Weekend Mirror 17-18 August 2019

Coalition cannot 'argue away' provisions of the Constitution Jagdeo ‒ Elections deadline is clear 17-18 August, 2019 / Vol. 10 No. 86 / Price: $100

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People smuggling….

Teixeira says Felix’s suspicious positions hint at nefarious agenda

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SEE INSIDE

GECOM cannot remove names from National Register of Registrants, other options can update Voters’ List – CJ rulesPAGE 9 Region 9 residents PAGE 14 question value for money

Constitutional crisis will ultimately destroy our economy and add tremendous hardships – Ali PAGE 10

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Real Time Economic Insights (An analysis of Guyana’s economic performance)

Guyana’s assets down by $7B since no-confidence motion was passed BANK OF GUYANA’S ASSETS In assessing a country’s economy we must consider Guyana’s assets.

Six months after the passage of the no-confidence motion, there has been a decline of $7B in the total assets held by the Bank of Guyana from $220.3B in 2018 to $213.2B as at June 2019.

ECONOMIC DECLINE Minister Jordon recently indicated that the current political impasse has had “no real” impact on Guyana’s economy or its investment climate, however looking at the numbers reveals the opposite.

Even with the 4.1 per cent growth in the Gross Domestic Product, economic growth was reflective of uneven sectoral performances. Several sectors performed poorly. In the Bank of Guyana First Quarter Report the following points were highlighted: - Sugar experienced a shortfall in production with restructuring of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO).

- The rice industry contracted due to significant rice bug infestation as well as increased costs for inputs.

- The mining & quarrying sector registered lower production during the period under review.

- The gold industry experienced a decline in declaration by the foreign gold mining companies while there were increased declarations by the local small & medium scale gold miners.

- Bauxite outturn plummeted on account of industrial unrest at RUSAL mining operations.

The Minister of Finance has said, “To get a really good picture if the economy is performing, you have to take away oil and gas and look at those sectors. We are not fixated on… oil and gas. What we are fixated on is the non-oil related sectors. How is your bauxite going?

How is your gold going? Your sugar…?”

If we must look at our economy without the trickledown effect of the Oil and Gas Sector, then what are we left with? The figures show that the sectors (bauxite, gold, sugar and rice) have all been on the decline.

Let’s take a look at sectors that are preforming well. The First Quarter Report indicated that significant growth was recorded in the construction sector and services sector. The construction sector experienced accelerated public & private investments, while the growth in the services sector was as a result of increased activities in the real estate and storage subsectors.

However, the growth in these sectors was mainly attributed to the Petroleum sector. The Report stated, “Preliminary estimates suggest that the activities of the petroleum industry has capitalized economic activities, particularly in the construction and services sectors during the first quarter of 2019.”

PUBLIC DEBT At the end of 2018, the total stock of government’s public debt increased by 1.5 per cent, representing 43.9 per cent of GDP, with the stock of external debt increasing by 5.5 percent and accounting for 33.9 per cent of GDP. The External debt service payments increased by 27.7 per cent to US$78 million from US$61 million in 2017. This represented 5.1 percent of export earnings and 7.5 percent of Central Government’s current revenue.

In the first quarter of 2019, Bank of Guyana reported a decline of 4.1 per cent in the stock of external public debt, resulting mainly from lower bilateral debt stock by 10.4 percent or US$52 million. This outcome was primarily as a result of a US$50.7 million debt cancellation from Kuwait during the first quarter of 2019. The External debt service payments rose by 2.8 percent to US$25 million due mostly to higher principal and interest payments to multilateral creditors.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

There is no reasonableness on the part of the government – Jagdeo N

o decision has been made on the way forward – to ensure that General and Regional Elections are held within the constitutionally mandated timeframe – according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Speaking to the media after his Friday (August 9, 2019) meeting with Granger, he said, “Right now we have not made a decision on that, because there is no date and there is no reasonableness on the part of the government.”

He noted that the positions of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) were made clear to Granger during the meeting.

Jagdeo said, “I pointed out our views on the matter.

There were several issues, my views on the September 18 deadline. I shared my views on the resignation of the cabinet, on the house to house registration and the timeline for that consistent with the work program of GECOM. The President shared his views on similar matters. I think it is early and we hopefully will meet again sometime soon.”

Asked about Granger’s agreement to Elections within the constitutionally mandate timeframe – that is by September 18, 2019 – he said, “I am not going to speak about what we agree to or what we didn’t agree to. The meeting was about sharing views so my views were shared there and I don’t think it’s a secret what my views are on these

matters. You should ask the President about these issues.”

While elections were declared due three months after June 18, 2019 by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) there has been no move in this direction.

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE REGISTRATION Instead, new house-tohouse registration is ongoing.

There is currently a court challenge on this.

Jagdeo said, “Most people put a lot of attention stored on what the Chief Justice will do on the 14th (August 14, 2019). It is very important, but it is not the definitive issue.

“You would recall that the context in which we approached the Chief Justice.

At that time, there was no Commission in place and Mr. Lowenfield as the CEO (Chief Elections Officer) had embarked on a House to House exercise using an order that was signed on June 11, 2019 and was secretly gazetted to start an activity on July 20, 2019 – a week after the CCJ had given its consequential ruling on July 12, 2019.

“We felt that it was illegal, even the timeline for House to House registration is going to put us pass the date of the ruling of the CCJ and the CCJ made it clear that the GECOM would have to comply with the ruling too, so that is why we approached the Chief Justice, to stop the

House to House registration at that time because we felt it was illegal. We had no other recourse since there was no functioning Commission.

“Now you have a Commission in place, I’m sure that the Commission would look at the time and they would see that, and it’s a point I made today, that they would see that we are trying to hold and election as close as possible on a database that we haven’t even started creating as yet, because that database, based on their timeline, would be ready sometime next year.”

