Weeknd Mirror 13-14 October 2018

Electoral transgressions should not be allowed to pass - Jagdeo 13-14 October, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 42 / Price: $100

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

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SEE INSIDE

GECOM PAGE 19 criticised for mounting misleading billboards Basil Williams absent from court during hearing of case challenging PAGE 18 ‘gerrymandering’ of boundaries

PPP activists engaged in countrywide ground-work ahead of LGE PAGE 22

– Judge sets Monday as date for ruling

SOCU fails to defend case, Magistrate PAGE 25 dismisses charges

AFC admits that it can only contest 2018 LGE in less than half of the LAAs

PAGE 23

Puran, Cevon’s consider strike PAGE 24 action over $148M City Hall arrears

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Jagdeo warns about potential delay of 2020 polls – GECOM budget proposal seeks funding for new house-to-house voter registration

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he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has presented a request to the Ministry of Finance for funding of a national house-to-house registration exercise for a new voters’ list as part of its preparation for the 2020 general elections. “The commission, in our budget preparation and presentation – we have factored in the possibility of house-to-house registration,” said Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, at a recent news conference.

Lowenfield explained that GECOM gave approval for the Secretariat budgeting to provide for the conduct of a house-to-house registration exercise next year. Asked about the cost, Lowenfield said it was not for him to make that disclosure but indicated that it

was substantial.

In April 2018, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest party in the coalition government, called for house-to-house registration to clean up the voters’ list.

PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally had suggested that a registration should begin as soon as possible.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement in response to Ally, had said it did not support the PNCR’s call for new house-to-house registration, while stating that it preferred to contest the local and general elections with the existing voters’ list.

Given Lowenfield’s comments about a move forward with plans for a new house-to-house registration process, PPP Gener-

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

– PPP General Secretary and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo al Secretary and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, questioned the decision and pointed out that he was unsure that it was sanctioned at the level of the GECOM Commissioners. “I am surprised that the Chief Election Officer has made a request for funding for an initiative that has not been decided at the level of the

commission,” he said.

Jagdeo pointed out that after the 2015 General and Regional Elections, the PPP had asked for house-tohouse registration, but the Party’s request was ignored.

“We believe that doing house-to-house registration at this late stage within the constitutional deadline for holding general elections

could be used as a pretext for delaying the elections.”

He said a similar situation existed in 1990 “when the list was so flawed” that house-to-house registration was conducted and it was used to delay the elections to 1992.

In response to the claim that house-to-house registration could be done in six

months, Jagdeo said, this is questionable. “It is opening the door for a process that is potentially fraudulent,” he charged.

He expressed the fear that enumerators would deliberately not go into PPP strongholds on the coastland or in hinterland and riverain areas and so deny them the right to vote. With the current “machinery in place” at GECOM, he said, he was also fearful about the inputting of data and that the final list of voters would be significantly flawed.

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

Agriculture Minister, GRDB must be held accountable for Panama rice shipment debacle - RPA T

he Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (RPA), in addressing the rejection of several containers of rice,

exported to Panama, charged that the Minister of Agriculture, the Board of Directors and management of the

Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) must be held accountable.

“We are also calling on

the responsible parties to take action and rectify this matter, immediately,” the RPA said.

The RPA added, “…one

Sacked Enmore sugar workers supported by PPP

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cting on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Party Executive, Anil Nandlall, delivered a number of food hampers to retrenched sugar workers at Fouls, Enmore.

According to Nandlall, the initiative is to “assist the families of the thousands of sugar workers who have been so callously laid off and denied their severance pay by the Coalition Government.”

The donation of the hampers to the sacked sugar worker and their families was supported by the local business community.

of the reasons for the rejection we were told, is that parboil rice is in the containers that have been rejected.

There were more than 700 tons of parboiled rice, packed in 20LBS bags in the containers.

“It boggles the mind to even contemplate that over 700 tons of parboiled rice could have pass through the various quality and quantity checks and customs inspections and arrive in Panama, a white rice market.

“The contracted party (the seller) is the GRDB for this particular market. The GRDB, in order to fulfill its contractual obligations, purchase rice from millers in order to supply to this market.

“Notably, the GRDB charges millers US $8.00 per unit, for inspection and to certify the quality and quantity supplied. The rice is even checked during the processing at the mills by the GRDB. The bags are then

packed into the containers under the watchful eyes of the GRDB Officers, samples are then taken and sent to the GRDB Head Office labs, that is ISO certified, along with the number of the containers and the containers’ seal numbers.

“Further, the final sample is used for the preparation of the export grade certificate.

The GRDB is the buyer of the rice from the millers, the agency is also responsible for certifying the quality and quantity and they are the contracted party to export to Panama.”

The RPA noted that Panama is currently Guyana’s best market with the best price.

“This fiasco has the potential to threaten the continuation of selling to that market, which would be at great financial losses to our farmers.

The GRDB can also lose its ISO certification, which will be a further blow to the rice industry,” the body said.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Protest erupts in Mahdia over ‘harsh’ government measures – Opposition Leader calls for reversal D

ozens of small miners in Mahdia took to the streets on Wednesday (October 10, 2018) to protest the APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s seizure of their mining equipment and halting of their operations.

The Coalition Government moved against the small miners on Tuesday (October 9, 2018) and on the same day Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, disclosed that his office had been contacted about the latest “unconscionable assault” on small miners by the Coalition Government and has condemned the move.

Jagdeo has since called on the David Granger-led Government to reverse the decisions it has imposed on small miners in Mahdia.

He charged that the Mahdia community is largely made up of, and dependent on, small miners who are already facing hardships because of adverse poli-

cies imposed by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. “This sort of callous and uncaring decision will only serve to further hurt our small miners, who have families to maintain and children to send to school…. we have a Government that has done nothing to improve the fortunes of small miners or the working class, for that matter. The Ministers sit in their offices and gorge themselves on privileges using taxpayers’ monies, while every single day they come up with new ways to launch an assault on our working class and productive sectors,” he said.

The Opposition Leader noted too that he expects the APNU+AFC Coalition government to try to ‘spin’ the issue at hand, given that Local Government Elections are weeks away and campaigning by APNU and AFC is likely to start to Mahdia soon.

“So, what we can

expect is that the Government will go to Mahdia and tell the small miners that the callous and anti-working class and anti-poor decisions and policies that were imposed on them were because they ‘love’ them so much; or they will find a way to blame the PPP, as always, for their own incompetence,” he said.

According to him, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government must make an effort to ensure that the concerns of miners are addressed.

Prior to this latest development, the Opposition Leader has repeatedly called on the Granger-led government to not only meaningfully engage local miners, but to also reverse several other ‘hardship’ policies that have been implemented, which hurt the mining sector, particularly as it relates to the increased tax burden.

Jagdeo has also repeatedly called for Government

to pay attention to the concerns of the miners, given the importance of the mining sector to Guyana’s economy, relative to employment and its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. The GDP performance for 2017 was a dismal 2.1 per cent. The performance of the mining sector and quarrying sector, according to final 2017 figures, which were revised in February 2018, show that it contracted by 8.8% - while it was projected to grow by 0.7%.

‘TAKING BREAD OUT OUR MOUTHS’ Meanwhile, the protesting small miners have said that the APNU+AFC Coalition, via its actions, has taken ‘bread out of their mouths and that of their families’ with their harsh actions. The small miners are calling for the APNU+AFC Coalition Gov-

ernment to act in a more considerate manner.

Speaking to media operatives, the miners charged that policy makers need to consider several factors before imposing decisions.

One miner said, “We have to be waiting long periods before we could get and renew the applications so all of them things does cause these people to breach orders and when they do, they does be treating us like criminal, running us with guns!”

A second miner said, “The big men them are getting lands to work and the small miners are being suffocated, nothing for them, we own Guyanese people!”

A third miner said, “We are just asking that they come with good orders so that we can follow… the rules could have been fit in a systematic way so that the people could comply and continue earning.”

Additionally, another Mahdia resident, who identified himself as Tracy Corbin from the Mahdia Concerned Citizens’ Group, said, “We think the way this operation was carried out unfair because Mahdia solidly depends on gold. It is the only thing that we know, the people in Mahdia know.

There is no other alternative ….I am saying that Mahdia is already in crisis and what this does to us now is put us further in crisis because most of the people here take credit from the shops to go out to work…the economy is going to die out…we thought it was best to come out here and let our voices be heard.”

Among the placards held by protestors was one that read, ‘Let’s take our community back on November 12 - Power to the people’ – a reference to the upcoming Local Government Elections.

City Hall has not had financial audits since APNU+AFC Coalition took office

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he Mayor and City Council has not had financial audits into its affairs for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, since the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office.

Notably, the City Council is dominated by APNU+AFC Councillors.

The disclosure about the lack of financial audits was made by Internal Auditor for City Hall, Omodele Umoja-Newton.

Chapter 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana states, “The City Council and the Town Council shall, not later than the thirty-first day of March in every year submit to the Minister a report in writing containing an account of all monies received, expended and applied during the preceding financial year.”

Pursuant to this aspect of the law, the internal auditor of the Council is expected to complete these audits.

However, the Internal Auditor charged that no department of the Council has received completed audits of their financial transactions for 2016, 2017 and 2018. This, she said, is due to the fact that the treasurer has not submit-

ted the supporting documents concerning the finances of the Council’s departments to be audited.

The Council has eight departments, namely the Town Clerk’s department, City Constabulary, City Treasury, City Engineers, Human Resources Department, Solid Waste Management, City Public Health and the Markets Department.

Newton said that the departments are supposed to submit the documents concerning all financial transactions to the Treasurer, but that this has not been done.

Newton disclosed that the City Treasurer, is usually very difficult to contact and that he is often unavailable. She said that, when she attempts to procure the supporting documents, the employees of that department told her, “You have to wait until the treasurer comes.”

She said that the treasurer is non-compliant and that the department he is responsible for is very untidy and poorly kept. She recommends that the system be “tightened” up, specifically that of the Treasury.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

GECOM Chairman trying to deflect and obfuscate justifiable criticisms Dear Editor,

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t a press conference held on, October 5, 2018, Guyana Elections Commission Chairman, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, seems to have adopted the tactic of making unsubstantiated charges about ‘racial conflict’ and efforts to stymie the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) at the level of the Commission itself and external to it.

It is, indeed, regrettable that the Chairman of an Elections Commission would go public to try to deflect and obfuscate the justifiable criticisms of GECOM. Article 162 of the Constitution mandates GECOM to always act fairly and impartially. It would appear that the GECOM Chairman is adopting the language of the APNU which frequently resorts to charges of race when valid issues which warrant serious reflection, deliberation and action are raised at the national level. This behaviour readily results in the polarization of the Guyanese people on the basis of ethnicity.

Further, it is even more astonishing that on October 5, 2018, the very anniversary of the acclaimed ‘Restoration of Democracy’ in 1992, and bearing in mind the generally shameful experiences of prior Elections in Guyana, that anyone would characterize efforts to rectify illegalities as warranting a challenge by a member of the legal profession against ‘the misuse of the legal system’!

I would like to clear up some of the real mischief embedded in the wild assertions of the GECOM Chairman.

On the assertion that he makes of racially motivated political bickering, I want to remind the public that I raised an issue of lack of diversity in the establishment and hiring practices at GECOM, where I identified that up to 90 percent of

the top-management at GECOM is dominated by one group, and that it was wrong in principle for any group to have such dominance in what is a critical institution, given the diverse nature of our society. Because there was strong feeling about this matter it was felt necessary to bring it to the attention of the Ethnic Relations Commission. This matter is under that Commission’s diligent review which has, so far, responded as befits its mandate. I might point out that the stakeholder group to which I belong at the Commission is the most diverse and in the representation of gender, age range and ethnicity.

And I am almost certain that the Commissioners on all sides would be surprised at the charge of racially motivated bickering given the decided effort of all parties to have a diversified electoral appeal.

On the assertion of ‘designs and machinations’ to stymie the holding of the LGE, one should not have to inform the Chairman that Local Government Elections are elections by themselves in separate Local Authority Areas, Constituencies and Municipalities. If, for reasons of death, ties and Court decisions, elections have to be held outside of the general appointed date, the laws make provision for that to occur.

For the Chairman, a former judge, to speak about ‘the misuse of the Court system’ and it becoming ‘a tool of disruption’ is deeply troubling.

The Chairman has to recall that the basic mandate of GECOM is to provide for free, fair, transparent, nationally and internationally verifiable democratic elections in Guyana.

No resort to the Courts of the current matters relating to the required legal process for the dismantling of LAAs and the declaration of new ones by the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan in the face of ‘charges of bias’ and ‘gerrymander-

ing’ could be termed as ‘disruptive and a misuse of the legal system’. GECOM itself, as the steward and custodian of the elections process should be happy to have these issues fairly and expertly reviewed and pronounced on by the Court system. How could efforts to remove fraudulent names – either of candidates or from lists of nominators come under such attack. Is the Chairman himself unaware that an Elections Petition relating to the 2015 National and Regional Elections have been, seemingly, languishing in the Courts and is it not in his best interest, as Chairman of the Elections Commission to have it heard quickly even after three years?

I have the unfortunate duty to remind the Chairman that he was the prime actor, after an invitation to the United Nations was made and accepted, to have international technical expertise hired at UN cost to assist GECOM with certain critical issues relating to advise on and the upgrade of elections technology and capabilities. The refusal to meet the UN in Guyana as scheduled at the instance of the Chairman as was his studied refusal – in excess of three weeks – to deign a reply to the UN in explanation was a grave error and embarrassment to GECOM. Beyond truly taking up his constitutional responsibilities, and eschewing badly timed histrionics, Mr. Patterson needs to offer genuine explanations for certain recent questionable hirings in which he has had a direct role, and for the preferential treatment of a newly hired staffer.

Also, he should not appear to be supporting the serious indiscretions of GECOM staff, particularly in not offering acceptable explanations for the disappearance of CEO Lowenfield for some 10 hours at a critical time on Wednesday, September 26, last which allowed for the non-removal and, therefore, acceptance of fraudulent names on lists by GECOM Returning Officers in a number of areas.

I can list at least ten (10) important and critical matters for which the continuing silence, dilatory excuses and delayed considerations by the Chairman is having serious negative impacts on the improvement in the management and efficiency of the GECOM in achieving the ultimate goal of having exclusively free and fair elections in Guyana.

Lastly, I am unaware, both at GECOM and with the obvious energy and interest being exerted by stakeholders and electors, that any political organization is intent on stymieing the holding of the LGE. Given his unique placement at GECOM and the evidence of LGE activity, thus far, this conclusion of the Chairman of GECOM is, indeed, remarkable, I can only leave it to the media, and the public, at this time to consider this and to arrive at their own deliberate conclusions.

Regard, Robeson Benn, PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner

GECOM still to answer pertinent questions Dear Editor,

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any of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) Returning Officers (ROs) seriously bungled the Local Government Elections’ (LGE’s) Nomination Day activities. After this under-par and woefully unacceptable performance, there is a heavy, laboured apprehension by the general public as to what might be the outcome of the general GECOM staff performance at the upcoming Disciplined Services voting; also specifically in supervising the full voting on November 12th, 2018.

In general, the ROs’ performance was calamitous and exceptionally poor. The circumstances therefore demand answers to many emerging and pertinent questions. It is necessary for the nation to be informed why so many of GECOM’s permanent staff members were employed specifically to work as ROs. As the credibility of the organisation continues to diminish under the watch of imposed Chairman Justice (R’td) James Patterson, no clarifications have been offered by the organisation for the recent embarrassing fiasco.

There are convincing public perceptions that there was no proper training conducted for these ROs! If this observation is incorrect, then the following questions must be

answered: Who were the trainers? Who did the evaluation? Who sets the test? Who marks the papers? What were the criteria for selection? And who selected the ROs? It is necessary to point out that the Commission is directly responsible for the recruitment and appointment of all staff.

Apparently the approval for a particular approach is partially or wholly being dictated by a few select Commissioners and sanctioned by the Chairman. It is imperative that all of the Commissioners pursue this responsibility objectively, impartially, and ensure maximum transparency and accountability.

The disenchantment of the PPP/C and other stakeholders in the performance of some ROs on Nomination Day makes it clearer now that when the GECOM Chairman made reference to the recruitment of middle-management staff for the secretariat, the opportunity was opened up and seized by specific individuals to clandestinely employ manipulating cronies.

Several statements which emerged from the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of GECOM were published in the media regarding the readiness of GECOM to hold Local Government Elections on November 12, 2018. In one instance, the Chairman, James Patterson, is quoted as saying: “It (preparation) is reaching its time post. We

have no difficulties at all as regards to what we have to do…We are ready for it (LGE)… just waiting for a declaration as to the date from the relevant minister”.

Contrary to the Chairman’s position, however, we are witnessing some amazing advertisements in the various newspapers for temporary field staff to work with GECOM at the Elections. These advertisements for Election Day Staff were published in the print media on several occasions, highlighting the significant quantum of work to be done.

Invited respondents to the advertisements were informed that the first closing date was August 02, 2018. This was followed by a repeat of the same advertisement with the new closing date stated as August 11, 2018; the same advertisement was re-published on a third occasion with the closing date stated as August 23, 2018.

Same was also repeated on a fourth occasion with the closing date provided as September 30, 2018.

The facts presented give broad testimony to the falsity emanating from GECOM. It is quite evident that the Chairman and the Secretariat’s CEO have been making statements that are not revealing of the whole truth, but seek to merely justify their photo opportunities.

