence motion.

Will he succumb to instructions from his ‘handlers’?

Taking instructions from ‘handlers’ is one of the more popular criticisms of Dr.

Scotland. Guyanese can only hope that ‘instructions’ do not influence him. Recently in Sri Lanka we saw that the Speaker of that House required a police escort just to get into the Chambers because some politicians did not want him to allow a no-confidence motion against their embattled Prime Minister to proceed. Yet that Sri Lankan Speaker did not succumb to pressure. Will Guyana’s Speaker do the same?

Will he allow the motion to proceed?

In India, only recently, we saw how fast the no-confidence motion against the Modi government was dispatched with.

The outcome will be of much interest to Guyanese.

The happenings of Parliament have been popularized. This cannot be doubted.

The actions of Dr. Scotland moving forward, as such, can be expected to remain under the spotlight.

Yours faithfully, David Williams

abies dying in a hospital under questionable circumstances, x-rays and laboratory services unavailable at several hospitals, medicine shortages prevalent in hospitals and health centers, HIV treatment program without critical medicines, staff shortages, unsanitary and unacceptable medicine storage practices, corrupt transactions, health facilities licensing halted, etc. are just some of the headlines in the public health sector of Guyana.

The health sector in Guyana is in disarray.

We need urgent attention to turnaround things for the people's sake. The health sector cannot be a political football. None of us know when we will get sick or need the services of the health sector. No sector in government is more reflective of how much a government cares for its people. Under this premise, our present government apparently does not care for its people. As of this moment, the disarray in the health sector is frightening.

The report that the CEO of the New Amsterdam Hospital, the only Regional Hospital in Regions 5 and 6, the largest population-base, outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital, proceeded to an undetermined leave of absence after being on the job for just one day has to be disturbing. This is even after a prolonged period of the New Amsterdam Hospital being without a substantive CEO. The last substantive CEO went on leave in July. He never returned because the Ministry of Public Health did not renew his contract in September. Instead, another unqualified candidate, a person without even a day experience, assumed the office as an acting CEO. On November 5th, the new CEO, Dr. Kennedy was appointed. She officially assumed duty and then promptly proceeded on leave.

The hospital remains rudderless, without a CEO on the job.

Earlier this month at this same hospital, nineteen doctors, the majority of its medical staff, including its medical director, proceeded on leave at the same time. Almost on a daily basis, patients at the New Amsterdam Hospital are faced with chaos in the clinics as the available doctors are unable to meet the demands. In-patients are faced with minimum to zero attention from a depleted medical staff. But the staffing situation and the poor management of staff is not unique to New Amsterdam Hospital. Across the country the same staff mismanagement prevails.

The Ophthalmology Hospital at Port Mourant is no longer an ophthalmology hospital. For a considerable period of time now,

it has not done a single cataract operation.

Although it was designed to provide comprehensive tertiary ophthalmology service, including glaucoma management, the hospital is merely limping along with barely primary eye-care service.

Even as these matters percolate, the HIV treatment program is challenged. There is news that a critical HIV medicine is unavailable at this time. This is not the first time there is non-availability of medicines for HIV. In 2017, the program went nine months without any medicine. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Public Health had to admit that new cases of HIV are on the increase. This is no coincidence. The treatment program has been a major part of the prevention strategy.

With prolonged interruption in the treatment of patients, risks of transmission increase.

This is compounded by the weak or absent prevention initiatives. There was a time, not so long ago when public education and awareness programs and other prevention initiatives were in people's face. Incidentally, the prevention-of-mother-to-child HIV transmission programs are also being weakened.

The reports of weak laboratory services at Bartica Hospital, with the complete closure of biochemistry testing, are not unique to Bartica. Several other hospitals are faced with the same challenges. The X-ray and other diagnostic services at Lethem hospital ceased within recent weeks. None of these services are available at Skeldon Hospital.

Suddie Hospital barely functions. Services at Leonora, Mahaicony, Fort Wellington are not any better. Across the country, dental clinics cannot offer comprehensive services because of shortages of basic supplies.

In the meanwhile, even with large contracts for the procurement of medicines, there is still alarming medicine shortages across the country. While attention has been largely focused on the corruption surrounding medicine procurement and warehousing, patient care has suffered from critical shortages. People have been forced to purchase expensive medicines in the private sector for hypertension, diabetes and other serious illnesses.

As more and more persons flock services in the private sector, these private hospitals and laboratories remain unlicensed.

Please Ministers, let us do a little less talking and address the serious shortcomings.

While you are at it, do a daily survey of your senior officers and find out how many are out of the country at the same time.

Sincerely, L. Ramsammy

Condemnation of attempt to intimidate media, Parliamentarians

Dear Editor,

F

irstly, I wish to add my voice to the others who have condemned the intimidation of members of the media at Congress Place, in the presence of Coalition Government leaders, during a press conference.

No amount of intimidation can hide the facts and this is something that has been proven time and time again.

On the subject of intimidation, there are moves afoot by the Coalition leaders to intimidate their Parliamentarians, who they suspect might vote with the PPP on their no confidence motion.

Threats made to several Coalition Parliamentarians about them being recalled must be rejected by all of their supporters.

All supporters of the Coalition must call on the Head of the List of Candidates, Dr. Harold Lutchman, and the Deputy Head, Ms. Jean LaRose, to resist these attempts. The Head and Deputy Head of the List of Candidates should not allow themselves to be used as pawns in the intimidation of persons who have served Guyanese.

All for your consideration, Thomas Cole

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

The APNU+AFC lost a huge chunk of the votes to the PPP/C after a mere three and a half years Dear Editor,

W

ith Local Government Elections (LGE) behind us, one battle in the people’s struggle to regain power at the central government level has been fought and won.

The euphoria that erupted at ground zero appeared as though the victories scored at the local government and municipal levels was just as big as a victory fought and won at regional and general elections To many, the elections were not only a referendum on the APNU+AFC Coalition administration, it was also viewed as a dress rehearsal for what is to come in 2020.

The impact of the LGE results was much bigger than it was within the ambit of the PPP/C’s support base. As a matter of fact, its reverberation was felt throughout the wider society like 6.8 on the Richter scale.

The sweet taste of victory by Opposition foot soldiers was a microcosm of what was tasted by thousands who, as if with dry throats, waited anxiously to quench their thirst since May 2015.

Small wonder the preliminary results were welcomed with such exuberance by a populace who knew the result could not be otherwise.

With impressive brownie points under their belts, Opposition foot soldiers know that they must gird their loins for fresh battles that lie ahead on the road to the mother of all elections in 2020.

On the evening of November 12, prior to the announcement of the LGE preliminary results, certain APNU big wigs were already crowing on TV about ‘making inroads in Opposition strongholds.’

They claimed that they were ‘satisfied’ with what they had seen in their respective constituencies during the course of the day.

But they all seemed to be sucking cane and whistling at the same time since, while voicing optimism about results favoring them, they were bemoaning the low voter turnout in their strong holds. Ironically, one leader boasted that ‘a low voter turnout is

positive for their party.’

It is to be recalled that for the first LGE held under the PPP/C in 1994, there were 348,195 voters on the list. The voter turnout was 47.91%.

In 2016, for the first LGE held under the APNU+AFC there were 507,584 voters on the list. The voter turnout was 47.10 %.

And in 2018 for the just concluded LGE, with 573, 923 voters on the list, the voter turnout was 36%, the lowest ever.

Incidentally, it is apposite to note that over a period of 23 years, the number of voters in Guyana jumped from 348,195 to 573,923, an increase of 225,728 or just over 60.6% .

Earlier, this astronomical increase had raised eyebrows but the concern somehow fell off the radar.

As regards the pattern of voter turnout at LGE versus voter turnout at General and Regional Elections, there has always been a yawning chasm.

In the General and Regional Elections held in 1992, the voter turnout was 88.7%. In 1997, it was 88.4% . For 2001, it was 91.7%, while in 2006 it was 68.8%. In 2011, it was 72.91%.And in 2015 the turn out stood at 71.2 %.

What is remarkable however is that while it took 23 years for the PPP/C to lose a mere sliver of votes, with just over three years in government, the APNU+AFC lost to the PPP/C a huge chunk of the votes they won in 2015.

The APNU/AFC’s rap sheet was so horrendous that long before the November LGE, dissatisfaction and disillusionment had become so widespread that all that was needed was an election to illustrate the extent of complacency and voter apathy that had penetrated their camp.

The promise of a good life, which never gained traction anyway, had gone up in smoke leaving ‘Les Miserables’ at their wits end to scrounge around for bread and butter.

In contrast, so voracious was the appetite of the APNU+AFC eager beavers who had assumed office, that the billions safely stored

by the PPP/C just in case of an unexpected ‘hard guava season,’ were quickly gobbled up in a manner totally oblivious to the basic needs of the populace.

In effect, were we to take the results of the just concluded LGE as a means of measuring the shelf life of the APNU+ AFC it would not be unreasonable to conclude that the coalition’s expiry date would be mid-2020.

The weeping and gnashing of teeth, not to mention the shedding of crocodile tears and outpourings of confessions expressed at the November 17 rally at Sophia, was an attempt to come to grips with the brutal reality of losing votes big time and the untidy complexity of political experience which political parties must face from time to time.

The PPP/C had to face the complexities of similar political challenges before and after the 2011 and 2015 elections. At that time, the APNU+ AFC formed the political opposition.

Now, with the PPP/C in opposition and the APNU+AFC in government, those who strut the corridors of power must now, following the LGE, face what could be described as ‘the weapon of dialectic destruction.’

The APNU+AFC should by now recognize the political parody that in politics, the truth is rented for five years then it is thrown out and replaced by another set of truths in the course of political struggle and more so, when governments change.

All the APNU’s chatter about ‘losing contact with our supporters,’ that ‘we didn’t lose, it was racism that won’ and that ‘there was a low voter turnout of our supporters because LGE was not held for such a long time’ are but lame excuses in lieu of their fecklessness and cynical neglect of those to whom the ‘good life’ was promised.

In this respect, the APNU+ AFC found themselves caught in the existential governmental trap characterized by neglect and complacency.

It is a trap in which most ruling parties find themselves having taken too much for granted. The palliative offered by an APNU minister of government to construct a new hospital and to provide lessons in English, Maths and Science free of cost was done to appear benevolent and charitable and to improve the electoral fortunes of coalition.

David Hinds, a consummate critic of the APNU+AFC, writing in his ‘Hind’ Sight’ of November 11,2018 was at pains to point out that holding LGE should ‘not be viewed as a major accomplishment of the coalition administration’.

Hinds prophesied that ‘the PNC would have a hard time getting its base to the polls and that the PPP would win the popular vote.’ So said, so done!

Following the APNU’s humiliating defeat, and the holding of its ‘Thank You’ rally at ‘C’ Field Sophia, many bore witness to the

knee jerk, foul ‘mouthery’ and vitriol emanating from the podium at the rally where one of the prominent leaders of the APNU said, ‘No more nice time business’ and that ‘We’ve got to fix these things’ meaning, flushing out ‘PPP supporters and NDC’s that sabotage the government.’

The originator of this objectionable narrative must know that language in which a political debate is conducted, very often determines its outcome. Small wonder why the offensive vitriol set off an inferno of political criticism from opposition circles.

On his return, it behoves the political leader of the APNU to reign in the prima donnaish antics of his coalition partners as well as the bad content in the political language espoused by his followers before it bubbles over at the top.

These developments, notwithstanding, what must not be overlooked is the fact that the just concluded LGE was held in a peaceful and calm atmosphere throughout the country.

The voters list was scrutinized thoroughly by PPP activists and there were no allegations of evidential value with respect to ballot box or vote tampering.

With the holding of LGE, two factors standout, democracy at the grassroots level, though still weak, has been further strengthened and concomitantly, the prospects for free and fair elections at the national level beckons.

Care must be taken however not to be carried away by the successes scored in the general conduct of the just concluded LGE. Local power must not be confused with state power, while the two are mutually reinforcing and therefore critical for nation building, the latter is precisely where real power resides.

In the struggle to achieve state power come elections 2020, the major political parties or blocks will pull out all the stops to ensure that one or the other either stays in office or win back office. Sometime in mid2020, the bell will toll for one or the other.

However, if the results of the local government elections are to be used as a barometer for measuring the prospects for a change of government, it is reasonable to presume that with free and fair elections, as it was with the LGE, the populace knows it cannot be otherwise.

As elections go, the way to bring about a people’s victory is to situate Napoleon’s military maxim in a political context and to replace the word ‘army’ with ‘political party.’

‘An army should be ready every day and at all hours to fight…an army ought always to be ready by day, by night, at all hours, to make all the resistance it is capable of making.”

The support we felt on Election Day was incredible and we owe it to you the residents of region #10, our supporters, members and friends With your trust, we will work tirelessly on your behalf to help address challenge, issues locally and nationally and to secure lasting and meaningful improvements to your quality of life.

Not only we are thankful for your support, but also for all our candidates who

offer to serve their communities and seek solutions for public problems. It is not easy to put oneself out there in such a public forum, so we give credit to those with the initiative to do so.

Again, we in the PPP/C thank you for the opportunity to serve you our Region #10 Family.

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

Thank you residents of Region 10 Dear Editor,

T

he People Progressive Party /Civic Executive leadership and members want to express our heartfelt thanks to the voters of the Linden and Region #10 for electing your Proportional Representation Councilors on behalf of the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in Municipality of Linden and the NDC in Kwakwani.

We are honored and humbled that you

have placed your trust in us It has been so encouraging to meet so many new people who believed in the PPP/C. During our campaign travels .We met not only new residents in Linden, but also new and longtime residents of all the districts and constituencies.

We enjoyed meeting you all and look forward to representing you through our councilors in the Municipality of Linden and the NDC in Kwakwani

David Adams Region #10

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 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 Monday (November 19, 2018), ranging from recent developments with the no-confidence motion filed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to threats made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

Speaker’s handling of no-confidence motion impacts on his credibility, Guyana’s democracy T

here is precedent, both internationally and locally, on how no-confidence motions are handled

by Speakers. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, when pressed on the possible actions of House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, charged that his credibility is in question.