TIME-TESTED OPTION ON THE TABLE The Opposition Leader stressed that there is a “time tested database” already in place and a Claims and Objections period can produce a List of Votes to be used at an Elections. He said, “We have a time tested database that has gone run the gantlet of four elections and we are not using that but we are planning to hold an election in the near term on a database that we haven’t started creating as yet and not even knowing the quality of the database and that database will be created sometime next year. It defies logic.”

Jagdeo disclosed too that Granger did not specifically address the issue of new house-to-house registration.

He said, “The President has said that young people who had voted in the last election

I 2015 had not had a chance to be on the list. We don’t believe that that is totally accreted, but I saw that as a concern that people may not be on the list who are eligible to be on the list. We pointed out that that could be dealt with in Claims and Objections period. I publicly pointed this out several times, that’s one.

“And two, he said that the list is bloated and we said but along you always had people who have migrated in the interim in the four elections.

Why not strengthen polling day process to ensure that people don’t vote.

“And so we sought to address those concerns, because clearly as it stands now and the timeline for a House to House, you can’t have a House to House exercise and have early elections consistent with the constitution and the ruling of the CCJ or credible election for that matter.”

NO EXTENSION The Opposition Leader also reiterated his position

that there will be no agreement to an extension of the life of the APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government. “I saw Mr. (George) Norton saying that they were prepared to accept that if the ruling is that no house to house and you use the Claims and Objections on the time tested database and all the parties work together. That was a kind of positive statement that would impel us to work towards a solution. That kind of statement. But when I see some other hard lined people saying oh it is House to House regardless of the consequences. Election time and database quality and all of that, then there is no room to work there at all. I want to keep an open mind on these issues, but right now we are fast approaching a deadline of September 18, beyond which the government then would be practicing unconstitutional rule.

In fact the government will be unconstitutional totally, period.

“…if you look at the CCJ ruling, the CCJ said that elections ought to be held on March 21st.

GECOM should have started preparing since December…what should happen is what I have asked the President to do, which he has not done and is unwilling to do, which is to issue a proclamation dissolving the Parliament, name a date for the elections consistent with what the constitution says and then that is a positive signal to start the work and have the Cabinet resigns.”

The Opposition Leader has indicated that he is open to future engagements, if the Granger-led government is willing to act in a manner that is reasonable. He said, “I hope that there is greater clarity on our position because that was one of the purposes of our meeting, to share our views on these issues, particularly on how we see September 18 and there will be unconstitutional rule after that."

Ali calls out Granger-gov’t for ‘one-sided’ account of meeting A

release by the Ministry of the Presidency on Friday (August 9, 2019) did not accurately capture the engagement between the Parliamentary Opposition and the David Granger-led Government.

In a statement, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, who accompanied Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, to the meeting called out the government for the one-sided account of the engagement.

He said, “I feel compelled to respond to a press release

from the Government in relation to a meeting held today between the President, Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon and Irfaan Ali giving the one-sided nature of this release.

“The release only emphasized what the President said at the meeting, I, therefore, wish to set the record straight. In his opening remarks, the Leader of the Opposition made reference to his letter requesting the dissolving of Parliament, naming of elections date and the resignation of the cabinet.

He further highlighted the

weird interpretation of the CCJ ruling and constitution by some members of Government.

“The Leader of the Opposition pointed to the requirement both in the Constitution and in the CCJ’s ruling that indicates that the Cabinet should resign. He said not to do so meant non-compliance with the Constitution.

“He further read sections of the CCJ’s consequential order which clearly obligate the President and Gecom to comply with article 106 of the Constitution. He pointed out that the CCJ argued that

it did not set a date but the timeline holding of elections is unambiguous and did not need interpretation to make them intelligible. He said that after September 18 the country will enter a period of unconstitutional rule.

“He urged the President to discharge his responsibility and dissolve the Parliament and name a date for elections.

“He explained to the President that the reason that there was a recourse to the court to stop the house to house registration was the absence of the commission and the use of the secretly

gazetted order signed by the former chairman of Gecom Justice Patterson.

“He shared a copy of the work plan of the Secretariat presented to the Commission in March 2019, which shows that house-to-house registration, if adjusted for the delays in starting the field exercise, resulting in a new National Register of Registrants (NRR) early next year.”

Ali stressed that the Granger-led government was told clearly what the positions of the PPP/C are and urged to be reasonable moving forward.

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EDITORIAL Track record of APNU+AFC exposes ‘new promises’ as Elections gimmick

H

ow often have Guyanese heard the phrase ‘A promise is a comfort to a fool’? Particularly over the past few weeks, officials of the APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government has been mouthing off one promise after another – several of them being promises made on the 2015 campaign trail, yet unfulfilled.

Leading up to the General and Regional elections of 2015, the APNU+AFC Coalition was singing glorious promises and belching guarantees of what they will do in office. Their ‘grand’ 100-day plan was not realised in 100 days.

Now, General and Regional Elections are on the horizon, and once again the Coalition is back out making promises they have no intention of keeping – all Guyanese have seen their dismal track record when it comes to keeping promises.

One of these promises is that of free tertiary education.

The APNU+AFC Coalition had previously promised this in 2015. However, upon taking office, the fees at the University of Guyana were increased. The Coalition, in government, also implemented measures that made it harder for students to take loans. Guarantors are now limited to the number of students they can sign for.

Secondly, David Granger, then Opposition Leader, on the campaign trail stated that within a year of graduating from the University of Guyana you will be employed. Upon taking office his tune changed – his position became that it is not the government’s job to find a job for people, rather they can become entrepreneurs.