Further, the additional advertisement for spanking new vehicles, billboards and some other categories of staff imply the need for much required training. Contextually, this informs of much to be achieved before GECOM can realistically signal the level of appropriate readiness that they have insincerely conveyed.

While there has been a resounding silence on the recent embarrassing ROs’ debacle by authorised officials of GECOM, it is from inside the ‘belly of the beast that ‘staffers are asking about multi-year agreements along with liabilities from all previous years. Staffers are asking about the land, water, air transportation, along with fuel and lubricants which have been significantly manipulated in the past. There are emerging queries about rental of boats, vehicles, buildings, and generators, even as the food and beverages ‘galore’ for certain caterers are now evolving. It seems that GECOM Secretariat is poised to have another feast that we must all be on the lookout for.

As citizens ready themselves for the upcoming elections, caution must be exercised towards the rejection of any clandestine plans by GECOM. Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Granger seems to be an expert in ‘empty There is a need for a rhetoric, tired clichés closer look at what and platitudes’ occurred post-2016 LGE Dear Editor,

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fter almost three years of Local Government Elections in Guyana, Guyanese believe that many local issues would have been resolved. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. The question is: what differences have Local Government Elections and governance made to our lives and communities?

I am absolutely sure that nothing much has changed in your communities or lives, but it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you continue to vote, in order for you to be protected against any increase in rates and taxes or any additional burdens by this coalition Government.

The Government’s policies of modernising the country local system of democracy are nothing but increased hardship and burdens.

Since the Local Government Elections of 2016, the coalition Government has refused to increase and delay subventions to assist LAA areas, but has insisted that rates and taxes’ increases is the solutions to various issues within these areas.

This contributed significantly to the decline of the local authority areas, some areas are even worse than before 2016, with clogged drains, deplorable streets, garbage disposal crisis etc., and this continues to

plague all the NDCs and municipalities across the country.

Even the municipalities and NDC that are governed by the APNU/AFC coalition Government, where they imposed 100 per cent increases in rates and taxes, nothing has changed.

The reason why the APNU/AFC coalition Government is trying to impose local democracy pressure on the Guyanese people is because of the numerous failures of the Government to deliver; as such, they are using the local authorities’ management as a scapegoat, to hide their incompetence and mismanagement.

If the APNU/AFC were serious about the success of the LAA areas, then they would pump more resources into the LAA areas to satisfy the needs of the grassroots people.

Remember that Local Government Elections are just the renewal of Local Democracy.

Guyanese should recognise that the only hindrance for the APNU/AFC to become a total dictatorship Government is the Opposition Leader, Cde Bharrat Jagdeo, and the Peoples Progressive Party.

Regards, Zamal Hussain

Granger’s comments show that he needs to be better informed about the situation in sugar sector Dear Editor,

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he October 4, 2018 edition of the Stabroek News reported that President David Granger told attendees at a meeting held at the Corriverton Primary School on October 3rd, “…that his government had no choice but to close sugar estates…”.

This is a sad and most unfortunate statement by His Excellency and, it seems, maybe he was ill-advised by those who surround him.

Contrary to his belief and stance, there were other choices, as there generally are in life.

All the estates have really good possibilities of overcoming their difficulties and becoming viable and sustainable. Such feats, however, require knowledgeable management, a committed workforce, and a supportive government.

It seems, from our point of view, which the latter was especially lacking.

Moreover, apart from the profitability/cost arguments which appear to be the sole focus of the Administration, there are several societal considerations that must be taken on board.

These matters were all put to the Administration and the pressing need for a socio-economic survey was advanced. Dismayingly, Vice-President Khemraj Ramjattan, who ridiculously said previously that God wanted the

estates to be closed, closed his mind, ears and eyes to those suggestions and told the unions and the opposition PPP/C during a consultative meeting on February 03, 2017, that we (unions and opposition) should pursue such a study.

The VP, from all appearances, seemed not to have understood his role as a government leader. Today, all that we had previously warned about have become the reality. Today, the jobless workers are facing pressingly difficult times and cannot make ends meet.

Excellent work by a few media houses have brought the sad times of the workers to the nation’s attention. They have greatly touched the Guyanese people’s conscience and have demonstrated the callousness of the closure decisions.

We strongly disagree with the President that there was only one choice. Experience has taught us that there are never unilateral choices, but we see unilateral decisions taken particularly with respect to the sugar industry.

Really, by now, President Granger ought to be better informed of the situation in the sugar industry and of its real potentials.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine, GAWU General Secretary

Dear Editor,

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hen I read this headline, ‘Sometimes my children wake up hungry and all I can do is cry’, I could not believe what this Government has done to the lives of the hardworking sugar workers of this country.

How can our President and his plethora of hardly-working ministers digest their 50 per cent salary increases? How can they still regurgitate the worthless ‘good life’ mantra, which now represents an insult to anyone with an iota of intelligence or reasoning?

In 2015, both the President and the Prime Minister had pledged that the ‘sugar industry is too big to fail’, and that no sugar estate will be closed. The Government-sponsored CoI, which was completed in October 2015, had endorsed this stance. The PPP had warned that this is sheer hypocrisy, and that the Coalition Government would use the scalpel destructively to extract their pound of flesh from the sugar workers.

However, just two months after the CoI was completed and made public, the guillotine fell on the Wales Sugar Estate; and the following year, Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon estates were added to the casualty list. The sugar workers have become expendables, they were ‘raiders of the Treasury’, according to Moses Nagamootoo, their erstwhile ‘champion’, who is now enjoying the ‘fat cat’ status , a term he had coined to describe the previous Government but now aptly fits his.

In their haste to castigate the sugar workers, who are deemed to be PPP members and supporters, the Coalition made a great tactical blunder that not only destroyed the economies of the various communities and the country as a whole, but irreparably damaged their reputation, which will not only serve to decimate their support in this LG Election, but in the 2020 General Election as well. Humpty Dumpty had fallen!

The tales of sorrow and woe of the dismissed sugar workers, Eon Collymore and his wife Melissa Sinclair, are reverberating throughout the communities of Wales, Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon. Parents and children are forced to live in dire poverty, struggling daily to have meals on the table, and school is becoming a distant memory for some. Even those sugar workers who are employed in the operational estates are having a rough time, since they have not received any wage increase since 2015, and many benefits have been snatched from them.

Why are the cries of the dismissed sugar workers not heeded by this Government? Is

it because they feel that these people did not vote for them?

But alas! Not only are the dismissed sugar workers suffering, but all those who were dependent on them: the taxi drivers, the vendors, the businessmen, the carpenters and other tradesmen. The ripple effect is terrifying. How is it that the social and economic impacts of the closure of these estates were ignored?

The European Union, in its National Adaptation Strategy, had specifically stated that the Government must support the livelihoods of workers who are going to be negatively affected by the sugar reforms.

This ‘good life’ Government ignored this stipulation.

The National Adaptation Strategy has implied that workers must be paid their severance to buffer any hardships which are bound to accrue after losing their jobs. Let us, for a moment, pause and put ourselves in the position of the worker who has lost his job, does not have a saving, owes money to creditors or the bank, has a family to take care of, and has not received his severance pay. A few workers have committed suicide because of this, while others have been reduced to begging. Moreover, those who owe the bank are being pressured to find the loan installments. The underperforming loans are now on the increase, as the economy is shrinking uncontrollably. All this is happening while the Government is illegally withholding the severance of many of the dismissed sugar workers. This is most heartless!

Then amidst protest by sugar workers, many of whom are yet to receive their full severance pay, the President has the temerity to tell the Skeldon residents, “You are the commercial capital of Berbice.” This is preposterous! Skeldon, New Amsterdam and Rose Hall are dying municipalities under this Government. They have been relegated to ‘ghost town’ status. I do submit that the President should have used the past tense!

The President seems to be an expert in empty rhetoric, tired clichés and boring platitudes! His speech writers need to be fired!

I am calling on this Government to visit these dying communities and to fully comprehend the adverse social and economic impact resulting from their unconscionable and obscene haste to shut down the four estates.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

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It cannot be a mere coincidence that on every occasion the GECOM Chairman used his casting vote, it was to support the PNC Dear Editor,

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observe with mixed emotions, the sentiments expressed by retired Justice James Patterson, the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as reported in the press recently. Justice Patterson has boldly mounted the horse of morality and integrity and has accused politicians of using the race card. He accused the judiciary of becoming “a tool of disruption” and expresses the hope that a member of the legal profession might mount a challenge against “the misuse of the legal system.” He also posits “that the Commission has been experiencing at every turn, designs and machinations to stymie the elections coming fore… It is self-evident that the objective is to stall the forthcoming elections.”

These are both profound and courageous contentions for anyone to advance, moreso, Justice Patterson. The truth of the matter is that a major part of the problems at GECOM is Mr Justice Patterson himself,

having regard to the manner of, and circumstances under which he was unilaterally imposed as the Chairman of GECOM by the President. Both him, and the process by which he was appointed, were widely and condignly condemned by almost every major organisation/public commentator in this country other than the President, the Government and the political outfit which he heads. In short, a majority of the electorate have already demonstrated their public mistrust of Justice Patterson.

One cannot forget the inaccurate assertion on his CV that he was appointed the Chief Justice of Grenada. One cannot forget that after reviewing the resume of 18 outstanding Guyanese for a period spanning nearly a year, the President rejected them all and proceeded to appoint Justice Patterson. Minutes after his swearing-in, Mr Justice Patterson himself, confirmed to the press that only a few hours prior, he was invited to submit his résumé. So after just a few hours of reviewing his résumé, the President found him to be fit and

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018 proper but rejected 18 qualified Guyanese after reviewing their résumés for several months. Fortunately, the appointment is the subject of an ongoing legal challenge now at the Court of Appeal.

Since his controversial appointment, Justice Patterson has done nothing to boost public confidence in him. It cannot be a mere coincidence that on every occasion that his casting vote was required at GECOM, he cast it in favour of the Government Commissioners. It cannot be mere coincidence that he refused to meet with the UNDP whose only interest was to contribute expert human resources to improve the IT Department at GECOM, and to assist in a number of other ways to strengthen the integrity of the electoral machinery. Any conscientious chairman would have happily embraced such assistance.

It is against that backdrop that Mr Justice Patterson’s comments must be examined. I am not surprised that he has invoked the oldest trick in the book of accusing those who called for greater ethnic diversity at GECOM, of racism. It is a well-trodden track in this country with which we are all familiar. Neither am I surprised that his position coincides, identically, with the PNC’s public posture on this issue. I can appreciate his abhorrence to resorts to the Courts. After all, his own appointment constitutes one. However, in a democratic society, one’s right to approach the Court to seek redress against the infringement of the Constitution and the laws of the land, whether real or perceived, is a fundamental one. Anyone who regards the justice system and access to the justice system by the citizenry as a “tool of disruption”, is innately and inherently autocratic and authoritarian. Such a person has no place close to an organisation like GECOM, moreso to head it. What other matters relative to GECOM have been

referred to the Courts?

I set them out hereunder.

1. An Elections Petition challenging the validity of the 2015 General and Regional Elections. To do so is the undoubted right of any registered elector of this land. Other than the 2011 Elections, every elections since independence in this country has attracted an Elections Petition.

2. A challenge has been filed against the creation of new Local Authority Areas and the alteration of external and internal boundaries within existing Local Authority Areas on the grounds that the relevant statutory procedures have not been followed, and the stakeholders, including the political parties and the electors, have not been consulted. Is it the Chairman’s view that the actions of the Minister and the Chief Elections Officer beyond the review of the Courts; that they are infallible? Are the political parties and the electors not entitled to be consulted in the process?

3. The latest challenge seeks to remove from the lists of certain political parties, the names of those who have contended that their signatures were fraudulently procured or forged and placed on those lists. Are these not serious allegations?

Yet the Chief Elections Officer refused to remove these names from the lists or even to investigate the allegations. Is the Chairman comfortable with such a state of affairs? Should he not be most anxious to have these matters conclusively determined in a Court of Law, in the interest of preserving and promoting the integrity of the organisation which he heads?

The press also reports Justice Patterson as saying, “These are troubling times for elections in Guyana.” Having regard to what I have said above, to that statement, I offer my absolute concurrence.

Yours faithfully, Anil Nandlall, PPP/C MP

NIS placed at disadvantage because of APNU+AFC gov’t actions

T

he National Insurance Scheme is bound to collapse given its present management.

This is a certain fact when you peruse the last actuarial report on the corporation. As the name suggests The National Insurance Scheme is a corporation that caters for the insured welfare good of all of its members when they would have reached the mature age of retirement. A well thought out plan for the good which works very well especially for many of those workers who only lived for today and not for tomorrow. So, The NIS is a wonderful idea put into action.

Now, why should an institution with such lofty ideals ever see bad times, failure or collapse, a question every onlooker is inquiring right now?

Well here’s a couple of reasons for that morbidity.

As the name suggests, The NIS is a welfare institution, however, if it is run purely on welfare lines, as is the present situation, then it is headed for sure failure. The NIS is also a bank, one should never lose sight

of that, which means that there are inflows and outflows. If there are only outflows and not commensurate inflows then again I say it would become a bankrupt body. Then, it is a warning bell to the powers that be that the insurance scheme is in trouble and there has to be mechanisms put in place to have it run on commercial lines. This is something the previous administration had well in place which transformed the scheme into a huge success story.

Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the fact The NIS is almost totally dependent on the contributions coming in from government employed personnel and from – the very important factor – investment.

On these pillars The NIS is buoyed, without these it will fall.

Now, when this PNC-led Administration came into power that viability was dampened in two key areas, that is in the government service areas when over 7,000 sugar workers were dismissed from regular earnings and regular NIS contributions. In addition there

were others such as 2000 workers more in The Amerindian Community who lost theirs. This means that direct inflows into the scheme was heavily affected.

But this is my main concern and I draw your attention to the way this government dealt with investment made by The PPP/C Government. I make mention of The Berbice Bridge investment made by The NIS, The incoming PNC Administration deliberate move tampered with the above board and sound investment made by the previous administration through The NIS in that bridge.

They threw the original contract overboard and deliberately lowered the toll for the users of the bridge. That meant instant failure as it puts the returns of the investors in jeopardy.

When failure begin to seep in The PNC/ AFC Coalition then turn again to blame that failure on The PPP/C. Outrageous! They never stopped to think that it was their vindictive and economically backward move directed mainly at The PPP Investor Ramsaroop would have sent a death knell on the

scheme? To hurt one man whom they claim to be a PPP Supporter they risk the collapse of an entire corporation? How stupid! Their blinded, vindictive eyes could not see that.

Spite being the object of this administration has so clouded their better judgment that even economic development and the greater good of this country has taken a battering.

I must hasten to a close, but I will say this, do you know that the successful and efficient management of The NIC here has led The Government of St lucia to cease payment of pensions? Yes, since 2003 all government employed workers are now paid a percentage of their earnings by The National Insurance Corporation? If you do not believe me I urge you to make a telephone call to the government or corporation and you will be apprised of it. Tells you how backward The PNC Led Coalition has led Guyana, instead of progressing we are digressing.

Regards, Neil Adams

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

The government is using state funds to campaign Dear Editor,

G

overnment Ministers are in the habit of saying one thing and doing exactly the opposite. I recall candidate Khemraj Ramjattan during the 2015 elections telling Berbicians that despite the rumours they were hearing, the APNU+AFC, if elected, will not close any sugar factory. We all know how that turned out. Three sugar estates were closed and over 7,000 workers were sent home.

President David Granger is no different. He says publicly he wants to work along with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo but unilaterally appoints a crony as Head of GECOM in violation of our Constitution. Now he tells the residents of Anna Regina that the APNU administration has its focus on serving not a portion of the people, but the entire country.

I’m sure he failed to tell that to Ovid Morrison, the controversial REO of Region Five who stymied development in known PPP villages by starving them of much needed resources.

But Granger’s speech in Anna Regina is more than just campaign rhetoric and deception; it is about downright dishonesty, and the blatant misuse of government resources for political purposes.

Editor, the last time I was critical of the ruling of the Speaker of the National Assembly, I was admonished by His Honour, who asserted that a Member of Parliament has no right to criticise the Speaker inside or outside of Parliament. Not being satisfied with the scolding I had received, the Prime Minister promptly move a Motion to send me to the Privileges Committee to be sanctioned. So, I will not go that route again. I will merely lay out the facts here, and let your readers draw their own conclusion.

In the 2018 National Budget, the expenditure allocated for “Local Travel and Subsistence” was $2.154 billion. This is an extremely large increase of $732 million over the 2014 Budget of $1.422 billion. Then under another Line Item in the 2018 Budget – “Other Transport, Travel, Postage”, $1.31 billion was allocated, compared to just $874.6 million in 2014 – an increase of $469 million.

Because Opposition parliamentarians were concerned that Ministers of Government were traveling excessively into the hinterland doing political work under the guise of promoting social cohesion, on August 7th of this year, my parliamentary colleague, Pauline Sukhai-Campbell submitted an Oral Question without Notice to be asked of the Minister of Finance in Parliament the following day. The question was, “Could the Honourable Minister provide this National Assembly with the costs of expenditure by the Government Ministers and their staff travelling to interior locations in the last twelve months? The locations and purpose of each of these visits and the costs incurred? Please also identify how many chartered flights were used to these locations and costs incurred?”