At a news conference at his Church Street office on Monday (November 19, 2018), he said, “If he departs from international norms it will not be good for our democracy or his credibility.”

Jagdeo acknowledged that what is at stake is not only “the future of the government” – a government under which Scotland was appointed – but also the Speaker’s appointment.

“There is that self-interest on this matter but having said that, we expected that once the Speaker was appointed that he has a duty to not only the executive… but to all parliamentarians and he would exercise that duty and responsibility fairly and impartially. We also expect the Speaker not to depart from what is international practice and norm in relation to [a] no-confidence vote and so we are hoping that the professionalism of the Speaker will prevail.”

The Opposition Leader added that he expects the Speaker to be “seized” with the important responsibility before him, as well as consider Guyana’s image, when he adjudicates and rules of the matter of the no-confidence motion filed against the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

Jagdeo added, “Clearly people are unhappy with the direction of the country; [with the] policies and practice of government….

Government has no vision.

We are drifting, they have absolutely no plan for Guyana. They are using up our money on frivolous things, such as celebrations, food and rentals [and] they are borrowing a lot. They are damaging our prospects for the future.”

REASONS FOR NO-CONFIDENCE A motion of no-confidence in the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was been filed by Jagdeo, with the National Assembly, last Thursday (November 15, 2018).

He made the announcement, adding that the move came after a meeting of his Party’s leadership, yesterday.

In August 2014, then Alliance For Change (AFC)

Parliamentarian, Moses Nagamootoo, had filed a no-confidence motion against the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government, led by then President, Donald Ramotar. Parliament was then prorogued and Guyana headed into snap elections.

Jagdeo explained that the APNU and AFC had proffered several reasons for their move to file a no-confidence motion against the then PPP/C government.

Among them were: the restoration of monies cut from the budget for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), hinterland airports, the University of Guyana student loan programme, vouchers for public school students, and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project. Another reason was the non-transfer of monies to the Consolidated Fund, which was held, legally, by semi-autonomous agencies. A third claim was a procedural breach in the $4B transferred to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and allegation of corruption. “They have not proven any of these issues so far,” he said.

The Opposition Leader charged that if these reasons could have justified the filing of that no-confidence motion,

then there is greater justification, now, for the filing of the no-confidence motion.

He listed several things to support this contention, including: the loss of 30,000 jobs; the decimation of the sugar sector; massive increases in the cost of living; and the imposition of hardships on the Guyanese people, via government policies, such as $60B in increased taxes per annum. He also pointed to “unbelievable” levels of proven corruption, exposed via, not only the Parliamentary Opposition, but also by the Auditor General’s Office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The hiding of the $US18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil in a separate account, when the monies should have been transferred into the Consolidated Fund, was another example cited.

Jagdeo said, “On almost every single issue they have failed to keep their promises… therefore if, at that time the circumstances existed for a no-confidence motion, it’s a hundred times worse now…and the people have expressed through these local government results, even in their own base, an extreme dissatisfaction with their policies at the national level.”

He charged that the coun-

try is “drifting” because of a lack of vision of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. According to him, the no-confidence motion is intended to protect Guyanese and Guyana from the excessive borrowing, taxing and wasteful spending of the current administration.

CLEAR MESSAGE According to the Opposition Leader, the results of the 2018 Local Government Elections sent a clear message to the Coalition Government, relative to the dissatisfaction of Guyanese with the policies of the Coalition Government.

He charged that a no-confidence motion reinforces this message. “We will have a chance to say to them that their polices are wrong… they are damaging prospects for the future and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “…the worst thing that could happen for us is that we lose the no-confidence motion.

That is the worst outcome.

But we may achieve something positive from that, which is to basically reiterate through the debates, and send a strong signal to them from the political opposition, what the people have said to them through the local government

elections that they need to change their ways on almost everything.”

According to him, several policies need to be reversed.

He called for: the restoration of the water and electricity subsidies for pensioners; the restoration of the cash grants to public school students; the restoration of the annual tax-free bonus to ranks of the Disciplined Services; the removal of VAT from electricity, water, medical supplies and services; a reduction of the excise tax on fuel; a restoration of the two per cent final tax for miners; the reversal of the increases in water rates; the reversal of the increases in University of Guyana fees; and a move forward with constitutional reform, among others.

Jagdeo stressed that whether the PPP/C is successful in its no-confidence motion being passed in the House or not, Guyanese will benefit. “We are hoping that the no-confidence motion can shake this government back to senses and stop them from destroying our future,” he said.

The PPP/C currently holds 32 seats in the National Assembly, while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government hold 33 seats.

Coalition’s attempt to counter reasons behind A vote in support of no-confidence motion will be ‘ultimate act of patriotism’ PPP/C no-confidence motion rubbished A A Member of Parliament from the Government benches in the National Assembly who votes in support of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) no-confidence motion – having witnessed the mal-administration of Guyana’s affairs, the lack of policy direction from the Coalition Government and the erosion of rights and welfare of the Guyanese people over the past three and a half years – will be a true patriot.

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during a news confer-

ence on Monday (November 19, 2018), at his Church Street office.

His comment came in response to those from Government officials, who have said that any Government MP who votes with the PPP/C will be a ‘sell-out’. “It is not be a sell-out…it will be the ultimate act of patriotism,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader added that information on how Government intends to respond to the PPP/C no confidence motion indicates that the Coalition wants a December 2018 debate. However,

he charged that this decision is not one for the Executive to make, rather it is decision of House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland. “The convention is that one a no-confidence motion is filed, it takes precedence over other issues…we are hoping that the Speaker will stand up to any attempt by the Executive to impose a date for dealing with this… we will be watching the issue.”

The PPP/C currently holds 32 seats in the National Assembly, while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government hold 33 seats.

motion of no-confidence in the APNU+AFC Coalition Government was filed with the National Assembly, last Thursday (November 15, 2018).

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, detailed several reasons to support the need for such a move.

In an apparent counter to the reasons detailed by the Parliamentary Opposition, a flyer circulated by the Coalition has been trashed

by Jagdeo. The flyer lists accomplishments of the APNU+AFC Coalition Gov-

ernment.

The Opposition Leader charged that while one of the accomplishments listed is a reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT) to 14 per cent, the expanded application of VAT to education, food items and health supplies and services has been ignored.

In most all of the socalled accomplishments claimed, Jagdeo charged that the context of the imposition of other hardships on the Guyanese people have been ignored.

“It is pathetic. Where are the key issues on jobs, taxes, people’s welfare…where are those big issues….they (APNU+AFC) is out of touch with reality,” the Opposition Leader charged.

Meanwhile, when the no-confidence motion was tabled, Jagdeo listed several reasons to support the need for a no-confidence motion.

These reasons include: the loss of 30,000 jobs; the decimation of the sugar sector; massive increases in the cost of living; and the imposi(Turn to page 9)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 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 Monday (November 19, 2018), ranging from recent developments with the no-confidence motion filed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to threats made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

Harmon’s threats to PPP supporters harm ethnic, political harmony in Guyana

T

he incendiary nature of a speech made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at a rally held in Sophia by the APNU+AFC Coalition, warrants a response, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, particularly since his comments threaten ethnic and political harmony in Guyana.

During a Monday (November 19, 2018) news conference, Jagdeo disclosed that a complaint letter will be sent to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). He added that the matter will also be raised at the level of the international community, as well as pursued further.

Jagdeo’s comments came in response to a news article published by an online news agency, headlined, ‘No more Mr. Nice Time’: APNU targets PPP supporters, NDCs that sabotage governmentHarmon.

The Opposition Leader

said, “The incendiary nature of his speech that could affect ethnic and political harmony and we would like the Ethnic Relations Commission to have a full-fledged investigation of this matter… he issued a direct threat to a large number of people on the basis of their political affiliation.”

TRYING TO JUSTIFY DEFEAT Jagdeo also responded to Harmon’s claims that Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) that controlled by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are involved in acts that sabotage the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s ability to deliver goods and services to the Guyanese people.

He pointed out that at the NDC levels, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, has insisted on approving the budgets – approvals that

come as many as 10 months (till October) into the financial year, despite the fact that the NDCs submit their budgets early. He questioned how the PPP/C could be responsible for the Coalition Government’s non-delivery to the Guyanese people, when this is the case.

According to him, at several of the NDCs, the overseers report directly to Bulkan and his Ministry, rather than coordinate with the elected officials at the NDCs. At the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), Jagdeo pointed out that the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) are responsible for execution of regional budgets. He stated that across the country, technically qualified persons have been replaced by “party hacks” – all of whom were appointed by the Coalition Government.

“As far as I am concerned, it is not the PPP/C controlled RDCs that are the problem, it is the REOs…they work at variance with the elected officials,” he said. He also cited the disruption of RDC meetings in areas like Region 5 by APNU+AFC officials on the Council.

The Opposition Leader questioned what Harmon’s excuse is for the non-delivery of good and services – at both the NDC and RDC levels – in areas like Region 10 and 4, if his contention is that the PPP/C is sabotaging government efforts. “They control Region 10, 4…they control Georgetown…what is his reason for the failures to deliver in those areas…who is styming the work there… they control those areas… they cannot blame the PPP,” he said.

All considered, Jagdeo charged that Harmon is clear-

ly trying to justify the “massive defeat” suffered by the APNU+AFC Coalition at the 2018 Local Government Elections. The PPP/C has almost doubled the margin of votes between our Party and APNU and AFC combined – moving from about 24,000 at the 2016 Local Government Elections to over 45,000. The difference of votes between the PPP/C and the AFC was a whopping 113,000 votes.

Between the PPP/C and the APNU, the difference of votes was over 50,000.

INCOMPETENT, CORRUPT CABAL The Opposition Leader also took Harmon to task over his government’s inaction, relative to the exposure of corrupt acts.

“Just examine why services have not been delivered…it is because of an incompetent and corrupt

cabal,” he said.

Jagdeo referred to the outcomes of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of City Hall to support his contention.

He also cited the November 18, 2018 Kaieteur News article, headlined ‘Linden officials disregard Tender Board Laws in 2017… to award 14 contracts to friends -Auditor General Report highlights’, as another example.

“We are seeing unbelievable levels of corruption…it is all being done with the complicity of the government…this is the reason we have problems on the ground…it is incompetence, bullyism and corruption,” Jagdeo said.

Meanwhile, several of the reports of questionable, corrupt, actions and deals find the APNU+AFC Coalition Government silent.

SOCU’s move to conclude investigation in ‘corrupt’ contract in question

T

he Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Head, Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James, has said that the Unit is close to wrapping up its investigations into the awarding of a sole-sourced contract for a feasibility study into constructing the new Demerara River bridge.

However, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has questioned the concluding of an investigation, when the parties involved – Minister David Patterson and other APNU+AFC Coalition Government Cabinet members – have not been called into SOCU for questioning.

“We will be looking to see if this will be covered up,” Jagdeo said, during a press conference on Monday (November 19, 2018), at his Church Street office.

James, when pressed, had indicated that, Patterson and other Cabinet Ministers will be called in for questioning.

Jagdeo, in commenting

on an exchange with James on the matter, had said, “I asked whether SOCU was proceeding with the case against Patterson and the answer was yes…I was told that he (Patterson) will be called here (to SOCU’s office). And that other members of the Cabinet will be invited to SOCU, so we are very pleased about that; that the same standard (used by SOCU to question former PPP/C government officials) will be used. So hopefully from next week, you will start seeing members of the Government coming here to answer for the contract that was awarded illegally, with the complicity of Cabinet.”

UNCONFIRMED REPORTS Meanwhile, media reports indicate that after Jagdeo’s comments on the matter on Monday (November 19, 2018), Patterson was called into SOCU. However, neither SOCU,

nor Patterson have confirmed this.

On Monday (November 19, 2018) afternoon, when approached for a comment and asked whether he was questioned by SOCU officials, Patterson said “I wouldn’t comment on that.”

He also declined to confirm that he visited SOCUs’ headquarters.

FINDINGS OF PPC REPORT SOCU’s involvement in the matter came after a call from the PPP/C for an investigation. The PPP/C forwarded to SOCU a report from the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which was asked to investigate the manner in which the contract was awarded, earlier this year.

The PPC completed its investigation into the award of the contract for a feasibility study on a new Demerara River and handed its report over on August 7, 2018. The

findings of the report were damning.

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

As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered.

The project was not re-tendered. Instead, a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged by Patterson’s Ministry.

The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to

be engaged.

The report, on page 7, stated that monies to be spent on the project were taken from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (Asphalt Plant Accounts).

The report said, “The PPC noted that the Minster of Public Infrastructure, by memorandum dated November 18 2016, made a request to the Cabinet for Government seeking consideration and approval to use funds from the Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation to fund the feasibility study and to commence a contractual engagement with LievenseCSO as of the 1 Jan 2017. The PPC noted that this request to Cabinet was not forwarded through the NPTA but submitted directly by the Minister of Public Infrastructure. The PPC also noted that Cabinet considered the memorandum submitted by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and in November 2016 approved a

total sum of $161, 514, 420 to be used from the Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation to cover cost for the feasibility study for a new bridge across the Demerara river.”

Notably, the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, according to the PPC report, disclosed that the Board of the Corporation was not involved in the decision to spend its monies.

The report said, “He (Mr. Adams) stated that he had not signed the contract on behalf of the DHBC, but only because he was requested to do so by the Minister of Public Infrastructure.

CLEAR EVIDENCE The Parliamentary Opposition’s position is that the findings of the report evidence a flagrant breach of Guyana’s financial rules.

Notably, James has declined to say whether charges will be laid in the matter.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 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 Monday (November 19, 2018), ranging from recent developments with the no-confidence motion filed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to threats made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

Jordan may very well be confusing himself with PPP/C when he talks about ‘thieving hands’ and oil monies – US$18M signing bonus still being kept off gov’t books

T

he fact that the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, lied to the Guyanese people for over a year and a half about the receipt of US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil, was underscored by Opposition Leader, on Monday (November 19, 2018), during a news conference at his Church Street.