Thirdly, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, recently announced that his Ministry is in the process of establishing a permanent unit to handle the Amerindian Land Titling Project (ALT). This is the same unit that the APNU+AFC Coalition dismantled when it took office.

It must also be noted that the APNU+AFC Coalition, in their 100-day plan, promised “Significant Salary Increase for Government Workers.” The only persons who enjoyed any significant salary increase in the first 100 days were the Coalition officials. Recently, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, at the launching of Budget 2020 sensitization and training process stated: “I can say with confidence that public servants will get an increase in wages and salaries this year and can expect a bigger increase in wages and salaries next year after we would have won the general elections.” When the Coalition failed to deliver before, how can they expect to be trusted now?

In addition to the imposition of hardships, benefits to Guyanese were removed. Ranks of the Disciplined Services saw their bonus removed. The cash grant for public school students was removed. Pensioners subsides for water and electricity were removed, while rates were increased.

The failures of the APNU+AFC Coalition revealed to the Guyanese people what their true focus was really about – their own gains to the detriment of others. The Leader of the Opposition at one of his news conferences pointed to several examples of how duplicitous the APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government is. The Coalition, now in its fifth year of being in office, wasted billions of taxpayers’ dollars on themselves, while failing to advance policies, programmes and measures that would benefit the people of Guyana.

Elections once again looming, it is safe to say that most all Guyanese people see through this farce, this is just an election gimmick.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Words may show a man’s wit, but actions his meaning.” Needless to say, the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition have exposed a lot.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Legal proceedings filed by Ram achieved its principal objective Dear Editor,

C

hief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire ruled, inter alia, that the removal of the names of persons already registered on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) on the ground of non-residency, is unlawful; that names can only be removed from the NRR in accordance with the National Registration Act (for example, by death, insanity etc.); and that the scrapping of the existing database of registrants will be illegal.

Concomitantly, during the course of her ruling, the Chief Justice repeatedly emphasized that the current Official List of Electors (OLE) can be refreshed with a suitable Claims and Objections period and lawfully used for the next elections, but that it is for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ultimately make that decision.

By these pronouncements alone, the legal proceedings filed by Christopher Ram, achieved its principal objective, that is, to thwart the Government’s grand plan of using the House to House Registration process, as a vehicle to de-register tens of thousands of qualified electors for the next elections, thereby depriving them of their constitutional right to vote.

The Chief Justice further ruled that her Honour’s interpretation of the Caribbean Court of Justice’s Consequential Orders is that Article 106 (6) and 106 (7) of

the Constitution were triggered when the No-Confidence Motion (NCM), was successfully passed on December 21, 2018. Therefore, the three-month period for the holding of General and Regional Elections as mandated by the said constitutional provision, immediately begun to run and expired on March 21, 2019, as there was no extension of this time by the National Assembly. The natural corollary therefrom, is that the Government became illegal and unconstitutional on March 22, 2019. From this perspective, we were quite benevolent to the Government by our submissions that the life of the Government will expire on September 18, 2019, unless elections are held on or before that date.

In the circumstances, after a more mature consideration of the Chief Justice’s decision and after conferring with my client and other counsel involved, including Senior Counsel, it is our considered opinion not to appeal the decision of the learned Chief Justice. Needless to say, we may reconsider our position, should appeals be filed by the other parties in the proceedings.

Regards, Anil Nandlall, PPP/C Parliamentarian, Attorney-at-Law

Time and history are on the side of those prepared to follow rule of law Dear Editor,

G

uyana, today, is a house divided because politicians are waging a war for the survival of democracy. One party, the PNC/R, is certainly not playing by the rule of law and with some success, they have been allowed by the custodians of the law to get away with this abhorrent behaviour.

The PNC/R has been successful at delaying the elections by six months, using the court system, along with heavy doses of subterfuge and deception. This trickery continues.

Today, Mr Keith Lowenfield and his team have embarked upon a process, using an expired ruling from an expired Chairman who was appointed by a “flawed” appointment process. On both previous occasions that I am aware that Guyana had a House-to-House Registration (H2H) process, it took 18 months and to sell the idea that it can be done in 6 months is just plain underhand.

Even if Mr Lowenfield puts 30,000 enumerators on the ground, he and I both know it is impossible to deliver a clean voters’ list by December 25, 2019, using the H2H process. One can only now hope that the new GECOM Chairperson – who was not appointed by a “flawed” process – will self-correct the wayward ways of GECOM swiftly and put this organisation back on the legitimate path by adhering to the rule of law as advised by the CCJ. But what Mr David Granger is doing has brought out into the open what we all have known for years. His Party (the PNC/R) is exclusively focused on advancing the cause of a group of an urban elites that cares very little for the working class, especially those in the rural communities.

The rest of the nation is even lower down in the chain of importance.

This elite cabal of PNC “upper crust” is prepared to suppress the rest of the nation using any means necessary and this situation was brought out in the open when the caretaker Attorney General made his speech at the AmCham debates.

His statement as quoted in the press “‘Well, y’all go, go to the election’, because the consequences would be dire”.

That statement among some others he made at that forum brought back bitter memories of the “MO FIYA, SLOW FIYA” period that was launched by the PNC/R leadership against Guyana in the 1990s. This is the same old PNC, their modus operandi is simple, bamboozle the nation into submission and plunder the Treasury.

Think of this, one minister brought in a vehicle that has a calculated duty of over G$60 million? That is more than the salary that he has earned from his job in the last 4 years.

But this was no different from what the PNC did in 1992 when they were transitioning out of office after losing those elections. Their scorch-Earth strategy is the same. They slash and burn every part of the Treasury, wantonly leaving nothing standing after they have left.