Now, as Members of Parliament, it is our Constitutional duty to have oversight of government’s spending of the public purse. Yet, this question was disallowed by the Speaker

of the National Assembly, “His Honour is of the view that your question is important, but not urgent and it does not relate to the business of today’s sitting.” Not satisfied with the Speaker’s explanation, the same question was resubmitted as a Question on Notice to a Minister (of Finance) on September 28th, and disallowed again on the grounds that “the Minister of Finance is not responsible for the use of funds by other Ministers and their staff to travel to interior locations.” You get the picture?

Now that Local Government Elections are upon us, the President has made several trips to Lethem in recent weeks, and is due to return there again on October 14 for the “Official Launch” of Lethem Town Week. This is just another manufactured event to utilise state funds to campaign. I expect he will unashamedly be giving away bicycles as he did in Anna Regina in an effort to win votes. Earlier, the President going to Skeldon to distribute bicycles to children in the middle of a campaign is nothing short of obscene. For he could have easily gone to the schools to distribute the bicycles instead of taking the children to make up numbers at his campaign rally. And a compassionate President would have also taken the severance pay to the thousands of sugar workers he displaced, most of whom can’t even provide food for their families.

Granger told the gathering at Anna Regina that on November 12th, they should elect visionary leaders, “It is not just a passive town council where people just get elected and they just sit down…They have to look after public services and public health… They must look after sanitation and keep the canals clean.

They have to look after security and economic growth. Elect someone who is multi-talented and willing to work, not because they belong to a political party but because they are prepared to work.” If Granger had adhered to this same principle, the voters would never have elected him and his ministers.

Over the last few months, huge number of trips were made by Ministers of Government to Mabaruma, Lethem, Mahdia and other interior locations ostensibly to do government business. But in reality, they’re there to do political work and to distribute the PNC newspaper – The New Nation. So, the question submitted to the National Assembly by PPP/C Member of Parliament, Pauline Sukhai-Campbell that was disallowed by the Speaker, is not without merit. This government needs to stop the shameless abuse of state funds to finance their political campaigns.

During the pre-election period leading up to the last Local Government Elections in 2016, it is estimated that APNU+AFC cost the treasury almost $50 million flying campaign workers and others to the Lethem and Mabaruma municipalities alone.

Where are the international organisations and the local groups who used to talk about abuse of resources during the previous administration?

Yours faithfully, Harry Gill, PPP/C Member of Parliament

APNU+AFC gov’t policies a carbon copy and a replication of failures and hardships under Burnham regime Dear Editor,

T

he Government of Guyana through its Ministry of Communities is carrying out an axiological survey or simply put an assessment on properties housed in its municipalities. Starting with The New Amsterdam Municipality they hope to sweep through the rest of Guyana on an upgrade in property evaluation and the concomitant tax regime that would soon follow.

In the ministry’s agenda most of the laws governing property evaluation in our towns and city are antiquated and direly needs an upgrade so bring in expensive foreign valuators to add that “authenticity flair” to their tax dealings. They have dressed it up under the Municipal Property Assessment Canada (MPAC) so that they can now have that free reign to tax the daylight out of Guyanese.

The story they are giving us, is that this valuation upgrade is going to bring in well deserved revenues hitherto denied the municipalities by the parasitic rich. But is this the real story, is this the situation that would play out when the real taxation begins? I am afraid no! What is going to happen is additional hardships would be put upon the struggling poor when the upgrade sinks in. What is going to happen is that more and more of the urban poor property owners would have to put their properties up for sale because they would not have the means to pay up. Is this the new and improved Guyana we are talking about? Is this the good life?

The fact of the matter is you cannot categorically say you are taxing the rich without hurting the poor. The poor is bound to come out the loser in any of this arrangement,

that’s what these idiots do not understand.

Poor people forms the majority in any community, thats a fact of life no one can deny and this backward, idiotic scheme where a few rich property owners a government is going to arbitrarily up taxes the end result is bound to bring harrowing consequences, as it already has. The poor are most of us and as such they are the ones who would face the brunt of the attack.

This government is cash strapped, for reasons they have created themselves through those wasteful spending sprees and poor initiatives. They lack a modicum of management skills and a further lack in economic drive, this has resulted in all of their plans turning out to be total failures while the populace wallows in poverty or near poverty. This incompetence stinks to the high heavens!

Whatever this government does, you just have to cross reference to the Burnham era and you see a carbon copy and a replication of failures and hardships.

People are taxed on the ability to pay, however in Guyana it is quite the opposite, persons are taxed and given additional burdens when they really do not have the means to pay. A tax fatigued nation such as ours is stretched to the limit. Guyanese are now flat against the ropes, and it is at this very same time This PNC Led Government is administering more body blows in the new property tax regime. I say in times these we need a saviour, in times like these we need the Lord. Heaven help us all here!

Regards, N. Adams

Jordan’s ‘talk half-left half’ tirade duplicitous Dear Editor,

T

he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) could not fail to offer a response to some of the “achievements” Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan boasted about in his letter which appeared under his hand in the October 09, Stabroek News. The Finance Minister said “…our government has reduced the Value Added Tax (VAT), from 16% to 14%; reduced Personal Income Tax, from 30% to 28%; increased the tax threshold from $600,000 to $720,000 or 1/3rd of gross income (whichever is higher)…”.

While the Honourable Minister, seemingly, blows his own trumpet, FITUG could not ignore the duplicity in the Minister’s statements. While the Minister speaks about reducing the rate of VAT, the collection of VAT has gone up by 25 per cent in his tenure. Today, our working people must contend with paying VAT on water, electricity, private health care and other previously exempt goods and services. In the same vein, the touted adjustments to the Income Tax Regime mean very little when we recognise that Income Tax receipts have increased by 31 per cent under Minister Jordan’s leadership at the Ministry of Finance. During Minister Jordan’s sojourn, so far, Government tax

revenues went up by roughly $35B, most of which are paid by the workers, directly or indirectly. Let us not forget too that a significant chunk of those increased tax revenues went to propping up the State’s bureaucracy.

The Minister, in his letter, speaks about increases in salaries while he seeks, apparently, to deflect from the large increases in pay and perks, he and his colleagues benefitted from. But, we ask how meaningful are those increases when the prices of food have steadily increased; when the reluctance to adjust the excise tax on fuel has seen workers having to find thousands more per month for transportation; when workers have to find several thousand more per year to pay their water bills; when the looming property re-valuation could very well see them paying higher rates and taxes; among the several other burdens workers have to contend with now-a-days. To borrow a popular phrase, the Minister “talk half and lef half”.

The Minister speaks too about the papers and reports his Ministry has prepared, while they must be applauded for those feats. But, at the same time, the Ministry has ceased for some months now, at least publicly, publishing the Monthly Economic Bulletin and there has been no addition Unemployment Survey beyond the inaugural edition. The Minister (Turn to page 8)

STRAIGHT TALK 8

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

(This is an abridged version of a presentation made before the 1992 elections, by Dr Cheddi Jagan as leader of the Opposition during the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference held in Guyana. Its re-printing is among several activities being undertaken during 2018 to mark the 100th birth anniversary – March 22, 2018 – of the founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.)

Looking For the Way Forward

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

D

rugs - this is a very big problem. It is big business with hundreds of billions of dollars behind it. We have to examine it from two angles: demand and supply.

Recently, I heard that Ron Dellums, head of the Black Caucus in America, after a meeting with President Bush said to the Voice of America that we must not only look at the question of law enforcement and education, but we also have to see the social problems of the country unemployment, broken

marriages, cuts in welfare, homelessness, and increasing poverty. He insisted that these problems must be tackled or else frustration and hopelessness will lead to continued demands for illicit drugs.

Let us take the supply side. Our hemisphere, Latin America and the Caribbean, has intense poverty. A study done in 1980 showed that 8 per cent of the people at the top took 40 per cent of the national income, whereas 40 per cent of the people at the bottom had only 10 per cent of the national income.

A study of the period 1985-1990 by the UN Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean showed that poverty will increase, unemployment will increase by nearly 50 per cent and the debt problem which was huge - US$368 million in 1985 - will become US$672 million by the end of the decade. More than that, they assumed that dismal prognosis on the basis of the growth rate of 7 per cent but the growth rate has only averaged 1 per cent.

If we take our own region, the Caribbean, a group

Granger’s pre-election ruse that employs the use of taxpayers’ monies becoming a pattern Dear Editor,

O

n Monday, October 8, 2018, residents reported that it was announced over the loudspeakers at the Anna Regina Car Park that the APNU will be launching its Local Government Elections political campaign in Region 2 with a rally at which President Granger will be present. From all reports, validated by those on the ground, the rally was a total failure.

The attendance was less than one hundred and fifty (150) persons comprised primarily of about seventy-five schoolchildren from the nearby secondary schools and a spattering of government employees and party activists, some of whom were transported from Georgetown.

It was shockingly noticeable also the purported and seeming abuse of State resources and taxpayers’ dollars by the President to conduct such party political activities. One must be concerned that this ruse seems to be a pattern utilized by President Granger, when conducting his party activities across Guyana. Good governance requires that the President utilizes his par-

ty’s resources and apparatuses rather than exploit scare state resources to mobilize a crowd for him to speak to.

From all reports, the President’s speech was tame as it presented a disingenuous scenario of what obtains on the ground in Region 2. The truth is, life has become burdensome; businesses have become unprofitable; rice farming has become unviable, young people have become unemployable; parents have become hard-pressed.

The President deliberately stayed away from speaking about the new-found hardships that his policies have placed on our hapless citizens. Nothing was said about creating jobs, reducing cost of living, preventing crime, fighting corruption.

The platitudes of taking ownership were aplenty. But that was only half of the story. Nothing was said about government-directed victimization of specific NDCs, about government-led efforts that stymie infrastructural development in rural villages, about the spawning procurement fraud, about government incompetence that creates massive shortages of drugs and medical supplies across the region, about

of "Wise Men" were appointed a few years ago and they said the unemployment

level was already 30 per cent and is likely to reach an explosive 40 per cent. We have to do something about it.

At one time in Latin America and the Caribbeanin the early part of this century- we not only produced our own food but we exported food. Now, we are importers of food. Although we are predominantly agricultural, we are importing food!

Agriculture was destroyed.

We have, for instance, in the CARICOM area, a food import bill of nearly US$l billion a year. Trinidad has exhausted its reserves large-

pregnant mothers dying at the hospital.

This approach pursued by the President does not build confidence and does not bode well for the future of this country.

The new fetish of the President seems to be to coax people into a crowd to listen to him – this time he presented a few bicycles to some students. If indeed the President and government were serious about education, the handover of the bicycles should have been done at the schools rather than at a political campaign meeting.

Moreover, the highly successful and impactful $10,000 grant per public school child, which the President removed after his assumption to office, would have been a much better incentive to our schoolchildren.

I stand willing to be corrected, but reports from Corriverton indicated that this same crowd mobilization technique was used by the President during his party campaigning in that municipality; and, I would not be surprised if the same technique is used to mobilize a crowd for the President during his visit to Lethem Township shortly.

It is quite noticeable that crowd mobilization is a tenuous task of both APNU and AFC so there is a vigorous effort to entice people using illusive means.

In Region 2, the residents have made a

ly by importing nearly $800 million worth of food every year when that can be grown and produced in the country.

And that is what we have to be looking at.

We, therefore, have to seriously study our food policy - mainly the agricultural sector. In the north, agriculture benefits from science and technology are highly subsidized, whereas in our countries agricultural tools are mainly files, cutlasses and forks. Our people do not have the means. And now we are compounding (Turn to page 9)

major shift in an almost total rejection of the APNUAFC. Their sparse attendance to a campaign rally hosted by the President, who is Leader of both PNC and APNU, is indicative of their lack of trust and loss of confidence in the President and current government.

After three years of continuous mismanagement and incompetence by the PNC-led government, the residents of Essequibo Coast have shown in no uncertain terms, their disapproval of the way our country is currently being managed.

Since its installation into office, the APNUAFC Regime embarked on a systematic and incomprehensible plan to destroy the lives of our poor and vulnerable citizens, and businesses in Guyana.

Citizens are now fully aware that the pre-2015 campaign rhetoric holds no strength because the APNUAFC government has steadfastly undone all the positive indicators of progress and prosperity.

At these Local Government Elections, both the APNU and AFC do not inspire much. As a matter of fact, AFC has become very unwanted as it is now an open secret that like APNU, it is tainted with high levels of corruption and hypocrisy.

Yours faithfully Nigel Dharamlall, PPP/C MP

Jordan’s ‘talk half-left... also refers to the 4.5 per cent growth rate recorded for the first half of 2018. But we ask again are the fruits of that growth reaching the ordinary man and woman? From our interactions with workers, they are hard-pressed and at their wits end in making ends meet.

Certainly, the rosy picture painted is far from the cold reality on the ground.

The FITUG is pleased that the Minister took time to offer a defense to what has been

(From page 7)

an otherwise uninspiring performance. Today, we urge that he approaches his mandate with similar fervor as he does his letter-writing.

This may very well help us to turn away from the precipice that is slowly but steadily approaching.

Regards, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG)

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Looking For the... that problem because we have to pay so much debt.

We are borrowing money to pay debts, and because we don't have foreign exchange~ we cannot bring the things which are necessaryspare parts for agricultural machinery or new equipment and therefore we are resorting to food aid from outside.

That also helps to destroy agriculture because when you produce inefficiently at home, with cheap imports coming in, even the little agriculture that is there is being destroyed. So what is the result? The people start growing marijuana in Guyana. Today it is being grown everywhere because the overall policy is not conducive to developing agriculture, especially rice and sugar, our main crops.

I mentioned that in the North, agriculture is being subsidized. In our country more pressure is being put on farmers. In this year's budget there is a levy. This shows that we have our priorities wrong. We have to deal with these fundamental issues in a serious way and not look at them superficially.

How do I see a solution to this problem? As I said, we don't have the foreign exchange; we don't have the money to buy the spare parts, the machinery, the fertilizers, etc., and we are borrowing money to pay debts. We have to link this question to a better way of development and link it to the unprecedented arms race.

The debt problem is now such a huge problem that it is sometimes referred to as a time bomb which is likely to explode, bringing down the whole structure which ties up the north and south.

To give some figures: the total third world debt is over US$1,000 billion; for Latin America and the Caribbean it is $415 billion; for the Caribbean alone it is roughly US$10 billion.

It was suggested that if the arms expenditure of the world is cut by 12 per cent there can be enough money to pay the banks we owe. We should also link the debt issue with making our region, especially the Caribbean, a zone of peace.

If that is done, we will start with a clean slate and have the money, (the foreign exchange especially, which is now going to pay debts), to modernize agriculture, to develop the economy, provide

employment and give our people better social services - health, education, etc. We should stop taxing agriculture. In fact we should subsidize agriculture and let the sector grow so that we can stop importing all this food from abroad.

We have a big tourist industry in the Caribbean, but 75 per cent of the tourist dollar goes back outside to bring food to the Caribbean.

We have to put a stop to all of that. Merchants are importing food when they should be importing other things which are necessary for the development of the economy.

We have to see the debt problem in a very comprehensive way in that it is both simultaneously the effect and the cause of the crisis which is facing the Third World.

The effect: due to incorrect economic development strategies which had been imposed on the Third World.

After the cold war started, the Puerto Rican model of development was proposed.

That formed the basis for our first development plan from 1966-1972. That meant concentrating on infrastructure and creating an investment climate for foreigners to invest and bring about socalled "development". What we had therefore, was money borrowed and spent on infrastructure to be paid in 15-20 years. We did not have a favorable capital output ratio, that is, the recovery of that money from infrastructure to pay back loans. Meanwhile, the foreigners who came wanted; recover their money in one to three years and so we have investment of one dollar taking out from these countries roughly three to four dollars annually.

The net annual outflow from Latin America and the Caribbean, in the period 1981 to 1985, was $36 billion in interest, principal and profits. Last year alone it was $29 billion. We are in the unfortunate situation in the Third World now where we are borrowing, not for development, but to pay back interest. Meanwhile the principal keeps growing.

And so we get into what is called 'a debt trap' where the aid donors, through their instruments, like the I.M.F and the World Bank, impose conditions, first economic and then political, ideological, cultural etc and even military. That is the problem.

The payment of the debt

also becomes a cause of the crisis. For instance, in Guyana, by 1984 we were paying more in debt payments than the total revenue of the country. In that year, it exceeded the revenue. Therefore, what we had to do: we borrowed internally to meet expenditure and this meant that we had to pay interest on that and that created a budgetary problem. Thus the deficit keeps growing. And the adjustments, strategy imposed by the I.M.F dictates that you have to solve the budget crisis by cutting spending on social services, wage freeze wage restrains and cuts in subsidies, etc.

Therefore, what is the answer? I remember in 1979 when the government refused to pay a $14 a day minimum wage which they had agreed to with the TUC, based on the three year agreement. Our party then said: suspend the debt payments or pay only a part. The debt payment in that year was $225 million and the payment of the $14 minimum wage would have meant $85 million. We paid the $225 million and denied $85 million to the workers.

And thus the people who are the main factor in development become dissatisfied; they become alienated. They cannot live because the cost of living keeps going up through taxation, more and more borrowing and devaluation, which is part of the strategy which is imposed by the IMF. For instance in Guyana, the wage now with a 20 per cent increase is about roughly $30 a day.

A medium size loaf of bread costs $30. A pint of cooking oil is $30, one pound of chicken or beef is around $50 to $60, how can people live? If people cannot live, they cannot produce.