The reference was highlighted, given Jordan’s comments at a APNU rally at the Stabroek Market square earlier this month. Jordan had said, “The next election is the mother of all elections ever in this country. You know why? Because the oil

would be coming on stream and they all want their hands on the oil. We have to keep those thieves away from the oil resources.”

Jagdeo was no-holds barred as he rubbished Jordan’s comments. “He had to have been talking about himself…we had the first set of oil money that they tried to keep a secret from the Guyanese people.”

OFF GOVERNMENT BOOKS Notably, the US$18M has still not been transferred to the Consolidated Fund.

As for the treatment of

the US$18M, the Opposition Leader had proffered the view that the Coalition Government has sinister motives for keeping the monies off ‘Government’s books’, which are subject to review

by State auditors. “They could say that the lawyers’ fees are $4M…since the account will not be audited, we will never know (if that is the actual fees)….that is the mechanism they are using to siphon off the money,” he declared.

According to him, the fact of the matter is that the Government still has to transfer the money to the Con-

solidated Fund and still has to come to the National Assembly for approval to spend money, as was seen at the May 11, 2018 sitting where over $700M of the US$18M was subject to Parliamentary review. “They still have to come to the House…what is the big secret about this?”

Jagdeo questioned.

The Opposition Leader added, “If the Consolidated Fund is not broke, if there is no shortage of foreign exchange, why not put the money in the Consolidated Fund? There is no answer.”

LIES EXPOSED Local media on December 8, 2017 referred to a leaked letter that addressed

the issue of a signing bonus – months after the Coalition Government denied receiving the signing bonus.

Kaieteur News on, November 23, 2017, reported Jordan as saying that: “Such a claim is ‘a figment of the imagination’ and that there is ‘no agreement for any bonus’. Further, he noted that the Government did not request such a bonus.”

The letter, which was leaked to the media, and exposed Government’s denial that a signing bonus was paid was written by Finance Secretary, Hector Butts and sent to Bank of Guyana Governor, Gobin Ganga. The letter was dated September 20, 2016.

The letter also said, “I shall be grateful if you would arrange for the under-mentioned Foreign Currency Account to be opened at the Bank of Guyana, in order to receive a deposit in the form of a signing bonus to be given by ExxonMobil.

This account shall not be treated as part of the Bank’s foreign reserves. Instead the proceeds should be held in the currency of the deposit, that is, United States dollars, and invested in secured interest-bearing securities.”

The letter was copied to Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who also refused to admit that a signing bonus was paid by ExxonMobil.

Nagamootoo put on blast for unsubstantiated comments

P

rime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, is quite likely, suffering from a short memory, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Monday (November 19, 2018) news conference, at his Church Street Office, he trashed Nagamootoo’s comments about a no-confidence motion advancing “divisiveness” in Guyanese society.

Jagdeo questioned Nagamootoo’s short memory, since it was he who co-signed a no-confidence motion against the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2014. “So we are causing divisiveness in Guyanese society, was this was he was doing when they filed a no-confidence motion?” he asked.

REASONS In August 2014, then Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian, Nagamootoo, had filed a no-confidence motion against the former PPP/C government, along with Cathy Hughes.

Parliament was then prorogued and Guyana headed into snap elections, which were held on May 11, 2015.

Jagdeo noted that the APNU and AFC had proffered several reasons for their move to file a no-confidence motion against the then PPP/C government. Among them were: the restoration of

monies cut from the budget for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), hinterland airports, the University of Guyana student loan programme, vouchers for public school students, and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project. Another reason was the non-transfer of monies to the Consolidated Fund, which was held, legally, by semi-autonomous agencies.

A third claim was a procedural breach in the $4B transferred to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and allegation of corruption.

“They have not proven any of these issues so far,” he said.

The Opposition Leader charged that if these reasons could have justified the filing of that no-confidence motion, then there is greater justification, now, for the filing of the no-confidence motion.

He listed several things to support this contention, including: the loss of 30,000 jobs; the decimation of the sugar sector; massive increases in the cost of living; and the imposition of hardships on the Guyanese people, via government policies, such as $60B in increased taxes per annum. He also pointed to “unbelievable” levels of proven corruption, exposed via, not only the Parliamentary Opposition, but also by the Auditor General’s Office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The hiding of the $US18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil

in a separate account, when the monies should have been transferred into the Consolidated Fund, was another example cited.

Jagdeo said, “On almost every single issue they have failed to keep their promises… therefore if, at that time the circumstances existed for a no-confidence motion, it’s a hundred times worse now…and the people have expressed through these local government results, even in their own base, an extreme dissatisfaction with their policies at the national level.”

Jagdeo charged that the country is “drifting” because of a lack of vision of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

According to him, the no-confidence motion is intended to protect Guyanese and Guyana from the excessive borrowing, taxing and wasteful spending of the current administration.

CHILDSIH MOVE Nagamootoo was also put on blast for calling the PPP/C motion of no-confidence against the APNU+AFC Coalition Government a “childish” move.

Jagdeo questioned what Nagamootoo’s definition of child is. “Does he think this is what the loss of 30,000 jobs is?” he asked, reiterating that the reasons for filing the motion and both clear and substantive.

According to the Op-

position Leader, the results of the 2018 Local Government Elections sent a clear message to the Coalition Government, relative to the dissatisfaction of Guyanese with the policies of the Coa-

lition Government.

He charged that a no-confidence motion reinforces this message. “We will have a chance to say to them that their polices are wrong…they are damaging prospects for

the future and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.

The PPP/C currently holds 32 seats in the National Assembly, while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government hold 33 seats.

Coalition’s attempt to counter... (From page 8) tion of hardships on the Guyanese people, via government policies, such as $60B in increased taxes per annum. Jagdeo also pointed to “unbelievable” levels of proven corruption, exposed via, not only the Parliamentary Opposition, but also by the Auditor General’s Office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The hiding of the $US18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil in a separate account, when the monies should have been transferred into the Consolidated Fund, was another example cited.

The Opposition Leader said, “On almost every single issue they have failed to keep their promises… therefore if, at that time the circumstances existed for a no-confidence motion, it’s a hundred times worse now… and the people have expressed through these local government results, even in their own base, an extreme dissatisfaction with their policies at the national level.”

He has proffered the view too that the country is “drifting” because of a lack of vision of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

According to him, the no-confidence motion is intended to protect Guyanese and Guyana from the excessive borrowing, taxing and wasteful spending of the current administration.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 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 Monday (November 19, 2018), ranging from recent developments with the no-confidence motion filed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to threats made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

AFC reduced to a 4% Party

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) continues to mislead Guyanese on its standing in the political arena, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his Monday (November 19, 2018) news conference, he pointed out that the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) make it clear that the AFC is a spent political force. Despite the facts, he noted the misleading statement that has been made by the AFC. The AFC statement, released last Thursday (November 15, 2018), says: “The Alliance For Change, based on all available unofficial results, wishes to assure all Guyanese that the party has consolidated and in fact maintained its support across Guyana. “…the AFC, however, based on our preliminary analysis, has in fact moderately increased its support among Guyanese from

the 10.32 per cent which it registered in 2011 when it last contested elections independently. Once all the results are officially announced

by GECOM, the AFC is confident that it will maintain its share of the vote in the various constituencies in which it contested.”

Jagdeo noted that the AFC’s claim of increasing its 10.32 per cent of support is blatantly false.

The facts are that some 208,000 persons voted at the 2018 Local Government Elections, and the AFC secured just over 8,000 votes – just about 4 per cent of the votes.

Jagdeo said, “Nagamootoo (AFC Executive Moses Nagamootoo) has talked about calling the AFC a 10 per cent party…it is not a 10 per cent party, it is a four per cent party…that is what it is…they have tried to mislead the whole of Guyana.”

He added, “The AFC has become the most dishonest party every in Guyana….

Nagamootoo needs to know that he is not a 10 per cent party. He is a four per cent party.”

The difference of votes between the PPP/C and the AFC is a whopping 113,000 votes. Also, between the PPP/C and the APNU, the difference of votes was over 50,000.

Nationally, preliminary results show the PPP/C has almost doubled the margin of votes between our Party and APNU and AFC combined – moving from about 24,000 at the 2016 Local Government Elections to over 45,000 at this year’s Local Government Elections.

Results also show that the PPP/C won in 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and tied five others at the 2018 Local Government Elections.

APNU+AFC peddling old ‘rhetoric’, fails to substantiate claims R hetoric peddled on the campaign trail in the lead up to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections by the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition is being repeated in 2018.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Monday (November 19, 2018), during a news conference, charged that while this is the case, the Coalition still refuses to respond the call from the Parliamentary Opposition for these claims to be substantiated.

One of the ‘old lines’ being peddled, according to him, relates to a list of 400 of Guyanese – “allegedly young Afro-Guyanese men” – who were killed during the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) tenure in office.

Jagdeo made clear that

the list, which was published by the PNC-led APNU+AFC, once reviewed shows clearly the names of civilians, ranks of Guyana’s disciplined forces and criminals – not “young Afro-Guyanese” men, as claimed.

“All you have to do is look at the list for yourselves and you will see their desperation,” he said.

Additionally, Jagdeo noted that there is no response from the Coalition to the call from the Parliamentary Opposition for a comprehensive CoI into the crime wave of the 2000’s.

Jagdeo has decried Granger’s decision to “cherry pick” incidents for investigation, as was done with the Lindo Creek CoI. He contends that a comprehensive Commission of Inquiry into the crime wave should start with the escape of prisoners in 2002 and also

seeks to inquire about the political players in incidents subsequent to the jailbreak, as well as seek to ascertain how army weapons ended up in the hands of criminals.

“They can also look at the role of drug dealers and whether the drug dealers had links to the government,” he had said, referring to the criticism repeated by members of the PNC-led Coalition Government, regarding Roger Khan. Jagdeo added, “…it (a comprehensive CoI) is not going to happen because some of the players are now huge in the current Government.”

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

Position on appointment of GECOM Chairman unchanged

W

ith the holding of the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) having been concluded, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, was pressed on whether or not his views on the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has changed.

During his Monday (November 19, 2018) news conference, he made it clear that his view on how the GECOM Chairman was appointed remains unchanged.

Notably, the Guyana Court of Appeal on Thursday (October 18, 2018) upheld a High Court ruling on President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of

the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). And former Attorney General and PPP/C MP, Anil Nandlall, who filed the challenge on behalf of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, has since said that the ruling will be appealed at the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

He said, “I am disappointed but not surprise.

Once again, we have seen irrefutable evidence of a particular trend in judicial decisions that are crucially political. It demonstrates how far more we have to go as a nation to achieve a

mature judiciary. No doubt we will now pursue an appeal at the CCJ as soon as is possible. We will impress upon that court to hear and determine this appeal with every convenient speed. So, we should have a date for the hearing of the appeal fixed

by January of 2019, and we are hoping that a decision can be handed down shortly after that. I have every confidence that the appeal will succeed. Significantly, the CCJ will be invited to use the approach, which they adopted in the Cedric Richardson appeal in determining this case.”

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 Opposition Leader, Bharrat 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 agreement 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.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

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

APNU+AFC Coalition succumbed to the trappings of power at the expense of the people’s welfare

By Vindhya Vasini Persaud (GUEST CONTRIBUTOR)

A

s 2018 comes to an end, Guyanese continue to bear the brunt of the consistent ineptitude of the Government of Guyana in many areas of their lives. The daily struggle to make ends meet is real and people continue to grapple with the escalating cost of living, paucity of jobs, unemployment, unconscionable taxes, poor security and unfriendly investment and business climates. No doubt many look at the 2020 elections as the light at the end of a dark the tunnel.

The three years of APNU/ AFC governance has seen the paralysis of key sectors. The oil mantra is chanted as the cure for the future. Meanwhile, the country continues to drown in growing debt, and scandal after scandal plagues the Ministries as unauthorized spending is the order of the day and public funds are utilized for questionable rentals, purchases and expenses. What is disturbing is that the Government remains nonchalant in the face of the burgeoning disenchantment of its citizens who have on occasion turned to strikes and protests in the face of numerous impositions and transgressions; VAT on education, poor salaries for teachers and cleaners and non-payment of severance in the case of sugar workers.

The Agricultural sector was the hardest hit during the tenure of the sitting Government with the sudden dismissal of thousands of sugar workers and closure of sugar estates in regions where employment was primarily through that avenue.

The thousands of dismissed

sugar workers caught in the stranglehold of trying to provide for their families’ welfare, while on the breadline, are visible reminders of the destruction of an industry that was a formidable contributor to the economy of Guyana. The absence of a plan to humanely train and transition these workers to alternative jobs prior to the estates’ closure or to retain the workers until the estates were sold or to gradually phase the industry into alternative and diverse avenues of agriculture with niche markets, illustrates the callousness of this government towards the working class. Or worse, it emphasizes their visionless stewardship of our country.

The Health sector is caught in the throes of mismanagement and misappropriation leading to crippling shortages in medications and deficient health facilities across the country. This sector has been plagued by a lack of transparency. Billions of dollars have been spent on ‘alleged’ emergency medications without following the system of public tender and pre-qualification.

The unknown HDM Lab has landed a $367M contract

with the Government as their first local transaction even though other companies bid more than 50% less than this company. The Sussex Street bond has amassed a rental of 265 Million dollars over a 21 month period under shady circumstances. Visits over the last year and a half to many hospitals and health centers revealed hundreds of troubled patients who could not access basic medications including essentials including insulin, painkillers, anti-hypertensives and antibiotics and were unable to access diagnostic tests; ECGs and ultrasounds because equipment was not working or unavailable. These problems persist. This year has been marked by a number of maternal and neonatal deaths in hospitals. Very little investigation has been done and even less corrective measures have been instituted. Questions in Parliament on the deaths of a number of neonates at GPHC at the beginning of the year revealed that there were shortages of blood culture bottles and antibiotics to combat multidrug resistant organisms in the Neonatal Unit. Many of the regions’ incubators

are not working. In Region 7, none of the 4 incubators are working potentially endangering the lives of the newborn. The Ministry of Public Health also continues to be dogged by serious shortages of trained staff in hospitals across the country and in their infectious disease programs. The VAT imposed on health services and medications has increased the cost of private health care and pushed it further from the reach of the average Guyanese The plight of patients especially pensioners is a dire one, as many do not have the financial wherewithal to access private healthcare facilities nor to buy essential medications. Doctors are being told more often, whether in private or public sector, that many medications are not at all available in the country, notably injectables.