This is the time to all remain calm and vigilant. This is the time for sharing of information on social media so that the world can tighten the noose around those who are prepared to break the rule of law to advance their unrighteous cause. Time and history are on the side of those who are prepared to follow the rule of law but unfortunately, they have their head so deeply buried in the miasma that they cannot see that their end is near.

Regards, Sasenarine Singh, MSc Finance, ACCA

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Would we condemn our children and grandchildren to a fate of poverty and insecurities?

Dear Editor,

G

uyana and the rest of the Caribbean recently celebrated the 181 years of the end of slavery in our region. This is one of the most, if not the most important date in our history. It was a giant step forward in the struggle for Independence and socio-economic freedom.

This year, this date coincides with an important political struggle in Guyana, which is to have free and fair elections. It is essentially a struggle to defend democratic freedom we won in 1992. It is a continuation of the struggle of the slaves for freedom, democracy and socio-economic progress.

Our country’s social, political and economic development have been retarded because of the lack of democracy since we became independent. That led to great retardation of the all-round development of our nation. The main cause was the rigging of national elections.

The rigging of our elections began since 1957. That year and in 1961 the Colonial power, in attempting to put the PNC into office, manipulated the electoral boundaries to give the PNC an advantage. Where the PPP was known to be strong, those areas were merged into large constituencies. Where the PNC was known to be strong, those areas were broken up into small ones.

The idea was to maximize the PNC representation in its Legislative Assembly with a minimum of votes, while minimizing the seats of the PPP with a large amount of votes. That is why in 1957 Cheddi Jagan’s votes in the Corentyne Constituency were more than the combined votes of all the opposition candidates.

In 1961 they manipulated boundaries to ensure the PPP lost in some areas. For example, they tied Lodge with La Penitence and Albouystown, areas that are not contiguous. This was because they were not sure that the PNC could have won in Albouystown and La Penitence. Lodge was thrown in to ensure that the PNC secured that seat.

As is well known, the whole electoral system was changed in 1964 from the Constituency or First Past the Post System to Proportional Representation. Again, to help the PNC to get into power. That time they succeeded by pushing the PNC into coalition with the UF. In 1964 the Colonial power allowed the massive abuse of proxies.

PNC was allowed to cast 19,000 proxy votes to ensure that the PPP was edged out.

They also tried to stifle the PPP’s campaign by detaining some 33 of its top leaders centrally and many of its organizers. The elections were held while a State of Emergency was in place. Indeed, when Independence came, many PPP leaders were still imprisoned at Sibley Hall and with a State of Emergency in existence.

Guyana was the only country that the UK granted independence while under a state of emergency.

The PNC in power in 1964 put in place the mechanisms to perpetuate itself in government by rigging our elections. They used bribery and corruption to buy over legislators from the PPP and the UF. That is how the PNC took full control of the elections machinery.

In 1968, in addition to the measures described above, they crudely stuffed ballot boxes. In one case in the Pomeroon when a box was opened 25 wads of ballot papers wrapped in rubber bands came tumbling out – all marked for the PNC. That was the year the PNC introduced overseas voting.

The Granada Television of the UK did a documentary on it and showed that there was massive fraud. In 1973, 1980 and 1985 elections, the Army was used to seize the ballot boxes and change the votes. This was the worst period in our national political life. It eventually led to a tattered economy and the pauperization of the whole country.

In 1990 they managed to delay the elections for two years by deliberately messing up the voters’ list. Now APNU+AFC is doing something akin to what they did in 1990.

They want House to House registration to rig the list of electors. This is an exercise to corrupt a clean list that exists now.

Immediately after1992 the PNC worked closely with the PPP to strengthen the electoral system. I suppose that having gone into the opposition, the PNC wanted to ensure that what they did while in power could not happen under the PPP/C, therefore for this reason they agreed to strengthen the security of the ballots. All parties in the National Assembly agreed to the introduction of the “Voter I.D. Card” to ensure that multiple voting could not take place.

After the elections, the PNC realized that a strong system was not in its best interest.

They wanted a system which they could manipulate. Since then they have worked to undermine the security of the ballots, while activating various means to rig elections.

In 2011 and 2015 the PNC APNU+AFC devised new plans to rig elections. One was to harass and intimidate the heads of the Commission. Recall the vigils at the homes and threats to Surujbally, the then Chairman, and the CEO Gocool Boodhoo.

The new method was to use fictitious Statements of Poll.

Recall in 2015 the Chief Elections Officer, at one point said he could not announce the results of the elections because he found many fictitious Statements of Poll. He then put aside more than 400 boxes which suggested that those boxes had fake statements of poll. However, without any investigation and the Chairman going back on his promise to examine a few boxes (22), they gave the elections to APNU+AFC. That is what gave

APNU+AFC victory in 2015.

This regime is tainted as a result. So far the elections petition is still to be heard.

At the coming elections they are looking for new methods for their rigging operations.

This was evident from the moment they took power.

Immigration is now added to their armoury to corrupt national elections.

The Kaieteur News recently exposed the large amounts of Haitians that came into Guyana for this year. This is probably the tip of the iceberg, since that process has been going on for about two years now.

The fact that when the Haitians arrive at the airport, they receive special treatment, special persons are assigned to look after them and special transportation provided for them, must suggest that this is an organized operation. Other nationals are also being imported as well, for the same purpose, but the bulk are arriving from Haiti.

It is obvious too, that Haitians who are induced to come here are likely, given free tickets and pocket-money. No other reason would induce them to come en masse here.

It is the only plausible explanation for this big influx.

If they are economic migrants, then Guyana is not a destination they would come to.

After all, the same PNC-led APNU+AFC regime has destroyed thousands of jobs and have created none. Unemployment is at an all-time high.