The problems have to be solved in a radical, revolutionary way. So I would suggest that as a first step we must look at our development strategy. This is important because even if the debt is written off and we start with a clean slate, the absence of a proper development strategy will again get us into trouble. As the saying goes in out hemisphere "when the United States sneezes, Latin America and the Caribbean get pneumonia" This is true because of our dependent economy, depending on a few products.

In Guyana, as regards the economic model being

(From page 8)

pursued by the PNC government, we have a hybrid variety - bureaucratic state and parasitic capitalism and I.M.F aid will not help. It will only impose further burdens on the people. The PPP, therefore, has a global outlook and that is why we suggest a radical solution.

I would like to deal with this question by referring to this phrase which says 'politics is concentrated economics'. All of us today are grappling with economic problems. We have to look at this question in an interconnected and interacting way, that is, we have an economic base and we have a political, ideological, institutional and cultural superstructure. There must be a proper interconnection and interaction between the base and the superstructure if we are to make progress.

At the political level there has been failure. Witness the Federation of the West Indies. At the economic level, there has also been failure. The Central American Common Market, which was modeled after the EEC has collapsed. The higher hopes of CARICOM have not been realized, and so now we are talking of a Caribbean Parliament.

I think in looking at this we have to see three models of regional integration - the socialist model of COMECON, the EEC model like CARICOM and the ANDEAN PACT. The differences between these are fundamental. COMECON is a socialist and the others are virtually free enterprise.

The difference between the CARICOM model and the ANDEAN PACT is that in the first you have an open door to foreign capital, whereas in the ANDEAN PACT the premise was that uncontrolled foreign capital does not necessarily lead to progress and therefore there must be some limits. I think we need to learn lessons from those experiences.

At the ideological level in the Caribbean region we have three socio-economic models socialist as in Cuba; in the P.P.P. government, the Grenada government under Maurice Bishop and the Nicaraguan Government we have a socialist-oriented or revolutionary democratic model. In Trinidad and in Guyana and the rest, I would say there is a free enterprise force although in Trinidad it was somewhat of a hybrid

under Dr. Eric Williams' P.N.M Government. His projection was that the model would be neither Puerto Rican nor Cuban, but something in between. In Guyana the PNC baptized its ideology as co-operative socialism.

In this situation, therefore, I think it is necessary for us to have dialogue if we are to realize our aims and objectives. This must start, first and foremost, with the media. The media is not free in our area. Either big business is in control or there is domination from outside, that is, the press agencies from the capitalist world, and in some countries, it is state controlled.

I, as I leader of the minority parties, cannot even get a letter published the Guyana Chronicle when attacks are made against me. I cannot get on the state-owned radio.

We must free up the media; we must have dialogue on the way forward. Of course, parliament will help in this direction because you will have the opportunity for dialogue, but what kind of parliament will it be? Will it be a parliament of government or a parliament of government and opposition forces? If it is a parliament of governments, like the Non-Aligned movement, for instance, or even the D.N one does not have the advantage of listening to the voice of the people. Governments in the Caribbean meet, along with a few institutions, to discuss important issues, but generally speaking the people are not involved in the process.

The President of Guyana said that Guyana supports the idea of a Caribbean Parliament. I am not opposed to the idea. Let me make my position clear. But I don't know that the President has consulted with the opposition or discussed it in the Guyana Parliament to make that decision.

The PPP has no disagreement with having dialogue at whatever level. We think that the idea of a Caribbean Parliament is good so that the kind of preoccupation with our own insularity can be broken down and we can sit together in a parliament and look at the matter from a regional perspective.

We would hope that this matter is given serious attention. We have to start out from a democratic base which assumes free and open debate. I was not only

talking about the commitment of Guyana because we don't have that kind of commitment yet, although the President of Guyana made a statement. Democracy is fundamental to development and we want to know that if Guyana is going to take part in such a Caribbean Parliament that we should have a democratic decision on our participation. Who will participate will depend on the democratic decision of the Guyanese people.

Otherwise, for us, it will be a waste of time.

This parliament of Guyana is not reflective of the will of the people and if in a similar way we are going to select who is going to represent Guyana abroad in a Caribbean Parliament, then for us it is just a waste of money. I say that because I have here a clipping from Barbados from the former leader of the opposition Mr. Henry Ford. The headline says: 'Wrong timing for Hoyte's Visit to Barbados' and I quote: "Perhaps it would have been better if the president had not been invited while things remain as they are in that unfortunate country".

Mr. Chairman, in your opening remarks, you made the point that military dictatorships will not be permitted in the Commonwealth Association. We are all wasting our time here if we cannot speak freely and say what is happening in our countries or in the Region.

We are simply wasting time and we will be spending a lot of money and in the end nothing will come out of it.

We are not here just to sling mud, but we have to deal with realities. I, personally, am interested in regional integration, whether economic and political. I favor that.

I favor, also, complete and open dialogue. That is the point I want to make.

I feel, as parliamentarians, we should be open, we should learn. I referred to three economic models in the region - we should go to those countries; study what they are doing. We should take the best from the socialist countries, third world countries like those in the Andean Pact and what is beneficial from the first world. I believe a Parliament of the Caribbean would be fruitful once it is done in an open way, with complete freedom of dialogue and trying to find the way forward.

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (October 11, 2018), ranging from issues affecting Guyana’s public school teachers to the latest worrying developments ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE).

Case to challenge ‘gerrymandering’ of LAA boundaries a matter of protecting rights of Guyanese

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head of Monday’s (October 15, 2018) ruling in the case filed on the ‘gerrymandering’ of boundaries in several Local Authority Areas (LAAs), Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, made clear that filing the case was done with regard to the duty that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has to Guyanese people.

At his Thursday (October 11, 2018) news conference, he noted that the Party has a duty to approach the court to challenge “arrogant” and biased actions, which do not serve the interests of the Guyanese people and to ensure that their rights are protected.

He said, “The reason we are filing these cases is not because we want to be difficult. We have an obligation as a Party that will form the next government to protect people’s rights and to ensure that our Constitution and the Laws of Guyana are not interpreted capriciously by this Government or by GECOM (the Guyana Elections Commission) to the detriment of Guyanese.”

GERRYMANDERED BOUNDARIES The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has charged that the actions of the APNU+AFC

Coalition Government, with the creation of 10 new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and changes to 14 existing LAAs point to “gerrymandering” of boundaries ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections – all in an effort to increase its balance of votes.

The 10 new areas are: 1. Mahdia, which has been identified as that town for Region Eight 2. Moruka/Phoenix Park NDC 3. Kitty/Providence NDC 4. Nile/Cozier NDC 5. Lamaha/Yarrowkabra NDC 6. Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC 7. Plegt Anker/Kortberaad NDC 8. Wyburg/Caracas NDC 9. Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro NDC 10. Annai NDC Additionally, a review of the existing Local Authorities that have been tampered with, show that in total 16 constituencies have been removed from 14 Local Authorities Areas.

The number of seats has been reduced in: 1. Evergreen/ Paradise 2. Aberdeen/Zorge-en-vlygt 3. Malgre Tout/Meerzoergen 4. La Grange/Nismes

5. Toevlugt/Patentia 6. Caledonia/Good Success 7. Woodlands/Farm 8. Mahaicony/Abary 9. Zeelust/Rosignol 10. Blairmont/Gelberland 11. Ordnance Fortlands/No. 38 12. Adventure/Bushlot 13. No. 52-74 Village.

The 14th area that has been tampered with is the Municipality of Rose Hall, where the PPP/C won the proportional representation vote by one seat in 2016. Here the number of constituencies has been increased from seven to eight.

All of this was done without consultation.

TWO MAJOR ISSUES Jagdeo noted that Monday’s ruling will have implication for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE).

He noted that the case deals with two major issues: one, the partisan behaviour of a Government Minister; and, two, controversial actions of GECOM. According to him, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, is supposed to look after the interests of all Guyanese. However, his actions are “patently” partisan. He said, “We believe that the Minister acted without regard for peoples’ rights…the consequences of his actions

and the added burden that will be placed on people, as a result, were not considered.”

Jagdeo added that Bulkan’s partisan behaviour is not surprising, given his proclivity to promote “loft speech making” by President David Granger and other government officials – lofty speeches that are soon forgotten given the almost immediate return to partisan behaviour afterwards.

Relative to GECOM’s actions, the Opposition Leader noted that assuming that Bulkan’s instructions to GECOM were proper and legal, GECOM, as a technical body, had an obligation to proceed in a manner that is fair – which it did not.

Jagdeo pointed out that the GECOM Secretariat, instead, without taking the issue to the full Commission – the Chairman and six Commissioner (three each nominated by the two major political parties) went ahead to make changes – changes that coincidentally benefited the current Administration.

Jagdeo underscored the fact that the PPP/C is heading into the Local Government Elections with a loss of 30 seats because of the ‘gerrymandering’ in the Local Authority Areas.

Notwithstanding these issues, Jagdeo made clear that the PPP/C will not cede ground and is contesting the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections in all 80 Local Authority Areas.

Electoral transgressions should not be allowed to pass - Jagdeo Invalid AFC lists, GECOM

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uyana will be going down a slippery slope if electoral transgressions are allowed to pass without challenge, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

During his weekly news conference on Thursday (October 11, 2018), he commented on the ongoing case related to persons who are trying to have their names removed from ‘fraudulently’ composed Lists of Nominators (Backers’ Lists) by political parties like the Alliance For Change (AFC).

“This is another matter for all Guyanese,” Jagdeo said.

When the fraud was discovered persons armed with sworn affidavits tried to have their names removed from the lists by submitting the affidavits to Returning Officers (ROs).

Not all accommodated by Returning Officers (ROs) on the ground.

At the Number 52/74 Neighbourhood

Democratic Council, 31 affidavits were refused. In Black Bush Polder, another 13 were returned.

Among the affidavits that affected persons were able to submit were: • Region 6, Crab wood Creek - 36 • Region 6, Corriverton - 39 • Region 6, 51/Good Hope - 43 • Region 6, Whim/Bloomfield- 51 • Region 3, Tuschen/Uitvlugt – 39 • Region 3, Best/ Klein Pouderoyen – 6 • Region 3, La Grange/ Nimes – 13 • Region 3, Canals Polder – 10 • Region 3, La Jalousie/ Nouvelle Flander- 13 • Region 3, Toevlugt/ Patentia - 4 Jagdeo argued that the court case filed on this issue is intended to ensure that a fundamental right of Guyanese, the right of choice, is not taken away.

silence on matter questioned

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worn affidavits from over 100 persons, whose names were fraudulently included on Nominators’ Lists (Backers’ Lists) by parties, like the Alliance For Change (AFC), were accepted the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, at his weekly news conference on Thursday (October 11, 2018), questioned GECOM’s silent on declaring the fraudulently composed lists as invalid.

“If the names were removed then the lists are no longer valid…it has to be declared as invalid,” he said.

Among the affidavits that affected persons were able to submit to GECOM were: • Region 6, Crab wood Creek - 36

• Region 6, Corriverton - 39 • Region 6, 51/Good Hope - 43 • Region 6, Whim/Bloomfield- 51 • Region 3, Tuschen/Uitvlugt – 39 • Region 3, Best/ Klein Pouderoyen – 6 • Region 3, La Grange/ Nimes – 13 • Region 3, Canals Polder – 10 • Region 3, La Jalousie/ Nouvelle Flander- 13 • Region 3, Toevlugt/ Patentia - 4 Jagdeo also pointed to another major problem with the lists being rendered invalid – the printing of ballots. “They have already printed the ballots…what happens now?” he questioned.

GECOM, up to press time, remained silent on these issues.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (October 11, 2018), ranging from issues affecting Guyana’s public school teachers to the latest worrying developments ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE).

What mechanism did AFC put on blast for joking AFC use to pull out about a ‘national travesty’ from LGE contest in T some areas?

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aving discovered discrepancies on a Nominators’ List (Backers’ List) in Constituency Number Two - Rush Brook/Maria Johanna – of Wakenaam, which has nine constituencies, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) withdrew from contesting in this area and did so within a prescribed timeframe.

Given the fact that there was a deadline, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, at his Thursday (October 11, 2018) press conference, questioned what mechanism was used by the Alliance

For Change (AFC) to withdraw from several areas.

AFC Campaign Manager, David Patterson, recently disclosed that Party withdrew from at least 10 Local Authority Areas and will now only contest the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) in 38 Local Authority Areas. However, Patterson refused to say which 10 Local Authority Areas the AFC withdrew from.

“Why won’t they say where they pulled out from?” Jagdeo questioned.

He added, “What method are they using to pull out…

GECOM has already printed ballots…if you pull out now and your candidates are still on the ballot what happens?”

The Opposition Leader also questioned how the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) treated with this issue. “If GECOM is allowing them now to pull out, then GECOM is complicit,” he said.

Jagdeo also acknowledged that the matter at hand is “convoluted” and is far from simple. However, he insisted that it is a critical issue that has to be dealt with.

Granger needs to be ‘better informed’ about public school teachers’ issues A ny government official, particularly a government minister, under a People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) Administration, who made disparaging comments about Guyana’s public school teachers, would have been sanctioned. This was according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who added that a PPP/C Administration would have also engaged teachers and resolved the issue of a new multi-year agreement with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) much sooner.

His comments came on Thursday (October 11, 2018), during his weekly news conference, where he was asked about what a PPP/C Government would have done differently.

Commenting on the current state of affairs, he noted that while he is glad that President David Granger acted on his calls and intervened, given the impasse between the GTU and the Ministry of Education, it is clear that Granger needs to be better briefed. Ac-

cording to him, Granger’s comments about “being astonished” at some of the issues raised by the GTU at their last meeting make it clear that he did not read the report from the very Task Force he set up to deal with the GTU proposal for a new multi-year agreement.

“These are not new issues that the teachers are raising,” he said.

Jagdeo also questioned Granger’s move to now have a “joint review” of the GTU proposals, noting that the Task Force he set up made its report, only to have it rejected.

On October 29, 2017, a high-level task force was established to investigate and present a report with recommendations on the education sector. On April 6, 2018, the report from that Task Force was handed to the Ministry of Education. No action was taken based on the report. One of the recommendations of the Task Force was a 40 per cent increase on 2015 salaries and a five percent increase for the years 2016,

2017, 2018 – a recommendation that the GTU supports.

With no action taken on the Task Force’s report, there were more talks between the Union and the M inis try of Education.

However, when these broke down, the Union informed the Ministry of Labour that it was proceeding on strike action.

In the first week of September 2018, thousands of teachers across the country proceeded on strike. The strike action followed a series of failures on the part of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to respond to the concerns of teachers.

All of this came after the Guyana Teachers Union submitted its multi-year proposal to the Ministry of Education in December 2015. After almost two years of in-action by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, the Union threatened strike action on October 26, 2017. President David Granger only met with Union officials after strike action was threatened.

he campaign slogan – ‘Fit and Proppa Candidates’ – used by the Alliance For Change (AFC) has effectively made a “joke about a travesty” – the unilateral appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, at his news conference on Thursday (October 11, 2018).

He said, “What bothers me is that they will take something harmful to the country, that is the action of (President David) Granger to unilaterally appoint a GECOM Chairman – harmful to our democracy; harmful to our Constitution; harmful the relationship between the PPP and the PNC, that for 25 years we kept going understanding how Chairpersons of GECOM could be appointed – and make a joke about this with this ‘Fit and Proppa’ slogan.

“Disparaging 18 Guya-

nese, that is what they are doing. They are laughing at all of us…what does it (the AFC campaign slogan) refer to – it is this travesty that could harm our future and Constitution….they are making a joke of this serious issue.”

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

His appointment came after a meeting on the selection of a GECOM Chairperson, between Jagdeo, and President David 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.

Granger at the center of ‘obscenity’ of APNU 2018 LGE campaign N

oting that being the incumbent administration has an advantage for the ruling political party – in that while performing State duties in some areas, some officials can use the same time to do political work – Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, decried the “obscenity” of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in allowing political work to take center stage – ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) - and spending over $1B more to fund such work.

He said, “I am taking about the obscenity of what they did.” He noted that some $732M more is being spent in 2018, compared to 2014, on local travel and subsistence; while $469M more is being spent for similar purposes.

At the center of the obscenity, according to him, is President David Granger.

Jagdeo added that the spending and campaigning by the APNU cannot be seen as anything but electioneering, given that many of the areas being visited by Granger and his ministers have not

seen any government official for the past three years and residents in the said areas are still waiting for pressing concerns to be addressed.

The Opposition Leader also decried the fact that over 70 school children were transported to a political rally to be able to benefit from a donation of bicycles.

He questioned why Granger could not have visited the various schools to make the donation.

He added that he doubts such obscene actions will see an end in the near future.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

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

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (October 11, 2018), ranging from issues affecting Guyana’s public school teachers to the latest worrying developments ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE).

ExxonMobil should not expect to recover any monies it hands over to APNU+AFC gov’t before oil production starts

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ny monies given to the APNU+AFC Coalition Government by ExxonMobil, before the before the start of production of oil, will not be recoverable by the oil company, declared Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (October 11, 2018) at his news conference, he made it clear that any monies handed over by ExxonMobil will be treated as a donation or an addition to the US$18M signing bonus by a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government, come 2020.

He added that a donation from the company will not be rejected. However, Jagdeo reiterated that a PPP/C government, in 2020, will not be treating any handover of monies as recoverable by ExxonMobil.