The Government’s policy on importation of generic medication in the country is not only curtailing availability, but also increasing the burden on patients by forcing them to buy brands. I was shocked last month when a gentleman whose wife was a patient at GPHC told me he was buying for bandages, as even that was unavailable there.

The Ministry of Social Protection expended 95.6M dollars of a budgeted 100 million dollars on the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development Initiative this year and notably, none of the beneficiaries were from any of the areas hard hit by the closure of the sugar estates. When the Minister of Social Protection was asked in Parliament if this initiative was publicly advertised for persons to

apply for funding for their entrepreneurial ventures, the answer was no. It was thought that the 20 beneficiaries who applied may have heard when the initiative was mentioned in the budget speeches. Shouldn’t these programs be publicly advertised in all the regions, so that all Guyanese have an equal opportunity to benefit?

There has been very little progress in the area of training of counselors through the Ministry of Social Protection.

Children’s homes, shelters and schools remain unserved and underserved due to a serious shortage of counselors.

This, in spite of a spate of social issues and mental health problems that affect children and youth with alarming frequency. The ratio of counselors to children placed in these institutions after trauma and abuse is disturbing and many children do not receive the counseling necessary for them to heal. In 2017, only 30 percent of 841 cases of child sexual abuse were referred for therapy, which means that it is possible that “close to 600 victims… may never receive trauma-focused therapy to heal from the trauma,” according to ChildLink Forensic Interviewer Nicole Whaul. The first six months of 2018 alone showed that 393 girls and 88 boys, a total of 481 cases, were victims of abuse, while there were 238 reported cases of child sexual abuse for the same period. Clearly, the Ministry of Social Protection continues to fail children as no new program or initiative has been rolled out to directly target this frightening rise in abuse. There are hundreds of graduates annually from the University of Guyana in

Social Work, can they not receive additional training and be recruited to serve in this area where there is a serious need for counselors, social workers, psychologists? Clearly more effort must be placed on education and awareness on child abuse as well as the development of wider safety nets for children who are abused making help for children more easily accessible. The void that exists for counselors in schools also remains.

Youth unemployment also continues to rise and both qualified and the unskilled youths remain desperate for a source of income.

Hundreds of youths with high school and University qualification remain an untapped and wasted resource as no effort has been made to harness their energies and skills in the work force.

Some regions are more affected by unemployment than others and it is no surprise that youths are opting for the migration avenue.

The brain drain, at a time when, as a country, we have more qualified young people than ever, is a travesty.

Our country continues to hemorrhage at the hands of this Government that so quickly succumbed to the trappings of power at the expense of the people’s welfare and converted a once buoyant economy to a tenuous one.

Despite all, it was the collective voices of the people of Guyana that catalyzed the country’s return to democracy in 1992, it was the united outpouring of outrage that halted the parking meters project and it will once again fall to the citizens of this country to say.

We have had enough!

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

13

Real Time Economic Insights

T

he APNU+AFC Coalition has announced a salary increase for public servants – an increase ranging from 0.5 to seven per cent. In doing so, several myths have been peddled about what took place under former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administrations.

Here are the FACTS: 1. Under the PPP/C government, minimum wage to public servants increased by over 100 percent in two years (between January 1993 and January 1995)-Budget Speech 1996, pg. 37 2. Under the APNU/AFC government, minimum wage to public servants increased by 20% in two years (from $50,000 in 2015 to $60,000 in 2017) and NOT 52% as claimed by the Hon. Minister ("minimum wage has rapidly increased by nearly 52 percent in two years, from $39,570 (wrong) in 2015, to $60,000, in 2017"-DPI, November 19, 2018.

3. In just under 2 years , the PPP/C government, from 1993-95, increased salary to public servants by over 76% (Budget Speech, 1993-95), while old age pension increased by 50% within one year (1994)- Budget Speech 1994.

4. Overall, from 1992-2014, minimum wage increased by more than 310% (Analyses done by Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

PPP/C calls on APNU+AFC government to reverse hard I

n the lead-up to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government made dozens of promises to Guyanese in its sulted in greater loss of jobs, worse yet in the absence of the promised national job creation plan; that hurt the economy, particularly the increase Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has called on the APNU+AFC Coalition to reverse the hardship measures imposed on the Guyanese people and restore policie

► Reverse the VAT imposed on essential food items ► Reverse the VAT imposed on electricity and water ► Reverse the VAT imposed on all medical supplies and service ► Remove VAT on construction materials that are locally produced ► Remove the VAT imposed on machinery and equipment for agriculture, mining, forestry, etc. ► Remove VAT on local products in the forestry sector, such as logs, shingles, piles, poles, plywood, rough and dressed wood, veneers, charcoal etc. ► Remove VAT on materials and supplies used in the fisheries sector ► Reverse the ban on vehicles over eight-years-old and reverse the ban on the importation of used tyres ► Reverse increased fees on land rentals, as well as drainage and irrigation in Region 5, which were moved from $3,500 to $15,000 per acre, among other measures hurting farmers ► Reinstate the 2% final tax for the mining sector ► Reduce the massive increases in fees for government services, which were imposed in the 2016 Budget ► Reduce the overall tax burden on Guyanese, which sees the collection of $60B more per annum ► Stop the increased, massive borrowing ► Cut the extravagant spending on travel, food, rentals, vehicles and other things that do not bring benefit to the Guyanese people ► Increase wages/salaries for all public servants, as per the promises made in the APNU+AFC 2015 manifesto ► Restore the annual one month tax-free salary bonus for all members of the Disciplined Services ► Initiate new infrastructure projects – not only complete projects envisioned and started under the former PPP/C administration – to stimulate economic activity in accordance with the Procurement Act and regulations

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

15

dship measures, restore policies that improve welfare

s manifesto. In the last three and a half years, the Coalition has reneged on those and advanced measures: that increased the cost of living; that reed borrowing and wasteful spending; and measures that hurt the productive sectors. Ahead of the tabling of Budget 2019, the People’s Progressive es that improve their welfare. The points listed below do not represent an exhaustive list of the calls made by the PPP/C.

► Re-commence the Amaila Hydro Falls Project as recommended by the independent Norwegian consultancy firm ► Improve the implementation of capital projects, particularly Government loan projects ► Restore the electricity subsidies to pensioners across Guyana ► Restore the cash grant to each public school child, registered from nursery through to secondary students, and increase it to $20,000 per child ► Reverse tuition fee increases for UG students ► Re-instate the Single Parent Assistance Programme, with vouchers to assist with day care costs ► Restore water subsidies to pensioners across Guyana ► Reverse the increase in water rates and other fees that drive up cost of living ► Improve the procurement process in the health sector to ensure improved delivery/ supply of medical supplies and drugs to health care facilities in Guyana ► Improve the working conditions for all health workers ► Rehire the 1,972 Amerindian Community Service Officers ► Fully fund the Village Improvement Plans (VIPs) developed for Amerindian communities ► Pay the fired sugar workers their severance in full and extend support for training, coupled with stipend packages ► Offer communities, depressed by the closure of sugar estates, subsidies for water and electricity, as was done for Region 10 communities when the bauxite sector was facing challenges ► Restore the national housing programme by opening up new schemes and making available new house lots ► Expedite the maintenance of interior roads and bridges

► Improve spending on crime fighting

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t inaction this week …a snapshot of headlines making the news

Blackouts continue, GPL functioning without Board for past 11 months

Eleven months into 2018 and there has been no move to appoint a Board of Directors at the Guyana Power and Light Company Inc. (GPL).

Earlier this year, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, expressed worry over the fact that GPL has been operating for almost six months without a Board of Directors. Jagdeo noted that GPL is raking in billions of dollars in revenue and decisions are being made concerning the company, in the absence of a functioning board. He had said that appointing a board is not a time-consuming exercise, “yet Government has failed to appoint one since January 2018.

The question is, “Who makes the decisions for the company?”

GPL’s “Corporate Governance Code” states that a functioning Board is imperative for the company’s operation.

GPL, in the recent years, has been facing uphill challenges to provide reliable power.

Responsibility for the power company falls under the portfolio of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.

Nagamootoo argues against Opposition’s call for budget requests of constitutional agencies to be honoured A motion by the Parliamentary Opposition, which called for the 2019 budget requests of key constitutional agencies, to be honoured was argued against by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo.

Nagamootoo made clear that “financial matters are must emanate from the government” and added that the Finance Minister Winston Jordan made a recommendation to the National Assembly for budget cuts to several constitutional agencies, with the support of Cabinet.

He also urged the Speaker of the House to not be “veered” from the constitution and requested that the recommendation, made

by Minister Jordan, be put to the House for a vote.

Will GECOM push for new House-to-House registration despite objections?

The Committee of Supply of the National Assembly approved the lump sum of $5,37B for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the period ending December 31, 2019. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan said the amount recommended represents a substantial amount of the requested $6,368B requested by the Commission.

Notably, earlier this year, some $4B has been requested for the conduct of a national house-to-house registration by the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which is headed by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield.

PPP General Secretary and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had publicly voiced concerns and warned about “huge dangers” if GECOM pushes ahead with the move. The Opposition Leader referred to 1990, stating that elections should have been held that year but because the voters’ list prepared by the Elections Commission was flawed, the elections were postponed for two years because the PPP agreed to it. “Well we are not going to agree to anything now,” he said.

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

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

The GRO can supply this information to GECOM, which, in turn, can share it with the political parties.

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

Jagdeo contends that if a new house-tohouse registration was done in 2015, the possibility of a delay of the 2020 General and Regional Elections would not have been great.

Ramjattan turns attention to ‘social difficulties’ caused by noise nuisance, crime reports on the rise Even as crime continues to plague Guyanese communities, so does Government’s failure to public declare what plan it has to address this.

This week, instead of crime, Public Security Minister Ramjattan, focused his attention on noise pollution. The minister expressed that noise pollution can lead to all sorts of social difficulties.

Meanwhile, rape and robberies have increased by an overall 23 % in comparison to last year. This is according to information compiled and released by the Guyana Police Force, (GPF). The police recorded 504 reports of gun robberies compared to 552 cases last year.

The GPF also recorded a 20 per cent increase in fatal accidents. Regarding traffic management, the police said there is 20 per cent increase in fatal accidents and a 14 per cent decrease in deaths at the end of January 2018, relative to the corresponding period last year. Speeding, speeding/driving under the influence of alcohol and pedestrians crossing in the path of approaching vehicles were the main causes of the fatal accidents. Persons charged with traffic violations this year so far numbered 8,201.

APNU+AFC gov’t admits that no-confidence motion was behind absence from National Assembly sitting A mere 15 minutes before last Friday’s (November 16, 2018) sitting of the National Assembly was scheduled to start, Opposition Parliamentarians – the only ones present in National Assembly Chambers – were informed that the sitting was postponed.

By 17:00 hours that day, the Coalition Government admitted that no Government Parliamentarians were present for the sitting because of the no-confidence motion filed against the Administration by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

“Given the submission of a Motion of No Confidence yesterday, the Government felt it necessary and urgent to convene a meeting to apprise and brief all Members of Parliament,” a statement from government said.

Meanwhile, critics and political observers have said that the Government’s absence from last Friday’s sitting did not reflect well on the Administration.

STRAIGHT TALK 17

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

(The following is an abridged version of a speech by Dr. Cheddi Jagan made on April 3, 1962, during the Budget Debate in the Legislative Assembly. 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 Jagan.)

A national budget must address key issues affecting people and reflect a recognition of global developments (PART 1)

By Cheddi Jagan

"A

bolition of unearned income…the complete sequestration of all profits, nationalisation of all joint stock companies, participation in the profits of big concerns, establishment of a sound middle class, immediate municipalisation of the big department stores which shall be let to small tradesmen, the utmost regard for the latter in the allocation of government orders, the death penalty for usurers and profiteers."

One would have thought that what I have just read is a part of the PPP's manifesto but, believe me, it is part and parcel of the programme of the National Socialist German Workers' Party — the Nazi Party of Adolph Hitler. Hitler started out by being a Nationalist as well as a Socialist, mouthing slogans which, apparently, appealed to the working people at that time.

The intention was to get the working class behind his Fascist Party.

We saw not only in this budget debate, but outside of this House similar steps being taken as were taken by Hitler in order to get working class people against the very party which has agitated, has fought and continues to fight on their behalf. The debate started off with the question of having confidence in the Government, and as it progressed we had little pin-pricks here and there.

Honourable Members spoke of the incompetence on the part of the Government, not having enough land for the people, inadequate services and so on.

Yesterday, an Honourable Member attempted, in a very long speech, to give us what appeared to be a serious discussion on economics. Great play was made about all the ills in British Guiana. We are all aware of these facts. It was I and the

PPP who, several years ago from the inception of the Party, brought forward in very strong language to the people of this country the imbalance in our economy.

What do we find today?

Primary production takes up 41 per cent of the gross domestic product. By primary production, I mean agriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining and the pro-

in the whole world, but even around us. Let me just make reference to one area, Latin America, because we have a similar situation here: lack of industries, economic imbalance, land hunger and so on.

The Honourable Member says the PPP is responsible for the situation in British Guiana. It seems to me that if we are to follow this argument to its logical conclusion, then the PPP bug must have been very active in the Latin American republics also where we have a similar situation; where we have unemployment today at a high level, where we have the same attempts being made to improve the economy from its depression, from its state of stagnation.

Ten years ago and even before that, when the Peo-

“We saw not only in this budget debate, but outside of this House similar steps being taken as were taken by Hitler in order to get working class people against the very party which has agitated, has fought and continues to fight on their behalf.” – Dr Cheddi Jagan communists, that only communists talked about land reform and about economic planning. I was fortunate to attend a conference of the Economic Commission for Latin America last May, and it was pleasing to hear that all the Latin American countries are now thinking about these same things — land reform, planning, industrialisation.