Minister Felix’s explanation for the Haitians’ arrival does not hold water. He said that they are in transit to French Guyana.

Why are they only now taking this route? If French Guiana is their eventual destination, then it would be cheaper and more convenient to travel via Suriname. This obviously is not the reason!

Apart from some material inducement, the PNC must be telling the Haitians that they have to come here to help ‘oppressed’ Black people. The race card is being played on these hapless people to promote the political agenda of an elite in the PNC who are determined to enrich themselves at the expense of the state. Many officials appointed by this regime have become fabulously rich in the past four years. The PNC/APNU+AFC elite and their cohorts are the only ones enjoying the ‘good life’.

To try and discourage any investigation into this operation the PNC is once more playing the racial card. Their tactic is to question why only the Haitians are being spoken about, suggesting that if this is raised, the person or persons questioning this unusual trend must be racist. It is also doing this to stoke African Guyanese sentiments – all to cover a dishonest operation to perpetuate themselves in power.

The race card is being used to muzzle the African Guyanese working people who are en masse being also marginalized and pauperized by the PNC/APNU+AFC regime.

While the PNC is playing the Race Card to silence and prevent opposition from African Guyanese, they are busy making deals with some Indian business people, who in some cases are now very chummy with many of the top PNC/APNU+AFC leaders.

This is a repeat of the performance of the PNC in power during the 28 years of dictatorship – those years when our country sank to the bottom of the social and economic ladder with some 80% poverty, according to the World Bank/IDB-SIMAP report. This is the same road we are on. The inevitable outcome will be mass poverty, oppression, political victimization of the Guyanese masses on the one hand and fabulous wealth in the hands of the ruling elite.

With their new scheme of rigging, they will be forging new chains of bondage and oppression for all our people and eventually it would also consume the immigrants who have come here to be used as pawns for rigging purposes.

On this 181st anniversary of ending of slavery, let us honour the fighters who came before us by frustrating the diabolic scheme of this PNC/APNU+AFC regime. Let your voices be heard.

It is time the Guyanese people to examine the quality of leadership that the PNC has given to this country since its formation. Would we condemn our children and grandchildren to a fate of poverty and insecurities?

Now is the time to promote our Guyanese-ness, our oneness as a people, and oppose the diabolical schemes of this PNCled regime.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar, Former President

The rule of law must be allowed to prevail Dear Editor,

D

ecember 21, 2018, was the “D” Day for this David Granger regime. It was the day that a successful no-confidence was passed and the Government fell. Eight months have gone by since but the Government still maintains that it has not fallen, and being in that denial mode, it refuses to fulfil its obligations to the Constitution of this country. Ever since that time, the PNC has been engrossed in the most expensive of litigations to stave off the expressed dictates of the law, as we say in creole, they have been on a “fight down” campaign on the Constitution.

Billions of taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on senseless litigations as they try to circumvent Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution. This is total madness, a nation cannot continue to fight against itself. The rule of law must take precedence! All countries are governed by laws and Guyana is no

exception so why is the PNC trying to stop the inevitable, why stifle the rule of law?

And the answer comes back again, they are scared stiff as to the results of an election.

The PNC knows that they will lose the next election in a very definitive way and this frightens the daylight out of them.

The PNC in their desperation is testing the system to the maximum with their endless appeals and counter appeals, however, these moves only serve to delay the process somewhat, but in the final analysis, they will have to face the electorate which I can tell them would not be very kind towards them.

The Granger cabal must realise that the people of this great country are no fools and we will hold them accountable for their actions. Dire will be the consequences for this Government when it is the people’s turn to speak.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

House-to-House Registration is riddled with corruption, The nation is being held confusion, deregistration

hostage by the PNC’s DNA, the genetics of fear, dictatorship and authoritarianism Dear Editor,

T

he newest element of a strategy to avoid elections totally or, at least, delay elections for as long as possible, even if laws are violated, is to issue threats in the form of a dog whistle. The obvious and sinister threats contained in the messages are clear and these threats are directed to certain people, including the new Chair of GECOM. Make no mistake, David Granger’s meeting with GECOM was a dog whistle in itself. APNU/ AFC deliberately telegraphed to the media that Granger was meeting GECOM with a December date in mind for elections. That never happened, but the speculation fueled

by APNU/AFC was sinisterly intended to telegraph to Claudette Singh that she should not consider any date before December.

Speaking on behalf of APNU/AFC/PNC, George Norton contemptuously declared they will consider GECOM’s new Chair’s position on House-to-House (HTH) Registration in determining the way forward, thereby withdrawing the onus they placed on GECOM to determine the date for elections. Previously, with their hand-picked, illegally appointed Chair, a man placed at the head of GECOM to do the bidding of Granger and APNU/AFC, their position was whatever GECOM decides APNU/AFC and the country are bound by.

Granger abdicated his presidential duty to name a date for elections to GECOM, insisting the date for elections is the mandate for GECOM. Now that a new legally appointed Chair is in place who APNU/AFC is uncertain will unreservedly follow APNU/AFC’s dictum, their posture has changed. This is the genesis of Norton’s statement, giving notice, APNU/AFC has no obligation to accept GECOM’s decision, even if that decision is based on the law and on judicial mandates. It is a dog whistle, directed to the new Chair, she has no responsibility to determine elections timeline.

From their previous position, it was GECOM’s responsibility to determine when elections must be held, APNU/AFC has shifted to a position that the responsibility is entirely that of the President. Of course, both positions are wrong. It is only the responsibility of the President to name a date within a constitutionally-mandated timeframe. At as this time, that date must be on or before September 18.