In November 2015, Minister Raphael Trotman had disclosed that Government planned to seek pre-commercial production payments from oil company ExxonMobil to fund a number of projects. “It is a discussion that we must have. We’ve looked at other countries where oil companies have made that kind of an upfront payment in anticipation,” he had said. Trotman also disclosed that the president of ExxonMobil would be in Guyana in January 2016 to meet with President David Granger and coming out of that engagement, they are likely to sit down and have that discussion. Trotman said he had no idea of the amount government would seek as this would be the remit of Granger, who is the Minister of Petroleum. “As

an underdeveloped country, we need some infrastructural projects very fast. Government wants to open up Guyana so we’re looking at things like the road to Brazil, roads into some parts of the hinterland, ensuring, for example, that we have low-cost travel by air or road to some of these places,” Trotman said, while responding to a question on what projects the government wants to fund.

Under pressure, less than a week later, Trotman refuted reports by the media that the APNU+AFC Government planned to ask US oil company ExxonMobil for upfront payments ahead of the commercial production of oil here. His excuse was that he was commenting on what was hypothetically possible.

APNU+AFC gov’t refusing to move swiftly to collect on $3.8B court judgment against GSL

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even months since the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled against Guyana Stores Limited’s (GSL) constitutional challenge to the 2% minimum corporation tax applied by the Guyana’s Reve nue Authority (GRA) under the Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) Act, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government is still to move swiftly to collect on the $3.8B that the company was ordered to pay.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, at his Thursday (October 11, 2018) news conference, noted that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government settled several cases it could have won in court, includ-

ing the matter with Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) – all while criticizing the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government for leaving so-called ‘bad cases’ behind in 2015.

That said, Jagdeo questioned the APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s sloth in collecting on the $3.8B judgment against GSL, given its criticisms of the former PPP/C government about ‘bad cases’.

Jagdeo stated that the $3.8B could pay the demands being made by Guyana’s public school teachers and the severance payments owed to over 4,000 sugar workers.

Prior to the CCJ ruling,

GSL received a demand dated May 2012 from the then Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur for the sum of $3,811,346,397 in unpaid taxes and chose to institute proceedings in the courts of Guyana.

Having lost at both the High Court and Appellate Court, GSL then appealed the matter at the level of the CCJ, which ordered the company pay the costs.

As at July 2018, GSL had only paid GRA “a few hundreds of millions”, according to Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia, who added that discussions were ongoing on how the remainder of its $3.8 billion tax debt will be paid.

PPP/C still unable to get clarity on GECOM’s plans for voter education programme T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), to date, is unable to access details about the planned voter education programme that will be advanced by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, at his weekly news conference on Thursday (October 11, 2018). He noted that the Party is worried that the GECOM Secretariat may act in an unfair manner and concentrate the voter education programme in certain areas, while ignoring others. “We have to guard against this,” he said.

Notably, the issue of GECOM’s planned voter education programme was raised at the level of the Commission (the GECOM

Chairman and six GECOM Commissioners) at its last meeting on Tuesday (October 9, 2018).

The question of which company GECOM was engaged to carry out this function was raised, but no clear answers were given. When pressed, GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, admitted that the Ministry of Finance gave the accounting officer the approval to expend funds for such the purpose of advancing the voter education programme. However, the matter was not brought to the level of GECOM’s Finance Sub-committee. As such, to date, it is unclear which company, if any, has been engaged to do the voter education programme.

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

TOWN OF WAKENAAM

VIJAI KUMAR SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #1)

GANISH NARINE NARINE (CONSTITUENCY #3)

ANIL RAMBARAN (CONSTITUENCY #4)

KHEMRAJ SURUJPAUL (CONSTITUENCY #5)

BHAWANI PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #6)

TOWN OF HYDRONIE / GOOD HOPE

GOMATTIE MANBODH (CONSTITUENCY #7)

MANGREE NELWANTE (CONSTITUENCY #3)

RAMNARINE (CONSTITUENCY #8)

BASDEO FAIZN MEASAA (CONSTITUENCY #4)

JEANETTE JAWANT HARRYLALL (CONSTITUENCY #9)

GHANE FAFZUL (CONSTITUENCY #5)

PERSAUD PARASRAM (CONSTITUENCY #1)

HEMRUP YUGESHTHER (CONSTITUENCY #6)

ANGELIQUE MOOTTOO TITANIA (CONSTITUENCY #2)

RAGNAUTH HEMRAJ (CONSTITUENCY #7)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES TOWN OF ANNANDALE / RIVERSTOWN

DASS RAMKARRAN (AIRYHALL-RIVERSTOWN)

JAILALL (ANNANDALE-ABRAMS ZUIL)

CHARRAN SARABJEET (ADVENTURE)

MELLISSA BONITA MOHAMED (ZORG)

SEEROJANIE SINGH (JOHANNA CECELIA)

SHALEENIE FEONA SUKDEO (FLEECE-GOLDEN FLEECE ESTATE)

TOWN OF NILE / COZIER

VILMA AUDREY DE SILVA (NILE-BELLE VIEW)

ROMEL STANISLAUS DHANRAJ (MARIA'S PLEASURE-MARTINDALE)

MELISSA PETERS (MARIA'S LODGEONDERNEEMING)

NARAD PERSAUD (DUBLIN-TENEZE FARM)

RAJENDRA LAKENARAINE SINGH RAMSINGH (PERSEVERANCE)

SEWLALL SINGH SUKHDEO (CULLEN)

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

TOWN OF TUSCHEN / UITVLUGHT

KARANJEET MANGALSING (CONSTITUENCY #1)

NAVVETA DHANRAJIE PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #2)

GEETA PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #3)

POORANDAI SUKHU (CONSTITUENCY #4)

KAMLADAI SUKHU (CONSTITUENCY #5)

FAZIL ZAMAN ALI (CONSTITUENCY #6)

RAMZAN ALI (CONSTITUENCY #7)

DINESH PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #8)

VICASH RAMKISSOON (CONSTITUENCY #9)

ROOPNARINE SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #10)

TOWN OF KITTY / PROVIDENCE

MICHEAL BAHARALLY (KITTY-GRANT ST VINCENT)

AUGUSTINE DOLIVIERA (LAND OF PROMISE-PROVIDENCE)

RAYMOND ARNOLD MANTOOS (FRIENDSHIPBACKLANDS)

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES TOWN OF ORDNANCE FORT LAND / NO.38

ROY JAFARALLY CONSTITUENCY #1

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #2

GUMATTIE KUMAR CONSTITUENCY #3

NAMZA HASSER KHAN CONSTITUENCY #4

CHARRANJEET SINGH GHANCHAND CONSTITUENCY #5

TOWN OF MORA / PARIKA

DESMOND JAIRAM MOSES SAMAROO CONSTITUENCY #6

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #4

RAMSUNDAR PHAGWAH CONSTITUENCY #7

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #5

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #1

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #6

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #2

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #7

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #3

PAUL HARCHAND MANGRU CONSTITUENCY #8

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Rebuttals of Lincoln Lewis’ misleading representations and propagation of a seriously poisonous, divisive, untrue rumor Dear Editor,

I

beg your indulgence to publish my response to the “Eyes on Guyana” column of Mr. Lincoln Lewis, appearing in the Kaieteur News of Sunday October 07th, 2018 entitled, “Serious Questions about Sam Hinds ‘moral authority’ in call for equal treatment for sugar and bauxite workers.” Editor, one should expect and even welcome serious questioning of what he presents, and I do. I am heartened that Mr. Lewis is not rejecting my call for equal treatment for sugar and bauxite workers but his representations are seriously distorted and misleading and he has knowingly or unknowingly propagated and hence sustained one seriously poisonous, divisive, untrue rumor.

Editor, I had thought when I read that the Cabinet led Task Force, of which Mr. Lincoln Lewis was a member, had recommended that that these Rusal workers facing termination be paid a similar package that was applied in the case of Linmine in 1993 onwards, Bermine in 2002 onwards- - -, I hoped that we were rounding a corner, for, by evidently acknowledging and taking our (PPP/C) arrangements for bauxite workers during those difficult years as a standard, I was thinking that there was the beginning of a recognition that we had not been the problem for the bauxite companies, workers and communities. Indeed it seemed that the door was being opened to the thinking that we had been good for the bauxite companies, workers, and communities. I will not let this Lincoln Lewis column dash my hopes.

Editor, we, PPP/C, were always conscious of the need to treat our bauxite and sugar workers equally, if not, equitably. As we, PPP/C came into office in 1992 our bauxite and sugar sectors were in quite different economic situations and with very different prospects: bauxite having suffered huge losses since the mid-1970s and with grave doubts whether it could be profitable again and survive but sugar was returning to profits and its prospects looked bright, admittedly on the then seeming unending guarantee of the preferential prices of the Sugar Protocol.

In those instances referred to by Mr. Lewis, where the bauxite sector was treated differently from the sugar sector, bauxite workers were treated better than what was specified by the various ‘conditionalities’ we, PPP/C, met in place. Rather than close down Linmine on that Minproc declaration in 1994 as prescribed, we resumed and maintained subsidies until interested core partners came along. And much the same happened with the bauxite operations on the Berbice River. That is another story. The eventual privatization of the bauxite companies was better than the previously prescribed alternative which would have seen them closed down forthwith.

Concerning the continued waiver of income tax on overtime work in the case of

sugar workers, it is true, but sugar workers would readily give up that incentive for the higher wage rates bauxite workers received before and more so since privatization. (Sugar workers have been complaining about a number of constrictions in the application of this waiver to them). That notwithstanding, it may be recalled that the Structural Adjustment/ Economic Recovery Programme entered into by then President Hoyte included reforms aimed at reducing if not eliminating special and unique situations and the discretion of a President or a Finance Minister to grant financial incentives. The waiver of income tax on the overtime pay of bauxite and sugar workers and those workers only, stood out like a sore thumb. The waiver of income tax on overtime work is an incentive to both the enterprise and the worker. Many argued that that incentive was on challengeable legal and socio-political grounds. It was largely excused on arguing that Government was under pressure to incentivize the workers in these two most important state owned industries, by finding one way or another to increase their after-tax take-home pay. We were uneasy with this waiver and anticipated its ending on the occasion of privatization or on significant upward movement of wage scales in the sector. There was no targeting of bauxite workers in this.

There is absolutely no truth in Mr. Lewis’s claim that a steam turbine was removed from the bauxite operations. Mr. Lewis and others are invited to visit the steam power station, now derelict, and see for themselves that the three turbines that were there are still there. I call on him to show where, in any so-called PPP stronghold, the steam turbine is/was setup. Further, even if it had been so, Mr. Lewis should know that GPL electricity supply grid is such that it could not supply that electricity to only that stronghold. Indeed, we PPP/C see our electricity grid and supply (GPL) as one of the integrating mechanisms of our people and country. To be frank and for full disclosure I will say that some parts from one of a number of discarded GM diesel sets in the diesel power station by the McKenzie bridge were taken to help rehab a similar engine in GPL’s small diesel power station at Onverwagt. It would have helped supply electricity to Bush Lot but also to Lichfield and Hopetown all on the West Coast Berbice: and what Mr. Lewis could have been wrong with that? One can suspect that this could have been jazzed up to give birth to that rumor. Whatever the case, Mr. Lewis is here knowingly or unknowingly repeating and sustaining a seriously poisonous, divisive, untrue rumor, which as a recognized elder, looked up to by a significant number of our fellow Guyanese, is to be greatly regretted.

There was no plundering of the equipment of the bauxite industry. Indeed, even though it would have made good economic sense, it was to avoid such charges of plundering that I did

not entertain the offer from a scrap metal business from Singapore to purchase the alumina plant: “Liquify your sunk, frozen, discarded, useless asset” the lady from Signapore urged from across my desk. An approach from our local firm, Wieting and Richter, as agent for a corresponding German Environmental firm, to remove all installations and hazardous waste, and present a certified environmentally clean site, along with a small net amount of money, was also not entertained.

Mr. Lewis wrote, “By the time the PPP/C had done its target on the [bauxite] industry 4000+ workers were dislocated - - - “. The PPP/C did not initiate the downsizing of the bauxite industry. Mr. Lewis would know that that sad and traumatic transformation in coming to terms with reality, began with the shock of that first big shrinking of about one third, some 1800 employees in 1983 and the prescribed transfer of all non-core activities to various levels of Government and their agencies. This transformation was well on its way by the time Minproc took management of the core operation in 1990 and the number of employees would have been further shrunk by the time when we, PPP/C, entered Office in October, 1992. As has been stated on many occasions when MINPROC declared that they could not see a way to profitability for the bauxite operations in Linden, the prescription we had received called for closure forthwith.

We did no such thing.

Instead, we quickly developed a base plan which we soon disclosed at a meeting to which Mr. Lewis was invited and was present: a plan not to close but to resume management of the operations, and to find and put together money to resume subsidy of the bauxite operations.

Whilst I cannot immediately recall all the details of that plan, it would have been firstly a holding operation, based on the realities of recent production rates, costs, prices and losses.

We also quickly applied to the EEC/ EU for a SYSMINS loan/grant, which was available for places where the legacy mining business was judged to be no longer sustainable. The processing of this application was protracted, about seven years to first disbursement, partly because based on the relevant consultants’ reports the various reviewing committees were slow to accept that the situation in Linden was as desperate as in other places applying for their support.

Approval, finally, was a well-earned reward to our perseverance.

Mr. Lewis charges us with reducing calcine (RASC) production at Linden. My recall is that whilst there might have been a target of 400,000 tons per year, production and sales were running at about 200,000 tons per year. Mr. Lewis declares that “Guyana never experienced a problem finding market for its bauxite products“, but he misses the point: what did/does he think of the huge losses since the mid- 1970s? Evidently, all and any production was being sold but at prices far below what was required to cover all costs and provide a return on investment or to create a future investment fund. As indicated in the KATSI (Kaiser Aluminum Technical Services Inc.) report of 1983, funded by the multilateral agencies, we (the bauxite operations) needed to get to where the sales price to costs ratio was improved by a factor of 100:70. To develop this question further, it was long recognized that as another thousand tons of RASC was produced and sold it went to a market/ use where steadily lower costs alternatives

were available: but with a single product, price differentiation in the total market was not sustainable. So, RASC price was being determined by the lowest price/value of the sales on the margin. Experience (unto BOSAI today) seems to suggest that there was/ is a core demand for RASC of about 200,000 tons per year for which the value/price return may be sustainable.

Mr. Lewis charges us with breaking up the Guyana Bauxite Workers Pension Plan, “the single largest pool of money owned by African workers”. There had been extensive discussions about what was to be done in preparation for and on privatization. First, the Government had to find the monies to bring up to date a workers’ savings scheme, outstanding PAYE and NIS submissions and an estimated fund to pay enhanced retrenchment benefits, promptly. preference was to close the old companies completely, provide all benefits promptly to workers and start afresh with the new private companies. For a number of reasons, we took the decision to bring the pension scheme to an end and return their entitlements directly to each worker: a) as Guyana had experienced an inflation of 500 to 1000 over the time from its inception, the monthly pension payments would have been very small – even less than 20% of the (also small) NIS pension; b) charges for a commercial manager of this closed, non-receiving pension scheme may have quickly eaten up the principal.

Mr. Lewis has been upset that the PPP/C administration did not hand over “this single largest pool of money owned by African workers“, I would guess that there would have been up to about 10% other peoples] to some self-proclaimed “African Leaders group”. We felt that our legal and moral responsibility was to provide whatever money was to their credit to the individual workers. We provided information on available commercial schemes to the workers and the schemes and also invited Mr. Lewis to sell his “fund” ideas directly to the workers. This was not a cynical move – for success and satisfaction of whatever was their alternative “fund” plan, a direct, earnest, deep, trusting relationship needed to be developed between the expected fund managers and the fund investors – the workers.

Mr. Lewis again seeks to justify the continuing about 90% subsidized electricity prices across Linden as being “deferred wages/salaries” in a 1976 labour agreement; an arrangement whose roots go back to the 1940s and through the beginning of the ending of the isolation of that 100% company town, towards the end of the 1960s with the opening of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Up to about that time upwards of 80% of homes would have had one or more persons working directly with the bauxite company. Today, forty plus years later, not more than 20% of homes would have one member working with the new bauxite company of today. It was with a sense of a long overdue need for reform ( first signaled in 1976 by then President Burnham) that we, PPP/C, during the Government-Opposition talks following the reading of our 2012 budget, developed an understanding for a phased merger of the electricity supply in Linden/Region 10 into GPL. The reduction of subsidies over the transition period would have provided additional financing for the development of the people and the Region.

We all know how that turned out – a reform (Turn to page 23)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings Basil Williams absent from court during hearing of case challenging ‘gerrymandering’ of boundaries – Judge sets Monday as date for ruling

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he High Court proceedings over the Communities Minister’s changes to several Local Authority Areas (LAAs) continued on Wednesday (October 10, 2018).

Former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, stated that Wednesday’s hearing was set for written submissions to be presented to the Court. He noted that both sides did so. However, according to Nandlall, he hoped that he and the Attorney General would have had an opportunity to articulate their submissions.

This did not happen as the Attorney General nor the Solicitor General attended Court. Nandlall stated that his chambers received a letter yesterday from the Attorney General Chambers stating that he would be unable to attend Court today.