Indeed, the position has deteriorated so badly that President Kennedy has said in his Alliance for Progress Programme that unless there is basic social and economic

“I give those figures to show that the poverty of British Guiana, indeed the poverty of the world today, is not due to the PPP and the wicked communists, as we are led to believe.” – Dr Cheddi Jagan cessing of these products.

The manufacturing of these consumer foods accounts for only 31 per cent of the gross domestic product. The last category catering for personal service and entertainment amounts to 1 per cent only.

One Honourable Member referred to the thousands of acres of land which we have in this country, no doubt referring to the serious land-hunger problem facing the country. But merely saying that is not an indication to show that the PPP, this Government, is responsible for such conditions.

GLOBAL HAPPENINGS These Honourable Members have not, unfortunately taken time off to observe what is taking place not only

ple's Progressive Party went to the street corners and said that there was need for land reform, that all the big holdings in the hands of sugar estates and others must be divided up and given to the people; when we talked about the need for industrialisation; when we talked about planning, it was then said that we were

reform, fiscal reform, land reform, there will be no more aid coming. Yes, a lot of money went into Latin America, billions of dollars went in, but where did it go? My honourable friend speaks about incentive, creating confidence, low taxation. Go into Latin America.

What do you find? Taxes are low, but that is not all.

No one bothers to collect the taxes because the people who are the collectors of taxes and the politicians own everything. There is no land reform because the politicians own most of the land. And when the money is given, it goes down the gutter — corruption, bribery, nepotism.

Foreign capital was invited. Conditions were certainly very favourable to the encouragement of private enterprise, of foreign investments. More capital has flown into Latin America in the immediate post-war era from the United States than into any other area in the world. But where is Latin America today? In 1958, because of a fall in price of primary products, Latin America's income dropped by $700 million.

At the last conference, Dr. R. Prebitch, the Executive Secretary of ECLA, pointed out that Latin America had to export larger quantities, in some cases as much as 40 percent to 50 per cent in volume, in order to get the same income.

It is not for the want of confidence, for the want of encouragement, that Latin America is today in the

“From the comments made, at least one Honourable Member will soon be seeing communists under his bed. I recall that a former US Minister of Defence had to be sent to a mental home. He jumped through a window because he thought he saw some communists coming after him. I have heard that a lawyer of a very famous family in British Guiana is in the same condition. He is going around telling people, ‘Jagan is taking away my property’.” – Dr Cheddi Jagan

doldrums.

AN ECONOMIC POLICY THAT FITS Today, this area of which we are a part is in the doldrums because of the basic economic philosophy which my Honourable Friend is pleading for in this country.

Capitalism is in serious trouble today, and its death pangs are having serious repercussions in the underdeveloped countries of the world.

I will develop that point a little more in a little while when I talk about the need for industrialisation.

But the fact is that these countries — all of us, whether we are colonies or semi-colonies, politically dependent or politically independent — are economically subservient. Whatever the situation, we are the producers of raw materials which the manufacturing countries, the industrialised countries, need and we have been getting the raw end of the deal. President Kennedy, in a statement made not long ago, referred to this problem of the gap between the rich countries and the poor countries getting wider.

We do not have only two worlds today — the communist world and the capitalist world. We have three worlds, for inside the belly of the capitalist world there is another world. This one is fighting for its deliverance. The world's population is estimated to be about three billion, of which one billion is today in the socialist sector of the world.

One billion people are today living in the system wherein (Turn to page 26)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Parliament Happenings

APNU+AFC MPs boycott siting of National Assembly because of no-confidence motion

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day after Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, filed a no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, the Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Government side boycotted a sitting of the National Assembly, which was set for Friday (November 16, 2018).

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarians who turned up at the National Assembly on Friday were greeted by an empty Chamber. Minutes before the 14:00hours start of the day’s sitting, the MPs were notified, by the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Hermina Gilgeours, that the sitting was postponed to Monday (November 19, 2018).

NO NOTICE Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in comments to the media, on Friday at Public Buildings (Parliament) said, “They had to know they wouldn’t be here long before now. They could have done the courteous thing and informed us so our [MPs] would not have to come here and wait on them and then have the sitting postponed.

When questioned, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, related that Government had requested the postponement. “You have the get the reason for the postponement of the sitting

2019 estimated budget allocations were due for scrutiny, as well as school children and members of the public were already seated in the public gallery when the postponement announcement was made. The students were from several secondary schools–Queen’s College, President’s College, St. Roses, Mahaicony, Dora and West Demerara along with child rights activist Nicole Cole and CEO of the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) Amar

The empty government benches in the National Assembly Chambers

from the government,” when pressed on the reason for the postponement.

Meanwhile, there was no official word regarding the reason for the postponement from the APNU+AFC Coalition, until 17:16hours on Friday. The terse statement read, “Given the submission of a Motion of No Confidence yesterday, the Government felt it necessary and urgent to convene a meeting to apprise and brief all Members of Parliament.

The government release, issued by the Department of Public Information (DPI), did not say when the request was made nor did it indicate why the information was not

communicated to the Parliamentary Opposition earlier.

Notably, however, it was not only the Opposition MPs who were not aware of the postponement.

A few government MPs arrived at Public Buildings, but were informed of the postponement before they made their way up to the National Assembly Chambers.

Vice President and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock, was among the Government MPs who was not informed in advance of the postponement.

Others included: Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder; Education Minister, Nicolette Henry; Communities Min-

Vice President and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock, seen returning to his vehicle. He was one of several government MPs who were not notified about the sitting being postponed

ister, Ronald Bulkan; Junior Natural Resources Minister, Simona Broomes; Junior Social Protection Minister, Keith Scott; and Government MPs, Audwin Rutherford and Richard Alleyne.

READY At the top of the agenda for Friday’s sitting was the

review of the 2019 budgets for several Constitutional Agencies.

Jagdeo, in speaking to the media on Friday, noted that the PPP/C was prepared yesterday to go through the agenda.

Notably, representatives of several constitutional agencies, whose

Panday. One student said that she was invited by the RCC, which is seeking just over $47 million for 2019.

The Opposition Leader apologized to the children and the other persons, while informing them that the government side of the House did not show up.

Speaker ignores PPP/C no-confidence motion

M

onday’s (November 19, 2018) of the National Assembly commenced and proceeded with no mention of or reference to the no-confidence motion filed against the APNU+AFC Coalition Government by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on behalf of the Parliamentary Opposition.

House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, at the start of the sitting, welcomed Parliamentarians and proceeded with the day’s agenda. He did not acknowledge the filing of the PPP/C no-confidence motion.

Notably, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in filing the motion, charged

that the country is “drifting” because of a lack of vision of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. According to him, the no-confidence motion is intended to protect Guyanese and Guyana from the excessive borrowing, taxing and wasteful spending of the current administration.

According to the him,

the results of the 2018 Local Government Elections sent a clear message to the Coalition Government, relative to the dissatisfaction of Guyanese with the policies of the Coalition Government.

He charged that a no-confidence motion reinforces this message. “We will have a chance to say to

them that their polices are wrong…they are damaging prospects for the future and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.

Jagdeo stressed that whether the PPP/C is successful in its no-confidence motion being passed in the House or not, Guyanese will benefit. “We are hoping that

the no-confidence motion can shake this government back to senses and stop them from destroying our future… all it takes is one vote and everything changes,” he said.

The PPP/C currently holds 32 seats in the National Assembly, while the APNU+AFC Coalition Government hold 33 seats.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Parliament Happenings

PPP/C says no to 10-minute limit for the review of Constitutional Agencies’ 2019 budget proposals – Stands ground on legally mandated handover of documents

T

he Monday (November 19, 2018) sitting of the House was suspended for several hours, after the Parliamentary Opposition resisted attempts to cut the number of hours allocated for consideration and review of 2019 budgets for Guyana’s Constitutional Agencies – a cut that would have allowed only 10 minutes for each agency.

House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, indicated that the time allocated would be two hours and 40 minutes.

Last year, the Parliamentary Opposition had five hours to review the 2018 budgets of the Constitutional Agencies. He moved to allow Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, to kick of the review. However, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, objected.

She said, “This is a fundamental issue. This is not a procedural issue. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution of our country guides us on what is critical.

“Article 223A (a) says that the expenditure of each of the entities shall be financed as a direct charge on the Consolidated Fund, determined as a lump sum by way of an annual subvention approved by the National Assembly after review and approval of the entity's annual budget as a part of the process of the determination of the national budget.

“Therefore, Mr. Speaker, the Constitution makes it clear that the budgets of these entities must be subject to the review of this House; not exclusively the Minister’s recommendations of how he wants to cut or support. “…as legislators, we have a right to examine, as part of our fiduciary role, that is guaranteed and protected by our Constitution…we don't wish to delay the budgets of the constitutional bodies, but we need to uphold the Con-

time…again no Government member attended.

However, the meeting had a quorum, but Mr. Speaker you did not allow the meeting to take place because of the absence of the Government.

“Therefore to come now

stitution in the basis and also to uphold transparency and accountability.”

B U S I N E S S C O M M I TTEE MEETINGS The Opposition raised the happenings of the Business sub-committee of the National Assembly, which deals with and agrees on how much time will be allowed for a review of the Constitutional Agencies’ budgets, among other matters.

She noted that the business sub-committee met on October 31, 2018, but there was no resolution on the way forward.

Teixeira said, “There was an issue with the business sub-committee and the attempts on two occasions to meet following an understanding we had on the night of October 31, 2018.

Unfortunately, that has not been presented here to the House and it should be.

“The efforts of the Parliamentary Opposition is to abide by the understanding you provided to the House.

So what are we dealing with on this issue? “…on the night of October 31st, we had an understanding, the agreement was that you would convene an expanded meeting of MPs on both sides of the House to discuss the consti-

NOT ABOUT DELAYS The Opposition Chief Whip stressed too that the Parliamentary Opposition has no interest in delaying the consideration of the 2019 Budgets of the Constitutional Agencies.

She said, “The Leader of the Opposition was pres-

tutional aspects, in relation to the budgets of the constitutional bodies. You did convene the meeting, we went at 1 o’clock on Thursday (November 15, 2018), and only the Parliamentary Opposition was there. We waited and no one came ent (at the Thursday, November 15, 2018, business sub-committee meeting) and I want to quote from what he said. He said: ‘It is not that we are unmindful of time. However, we are clear on our constitutional responsibilities to examine and scrutinize the budgets.

We are insisting to examine the budgets of the constitutional bodies and we have had time to ask the Ministry of Finance for his reasons for reductions or addition to the constitutional bodies’.”

Teixeira added, “Procedures don't trump our constitutional responsibilities.” from the Government. You came at 1:35pm. At 2:00 o’clock was supposed to be the Business Sub-Committee and no Government member attended and you then decided that you would now reschedule the meeting. “…on Friday (November 16, 2018) at 10:00 o’clock, our Members turned up, as before, on

and to take a report, which was controversial and which led to a dispute on the night of October 31st – and led to an understanding so that we can try to resolve it – is not acceptable….we came twice to try and find a compromise. We said if it cannot be resolved in these opportunities we would then have to bring it to the House and debate it.”

DOCUMENTS MUST BE HANDED OVER Another reason for Monday’s sitting being suspended for several hours was the failure to ensure that the 2019 Budget proposals submitted to the Parliament Office by the Constitutional Agencies were copied to the Parliamentary Opposition.

Opposition Parliamentarian, Priya Manickchand,

said, “We were very clear that the law, which binds us all in this National Assembly, indeed, which this House passed, was very clear about how it is we must receive this (the documents).

“We went through this (at the last sitting) and we said to you very clearly that the documents that come before us must be the ones that were submitted. The Finance Minister has no jurisdiction, has no right, has no ability to alter that and to present it to us in a document him or you or the Parliament office thinks would be more convenient.

“What the law says is that we must get as was submitted. So when the Registrar of the Supreme Court brings her submission and gives it to the Clerk and then copies one to the Speaker and then to the Minister of Finance, the Clerk can't put that in his desk or reduce it into writing for us. He must give it to us as was submitted. We do not have that.”

She added that this point was been made clearly to before Monday’s (November 19, 2018) sitting – some two weeks ago. “We discussed this already. We were very clear that we want it because we are entitled to it because this House said we must get it. In the laws that we passed and we are very clear that if we are to represent the people of this country we have to see the submissions made. “…to say today that well ‘we didn't get around to doing it for two weeks, but we should get on with the business’ of the House; this is the business of the House.

Our business is scrutinizing those documents.”

Having heard the views expressed, Scotland was forced to suspend the sitting to ensure that the matter is resolved – both the handover of documents and the agreement on time to be allowed for the review of the Constitutional Agencies’ 2019 budget.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

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

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

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he Parliamentary Opposition has been monitoring the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s use of public funds and the levels of transparency and accountability.

From June 10, 2015 to date, over 55 scandals have been uncovered – an average of one scandal for each month – some of which are listed below:

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

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

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

3. The dismissal of 1,972 Amerindian community service officers at “one stroke of the pen” with no cause by the third (3rd) Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Despite a promise by VP Allicock in the National Assembly, during the 2015 Budget debate that the government would create a new programme to hire Amerindian youths, they instead replaced this programme with the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youth Skills Programme (HEYs). HEYS is a sixmonth training programme with no entrepreneurial or employment component, which is under severe duress as there are complaints that the facilitators and students have not received their stipends despite the budgetary provision of $1Billion.

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

5. India/GoG funded Speciality Hospital – the government gave a contract to Fedders Lloyd (VP Ramjattan was its lawyer) without going to tender at a price yet unknown and in violation of

the procurement laws. Despite public outcry, the government refused to terminate the contract for the Speciality Hospital.

The company was delisted by the IDB and the Indian government and Eximbank withdrew the money for the loan. There has been no disclosure as to how much Fedders Lloyd was paid and what work had been done when the company was delisted and the project halted.