GECOM’s present HTH Registration, embarked on through the direction of the previously illegal Chairman, is in contravention of that constitutionally-mandated election timeline. The new Chair has responsibly indicated she is obligated to adhere to the

Constitution and the law. In that case, she has no alternative but to support the legally available mechanism to have a list available for elections within the constitutional timeline, presently by September 18. That legally available option is a Claims and Objections period, even the Chief Elections Officer conceded that. With Claims and Objections, elections is possible within the constitutionally-mandated three months. HTH Registration will not permit elections by September 18, it will extend the time unreasonably way beyond this date.

Every day, there is more evidence added to the already overwhelming evidence trove, APNU/AFC/PNC, from the beginning, have done everything possible to prevent the holding of elections, which, in accordance with the Constitution, should have been held since March 21, 2019. George Norton’s vulgar pronouncement on HTH Registration and Granger’s seemingly useless visit to the Commission are signals to the Chair, a dog whistle, telegraphing their intention to accept nothing other than a continuation of HTH Registration and elections sometime in the far distant future. These are clear signals to the new GECOM Chair that GECOM’s decision must be in accord with what APNU/ AFC/PNC wants, not what is legal, not what the Judiciary says, not what the Constitution demands, or else.

APNU/AFC/PNC is determined to violate the Constitution, avoiding an election like the black plague. Each time, their delaying tactic faces a stern rebuke and a possible wall, they resort to bullying. When the Attorney General told an audience last Monday there will be “dire consequences”, invoking the fear of mayhem on the streets of Guyana, it was a frontal threat not to dare stand in their way.

It was not just a threat to the public, it was a warning to the GECOM Chair that she will be responsible for the mayhem in the streets if she adheres to anything other than what the PNC wants.

The nation is being held hostage by the PNC’s DNA, the genetics of fear, dictatorship and authoritarianism. They do not believe in democracy, in peacefully giving up control of Government through free and fair elections.

So far, they have bought an extra six months and it looks like they are on their way to expire another three months. How long will they defy the people, how long will they defy the courts, how long will they defy the Constitution, how long will they defy democracy?

Too many people are still aiding and abetting them with their silence.

Sincerely, L. Ramsammy

Dear Editor,

I

t cannot be denied that the decision to commence House-to-House Registration activities by Keith Lowenfield, CEO of GECOM’s Secretariat, is outright irrational and consummate illegality, as it runs counter to the conduct of the constitutionally instructive position of the institution conducting elections within three months of the passing of the No-Confidence Motion. Aside from the welcoming pronouncements on the matter by the Leader of the Opposition, reports have confirmed that many citizens on their own accord have refused to cooperate in the orchestrated conundrum that advances a breach of the Constitution.

It is the view of this column that GECOM cannot successfully prosecute any citizen in this stead, given the published threats caused to be published by Lowenfield. The deliberate and pervasive nature of this orchestrated illegality must be condemned from its biased intent to every glaringly abusive strand in its futile attempt to justify and cover-up. There has been conjured up falsified reports regarding the success of the ongoing illegal Houseto-House activities, which is nothing but a proliferated smothering of fraudulent spending at the GECOM Secretariat level that would be very revealing with a forensic audit and the devious players must be held accountable.

The Government-controlled Chronicle Newspaper in particular recently reported the completion of in excess of 150,000 registrations. This high propaganda mouthpiece of the Government has been most vocal in putting a spin regarding the flawed success of the activities. Essentially, the reports attempt to influence the considerations of the Judge in the ongoing court challenge, which seeks to halt the unnecessary process by arguing that GECOM cannot complete the activities in time to support the holding of Regional and National Elections by “three months” (September 18, 2019 timeline, after the instructive rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Politically, the results of these ongoing ‘flam’ registration activities cannot stand up to scrutiny and should not be accepted by the Opposition or any other civil stakeholder affected by the process. While the registration forms include signature areas for countersigning validation by Opposition Scrutineers, only the PNC/APNU Scrutineers are signing.

This is because administratively, the GECOM Secretariat did not inform and request from the PPP Chief Scrutineer the Opposition list of Scrutineers to work during the House-toHouse Registration. At the same time, in several areas, the PNC scrutineers are directing the chosen GECOM enumerators to homes of known PNC supporters and bypassing those of perceived PPP/C supporters.

This column gives acknowledgement of space for performance to the new GECOM Chairwoman Justice Claudette Singh, in light of the recent appointment and unenviable task of addressing all relevant matters and immediate priorities of the institution. However, the public view of GECOM itself emphasises the need for sanitation of its Secretariat as many of the operators within contaminates.

With a focus on holding of elections at the earliest date, the Honourable Chairwoman Justice Singh will have to address and remedy several priorities over time. Included is the fact that it is the Commission which has the sole responsibility to hire staff for GECOM

and the abuse of the delegated approach drives the need for urgent review. It is very serious that deals relating to the procurement of the necessities/equipment for the House-to-House Registration were secretly worked out and manipulated at a public city hotel and bar, and invariance with the procurement laws.

Reliable information regarding the already leaked details clearly exposed what and who was in the hotel and bar.

Further, the present House-to-House Registration is a farce, as the training for enumerators was inadequate. They all complained bitterly that the training received was without the ink kit and the cameras. The cheap cameras are not performing well resulting in a poor level of work. Enumerators are forced to repeat transactions several times and as a result, registrants are complaining that they do not have time to waste. Further, the cheap ink kit is causing serious fudging, and the enumerators are forced to return and repeat the taking of fingerprints.

Enumerators can be seen liming at shop corners for hours and speaking to friends because they are only interested in prolonging the work to stay on the job as long as possible.