However, Nandlall argued that “the urgency of this matter is paramount. So I impressed upon the Court that this matter must be concluded long before the Local Government Elections, because if it succeeds then it will require certain things

to be done before those elections can take place.”

GOV’T ARGUMENTS Attorney General Basil Williams in his application to strike out the action filed by Bibi Shaddick had observed that it was made on the grounds that the applicant’s contentions amounted to allegations of irregularities and illegalities challenging the validity of the Local Government Elections, which have been gazetted to be held on November 12, 2018.

Williams further contended that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the application by Shaddick, on the premise that once allegations of irregularities and illegalities are raised after the election process has begun (Order made on July 18, 2018), the law requires that any such challenge must come after the elections are held and by way of an elections petition.

Nandlall, however, charged that Williams’s application has no merit and pressed for the case to move forward. He argued that the AG’s representa-

tive, Solicitor General Kym Kyte-Thomas has already submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court by seeking and obtaining leave to file an affidavit in answer. Further, that the time for taking the jurisdictional point has already passed.

Nandlall also argued that an election petition is only required to be filed when one challenges the manner in which a Councillor has been elected and that he is not doing that. He pointed out that no Councillor has been elected. He further pointed out that the election of Councillor will take place on November 12, and that his action was filled more than one month before those elections.

Nandlall also argued that “the Attorney General was granted leave to file his submissions in writing within a prescribed time. He violated those timeframes. He only served his submissions yesterday.”

ATTEMPT TO STALL The former Attorney General explained that he was supposed to receive the submissions in such a time

Important dates ahead of 2018 LGE The remaining dates leading up to the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) deadline are: ► October 21, 2018: Closing date for appointment of election agents; ► November 2, 2018: Notice of poll ► November 5, 2018: Closing date for application for appointment of proxy ► November 5, 2018: Closing date of cancellation of appointment of proxy.

that he could read them and had five days to reply. “I was not given that time, that continues to lead me to believe that there is a deliberate attempt to stall this matter.

Hence his absence here today,” Nandlall argued.

Nandlall is the lawyer representing the applicant, Bibi Shaddick.

In the writ, the Applicant is seeking a several orders which seek to bring the Communities Minister’s alterations into the conformity with Local Democratic Organs Act, Chapter 28:09.

The applicant is also petitioning the court to have Bulkan’s orders declared null and void. The Applicant made an application for an Order or Writ of Certiorari to quash Bulkan’s order of holding elections of seven NDCs without first issuing an Order under the Local Democratic Organs Act, to identify the NDCs by name, boundaries, and number of members. These NDCs are Moruka/Phoenix Park; Kitty/Providence; Nile/Cozier; Lamaha/Yarrowkabra; Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra; Plegt Anker/Kortberaad; and Wyburg/Caracas.

The Applicant is also seeking two Orders of Certiorari against GECOM CEO

Lowenfield. The first moves to quash the Commission CEO’s decision to fix the exterior boundaries in respect to the said seven NDCs, adding that the move was an abuse of power, illegal and constitutes a “usurpation of the statutory functions” of Minister Bulkan.

A second Certiorari order seeks to quash his decision to demarcate constituency boundaries within the said seven NDCs on grounds that his actions did not first involve the consultations of electors and stakeholders which include political parties. In this regard, Shadick views Lowenfield’s actions as irregular or improper exercise of discretion, in bad faith, or having cited irregular consideration, adding that it has no legal effect since this would be a violation of Article 13 of Guyana’s Constitution.

Shadick is also seeking an Order or Writ of Mandamus to compel Minister Bulkan, under the Local Democratic Organs Act, to establish the boundaries and number of members in respect to the municipality of Mahdia and eight other LLAs so that elections could be held by November 12.

The Applicant is seeking

another Order of Mandamus for Lowenfield to compel him to hold consultations with stakeholders on the establishment of constituency boundaries within the said Local Authority Areas. The Applicant’s final Order or Writ of Mandamus seeks to have Lowenfield also hold consultations in relation to the re-demarcation of constituency boundaries in Rose Hall and Rose Hall and 13 NDCs. Shadick is also seeking the State to pay her court costs in addition to seeking other orders, directions or writs as the court sees fit.

The writ also outlines that the purported establishment of seven NDCs without complying with the provisions of the Local Democratic Organs Act is unlawful, ultra vires, null, void and of no effect. She said too that Lowenfield acted with authorisation in this regard, while adding that Minister Bulkan unilaterally made changes to the number of seats in 14 Local Authority Areas.

Meanwhile, the Judge, Justice Gina Persaud, accepted the submissions from both sides and has set Monday at 15:30hours for ruling in the matter.

A number A total of 174 of private Constituencies areas residences to be used as are no-contest areas polling stations M P embers of the disciplined services will be voting on November 2, 2018 in the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE).

Ballots, Statements of Poll and tally sheets are currently being prepared for Election Day, according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Additionally, over 174 of the 596 constituencies – in a total of 80 Local Authority Areas – involved on this year’s polls will not be contested, since only one party or a candidate would

have made submissions to contest in those constituencies. Notably, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic is contesting this year’s LGE in all 80 LAAs. Also, all the symbols for those contesting the elections have been approved in keeping with the law.

October 21, 2018 has been set for the appointment of elections agents.

The official lists of voters’ total 573,923 electors and that there will be 1,684 polling stations in use across the 80 Local Authority Areas.

olling stations to be used in the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) will be located at a number of private residences, according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

However, to date, it is unclear how many private residences will be used as polling stations.

GECOM is expected to conduct investigations to ascertain the level of political exposure of the owners of the private residences. The status of these investigations is also unclear.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings GECOM CEO confronted about his ‘disappearing act’…

‘I don’t have to be at the beck and call of anyone’ – Lowenfield – says his ‘phone was turned off’

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uyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield has claimed that his lawyer as his alibi, when confronted about his disappearing act last week.

He was unavailable for hours prior to the deadline for nominators’ names to be removed from several disputed lists. At the time Lowenfield went missing, persons were reportedly being prevented from removing their names from nominator lists.

The persons wanting their names removed made clear that their names were fraudulently included on the lists of parties like the Alliance For Change (AFC) and United Republican Party (URP).

The fraudulent inclusion of persons’ names of lists has since resulted in another court challenge being filed against GECOM, where one Shafraz Beekham and 49

other persons are seeking the removal of their names.

‘MY PHONE WAS TURNED OFF’ As regards his absence, Lowenfield claimed that he was in a meeting with his lawyer on the exact date of the deadline for persons to remove their names.

The CEO further explained that during these meetings, he customarily turns off his phone.

He said, “I receive daily about 550 calls, not only from Commissioners. I deal with all Guyanese who call me… the [Returning Officers] ROs were adhering to the letter of the law. So I don’t know what was there that the Commissioners couldn’t find me to clarify. I’ll tell you where I went. I was taken to court on the issue of gerrymandering.”

“The new legal system says we have to go through

your lawyer and supply an affidavit to them to submit.

Now my affidavit was supposed to have been submitted. So I had to make time to ensure that I can make a defence of the office of CEO, even while nominations are going on…when I’m with the lawyer, I’m not taking calls, because I have a [Deputy Chief Elections Officer] DCEO, an ACEO, ROs.” Notably, in the court documents of the aforementioned case, it is noted that when contacted, DCEO Roxanne Myers had deferred the candidates’ complaints to Lowenfield, who she also could not reach.

Notwithstanding this contradiction, Lowenfield struck a defiant note to the political parties, aggrieved candidates and nominators who complained of his absence. “I don’t have to be standing at the beck and call of anyone

to say what the processes are.

Anybody! The law is clear. I don’t know why you (media) wrote that I was lost… disappearing act at the eleventh hour.”

GECOM AGREEMENT Notably, persons whose names appeared on various voters’ lists for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), but had no knowledge of it were given the opportunity to have it corrected on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, by 23:59 hours.

This decision was made at the statutory meeting held at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, when all Commissioners, including those nominated by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) were present.

However, on Wednesday when some of these

GECOM criticised for mounting misleading billboards

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hanges were made to the Ordnance Fortland/ Number 38 Village Local Authority Area (LAA) by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, under the hand of Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan. The Minister reduced the constituencies in the LAA from eight to seven.

However, billboards mounted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the LAA do not reflect the change in the number of constituencies.

According to the billboard there are still eight constituencies, which is not true.

Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) su-

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has charged that the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, with the creation of 10 new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and changes to 14 existing LAAs point to “gerrymandering” of boundaries ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections – all in an effort to increase its balance of votes.

The 10 new areas are: 1. Mahdia, which has been identified as that town for Region Eight 2. Moruka/Phoenix Park NDC 3. Kitty/Providence NDC 4. Nile/Cozier NDC 5. Lamaha/Yarrowkabra NDC 6. Hauraruni/Yarrowkabra NDC 7. Plegt Anker/Kortberaad NDC 8. Wyburg/Caracas NDC 9. Aranaputa/Upper Burro Burro NDC 10. Annai NDC Additionally, a review of the existing Local Authorities

pervisor in Region 6, Zamal Hussain, told Mirror that the inaccuracy points to the unpreparedness of GECOM. “They reduced the number of constituencies and to date they have not changed the billboard…they are not serious about voter education it seems and Local Government Elections (LGE)

are about 30 days away,” he said.

Hussain has called on GECOM to ensure that their inaccuracy is corrected.

Notably, the change, which was done without consultation with residents in the LAA, has been condemned by the People’s Progressive Party.

that have been tampered with, show that in total 16 constituencies have been removed from 14 Local Authorities Areas.

The number of seats has been reduced in: 1. Evergreen/ Paradise 2. Aberdeen/Zorge-en-vlygt 3. Malgre Tout/Meerzoergen 4. La Grange/Nismes 5. Toevlugt/Patentia 6. Caledonia/Good Success 7. Woodlands/Farm 8. Mahaicony/Abary 9. Zeelust/Rosignol 10. Blairmont/Gelberland 11.Ordnance Fortlands/No. 38 12. Adventure/Bushlot 13. No. 52-74 Village.

The 14th area that has been tampered with is the Municipality of Rose Hall, where the PPP/C won the proportional representation vote by one seat in 2016. Here the number of constituencies has been increased from seven to eight.

All of this was done without consultation.

persons turned up to have the issue rectified at the various GECOM facilities in their communities, they were blocked from doing so.

PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Robeson Benn, explained that assurances were given by GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield that once affidavits for each individual were produced, it would be corrected.

However, he disclosed that when these persons showed up to make the necessary changes they were told by the respective Returning Officers (RO) at the various polling stations that this could only be done if the head of a list could visit the polling station with a signed affidavit or the aggrieved person appeared in person, not one individual submitting for a group.

Another PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner

Bibi Shaddick claimed that the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers had issued instructions to the ROs that the persons should bring the affidavits in person, contrary to what was discussed. She said, “My discussions with the CEO, yesterday and up to this morning, was that affidavits by person objecting would be accepted by the different RO by midnight tonight and those affidavits can be submitted by the Leader or Deputy leader of a list, and the person objecting. However, apparently the DCEO (Deputy Chief Elections Officer) had issued instructions to the RO that the persons should bring the affidavits in person, contrary to what was discussed.

Lowenfield was unable to respond to the issues raise y the two PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioners.

Failures of APNU+AFC Councilors under the spotlight ahead of LGE A head of the Local Government Elections, set for November 12, 2018, the non-performance, and in other cases the under-performance, of some elected officials at the local level is being highlighted.

This week, Chairman of Region 6, David Armogan, disclosed that some APNU+AFC regional councilors have not been attending the statutory meetings of the Region Six Council.

At the last statutory meeting held last week in the Region’s boardroom, Armogan pointed out that only four councilors were present to represent the government. He then called for the councilors who have been absenting themselves to resign or their seats will be revoked at the next statutory meeting.

At the August statutory meeting, Armogan had pointed out that only three

APNU+AFC councilors were present.

Additionally, the Regional Chairman pointed out that Regional Executive Officer (REO), Kim Stephens, was absent from the meeting and had not informed him or anyone else. The chairman said he only became aware that Stephens would not be attending by the presence of the Deputy REO. He noted that even the DREO also did not say anything to him on his filling in for Stephens.

Armogan also called attention to the implementation rate of decisions made by the council and cited the need for greater accountability.

The Region has a total of nine APNU+AFC councilors and 19 PPP/C councilors.

If a councilor is absent from three consecutive meetings without having their excuse accepted, their seat may be revoked.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings

Lowenfield’s defense PPP/C contesting of fraudulent AFC list eight of nine exposed as untruth constituencies

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he fraudulent inclusion of persons’ names of lists of Nominators (Backers’ Lists), by political parties like the Alliance For Change (AFC), has since resulted in a court challenge being filed against GECOM, where Shafraz Beekham and 49 other persons are seeking the removal of their names.

Commenting on the matter, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, has claimed that Beekham was not on the AFC’s Nominators List in the Bloomfield/ Whim Local Authority Area (LAA). “For the record, Mr Beekham’s name is not on anybody’s list,” the CEO said.

Lowenfield’s claim has since been exposed as a lie.

A copy of the AFC’s Nominators’ List for the Bloomfield/ Whim area shows Beekham’s name, identi-

fication card number and signature clearly included.

In a sworn affidavit Beekham said he were deliberately deceived into signing a document by an Alliance For Change representative, who fraudulently claimed that she was employed by GECOM. Beekham disclosed that he was told that he needed to sign a document to confirm that his name was on the voter’s list. He said too that it was only after Nomination Day on September 21, 2018, that he learnt that the signature which was taken from him was unauthorisedly used as a nominator backing the AFC candidate in constituency Number 3.

According to him, at no time whatsoever was he or the other residents informed, or did they know that they were in fact signing a list of backers in support of the AFC candi-

date(s). Beekham added that on becoming aware of the fraud perpetuated against him and other electors, he immediately demanded that their names be withdrawn or deleted from the AFC lists.

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

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

The attorneys in the case are PPP/C Parliamentarians, Adrian Anamayah and Anil Nandlall, as well as Ian Anamayah.

in Wakenaam

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he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), amid distortions in some sections of the media, clarified that it has only withdrawn participation from one of the nine constituencies in the Wakenaam Local Authority Area (LAA), Region 3, for the upcoming Local Government Elections.

The Party noted that of the nine constituencies, it withdrew from Constituency Number Two - Rush Brook/Maria Johanna – an area with 185 listed electors, due to discrepancies on a Nominators’ List (Backers’ List).

The PPP/C is the only party contesting in all 80 LAAs, with over 3000 candidates and over 20,000 backers.

BELOW IS THE FULL PRESS STATEMENT: The People’s Progressive Party wishes to set the record straight in regard to its participation in the November 12th, 2018 Local Government Elections in Wakenaam.

At a Press Conference on September 24th 2018, the issue of discrepancies on one of the party’s List of Backers was raised.

General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo acknowledged that the issue had attracted his attention and that an investigation was underway. He then pointed out that the allegation related to one constituency in Wakenaam and that the island is in fact a PPP/C stronghold in which it won fifteen out of the eighteen Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) seats in 2016. Further, the General Secretary gave an un-

dertaking that should his investigation unearth any acts of wrong-doing that the party will withdraw from contesting that constituency. (See press conference: https://www.facebook.com/pppcguyana/videos/1909727195990611/) Demerara Waves, under the headline, “Political parties in ‘ground games’ for local govt election candidates; PPP probing claims of dead, fake backers”, also reported on the same day that “General Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday said if claims of irregularities are proven to be true the candidates would be instructed to withdraw from contesting a constituency in the Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).”

On Thursday, October 4th 2018, when the question of discrepancies at Wakenaam was once again posed, it was in the context outlined above that the General Secretary said, “I saw it… and I believe something went wrong there and we withdrew as promised”.

It should be noted however, that the Wakenaam Local Authority Area (LAA) has nine constituencies, eight of which were won at the 2016 Local Government Elections by PPP/C. We also wish to point out that while the party has withdrawn from contesting Constituency Two, Rush Brook/Maria Johanna, which has 185 listed electors, it will still be contesting the other eight constituencies and Proportional Representation seats

on November 12th, 2018.

The PPP/C is the only party contesting in all 80 LAAs, with over 3000 candidates and over 20,000 backers. Further, out of the 596 constituencies across the country issues of irregularity only arose on one of the party’s lists of backers, in one constituency. On this note, the party took a principled position and withdrew its candidate in that disputed constituency.

On the other hand, the APNU/AFC and the URP have had allegations of fraud and other impropriety leveled against them in 42 of 80 NDCs. At Crabwood Creek, Corriverton, Number 63 and Whim Village in Berbice a total of 202 persons objected to the fraudulent inclusion of their names on their List of Backers. Similar claims were made at La Grange, La Jalousie and Canal Polder in West Bank Demerara by dozens of persons.

We hope that the press will highlight the fact that GECOM has accepted several APNU/AFC and URP lists and dozens of names that were fraudulently procured rather than focus and sensationalize the fact that the PPP/C withdrew one candidate, in one constituency in Wakenaam which attracted allegations of irregularity. We continue to maintain that the PPP/C position should be emulated by the APNU/AFC and URP and we hope that the press will urge them to do so.

In closing the PPP/C wishes to reaffirm that it has not withdrawn from contesting Wakenaam or any other Local Authority Area.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings GECOM Chairman’s employment contract must be made public – Nandlall

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alls have been made for the terms and conditions of Guyana Election’s Commission (GECOM) Chairman’s employment contract to be made public, given the likelihood that the Chairman, James Patterson, 84, may be benefiting from a far more lucrative salary and benefits than his predecessors.