6. The first act of the government was to give themselves e nor m ous salary increases between 50 -100 % of what the former government ministers received. This was quietly done in September 2015 and the parliamentary opposition had to wage a struggle in Parliament to bring a motion to reverse this. When the motion was finally heard in December, it was defeated by the government’s one-seat majority. It should be remembered that the media, having leaked the fact that the government was embarking on increasing the salaries of the President, VPs and Ministers, Minister Trotman, on behalf of the government, denied that the government was contemplating any salary increases for the Ministers. This was also denied during the debate on the 2015 Budget in August 2015. Having gone into recess mid-September, the government stealthily published Order No. 6 of 2015 in the Official Gazette, dated September 25th, 2015, increasing their salaries and making it retroactive to July 1, 2015. Contrast this act with the government’s refusal to increase the salaries of the public servants in accordance with their campaign promises.

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

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

8. The President pardoned over 100 convicted felons in 2015 and stated that this would be

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

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

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

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

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

13. Following the March 18, 2016 Local Government Elections, Minister Bulkan in violation of

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

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

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

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

17. The GoG/BK International settlement of $1.17 B for Haags Bosche - The Ministry of Communities’ settlement of $1.17B to BK International for the Haags Bosche project came to light as a result of a Supplementary Financial Paper on August 8th where the country learnt that this settlement was made and would be paid in three tranches, even though the court did not award costs to BK Int’l.

The government paid BK Int’l

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

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

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office the first third of the payment in January 2016, which begs the question - where did this money come from? It was not provided for in the 2015 budget, nor was there any SFP in the interim nor in the 2016 Budget or since to cover this first payment of G$500M. The August Supplementary Financial Paper covers the payment of the second tranche of $501M to BK int’l from the Consolidated Fund.

The third payment the Minister stated would be reflected in the 2017 budget. This is a scandal like the RUDISA and the DDL write offs. Interesting and of note is that BK International is being paid the entire $10M USD for the contract though BK Int’l only worked for 3 of the 5 years of the contract at substandard work. The PPP/C government had terminated the contract due to substandard work and delays. Ministers Bulkan and Patterson late 2015 both publicly stated that BK Int’l had done substandard work on the project!

18. Two fuel scandals relating to the issuance of fuel licenses for the importation of fuel to companies that are made up of persons related to top officials or who are top officials themselves in the government, who have no fuel bonds, no storage facilities and no offices. The withdrawal of the fuel importation license to the Chinese company, which has invested millions of US dollars for storage facilities, appears to have been calculated to make room for these alternative importers.

In August the second set of fuel licenses came to light regarding licenses issued to Dr. Van West Charles, CEO and other officials in GWI under a private company. It should be noted that an applicant for a fuel license has to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and 4 additional licences - provision of a bond under detailed specifications, transportation, storage, importation, and restrictions on where fuel storage can be located. It normally takes a long time for an applicant to obtain all these licenses---impossible to do so in 9 months. The licenses were issued in the month that Van West Charles became CEO GWI and, therefore, he had ample time to remove himself from the company. At a parliamen-

tary opposition weekly press briefing several months ago, this gentlemen’s role in soliciting donations for pipes for the wells in Region 9 was exposed.

It was reported that the Brazilian contractors hired by GWI to dig 8 wells in the Rupununi region were unable to pay their workers as they allege that GWI is not paying them (the contractors).

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

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

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

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

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

However, unlike other investigations where the heads were sent

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

23. $240M spent on refurbishing the Kitty Market. Photographic evidence exposes the corruption by City Hall. There are no scope of works, estimates, etc that is available and the project was not put to tender as the city has hired the workers and is implementing the works itself. This project is still not completed.

24. The awarding of the contract for boxed juices for the school feeding programme to a Surinamese beverage company owned by RUDISA that was not the lowest or even the second lowest bid. The impact on the local farmers and manufacturers will be felt. DDL has come out publicly to criticise this, so too, has another company Guyana Beverages.

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

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

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

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

has got into the habit of putting out tenders in the press and then cancelling them repeatedly until their chosen contractor wins the tender.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Opposition calls on ERC to investigate Harmon’s ‘dangerously loaded statements’

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omments made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, constitute a threat to supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and cannot go unchecked, according to a complaint letter sent to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira.

The letter to the ERC was promised by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who, on Monday (November 19, 2018) condemned the comments made by Harmon at a political rally last week.

The letter to the ERC calls for an investigation into the matter. The letter, dated Wednesday (November 21,

Rev. Dr. Oswald Smith, C.C.H., Chairman, Ethnic Relations Commission, 66 Peter Rose and Anira Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, November 21, 2018 REF: PUBLIC STATEMENT BY THE HON. MINISTER OF STATE, MR. HARMON ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18TH, 2018 AT THE APNU ‘LOVE AND UNITY’ RALLY IN SOPHIA Dear Sir, I wish to bring to your and the Commission’s attention an article in the online news agency, Demerara Waves, headlined ‘No more Mr. Nice Time: APNU targets PPP supporters, NDCs that sabotage government-Harmon’, dated November 18th, 2018, which reports on statements made by Minister Harmon to the APNU supporters on the said day at a ‘Love and Unity Rally’ in the Sophia community. Since the Minister has not responded to the article to correct it, I can only assume that the media has accurately reported his statements.

The article in its entirety reads as follows:Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has vowed that People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-majority local development councils and PPP supporters, who work in government agencies, would no longer be allowed to undermine the administration and discriminate against coalition support bases.

Addressing a Local Government Elections Thank You rally at ‘C’ Field Sophia playground, he said it was time for A Partnership for National Unity+AllianceFor Change (APNU+AFC) to consolidate itself. He warned that central government would no longer tolerate the PPP-controlled Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), such as those in Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) that are neglecting villages that are government strongholds.

“The people are saying to us: Aren’t we in government?

Well, I want you all to know that we are in government and that foolishness got to stop. No NDC, because it’s controlled by the PPP, will take government money and just spend it on PPP areas. It’s got to stop and we are going to work and fix that. We are not going to accept that,” he said to loud cheers by many of the estimated 150 attendees.

The State Minister singled out PPP Campaign Manager for Grove, East Bank Demerara, Steve Rafeek, who was recently arrested for allegedly stealing fuel markers from the Guyana Energy Agency, as an example of the type of persons government would root out of the system. He said Rafeek was hired by GEA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mahender Sharma. “We got to stop that foolishness. We are not going to accept that. They will understand this time it’s a serious government we are dealing with and everybody who facilitate the ‘thiefing’ and all of that, they got to go with them. It’ a simple matter. We have been very nice and easy going along…but in the meantime what our people are saying on the ground is that they are suffering, that we have a lot of people there who are positioned there by the PPP, stymieing the work of this government, stymieing the services which are to come to people and they are still there. Well, no more of that, no more of that comrade, no more Mr. Nice Time business. We got to fix these things,” said Harmon.

Harmon, who is APNU’s Campaign Manager for

2018), said: “We call on the Ethnic Relations Commission to investigate this matter with some urgency as the Minister made a direct threat - “No more, Mr. Nice Time” and that he would “fix” it --to a large number of people on the basis of their political affiliation.

“We noted that the ERC

sent out an appeal before the Local Government Elections to all political parties, including Members of Parliament to exercise restraint. I believe that most did during the campaign but due to the results where the PPPC won 386 of 596 Proportional Representation seats, these post-election threats must also be taken

Region Three, and other top party officials reviewed the performance of that political organisation at the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections. The announcement

by APNU that it plans to consolidate, reconnect and re-energise its base comes against the background of a 36 percent turnout countrywide in which the PPP picked up 386 of the 596 Proportional Representation seats countrywide compared to 188 by APNU. At the regional level, in Region Five and Region Two, where the PPP commands a majority at the Regional Democratic Council, the Regional Executive Officers and their administrative officers who are appointed by Central Government have been executing decisions that have not always been made or approved by those regional councils.

Declaring that APNU+AFC campaigning for the 2020 general elections began Saturday night, he assured that government would deliver on its promises. Earlier in the meeting top executives of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) appealed to supporters, including youths to turn out in large numbers to vote for the incumbent coalition-led administration.

Clearly the Minister targeted a certain group of people based on political affiliation, with ethnic overtones, especially the PPP supporters who voted overwhelming for the PPPC at the recently concluded Local Government Elections. It deliberately targeted the PPPC won Local Authority Areas that were democratically elected in the 2016 Local Government Elections (LGE) accusing them of sabotaging the government and discriminating against the government’s supporters, hence the poor APNU support in the 2018 LGE. And more dangerously, intimidating and threatening the Local Authority Areas won by the PPPC at the 2018 elections.

The language of the Minister’s speech is inflammatory and threatens the ethnic and political harmony of the nation.

Harmon’s claims that Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) that are controlled by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are involved in acts that sabotage the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s ability to deliver goods and services to the Guyanese people. This is fallacious and deliberately meant to create ethnic insecurities and political tensions.

His accusation of these NDCs sabotaging the Government’s agenda was backed up with threats to sternly “fix” those who are perceived to be undermining the administration, thus the statement “No more, Mr. Nice Time”.

The facts speak otherwise.

In fact, the Minister deliberately misled the public by these statements to create an impression that the PPPC is responsible in the LAAs for the poor performance of the government and the poor delivery of goods and services.

In fact, the Government replaced all the Regional Executive Officers (REOs), but one, since coming into office, all of the Town Clerks and the majority of the overseers at the NDC level. In so doing, technically qualified persons have been replaced by party activists of the APNUAFC Coalition who are in the main unable to execute their responsibilities.

Furthermore the APNUAFC administration dismissed thousands of public servants on the first year of coming to government, the majority were Indo Guyanese and Amerindian Guyanese on the basis of suspected political affiliation.

The government in so doing cleansed the state apparatus at every level of any one it thought to be a PPP supporter, whether, in fact, they were or not . The echelons of the administrative apparatus of the government, including Ministries and regional administrations have been stripped of anyone it does not consider “politically correct”.

The Auditor General’s 2017 Annual Report documents

seriously and not be allowed to go unchecked.”

These elections were free from violence and reflect the overwhelming desire of the electorate at the polls. Now that the elections are over, such vitriolic and politically targeted threats must be investigated by the ERC. I, therefore, call on the

ERC to investigate the Minister for his dangerously loaded statements and for deliberately misleading the public with the objective of causing fear, ethnic insecurities and political instability.”

(SEE PAGE 9 FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE)

case after case of corruption, abuse, and breach of the procurement laws of the country in almost every Ministry, Regional Democratic Council and Municipalities. .

The fact that the REOs and the Town Clerks as well as many Overseers report directly to the Minister of Communities, Minister Bulkan and his Ministry, rather than coordinate with the elected officials at the NDCs, has been convenitently and deliberately ignored by Minister Harmon.

Minister Harmon is fully aware that at the level of the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), whether won by the PPPC or the APNUAFC Coalition, the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) are appointed by the government and are responsible for the execution of regional budgets.

Many of the REOs have been exposed in the media for not carrying out the decisions of the elected RDCs, and in fact going counter to their wishes. For example in the PPPC won RDCs # 2, 5 and # 6. Further the REOs chair the Regional Tender Boards and sit on the Finance and Works Committees of these bodies.

Minister Jordan has publicly commented in 2017 July and in July 2018 about the poor performance of government ministries and regional democratic councils to implement their budgets and the Public Sector Improvement Programme (PSIP). He stated that as of 2017 July only 35% of the capital budget had been implemented. The figures as of July 2018 were no released. But the 2018 Mid-Year report acknowledges poor performance by many critical sectors.

In fact at the NDC levels, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, has insisted on approving the budgets – approvals that are withheld for months many being given by him as late as the tenth (10th) month of the financial year, despite the fact that the NDCs submit their budgets early as required by statute. Furthermore, that Ministry has delayed the release of the annual subventions (approx. $3-4 M each) for the NDCs as required by the Fiscal Transfer Act until near the last quarter of the fiscal year. This is particularly the case in the NDCs which the PPPC won in 2016.

NDCs do not receive government money as stated by Minister Harmon. Most of the major works in these communities are done by central government or state agencies such as GPL, GWI etc. The main source of monies for the NDCs is through rates and taxes and this is never enough due to low percentage of residents who pay.

Minister Harmon is also aware that the central government has discriminated within NDCs on by the PPPC and been generous in using central budgetary allocations to the areas where their supporters live and neglect others.

The NDCs that the APNU controlled have been given “favoured” status as reflected in the details of the annual budgetary allocations for the Ministries of Public Health, Education, Public Infrastructure and Communities.

The Minister knowingly misinformed his supporters at the Rally as the Georgetown, Linden, and Bartica municipalities were won by the APNUAFC Coalition in the 2016 LGE and these municipalities are located in the RDC # 4, #10 and # 7 also won by the same in the 2015 general and regional elections. All the REOs and Town Clerks were appointed by the APNUAFC government. How can the Minister explain the deterioration of the atrocious delivery of goods and services in those regions and municipalities?

In fact, the Bartica Town Council received $ 140 M from central government for 3 projects in 2017-2018. Yet the roads in the Bartica Township are in a terrible state. No other LAA, other than Georgetown, received such a large sum of money.

The facts demonstrate that the failure to deliver goods and services fall squarely on those who govern at the cenCONTINUED ON PAGE 23 ►

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APNU+AFC gov’t silent on Berbice Bridge fiasco WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

– has nationalization of Bridge been exposed as political gimmickry?

W ith news about the Berbice Bridge and its subsequent takeover by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government making the news almost daily in the lead-up to the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE), the Administration has now gone quite on the issue.

Notably, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had condemned the Coalition Government’s takeover of the Berbice Bridge as nothing but political gimmickry. “They are using this as a political tool; an election gimmick…the bridge is not collapsing,” he said, earlier this month.

Given the facts of the matter, the Opposition Leader added, “It (the issue) was contrived to get the entire media to play it out until November 12 so there is no focus on the other issues… the bridge issue is now dominating daily news headlines.”

FACTS ARE CLEAR He made reference to statements made by Finance Minister Winston Jordan who claimed that the project was flawed, and sections of the media that reported that the bridge was used as a cash cow.

Jagdeo explained that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) had invested in Bond One of the project $300 million and received a return of $270 million. NIS also invested $760 millionin Bond Two and received $823 million in return. The company also invested $500 million for subordinate debt (loan stock) and received $456 million, and is now owed $207 million. NIS also invested $950 million on preference shares invested and received $163 million, and is now owed $507 mil-

lion. Some $80 million was invested in common shares with zero returns so far.