Enumerators are of the opinion that with poor work, they will have to be a longer period for remedial work and they will benefit financially. There is also evidence of enumerators taking registrants’ photos with their cell phone cameras. Many of the homes are bypassed by certain enumerators, which will suggest that they have an agenda of registering certain persons only.

A better system than this to pay an eighty thousand dollars tax-free monthly, was to pay the enumerators per transactions. Paying for the properly completed forms would have ensured quality work and the desperation to register everybody so both GECOM and the enumerators will benefit. Very laughable is the fact that the enumerators are asked to walk with cardboards to put as a backdrop when taking the registrants’ photographs.

One enumerator confessed that she was told to go to a certain house and do the transactions. The residents were reluctant to speak or give any information. All they do was to bring out their ‘brand new stiff birth certificate. These persons were not willing to sign their names and they said, “you go no sign”. It is a clear indication that these are people who are non-Guyanese and are not accustomed to the given name on the birth certificates.

Enumerators are also worried about the risk of their contribution to working against the CCJ ruling which makes it clear that this House-toHouse Registration is illegal.

The Honorable Chief Justice Roxane George will rule on the House-to-House challenges on August 14, 2019. While this nation awaits her ruling, tensions are getting sky high and people from all walks of life are talking about the arrogance of the APNU/AFC. More and more Guyanese are condemning the delaying and dodging of National and Regional Elections by the Government. It is clear that our people want to get out of all this uncertainty as instability looms over our country and the coalition Government continues with all manner of corruption.

It is significant that GECOM’s Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield, Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward and Legal Officer Excellence Dazzell, had all said after the passing of the No-Confidence Motion, that GECOM is ready for National and Regional (Turn to page 7)

7

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

No amount of yarn spinning by Nagamootoo and his coalition ilk will cause Guyanese to turn a blind eye to facts

Probability of the APNU+AFC ince October 2018 I had said in one of S to the press that the rigging of winning the next elections is themy2020letterselections by the PNC-dominated coalition is a reality and not the product or of an overactive imagination. This a toxic mixture of uncertainty figment prognostication was based on the unilateral and unconstitutional appointment of the then with impossibility GECOM Chairman but now numerous pieces Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

T

ravelling across the country it is not unusual to hear people say, ‘The handwriting is on the wall’.

On hearing this idiom, we are reminded of the biblical story in the Book of Daniel 5:528, where the Persian King Belshazzar was enjoying himself at a palace banquet. While drinking from the golden vessels of the Temple of Jerusalem, the king saw a hand appear and write on the plaster of the wall of his palace. On seeing this the ‘King’s color changed and his thoughts alarmed him, his limbs gave way and his knees knocked together.’

Daniel of Judah was summoned and he interprets the writing to be; Mene, Mene, Tekel u-Pharisan ’ meaning, ‘God has numbered the days of your Kingdom, and brought it to an end. You have been weighed in the balances and have been found wanting; Your kingdom is divided and given to the Mendes and the Persians.”

Placed in the context of Guyana’s realpolitik, the handwriting no doubt is that of the electorate and the wall unquestionably, belongs to the APNU+AFC As far as the opposition camp is concerned the idiom represents the imminent downfall of the APNU+AFC come free and fair elections.

But for the APNU+AFC the thinking is in the opposite direction. As far as they are concerned the opposition’s objective must be thwarted.

To them, deception and procrastination is the way to go, while making all the right noises about commitment to upholding the constitution and holding of free and fair elections.

This resort to smoke and mirrors to hide the coalition’s real intentions is fueling the suspicion among the populace that staying in power by a ‘hook or crook’ is the ultimate objective of those who now strut the corridors of power.

To many, the APNU+AFC’s posture since the passage of the NCM is worrisome.

At the same time, its antics to hang on to the good life as a caretaker government are so transparent that to say it is surprising would be a misnomer.

But all is not lost. It has long become self-evident that buried in the rubble of efforts at conflict resolution there still remains a glimmer of hope.

And though hope may not necessarily be a guide to action, it can nevertheless be offered as a rational expectation of what can be achieved as exemplified in the recent appointment of a Chairman of GECOM. It is in this very spirit, we must turn our attention to the generation of Guyanese who grew up throughout the PPP/C’s 23 years in office and who are unfamiliar with the sordid experiences of pre-1992 elections in Guyana.

This generation of Guyanese should have recognized by now, that for the APNU+AFC, survival by any means necessary, is the only game in town.

The problem with that game is that in today’s world, the rules have changed dramatically and so have the players on the opposing side who are not favourably disposed to playing along as they did before.

For them, trust and credibility have flown the way of an Icarus.

The probability of the APNU+AFC winning the next elections is a toxic mixture of uncertainty with impossibility.

In the circumstances, the prospects for a win-win, or winner-does-not-take-all outcome is a grey area that should not be ruled out completely.

At some point in time, the call, ‘game over!’ will be made, and then the opportunity will present itself for the electorate to determine who rules, the people or the Constitution or both?

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

of evidence have been brought to the fore since the successful passing of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

We have seen the acceptance of that NCM by both the President and the Prime Minister that the Government has fallen and GECOM held a meeting on December 22 to address the preparations for General and Regional Elections and on December 27, GECOM’s Public Relation’s Officer, Yolanda Ward, announced that Elections can be held within the 3-month timeframe stipulated by the Constitution.

However, the PNC knew that if that happens, they had no chance of continuing to be the Government since the reasons for the successful passing of the NCM were compelling indeed and the electorate will not be fooled again.

Therefore, Nigel Hughes initiated the train of events which eventually saw the violation of the Constitution, especially Articles 106 (6) and (7) and the delay of General Elections until now despite the Caribbean Court of Justice’s historic and unanimous ruling that the NCM was validly passed, the unilateral appointment of Patterson was unconstitutional and that the three-month election clock had started ticking since June 18, 2019. This meant that elections must be held by September 18, 2019, the latest.