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, Anil Nandlall, noted the importance of the Guyanese public being privy to this information, since public funds derived from taxpayers are being used to pay him.

Nandlall said, “Every Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission signed a contract of service

er sweet heart deal? Or, is there no contract? Either way the Guyanese people need to know?”

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

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

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

“This position is not a private office but a public and constitutional one paid from public funds (taxpayers’ dollars).

Therefore this contract, its terms and conditions and the remuneration and benefits paid thereunder are not secrets but information to which the public is entitled.” – PPP/C MP, Anil Nandlall upon their appointment. It is this contract that contains the terms and conditions of service, inclusive of the remuneration package and benefits to which the office holder is entitled.

“This position is not a private office but a public and constitutional one paid from public funds (taxpayers’ dollars). Therefore this contract, its terms and conditions and the remuneration and benefits paid thereunder are not secrets but information to which the public is entitled.

“A year will elapse in a matter of a few days since Justice James Patterson was appointed the Chairman of GECOM. Yet to date, no one has seen a copy of his contract of service, despite repeated requests from the Opposition Commissioners at the Commission for a copy of the contract to be brought before the Commission for their perusal.

“Why the secrecy? Why this contract is not being made public? Is this another cover -up like the disastrous Petroleum contract with the oil companies? Is this anoth-

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

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

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

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

Exposing skullduggery, duplicity and artifice at the GECOM Secretariat

BY BIBI SHADDICK (PPP-NOMINATED GECOM COMMISSIONER)

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t the Tuesday, October 9, 2018 meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) I gave notice to the GECOM that after every meeting, I will make public, via public statement or otherwise, all the shenanigans which pass for the weekly Statutory meetings of the Guyana Elections Commission.

Getting information about the activities of the Secretariat is akin to pulling teeth and if the right questions are not asked, then so much remains hidden. The minutes of the previous meeting is invariably unavailable before Monday evening and more often than not, reads like fiction. I sometimes wonder if I was even present!

At the Tuesday, October 9, 2018 meeting, the first issue discussed, which I initiated even before the minutes were read, was that of Voter Education and the question of which Company GECOM had engaged to carry out this function. The CEO claimed ignorance of the issue, but upon being pressed, admitted that he had instructed that this be done especially for hinterland and far flung areas, but that he had no knowledge if that had been done.

When reminded that such issues had to first be brought to the Finance Sub-committee, the CEO unapologetically informed the meeting that once the Ministry of Finance gave the accounting officer the approval to expend funds for such a purpose, the issue did not have to come to the Finance subcommittee nor the Commission itself! So we are still left in the dark about which PR Firm has been hired or if any has yet been hired. Amazingly, Commissioner Alexander seemed to agree with the CEO, claiming that expenditure over or under certain amounts, did not need the Commission’s approval, while admitting that the information should be brought to the Commission.

The CEO at first outright refused to share the lists of duties and responsibilities of the Returning Officers and Presiding Officers which will be published as well as posted outside Polling Stations and RO’s offices, until he was reminded of the many infractions by RO’s on Nomination Day. He has however agreed to share with us, those draft lists for any input, as well as a brief of the Voter Education exercise, giving the name(s) of the PR Company (s) hired.

On the issue of the non- resolution of the instances where there were withdrawals by Candidates and/or nominators in specific LAAs, after persistent questioning by the Opposition nominated Commissioners, it was admitted that the Chief Parliamentary Counsel had not even been contacted by the Chairman to give a legal interpretation of Section 53 of Chapter 28:03!

The Chairman grudgingly agreed at Commissioner Benn’s insistence, that he would contact the Attorney Gen-

eral to solicit a legal interpretation after I pointed out that the section dealt with the withdrawal of a candidate and the Court matter deals with the withdrawal of nominators.

Commissioner Trotman’s position on the matter is now that a Court matter has been filed, there is no longer need for any legal interpretation, and it was eventually revealed that the printing of the ballots is continuing as if the issue of resolving the irregularities and non-withdrawals of candidates and backers had never even been raised at the level of the Commission!

When challenged about his public statement in the media that the Applicant in the Berbice court matter, was not listed on the list of Nominators on any list, the CEO claimed that the person’s name is not on the list in GECOM’s possession even though shown a photocopy of the list which was posted on nomination day. Both he and the DCEO, claim that the list had been corrected and the Chairman and the CEO refused to share with me the list in their possession. The CEO said that he cannot share his evidence for the court matter while the Chairman outright said that he is disallowing it.

It is therefore obvious to me, after all this, that a list without the name Shafraz Beekham has been manufactured to suit the statement being made by the CEO whose lawyer can then claim that the Applicant in the matter has no locus standi to bring the matter. How this was done is anybody’s guess but I am sure that it was done after the matter was filed and served.

On the issue of a lawyer to represent the CEO, we were informed that the Legal Officer is too junior for the purpose that that the Chairman has chosen Mr Teni Housty to represent the CEO for this matter, all without any reference to the Commission, and without any mention of how much the representation will cost this time.

For the Judicial Review matter filed by me, Mr Roysdale Forde was retained, again on the advice and approval of the Chairman and has since submitted an invoice for the sum of $2 million plus VAT as a deposit on fees. These issues are not brought to the meeting for any discussion and are only discovered after many searching questions from our side of the table.

In the meantime, the Legal Officer, who was chosen by the Chairman to attend two very expensive workshops in the United Kingdom, days after she assumed duty, at a cost of over $4 million, was absent from the meeting even though the Chairman revealed after questioning, that she is back from the UK, but giving no reason why she was not there to take the minutes.

Even when challenged, the Chairman refuses to say whether he has a contract of employment as Chairman of GECOM, setting out his terms of reference and benefits, while Commissioner Trotman, who seems to have appointed himself the Chairman’s legal guardian and defender, insists that the Instrument of Appointment gives the Chairman all the authority he needs to make unilateral decisions without reference to the Commission. Mr Trotman advised the Chairman not to even think about resigning as he had told the press on Friday and assured him that as far as he was concerned the Chairman was doing a fantastic job!

Preparing for a GECOM meeting is like preparing for battle with an army, which is very intractable even in the face of naked exposure of its skullduggery, duplicity and artifice. I undertake to keep the public informed.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings PPP activists engaged in countrywide ground-work ahead of LGE

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s preparations and campaigning for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) continue, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) activists, across the country, are engaged in ground work – meeting with Guyanese in house to house visits. Residents in the various Local Authority Areas (LAAs) are being informed of the Party’s plans for their areas, following the Party’s expected with at the 2016 LGE. PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has called on activists to continue and up their efforts, with weeks left before 2018 LGE are held.

23

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Rebuttals of Lincoln Lewis’ misleading representations... still to be faced up to someday.

Mr. Lewis raises again the event of the dismissal of some workers at Aroiama in 2009. I don’t know what assurances the then Opposition and now Coalition Government would have given then to Mr. Lewis and the Union, explicitly and/ or implicitly. My position was clear – whilst I understood the two different positions and recognized that the union expected Government support, I could not find that the behavior of the fired workers was acceptable and therefore I could not call on the Company to reverse its decision. I certainly wanted and remained alert to opportunities for reconciliation. As I have remarked before, it has been unfortunate that in the circumstances of the racial and social separation in the bauxite company towns, the black-white struggles internationally of the times, and in the run up to Independence and nationalization, behavior of workers was tolerated and even instigated, which otherwise would have been unacceptable. The disappointments with each other which one could anticipate soon became evident in the gap which early appeared between bauxite workers and the Party and Government which they supported, made evident in the RILA protests which preceded nationalization.

This disappointment and ensuing rancour could be readily sensed in then Prime Minister Burnham’s speech in Linden on the 5th anniversary of nationalization (in 1976), a speech in which he spoke about being the Prime Minister for all of Guyana and not just for Linden, and of the decision to merge the electricity system of Linden into the national GEC. We can see as recently as in 2012 the misguiding of then PNC MP, Ms. Vanessa Kissoon, and then PNC Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon, in the lauding and encouragement showered on them as they organized and led those unfortunate protests which ended so tragically; but subsequently, not long after, they were quietly dropped from the political front line.

Editor, as I close allow me to address one more emotional charge of Mr. Lewis. He charges that “One of the first acts of the PPP/C on its accession to office in October 1992, was the targeting of sugar and bauxite. Sugar was removed from privatization attention which allowed it to remain as a stateowned company, as mechanism was put in place to privatize bauxite. Hinds invited the Guyana Mines Workers Union (GMWU) and the Guyana Bauxite Supervisors Union (GBSU) to break the news of his government plan”. How distorted, how misleading, how insidious, how harmful a narrative on the privatization of bauxite! We, PPP/C, did not set out to privatize bauxite. The declaration of Minproc and the covenant entered into by the PNC administration before it left office shoved closure forthwith of Linmine in our face: we veered away from closure and eventually privatized to what we considered competent and capable partners who brought greater value to what we had.

Editor, let me not leave our then publicly expressed position on sugar hanging. Some time after entering Office, we began working on, developing and in time published our Privatization Policy Paper. Along with statements on procedures, we declared that we would not be privatizing five named

AFC admits that it can only contest 2018 LGE in less than half of LAAs T

he 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) will be contested in 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) – which have 596 constituencies – and the Alliance For Change (AFC) has admitted to being unable to contest in all 80 LAAs. The AFC will contest in less than half of the 80 LAAs, only 38 LAAs. Initially, the party boasted that it will be able to contest the elections in more than 50 areas.

The AFC campaign manager David Patterson, in trying to save face, stated that the Party is still satisfied with where it finds itself. “The campaign has now moved into a next stage which obviously over the next four weeks will be different activities countrywide” Patterson said.

Notably, the PPP/C is the only party contesting in all 80 LAAs, with over 3000 candidates and over 20,000 backers.

companies, one of which was Guysuco. Why should we be privatizing Guysuco which was clearly returning to profits and had good future prospects, admittedly riding on the back of preferential sugar prices? There were also a number of serious questions for us Guyanese to chew on and arrive at some consensus. Who should be considered to have ownership of the benefit of the preferential sugar price – our country Guyana as a whole? Or the enterprises (owners)? Or the sugar workers?

What parcels of land if any should be sold freehold, be provided on lease, of what length and with what restrictions. Could the privatized land be converted to real-estate development?

Ownership and availability of land always matter a lot.

In proceeding with our regularizing of the extensive squatting in the Sophia area, and our extensive house-lot housing programme, our Cabinet recognized that our hands would have been tied if privatization of Guysuco and its sugar lands had been completed. We spoke about the adverse situation in many Latin American countries where essentially all the land was in the hands of a few historically powerful

(From page 17)

families. On acceding to Office with little or no money in our national coffers we depended on the ready availability of Guysuco land at no charge, to provide the almost free houselot land grants to warm the hearts of our peoples, about 100,000 families embracing about half of our population, all across our coastland, motivating them to make the sacrifices to build the best houses they could arrange for themselves.

Thinking of our (PPP and PPP/C) actions during this period from about 1990, there could well arise a “Lewis” from amongst sugar workers who would, like Lincoln, but from the other side, represent and argue that we PPP and PPP/C removed Guysuco from privatization so that we could plunder it in the name of “the national good” If that were to happen I would be ready to argue and ground with him too..

All for the good of our people and nation.

Samuel A.A. Hinds Former Prime Minister and Former President

24

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

The Bottom Line – A look at issues affecting cost of living in Guyana

Sacked sugar workers have to wait another month longer before they are paid severance

– APNU+AFC gov’t buckles under mounting public pressure

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rotest actions by scores of sacked sugar workers, as well as calls from the Parliamentary Opposition and members of civil society, has seen the APNU+AFC Coalition Government finally buckling under pressure – relative to the issue of paying severance owed to thousands of sugar workers who were fired..

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has said that when Parliament returns from recess on October 18, 2018, a $2.4 B supplemental paper will be taken to the National Assembly for approval – before the payments are made.

However, the supplementary financial paper will not be debated until October 31, 2018. Therefore, sugar workers will have to wait at least another month before they are paid their severance.

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

The terminated sugar workers were dismissed on December 29, 2017, without severance being paid “on termination” as required by the law.

The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act stipulates that workers who are made redundant

must be made severance upon termination. “On termination of his employment, an employee whose severance or redundancy has completed one year or more years of continuous employment with allowance, an employer shall be entitled to be paid by such employee a severance or redundancy allowance equivalent to,” the law states.

Severance was paid in part to over 4,000 of the 7,000 sacked sugar workers.

The administration is pursuing the privatization of the four closed estatesSkeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales.

Wakapau residents point to the need for for doctors, transportation

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illagers of the Amerindian community of Wakapau, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) last Friday held their Heritage Day celebrations at St Lucia’s Mission – an island in close proximity to the village.

And calls were made for the APNU+AFC Coalition Government pay more attention to the needs of the community, especially since

there is a need for healthcare professionals to tend to the people.

The community doctor lives six miles away from the health centre and is forced to travel this journey every day since the living quarters in the village, although constructed, is yet to be furnished.

Another worrying factor is the requirement for adequate transportation services

to enter and exit the village.

At present, three outboard engines are needed to facilitate the population of over 2500 persons.

The village has been faced with the epidemic of constant migration of youths and high unemployment.

Wakapau is a small village. There is a Village Council, a health centre and a nursery, primary and secondary school.

Residents lament state of Four Mile road, inaction of APNU+AFC officials

Puran, Cevon’s consider strike action over $148M City Hall arrears T

he Mayor and City Council owes $148M to waste disposal companies, Puran Brothers Inc. and Cevon’s Waste Management.

The money represents outstanding arrears. The two companies are considering strike action if measures are not taken to have these payments completed.

According to Kaleshwar Puran, General Manager of Puran Brothers Inc., City Hall owes his company $73M in arrears for services rendered from June 2018 to date. Puran said that the City’s business accounts

for 75 percent to 80 percent of their revenue, and that the current lack of payments puts a strain on their business. Puran said that his company has been providing services to the city, nevertheless, because Puran Brothers Inc. has a passion for Waste Disposal Services.

Morse Archer, Chief Executive Officer of Cevon’s Waste Management, stated that the City owes the company $75M for services rendered from May 2018 to date. The operational cost, according to Archer, is about $15M per month.

Archer said that there has

been no positive feedback from City Hall concerning this matter, even though efforts have been made to contact the Council about these payments.

The companies, last week, wrote a joint letter to Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, requesting a meeting to seek swift resolution for this issue.

Puran Brothers and Cevon’s Waste Management have discontinued services to Georgetown before, when the Mayor and City Council racked up a total of $300M in outstanding payments to them.

City workers’ pension fund deductions not paid over since February, 2017

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illions of dollars, over $14M, deducted from staff of the Georgetown City Council have not been remitted to their pension schemes.

Ewort Adams, Deputy Managing Director of Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited, disclosed that the company has not received a pension remittance from the city since February, 2017.

The city now owes approximately $14.5 million for the period March, 2017 to September 28, 2018 based his calculation on the last submission of the council in February, 2017, which was $776,523 and the assumption that every other month would have incurred similar contributions since no one has been added to the plan since.

“It is worrying to me and to workers since it means if someone resigns they will not receive their full pension…it is monies deducted from employees’ salaries on a monthly basis and not remitted,” Adams stated He also noted that the council is in arrears for Motor and Fire Insurance

“You need to ensure monies deducted from employees’ salaries are used for what they are intended,” he stressed, explaining that he is also concerned with the fact that the pension scheme is not registered as required by law.” - Ewort Adams, Deputy Managing Director of Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited to the tune of $9,566,304 for a period beginning 21st February, 2017 for motor vehicles and from December, 2017 for fire.

Adams explained that his attempts to have the sums remitted have been met with a “royal run around” from Deputy Town Clerk Sharon Munroe-Harry and acting City Treasurer John Douglas. He disclosed that Munroe-Harry had promised to have the amounts liquidated by making a payment of $1M a week, but this was not realized. His next visit to council saw him directed to Douglas, who asked that he return twice. On his second visit to Douglas, he was asked to see Munroe-Harry

but that meeting did not result in any payments either.

His last visit to the council was on Thursday.

He said, “You need to ensure monies deducted from employees’ salaries are used for what they are intended.

Despite having been summoned by the Commissioner of Insurance and having been sent numerous letters, the Town Clerk has not responded to the concerns expressed.

Adams’ company is under commission by Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Group of Insurance Companies (GTM) and GCIS Inc to collect from City Hall remitted funds and disperse same to the two companies.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

SOCU fails to defend case, Magistrate dismisses charges

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agistrate Judy Latchman dismissed the charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRBD) executives, citing a number of failures by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to defend its case.

The case surrounds allegations of fraud leveled against former General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, and his deputy, Madanlall Ramraj, for failing to enter true entries of over $4.2 M into the company’s ledger, knowing that it was contrary to standard operation procedures.

The two were facing 16 charges in relation to the

matter.

There was no claim that the money is missing or that it was misappropriated, only that it was not entered into the GRDB general ledger, which is the role of the Board’s accounting officers, not the Directors.

The incidents are said to have occurred between 2011 and 2012, at the company’s Lot 16-17 Cowan Street, Kingston head office.

Special Prosecutors, Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris, indicated to the court that they had no other witnesses available and requested adjournment to facilitate the testimony of Special Superintendent

of Police attached to SOCU, Sheronie James. James was also not present yesterday.