Notably, none of the investors with common shares have received returns, including businessman, Bobby Ramroop. Jagdeo referred to the fact that Kaieteur News has peddled the line that the Bridge is a “cash cow” for ‘Jagdeo’s friends’ but there have been zero returns on that investment. “So contrast the facts, there have been no returns on the common

appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Berbice Bridge Company, Surrendra Persaud.

Jagdeo said, “It didn’t start from the shareholders making an announcement that they wanted a 400% increase. It started from a government official…making this declaration that they want this increase.”

He added that the financial model on which the bridge’s operations were based shows clearly that from the time the Berbice

only two years you would have increases were those two years and by 6.4 percent and then 17 percent… then from 2021 a steep decline,” Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo disclosed that the projections in the financial model have been surpassed when you look at the revenues being raked in by the company. “They need to explain, how in the face of increased revenue they can’t meet their obligations. It is a management issue. They have to demon-

in the face of the proposals it has made. He noted that the Bridge’s management justify why it wants an increase in tolls and/or an extension of the concession agreement, which expires in 2026.

shares, with the Kaieteur News’ description of the Bridge being a cash cow for some people,” he said.

In July the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. proposed an increase in tolls of over 100 per cent. This was rejected. In early October, the Bridge Company then proposed an increase of a whopping 360 per cent in tolls. The announcement came from the Alliance For Change (AFC) supporter who was

Bridge was commissioned there would have been no increases in tolls; then there would have been a 6.4% increase in 2014 and a 17% increase in 2015 – the two years that debt repayment requirements would have kicked in – followed by a steep decline in the tolls, which by 2026 would have been less than half of the initial tolls.

“You have it here: 2002 what it was and where it would end up in 2026. The

strate what happened there.

It should not be the other way around but we have incompetent people,” he said.

After the last proposal made by the Company was rejected, another proposal was proffered, once that included a 19-year extension of the concession agreement. The Opposition Leader said that the bridge company must be held accountable for its management for the Bridge

the Government’s takeover of the Berbice Bridge.

In a statement, FITUG said, “The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) had felt by now the Government of Guyana would have spelt out its position regarding the future of the ownership of the Berbice Bridge. Our patience for such an explanation has worn thin and thus our resort to a public statement.

We believe, such an expla-

tral level.

I believe that the threat by the Hon. Minister Harmon made to PPP supporters and democratically elected Local Authority Areas cannot go unchecked.

We call on the Ethnic Relations Commission to investigate this matter with some urgency as the Minister made a direct threat - “No more, Mr. Nice Time” and that he would “fix” it --to a large number of people on the basis of their political affiliation.

We noted that the ERC sent out an appeal before the Local Government Elections to all political parties, including Members of Parliament to exercise restraint. I believe that most did during the campaign but due to the results where the PPPC won 386 of 596 Proportional Representation seats, these post-election threats must also be taken seriously and not be allowed to go unchecked.

These elections were free from violence and reflect the overwhelming desire of the electorate at the polls. Now that

CONCERNS EXPRESSED Meanwhile, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has expressed concerns about the workers’ savings being at risk with

nation is necessary taking into account that the NIS and several pension plans are among those holding investments in the Bridge.

With the sudden takeover of the operations, the Government has, so far, been silent on how it intends to address the investment of these workers monies.

“The FITUG while it could not find favour with what could be described as enormous toll hikes, also, at the same time, cannot ignore that workers could possibly lose monies they would most need in their twilight years. This is a matter we cannot condone nor accept and it is incumbent on the Government to fully and adequately address this matter bearing in mind the repercussions it would have.

“The Federation also, at this time, cannot fail to express its disappointment that so far Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has failed to respond to a request by FITUG and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) to engage on the developments regarding the Berbice Bridge. The workers umbrella bodies in a joint letter dated October 22, has sought an audience with the Minister following a similar engagement the bodies had with officials of the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI). The engagement, we felt, would have allowed the Government to respond to concerns of the Trade Union Movement and to provide appropriate explanations and clarifications. The absence of a response by the Minister, in our view, is yet another reminder of the esteem the APNU+AFC Government has for the workers and their organisations.”

the elections are over, such vitriolic and politically targeted threats must be investigated by the ERC. I, therefore, call on the ERC to investigate the Minister for his dangerously loaded statements and for deliberately misleading the public with the objective of causing fear, ethnic insecurities and political instability.

Sincerely Gail Teixeira, PPP/C MP

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

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

By Bibi Safora Shaddick (PPP-Nominated GECOM Commissioner)

An investigation of several issues at GECOM should be conducted

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t last we managed to have a meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) On Thursday (November 15, 2018) after Tuesday’s statutory meeting was cancelled due to a lack of quorum.

Commissioners Alexander and Corbin were both unavailable so the Chairman invoked Article 226 (5) of the Constitution which provides for the meeting to be held on the Thursday following the adjourned Tuesday meeting and for decisions to be made with or without a quorum.

At this week’s meeting, however, there was a quorum, only Commissioner Alexander being absent, so the meeting was finally held after a hiatus of two weeks during which there was D-day and E-day, a very packed two weeks for GECOM. One would then expect that there would be full reports of the activities of the last two weeks, but with GECOM expectations are not always, in fact never, met.

What we were able to get after much to-ing and fro-ing, was, what the CEO calls the Preliminary results of the Local Government Elections, for all 80 Local Authority Areas. The CEO admitted that all 80 Returning Officers had made their declarations of the results of all the individual elections, and these were put on a broadsheet by the secretariat. My argument was that the results having been declared by the Returning Officers had to be final, not preliminary, but that was still not admitted by the CEO. Nevertheless, each Commissioner was given a hard copy of the ‘preliminary’ results as compiled by

GECOM’s secretariat. I was assured that the RO of the Municipality of Mabaruma had made his declaration of the results contrary to what was reported in the press.

I also raised the issue that a person named Gavin Sparman of the APNU had been declared the winner of a constituency in the La Grange Nismes NDC and that I had been given information that the said Gavin Sparman was closely related to Andrea Sparman who was GECOM’s Supervisor for the said LAA. I asked the CEO if he was aware, and pointed out that if the information was true, the Supervisor should have been re-assigned to another district. The CEO did not admit or deny knowledge of such a relationship, but Commissioner Corbin was of the opinion that the Supervisor had nothing to do with the actual running of the elections and since the RO was the person in charge, there was no conflict to be avoided! I asked that his comments be put in full and

kept for future reference, for an occasion when the shoe is on another foot!

Commissioner Trotman’s remarks were centered on an issue with tally sheets, which was resolved by the Operations Sub-committee of which he is a member, but seems to want a Commission of Inquiry into the work of the IT department and its Manager.

I, myself like Commissioners Gunraj, Corbin and Benn, agreed that an investigation should be carried out on that as well as many other issues, by the Secretariat and Operations Sub- committee then brought to the full Commission with their recommendations, for discussions and decisions which would help in future conduct of future elections. Commissioner Trotman grudgingly acquiesced, although I got the distinct impression, which I voiced, that he had his heart set on a full scale Commission of Inquiry not unlike so many we have had recently, with recommendations for some punitive actions against certain staff members.

The Chairman disallowed Commissioner Benn from making any remarks during that agenda item, and again disallowed him from raising his issues under ‘any other business’. The Chairman seems bent on shutting Commissioner Benn up completely!

The minutes of the last meeting of October 30, 2018 were read and corrected, mostly by the Chairman who then asked for someone to move the adoption. I said that since the last meeting had been so long ago, and I could not be sure that there were any omissions, I would not in

good conscience move that motion, after which the Chairman asked Commissioner Trotman to do so.

And lo and behold, Commissioner Trotman declined because according to him, since I had declined to do it, he was following my lead! My, my, Commissioner Trotman following my lead! I almost laughed out loud when Commissioner Corbin also declined to move the motion and the Chairman did so himself and then asked for a seconder, upon which the Legal Officer/Secretary assured him that his motion did not need one!

The whole reading of the minutes and what followed was something out of comedy central! And yes, this is what passed for a serious meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission today.

We were promised a report by the CEO on the 2018 LGE by the first week of December, 2018 and when asked about the report of the 2016 LGE, he said there was a report under the hand of the former DCEO which he promised to share with us after nearly 3 years.

There was mention about the disappearing electoral ink, my finger remains unstained, and of Laws which need to be amended, but that was put for another day since the Chairman was very eager to have the meeting adjourned at 4pm.

Since next Tuesday is also a National Holiday, the meeting was adjourned and Wednesday November 21, 2018 at 13:00hours was named as the date and time for the next meeting. I hope we can have a more serious and meaningful meeting.

No answers, duplicity exposed and questions about GECOM’s officials’ actions

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his week’s meeting press Conference without “I had been informed that two of GECOM’s officials, a Mr Allen and a Mr Clarke, had informing any Commiswas held on Wednestravelled to Mabaruma to investigate the issue of proxies about which we spoke last sioner, at which Commisday (November 21, 2018) since Tuesday was a naweek, and that the two officers had spent much of their time interacting with APNU sioner Benn was moved to tional holiday again. activists and supporters in a private meeting at the Town Hall and that they were also point out that the Chairman Fellow Guyanese, it transported by an APNU candidate to Aruka Mouth and Smith Creek. My point was then, could not claim to be seems as if my updates are on behalf of the that GECOM’s officials should have acted in a manner precluding any perception of speaking really negatively affecting Commission since he had bias, especially since the investigation was being done at the instance of complaints not even informed, much the Chairman, as he was made by the APNU. – PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Bibi Safora Shaddick less discussed with Commoved to assert that those of us on ‘our side’ of the missioners the fact of the mon courtesy’ to inform the meeting of her long discussion about GECOM’s interaction table did not deserve any press engagement, never common courtesy from him, since every intention to issue statements to the press with the press and the Chairman had heard mind the reason for it. Good theatre it was! suggestions that targeted press releases week one of ‘our’ Commissioners ‘spills after every meeting.

The matter of the Mabaruma LGE reThis outburst by the Chairman happened would better serve our purpose rather than sults again came up. I told the meeting that the very guts’ of GECOM’s meetings in after Commissioner Gunraj had accused a Press Conference where the message can I had been informed that two of GECOM’s the press!

Even Commissioner Alexander was the Chairman of not having the common get lost in answers to questions from report- officials, a Mr Allen and a Mr Clarke, had moved to point out that the Commissioner courtesy of informing the meeting last ers which detracted from the main reason travelled to Mabaruma to investigate the in question (me) had at least had the ‘com- Thursday, that he had called a Press Con- for the interaction. The Chairman was in issue of proxies about which we spoke last (Turn to page 25) ference for the next day, even during the rare form asserting his right to call any

25

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

No answers, duplicity exposed and... week, and that the two officers had spent much of their time interacting with APNU activists and supporters in a private meeting at the Town Hall and that they were also transported by an APNU candidate to Aruka Mouth and Smith Creek.

My point was that GECOM’s officials should have acted in a manner precluding any perception of bias, especially since the investigation was being done at the instance of complaints made by the APNU. Later in the meeting, the Deputy Chief Elections Office (DCEO) in the absence of the Chief Elections Office (CEO), who did not attend the meeting, reported orally about the investigation by Messers Clarke and Allen had found that procedures for the approval of proxies had been breached and that the only answer the RO, who approves all proxy applica-

“I am now wondering if the DCEO genuinely did not know this, because she had no previous experience running any election, or if she was advancing a particular interest.” – PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Bibi Safora Shaddick tions, could give is that he was trying to help.

My own view on this was that the RO should then face sanctions, but to my consternation, the DCEO then asked that the Commission consider the question of whether the results of the Mabaruma elections should be published!

This, to my mind was such a preposterous question from the DCEO! The elections had been held and the final results had been declared by the Returning Officer and now here is the DCEO suggesting that the results of an investigation should be used to change or amend before publication, the declared final results!

I am amazed that the DCEO needed to be told by me, that when the RO declared the results he was functus officio and that results of an election can only be challenged in a Court of Law by way of an elections petition!

I am now wondering if the DCEO genuinely did not know this, because she had no previous experience running any election, or if she was advancing a particular interest. Food for thought!

Folks, please compare this action on the part of GECOM regarding an APNU complaint in Mabaruma, against several complaints by individuals and the PPP/C in Whim, Corriverton and elsewhere. In the face of no investigations into their complaints, some complainants resorted to a Court action, which GECOM stoutly defended to the tune of over $3 million. GECOM did not see it fit to investigate any complaint other one made by the APNU on an issue which might not even have had any effect on the final results. Talk about duplicity!!

Prior to the meeting I read of allegations being made in Lethem, but no one brought up that issue today. Perhaps we will hear more of that later.

The DCEO had no answers for several matters arising out of the minutes concerning tasks which should have been performed by the CEO. For instance, at last week’s meeting, the CEO had given an undertaking to provide commissioners with scanned copies of the declaration of results made by each of the eighty Returning Officers. I had asked for these, because I wanted to compare the ‘preliminary results’ to the actual declarations.

The numbers announced by the PRO and published in various sections of the press under the heading of LGE Results, are just statistics showing voter turnout! Why not publish the actual numbers of votes cast for each political party? That is what can properly be called results instead of saying that a total of 208,534 or 36% of the total registered electors voted.

The electorate wants results, not statistics. Publication of

(From page 24)

“Please compare this action on the part of GECOM regarding an APNU complaint in Mabaruma, against several complaints by individuals and the PPP/C in Whim, Corriverton and elsewhere. In the face of no investigations into their complaints, some complainants resorted to a Court action, which GECOM stoutly defended to the tune of over $3 million. GECOM did not see it fit to investigate any complaint other one made by the APNU on an issue which might not even have had any effect on the final results. Talk about duplicity!” – PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Bibi Safora Shaddick the real results will publicly reveal the current mood of the electorate.

As I have had to say before, getting any information from

GECOM is akin to pulling teeth. A painful process!! But I am prepared to persevere and hope that one day things will get better at GECOM.

26

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Public Servants’ Union rejects ‘imposed’ salary increase

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he APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been criticized for “imposing” salary increases on public servants and ignoring the proposals made by the Unions representing them.

The position of the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) is that the Coalition promised to respect the process of collective bargaining before taking office in May 2015 and has now reneged on that promise.

According to a circular dated November 19, 2018, that was sent out by the Finance Ministry to the heads of all budget agencies and seen by Guyana Times, Government approved salary increases across a number of pay ranges for public servants; inclusive of retroactive payments from

January 2018.

According to the document, persons earning less than $100,000 a month will receive a seven per cent increase. Those earning between $100,000 and $299,999 will get an increase of 6.5 per cent, while those in the $300,000 to $499,999 range will get a five per cent increase.

Those with a pay check of between $500,000 and $699,999 a month will have their salaries increased by 3 per cent. Meanwhile, those in the $700,000 to $799,999 range will be eligible for an increase of two per cent, while those earning $800,000 to $999,999 will get one per cent in increases and those with a $1 million salary and above will get a 0.5 per cent increase.

The circular makes it clear that these increases do not apply for teachers, University of Guyana employees, Government Ministers and Members of Parliament.

It does, however, apply to the Disciplined Services, including the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force.

The Ministry indicated that teachers received a separate circular regarding their increases.

GPSU POSITION Last week, President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Patrick Yarde, charged that the cost of goods and services in Guyana, when compared to the salaries being paid to public servants, shows that Guyana’s public servants

are still receiving “poverty” pay.

Focus on the wages/salaries being paid to public servants has come into focus, in light of the brouhaha involving an agreement to increase the pay of Guyana’s public school teachers.

The GPSU had made a three-year proposal for better benefits to the APNU+AFC Coalition Government in 2015.

With no consideration given to the 2015 proposal, the GPSY wrote President David Granger after the Union could not schedule ready meetings with the Department of Public Service’s Permanent Secretary.

Yarde said, “I wrote the President another letter saying that there was nobody there to speak to for

the situation to be remedied.

There was a series of things that was happening and now he is ill…at our Executive Council meeting on Friday, we will determine how to proceed to deal with this matter.

When asked about changes to the 2015 proposal, he said, “If there is evidence for us to consider higher or lower; we could go to the sky for the limit. Lots of public servants receive poverty payments; lots of their ends can’t meet with what they’re getting.

There is no question with whether we will pursue the best we will get.”

In October 2017, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had announced Government’s final offer which outlined an eight per cent

A national budget must address key issues affecting... socialism is the dominant economic creed. Two billion live where capitalism is dominant. Of these two billion, we find that two-thirds live in the underdeveloped areas like Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The other one-third live in the rich countries.

Mr. Nehru, the Trade Commissioner for India, not the Prime Minister, at a recent conference — a World Trade conference — in Ronoake, Virginia, mentioned the fact that the underdeveloped countries in the capitalist orbit of the world make up 1,350 million of the 2 billion. Their people enjoy annually an income of $190 billion.

The two-thirds enjoy $190 billion, but the one-third enjoys $864 billion in national income. Such is the distribution of wealth in these areas. President Kennedy referred to the north and south relationship. By this he meant the industrialised metropolitan countries and the underdeveloped colonial and semi-colonial countries, whether in the south or the north.

This was certainly a misnomer, but for the purpose of ordinary conception it was probably a correct term

to use.

TWO SORTS OF NATIONS Let me just quote from Labour Research, a United Kingdom publication, an article from Westminster Bank Review quoting Sir Robert Hall, late Economic Adviser to the British Government.

This article is called ‘Two Sorts of Nation’ — not the communist and the capitalist, but the two sorts in the capitalist world, what is regarded as this prosperous monolithic bloc but which, in fact, has one bloc which is desperately poor and one bloc which is very rich.

The article states: “The under-developed countries, like the poor, are always with us. But sometimes more so than others. In the last seven years, the terms of trade have changed by 20 percent to their detriment. The prices of the goods they sell have fallen by one-fifth relatively to the prices of the goods they want to buy from developed areas. Sir Robert Hall, late Economic Adviser to the Government, writing of the relationship between the advanced industrial countries in the Northern Hemisphere and the under-developed countries most of which are near the tropics or in the

southern half of the world, points out: "Many of the outstanding political and economic problems of our time are connected with this North-South relationship..."

Another section of this article states: “The UK is, as Sir Robert Hall says, a particularly acute example of the process. Between 1953 and 1961, the terms of trade have improved by 18 percent. Import prices have dropped by 5 percent (to October 1961) and export prices risen by 11 percent.

Unit prices at exported engineering goods have risen by 22 per cent. This has provided a temporary hidden bonus to the economy.”

No wonder that a few years ago the Tory Prime Minister said, "You have never had it so good." Apparently time is catching up with them because, as this article points out, you cannot go on buying cheap and selling dear, and hope forever to get people to have money to buy from you. The time will come when the account will not balance up.

If the people have no money they will not be able to buy from you. This is why today the UK is hustling to join the European Common Market.

It is claimed that trade with the Commonwealth is falling

for many reasons, one reason being the fall in total income as the result of the drop in prices — a lack of purchasing power.

DRAIN ON WEALTH Another reason is the fact that from those countries there is a perpetual drain on wealth.

Churchill was able to boast, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, that income from investments amounted to 300 million pounds per annum, and from other services like shipping and insurance, about 65 million pounds per annum. He was also able to say that this accounted for the very high standard of living in the United Kingdom, comparatively higher at that time than in any other country in the world.

Today the situation is more or less the same, especially from the directions of trade.

The average annual income from dividends, profits and interest from 1955 to 1957 was 275 million pounds, and from 1958 to 1960, 336 million pounds per annum.

I give those figures to show that the poverty of British Guiana, indeed the poverty of the world today, is not due to the PPP and the wicked communists, as we

increase for public service employees earning between $55,000 and $99,999. He had disclosed that public servants earning between $100,000 and $299,999 would have received an increase of six per cent, while workers earning between $300,000 and $500,000 were offered a five per cent increase. He added that those earning between $500,000 and $699,999 have been offered a four per cent increase while those earning $700,000 to $799,999 are being offered a two per cent increase.

Employees earning between $800,000 and $1 million were proposed a 0.5 per cent increase while those earning above $1 million have been ‘red circled and will benefit from no increases’.

(From page 17)

are led to believe. Indeed, if communists and socialists are winning power, making gains all over the world, it is because the basic wickedness and the inherent contradictions of the capitalist system are grinding out poverty on a wide scale. The results are inescapable, as we see them today.

The fact is that we are living today in a world which has become closely knit together. We are not living in the days when communications were difficult, when countries were more or less economically content.

We are living today when international trusts, combines and cartels are devouring the world; the big giants are swallowing up the little giants, the sharks eating up the sardines.

There is a book written by a former President of Guatemala which provides very interesting reading.

While on this point I would like to suggest to Honourable Members that if they would like to get a complete grasp of the situation they should look at the bible, The Political Economy of Growth, by Professor Paul Baron.

From the comments made, at least one Honourable Member will soon be

seeing communists under his bed. I recall that a former US Minister of Defence had to be sent to a mental home. He jumped through a window because he thought he saw some communists coming after him. I have heard that a lawyer of a very famous family in British Guiana is in the same condition. He is going around telling people, "Jagan is taking away my property." I am seriously recommending this book to Honourable Members because they will see the relationship I have been talking about.

Whether it was written by a communist, a Marxist-Socialist, or what, does not matter. We do not read only books written by Marxists; we read books such as Economic Growth, by Rostov, Must Men Starve? by a Professor of Columbia University; we read Myrdal's work, Rich Lands, Poor Lands, The Geography of Hunger, by Dr. Jose de Castro, former Director General of FAO, and Problems of Capital Formation.

We read everything, but believe me, after we have read them all we are still of the opinion that this is the master. (SEE NEXT WEEK’S EDITION FOR PART 2)

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 NOVEMBER, 2018

Farmer arrested over cocaine bust

A

Pomeroon farmer area is now in police custody, after he was found with almost five pounds of cocaine.

According to police, acting on information, ranks from the Police Narcotics Branch went to the Upper Pomeroon River early Tuesday (No-

vember 20, 2018) morning and conducted a search on the farmer and his premises.

The search unearthed some 2.22 kilogrammes (equivalent to just under five pounds) of cocaine, which resulted in the man being arrested.

Duo busted with illegal drugs, weapons on Linden-Soesdyke Highway

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olice intercepted a minibus during a roadblock at Linden-Soesdyke Highway Base Outpost about 19:30h on Monday (November 19, 2018) and two persons were arrested.

During a search carried out by the officers, a male passenger of the minibus was found in possession of an unlicensed .38 revolver with

one live round as well as a spent shell.

Meanwhile, another car was also stopped along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway by another Police patrol and an occupant was found in possession of 63 grams of cannabis.

All of the suspects are being processed for court.

50 year-old poultry farmer of Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was busted with illegal drugs at the Moleson Creek Ferry Stelling, on Friday (November 16, 2018).

The suspect has been identified as Trevor Edward Loo. According to reports, Loo was attempting to board the ferry with his vehicle,

PJJ 5889, when police intercepted him based on information they received.

A search was subsequently conducted on the suspect’s vehicle which was Suriname-bound, and several concealed packets of cocaine weighing five thousand six hundred and thirty grams (5,630) were discovered.

Man busted during attempt to Trio busted with illegal weapons smuggle cocaine to Suriname on Essequibo Coast A T hree persons, including a Venezuelan national, were on Monday (November 19, 2018) arrested by Police during a ‘stop and search’ exercise on the Essequibo Coast.

Among the items found during the exercises were guns and ammunition.

Reports are Police ranks intercepted a car with the three occupants about 14:30h on Monday along the Charity Public Road, Essequibo Coast.

A search of the vehicle unearthed two 9mm pistols, three magazines, and 58 live rounds.

Joint services rank implicated Ex-prisoner officer arrested, in robbery of businessman N firearm seized A 79-year-old resident of the Palms, Brickdam, Georgetown, who is a licensed holder of a handgun, has been taken into custody and his weapon seized after he allegedly threatened a male nurse at the said institution about 20:15h on Thursday (November 15, 2018).

Investigations revealed that the victim and the suspect had a misunderstanding in the ward and the victim went to another ward

and when he was walking up the stairway the suspect, who was at the top of the stairway confronted him with a gun in his hand and pointed it at the victim.

The victim managed to disarm him and summoned the police, who promptly arrived and took possession of the firearm and arrested the suspect, who is an ex-prison officer.

Investigation in progress.

Woman’s body found in shallow grave

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olice are investigating the murder of Patricia David, 23, of Eye Lash Backdam, North West District, which occurred between October 1, 2018, and November 15, 2018.

The woman’s decomposed body was found in a shallow grave by investigators.

A 27 year-old porknocker of South Sophia, Greater Georgetown who was sharing a common relationship with the victim, was taken into custody. He has since admitted to have committed the crime.

Investigation in progress.

Prisoner busted with contraband items

A

prison officer, on Thursday (November 15, 2018) who was performing duties inside the Timehri Prison Compound conducted a routine search on an inmate and found a number of contraband items.

Discovered were eight transparent zip lock bags, containing 7.5 grams of cannabis, in a pair of white and black booths, he was wearing at the time.

The matter has since been handed over to the police.

GEA officials arrested over missing fuel marker

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wo Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) workers are in police custody over the alleged theft of a quantity of fuel marker.

Reports are that the men were working at the Rubis Fuel Terminal on Wednesday (November 14, 2018), when a quantity of

fuel marker went missing.

At the time, they were conducting a fuel marking exercise.

The fuel marker is used to combat smuggling, dilution and adulteration of fuel.

owaab Abdul, 53, a businessman, from Lot 317 East Street North Cummingsburg Georgetown, was robbed on Thursday (November 15, 2018) of his motorcycle.

The red Jailing 110 motorcycle, number CJ 5990, is valued at $198,000.

Three persons have since been detained.

The stolen motorcycle was recovered at the home of one of the suspects, who is

a member of the Joint Services, residing at West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown.

Press Association threatens ‘boycott’ of events if ‘intimidation’ continues

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he Guyana Press Association (GPA) put the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on blast for “intimidation” of members from the local press corps.

Members of the media were subjected to acts of intimidation while at Congress Place last Friday (November 16, 2018) by Party supporters. The members of the media were attending a joint APNU+AFC press conference, which held at the People’s National Congress Reform (PNRC) headquarters (Congress Place), Sophia, Georgetown. Senior APNU, as well as AFC leaders were present. Notably, the presence of party

supporters at a press conference is not a usual occurrence.

In a statement the Association said, “The Guyana Press Association notes the continued intimidation of media workers who attend press conferences held by A Partnership for National Unity at Congress Place in Sophia.

“Media Workers have complained about the continued heckling and intimidation by supporters of the Party who are seated in the press conference held by the Party.

“We can only assume that this behavior is a feature endorsed by the Party and its leaders since it happened during

today's event with PNC Chairperson. Volda Lawrence, and senior APNU members present.”

The Press Association noted that this is not the first time this has happened. The last APNU press conference, held by PNC Leader, President David Granger, was cited as another instance where members of the media were subject to intimidation.

“The GPA would like to remind all political parties that media workers have the right to conduct their duties without fear of intimidation and we would not hesitate to call on our workers and media houses to boycott press events if this unacceptable behavior continues.”

In a statement that followed the one from the Press Association, APNU apologized for the “discomfort” of media workers and promised to ensure a more “welcoming” environment at future events.

City garbage strike over non-payment since June 2018 P uran Brothers and Cevons Waste Management will be withdrawing their services from the City, effective from Monday, November, 26 2018.

Both companies have made clear their positions via letters to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

The Council has failed to honour its obligation to both contractors in a timely manner.

The companies disclosed that they have not been paid since May 2018, despite promises by the Council to fulfill its financial obligations.

The M&CC owes the companies a collective $148M for waste disposal services. For Puran Brothers Inc., City Hall owes $73M in arrears for services rendered from June 2018 to date. On the other hand, the city owes Cevon‘s Waste Management $75M for services rendered from May 2018 to date.

The two main contractors have withdrawn service on several occasions over pay.

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