Given the unpreparedness of SOCU to proceed with the trial, Attorney for the former GRBD officials, Glenn Hanoman, made an application for the prosecution to close their case. He pointed out that it looks as if SOCU did not know what they were doing. “They have provided this court with a lot of excuses, piecemeal evidence and have been wasting the court’s time….they claim that Ms James was not available on number of occasions before and I believe the Court has exercised enough patience with this matter. It

is time that the prosecution closes its case,” Hanoman said.

SOCU attorney Griffith then told the Court that he was unaware of a number of developments in the case. “I would prefer to get further directions from the Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP) before making the determination, Your Worship,” Griffith said.

However, Magistrate Latchman told the Attorney that the court has exhausted enough time and resources, waiting on SOCU officers to defend its case. “This court has wasted enough time waiting on Ms James.

Prosecutor, I am ordering

you to close your case,” Latchman said.

Griffith hesitated in the face of the Magistrate’s order but he eventually relented.

Since the prosecution had no other witnesses to lead evidence in the matter, Attorney Hanoman presented a no case submission on behalf of the two men. In the no case submission, Hanoman essentially argued that his clients were not the ones responsible for making accounting records; that no evidence was led in court to establish that the law requires accounting records to be kept only in a general ledger and that the prosecution produced no such document for verification by

the Court.

In response, Attorney Griffith noted that the prosecution has established that the two men’s signatures were on the accounts and that they breached the operating procedures, which formed a basis of the evidence against them.

After considering the submissions of both lawyers, Magistrate ruled in favour of the no- case submission.

She dismissed the 16 charges against the two men. “I have determined that a prima facie case has not been made out against you…in the circumstances all the charges against you have been dismissed and you are free to go,” Latchman said.

No arrests after burglary at Catholic Standard

Bandits terrorise elderly couple during Craig home invasion A

Bandits pose as policemen, rob sand pit operators

Pirates attack Guyanese fishermen in Waini River

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he building that houses the Catholic Standard, as well as the Diocesan Youth Office and the Catholic Media, located at the corner of South Road and Wellington Streets, Georgetown, was transformed into a crime scene on Thursday (October 5, 2018) following a burglary.

Reports are that the thieves reportedly

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security guard at a Yarrowkabra, Linden/ Soesdyke highway sand pit was beaten by two armed bandits who posed as policemen during a robbery on Friday (October 5, 2018) night.

The incident at the Jason Baskarran sand pit saw the bandits carting off two 12volt excavator batteries and a hydraulic pump, all worth $6.1M. The security guard, Harold Peters, 68, told police

gained entry to the building by prying open a door at the bottom flat of the building along South Road. The intruders ransacked the office and stole a projector, two laptop computers, audio equipment and a number of smaller items. Also stolen were a microwave oven, a percolator and a number of plastic chairs.

Investigations are ongoing.

that at around 10:30pm on Friday, he heard a banging on the wooden flat he stays in at the sand pit, and the persons demanded that he come out. Before he could have responded, police said, Peters related that he heard the excavator starting up, and not long after, one of the bandits slammed the bucket attached to the excavator into his dwelling place.

Peters rushed out of the building and was confronted by one of the bandits who

dealt him several cuffs about his body, resulting in him falling to the ground. The bandits then duct-taped his mouth, feet and his hands behind his back, after which they removed the articles from the excavator.

Upon acquiring the valuables, the bandits loaded the items into a white car they had arrived in and drove off in the southern direction of the highway.

Investigations are ongoing.

rmed bandits invaded a Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD) house, where they terrorised an elderly couple during the wee hours of Friday (October 5, 2018) morning.

The Lot 251 ‘A’ Craig, East Bank Demerara, residents - Mohammed Osman Subhan and his bedridden wife Khairool Subhan – were threatened by five men, two

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ishermen plying their trade close to the Guyana/Venezuela border were pounced upon by a group of armed Spanish-speaking men, in an area referred to as Crabdog, Waini River, Region One (Barima-Waini), on Thursday (October 4, 2018).

The gunmen demanded that the crew hand over their boat and valuables. The boat was captained by 40-year old Julian Marks, of Dartmouth Village, Essequibo Coast, and had seven crewmen.

Police investigations

of whom were armed with handguns.

The men escaped with a 32-inch flat screen television, valued $70,000.

This is the second time the couple’s home was targeted by bandits. In July last year, bandits had broken into the home but fled empty handed after an alarm was raised.

An investigation has since been launched into the incident. No arrests have been made.

revealed that as the men were about to cast their nets, they were attacked by Spanish-speaking men, who arrived in a wooden balahoo powered by a 75hp outboard engine.

The pirates, who were said to be armed with shotguns, rifles and pistols, ordered the captain and his crew to get off the vessel.

The pirates then took possession of their wooden boat measuring 45x8x4 /2 feet, which was powered by a 40hp Yamaha engine.

As the men struggled to

keep afloat in the river, the pirates, untied a smaller boat, which was attached to their vessel and pushed it towards them before escaping. The crew members drifted in the small boat until they were rescued by another vessel.

They were taken to the Police station where they told detectives that along with foodstuff, the pirates were able to cart off a number of valuables, as they headed in the direction of Venezuela.

Investigations into the attack are ongoing.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Elderly woman shot, Millions stolen from Black robbed after leaving bank Bush Polder family A S 70-year-old woman was shot and robbed on Tuesday (October 9, 2018) afternoon after she was attacked by two bandits at Laluni Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, shortly after leaving a City bank.

The woman, identified as Thelma Nicholas, was shot once to her right arm by her

attackers, who made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and her cell phone.

Nicholas and her husband visited a city bank, where she withdrew a sum of cash. The couple, stopped at a location in Queenstown in order to purchase water.

While’ Nicholas’ husband went into the facility, the

bandits rode up on a motorcycle. The pillion rider then dismounted the motorcycle and held onto Nicholas bag with the valuables.

She reportedly resisted the man, who whipped out his firearm and shot her before escaping.

Investigations are ongoing.

Police seize more unlicenced guns, ammo P

olice in ‘E’ Division (Linden-Kwakwani), acting on information received, went to a location at Anarika, Essequibo River about 09:50hrs on Monday (October 8, 2018) and found a single barrel improvised shotgun and a gun-trap along with one live cartridge.

No arrests have been made as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, a male foreign national was detained after a search of a room he was occupying at Dukwari Backdam, Cuynui River on Sunday (October 7, 2018) evening unearthed an unlicenced firearm and

ammunition. The illegal weapons included one 9mm semi-automatic pistol; one .38 revolver; twelve live 9mm ammunition; two 9mm spent shells; three live .38 ammunition; two .38 spent shells and two Taurus magazines.

Investigations are ongoing.

ix men, all armed with guns, pounced on a family at Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder on Monday (October 8, 2018) evening, and carted off $7M in cash and a small quantity of jewelry.

One of the victims, Rajkumari Hemchand, disclosed that her overseas-based brother is presently in Guy-

he Joint Services on Saturday (October 6, 2018) carried out a countrywide search at the various penitentiaries.

The raids were conducted at the Georgetown, Lusignan, Mazaruni, New Amsterdam, and Timehri prisons.

The six-and-a-half-hour long exercise, which commenced at 06:00h, resulted in the discovery of over 275 contraband items ranging from weapons and cellphones to homemade wine and pepper sauce.

A full list of the contraband found included 28 cellular phones; in excess of 30 cellphone chargers and batteries; six USB cables; four SIM cards; a memory card; and four earplugs, along with a quantity of cigarettes and cannabis; 84 cigarette lighters; ashtrays and 20 smoking utensils.

In addition, over 65 improvised weapons, five pairs of scissors, a staple machine and a quantity of razor blades, nails, wire, sand paper and small boulders were found. The ranks

also unearthed 24 metal spoons, a tattoo machine, two mirrors and playing cards, as well as bottles of homemade wine and pepper sauce.

There were no other incidents during the exercise, except for at the Lusignan Prison, where inmates in the Holding Bays hurled stones and other objects at the Police and prison ranks; however there were no injuries reported.

Contraband in prisons remains an issue for the security forces.

beat me son with the gun and buss he head and put he fa lie down and some stay fa watch them and then them come pon me and start beat me. Them kick me down when me holla and a say, ‘weh the money deh, weh the money,’ that me ga find the money,” she said.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Berbice mason stabbed to death T he body of a Corentyne mason was on Monday (October 8, 20148) morning found on a dam separating Numbers 68 and 60 Villages.

Dead is Mahindra Sooknanan, also called “KI”, of

Lot 36, Section A, Number 69 Village, Corentyne, Region 6.

Reports are the 20-yearold was imbibing with a friend on Sunday evening.

The friend has since been taken into custody and

has reportedly confessed to killing his drinking buddy. In his confession, the suspect reportedly told investigators that Sooknanan made remarks about his wife which angered him and led to the murder.

Corentyne family robbed, teen raped at gunpoint

Wine, improvised weapons A found in prison raids T

ana to open a gas station.

As a result, last Friday she withdrew $7 million from the bank for him to take to Georgetown yesterday to purchase items to commence operations.

During the robbery, the men physically assaulted her and her 24-year-old son, while demanding that they hand over the money. “Them

n 18-year-old housewife and her mother were robbed sometime around 23:00hrs on Sunday(October 7, 2018) night by two armed assailants, one of whom then allegedly raped the young mother, before making good their escape.

Reports are that the victim, along with her two children, ages four years and four-months, and her

mother, 52, had returned from the Berbice Expo and were sitting under their house talking, when two men armed with handguns, stormed the gate firing two shots and ordered them to lie on the ground.

The men, reportedly, wore dark clothing with hand handkerchiefs tied over their mouths and noses to conceal their identities.

The bandits relieved the

victims of one LG cellphone, four silver bangles and three silver rings, all valued at approximately $66,000. Before leaving, one of the bandits ordered the teenager to get up and follow him into a dark area, where he pointed the gun to her and raped her.

The young lady was taken to a medical institution where she was examined.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Body of Brazilian man found in Lethem

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he motionless body of a Guyanese man was on Sunday (October 7, 2018) morning discovered along Tabatinga Village, Lethem trail with several marks of violence about his body.

The dead man has been identified as 22-year-old Morgon Gonslaves of Bom Fim Brazil.

Based on reports received, the man left his home to attend a night club at Tabatinga, Lethem at

about 23:00h on Saturday evening. However, after some time elapsed and he did not return home, his brother went in search of him. At about 6:00h on Sunday, the aggrieved man stumbled upon his brother’s motionless body just about 150 meters from the night club.

He was lying in a pool of blood with a wound to his head and several other abrasions to other parts of

his body. At the time he was clad in short blue trousers, grey and white jersey and a pair of black boot-the same outfit he reportedly left home with.

Gonsalves body was picked up and taken to the Lethem Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.

The police have launched in investigation into the murder and several persons were questioned.

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 13-14 OCTOBER, 2018

Real Time Economic Insights

Containment of Local Government

M

isappropriation of resources by the government will clearly continue to hinder the welfare of the ordinary people.

The revaluation of property tax will cost each household, on average, $42,500 in additional tax. And this is a conservative estimate given the scale of development that unfolded during the past two decades.

The importance of the Local Government Commission, based on allocation of funds, is ranked similar to that of Castellani House, the building that houses the National Art Gallery.

Clearly, democracy doesn’t have a place on this government agenda; (Analyses done by Irfaan Ali, PPP/C MP)

Stymie and Impede Local Organs?

Subvention per capita to Region 3 NDCs Toevlugt / Patentia Canals Polder La Grange / Nismes Malgre Tout / Meerzorgen Best / Klien Pouderoyen La Jalousie / Nouvelle Flanders Hague / Blankenburg Stewartville / Cornelia Ida Tuschen / Uitvlugt Greenwich Park / Vergenoegen Hydronie / Good Hope Mora / Parika Leguan Wakenaam

•

$345

On average, total subvention per capital to each NDC in Region 3 is a mere $1,134 annually. In other words, on behalf of the people of region 3, the government provides $1,134.00 annually to assist in the cleaning up of drainages, roads maintenance, cleaning of burial grounds, and playgrounds, etc.

$2,823 $621 $932 $306 $2,130 $1,518 $248 $138 $1,242 $1,553 $478 $2,070 $1,479

$-

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

Interesting Fact • Each staff at MoTP, Department of Policy Development and Assistance, on average, consume $104,074 annually in refreshment and meals.

Key Observation: The government speaks of empowerment and equip of local organs, yet fails miserably to provide adequate financial resources to assist the NDCs, and the people at large.

Property Revaluation: Projected Increase of Property Tax in 2019 $12.00

10.7561

•

When adjusted for more than two decade of inflation, it is estimated that property tax will increase by more than 290% when the revaluation assessment is completed.

•

This mean, each household in 2019 would have to pay more than $42,500 in property tax.

•

NB: This is a conservative estimate.

Given the scale of development that took place in the past two decades, the increase would likely be significantly higher.

$10.00 $8.00

At least 290% or $6.8B increase, when accounted for inflation

$6.00 $4.00

3.2

3.172

3.583

3.709

2.38

$2.00 $0.00 2014

2015

2016

2017

Key Observation:

2018

2019 Projection

More tax burdens on the shoulder of ordinary Guyanese in 2019 following the update of the property valuation system.

Allocation of Government Subsidies (G$M) 2018 Subsidies to Local Organisations 300.000 250.000 200.000

Propaganda over Democracy

250.000

145.000

150.000 100.000

90.000 65.000

50.000 0.000 Local Government Commission

Castellani House DPI - Department of National Public Information Communication Network

• DPI received $160M or 277% more in subsidies when compared to Local Government Commission, an organisation that has direct responsibility for all 70 NDCs and 10 Municipalities.

• The Castellani House, home of the National Art Gallery got the equivalence of 72% of total subsidies allocated to the Local Government Commission.

Key Observation: Given the inadequate allocation of funds to the local government commission, the organisation, clearly would find it next to impossible to properly execute its duties.

PPP/C will not ‘step aside’ for Bulkan or the APNU+AFC gov’t – Jagdeo

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ommunities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, came in for blows over some of his comments. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, was no holds barred in his response to Bulkan.

Bulkan’s controversial comments were made while he addressed the issue of the case filed by the PPP-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

Commissioner, Bibi Shaddick, which challenges what the PPP/C termed ‘gerrymandering’ of boundaries in several constituencies in several Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

The Minister said, “We are following the democratic traditions and are empowering people and the PPP will either conform or step aside.”

Jagdeo, in putting Bulkan on blast, noted that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is the largest political party in Guyana.

“So, Bulkan is trying to tell us that we must not challenge his actions in court….we must conform…well Bulkan cannot get us to step aside.”

Notably, PPP/C has charged that the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition

Government, with the creation of 10 new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and changes to 14 existing LAAs point to not only gerrymandering of boundaries ahead of the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections, but was done in an effort to increase its balance of votes.

At the 2016 LGE, less than a year after his adminis-

tration took office, the PPP/C also won 48 of Local Authority Areas (LAAs) out of the 71 areas. The APNU+AFC won 16 and the other seven areas are tied between the PPP/C and APNU+AFC. Of 1,166 seats up for grabs, the PPP/C won 754 of those, while Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition government won 375. The remaining seats went to independent

candidates and groups that contested the elections - in other words the PPP/C won 65 per cent of the seats, while 32 per cent went to APNU+AFC. The difference of votes was some 28,000 – not counting the areas where there was no contest, meaning only the PPP/C fielded candidates and the PPP/C won those areas.

ERC investigation of GECOM hiring practices to be wrapped up by end of October

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he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has set up special investigative team was established following a complaint lodged by the three People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioners appointed by the Opposition.

The team is headed by Retired Justice, Stanley Moore and includes Human Resources Consultant, Jairam Petam and former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lloyd Smith.

The three-man team was given a period of three weeks, by the end of October 2018, for the completion of the investigation and submission of a report. However, during the process, they requested an extension which has been granted.

COMPLAINT The three PPP-nominated Commissioners, in a joint complaint letter, called for a full investigation on the hiring practices at GECOM. The Commissioners charge that the state of affairs is “clearly indicative of a larger issue at the Guyana Elections Commission, which has an adverse effect on ethnic relations and harmony in Guyana.” The three Commissioners called for the inquiry to be done, at the earliest opportunity, and for the ERC’s report be made public.

The PPP/C nominated Commissioners noted that the ERC has the mandate to conduct the inquiry as requested, pursuant to Article 212D (a) (d) and (p), of the Constitution.

The call for an investigation came after the topranked candidate applying for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) was passed over for the post.

CONTROVERSIAL APPOINTMENT In June 2018, the three Commissioners - Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi

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

She has been linked to PNRC-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, since at one point she was a student of his. She has also exposed herself as an avid supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition government, given her social media posts. As such, critics have said that Myers’ ability to function in an impartial manner is in question.

Notably, Persaud was not only the top-ranked candidate for the post of DCEO, but he served as DCEO for several years too. He was appointed as DCEO at GECOM on August 12, 2014. In 2014, when Persaud was appointed, PNCR-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, made no objection, when there was a vote on whether or not he should be appointed to the post. Persaud was forced to re-apply for the job he held because his contract ended and could not be renewed, given that there was no functioning Commission.

The Commission had dissolved after the resignation of former GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally.

Before being appointed as DCEO in 2014, Persaud was at GECOM since 2001.

Notably, ERC Commissioners met with Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; representatives from the ten constituencies from which it is constituted; members of some Diplomatic missions and the Private Sector Commission.

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