The coalition, in the meantime, being cognisant of the fact that the CCJ would rule against them, used the ‘planted’ illegal GECOM Chairman, Patterson, to commit his intended illegality by ushering in the process of House-to-House Registration which will see General and Regional Elections going way past the three-month deadline and into 2020, closer to the elections due date.

This will give the coalition the time needed to not only to pad the electoral list but to get rid of thousands of Guyanese who, for various reasons, cannot be registered with the current House-to-House Registration.

House-to-House Registration A is riddled with...

Elections. The Chief Elections Officer only recently disclosed to the media that the currently expired voters’ list could be updated and cleansed to conduct credible elections by a Continuous Registration cycle followed by a Claims and Objections exercise, which would be used to include new registrants and delete the deceased. GECOM is ready for elections and it is imperative that they give the green light to the President for immediate elections.

This present House-to-House Registration is riddled with corruption, confusion, dereg-

istration and ultimate disenfranchisement of many Guyanese. The current untrained enumerators are not competent enough to be efficient and should not be blamed. It is known that they did request a refresher training course, but they were catapulted into a process to justify corruption of prolonging and agony.

The time is most opportune for all those in authority to uphold our Constitution!!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Education delivery will be sacrificial lamb on the altar of political expediency without strong economy Dear Editor,

(From page 6)

We have now seen that Moses Nagamoottoo has become extremely sympathetic to the Haitians’ cause since he knows the rigging modus operandi of the PNC – he had written and said volumes about this.

He knows also that since there is no overseas voting, it will now be better to bring the overseas voting home – register these Haitians and place them on the voters’ list and secure their votes. This is easily done since it is easy to get fraudulent birth certificates and even passports in this country and this becomes a lot easier when it is done under the directive of the Ministry of Citizenship and Government officials.

Mr Kit Nascimento’s letter to the press nicely sums up the burning questions which the coalition has failed to answer and even challenged the President to provide come clarity. But the President has chosen to be mum on the matter. So far we have seen that two Ministers have given diametrically opposing ‘evidence’ of the issue.

The Minister of Citizenship has claimed that Guyana is the “stepping stone” to greener pastures – Brazil, Suriname and the USA. Are all the Haitians accounted for in relation to this reason? If the Minister knows that to be so then he is condoning a criminal act. What has he done to stop this smuggling and human trafficking?

Then Minister Jordan blew the whistle when he admitted that Haitians are working for less money than Guyanese, thereby also admitting that these Haitians are willing to accept wages below the legal minimum. Since the Minister knows this to be true then he is also condoning an illegality as well. Furthermore, Minister Felix’s Ministry must be the one to have granted work permits to these Haitians so it boggles the mind to understand his “stepping stone” theory!

In conclusion, no amount of yarn spinning

by Nagamootoo and his coalition ilk will cause Guyanese to turn a blind eye to the fact that the current illegal House-to-House Registration embodies a sinister motive to delay and rig the elections. However, I am sure that the Chairperson of GECOM will not tolerate this illegal exercise and she will uphold our supreme law as she had vowed!

ugust 15, 2019 marked thirty four years since the passing of Forbes Burnham.

Glowing tributes were paid to him by President Granger who credited him for introducing free education in Guyana from nursery to university.

Free education, desirable as it was, turned out however to be highly deficient in terms of quality as the performance of Guyanese students lagged behind their regional counterparts with Guyana at one time ranked among the worst performing countries at the CXC examinations. More than half of the students who sat the CXC examinations failed to attain acceptable pass grades. The situation got progressively worse as the economy deteriorated to a point where we were once ranked among

the poorest nations in the western hemisphere.

The point I am seeking to make is that there is a strong correlation between the state of the economy and the quality of education delivery. A weak and shrinking economy impacts negatively on the supply of critical ingredients for education success including a strong cadre of qualified professionals and other resource material.

I am not opposed to free education. I support the idea of free education but unless the economy is strong enough to sustain the cost of free education we could revert to the days when the quality of education delivery became a sacrificial lamb on the altar of political expediency.

Yours faithfully, Hydar Ally

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Weeks away from September election deadline…

Logical arguments show that Claims and Objections is the only way forward – Jagdeo T

he path forward is clear for any unbiased Guyanese to see, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who stressed the need for a Claims and Objections exercise to be immediately commenced, as a time tested means of producing of a Voters’ List to allow for Elections to be held within the constitutionally mandated timeframe.

At his last news conference, he said, “Claims and Objections is tested method. The easiest way to move forward is to use Claims and Objections….it is what we can do in a short time and it is not alien to the GECOM Secretariat.”

He underscored the fact that there is a deadline for General and Regional Elections to be held in Guyana – that is by September 18, 2019.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) made clear that the three-month election clock started on June 18, 2018 when it ruled that the no-confidence motion was validly and successfully passed – a final ruling after months of legal challenges. GECOM was also named by the CCJ in its consequential orders and the Court made it clear that GECOM must comply with the Constitution.

Referring to a work plan produced by the GECOM Secretariat in March 2019 – one that has not been disavowed – he said two viable options were advanced in March 2019 – Claims and Objections, running for 119 to result in an Official List of Electors and 290 day; and a new national House-to-House registration.

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE REGISTRATION The house-to-house registration option, he explained, if adjusted for delays, will move Guyana long past the three-month election deadline – to sometime in February 2020 – just to arrive at a new National Register of Registrants.

He pointed that the field exercise alone will be completed on October 20, 2019 – one month after the constitutional deadline for Elections to he held.

According to him, the last house-to-house registration, done under different circumstances, took almost two years to be completed and still ended with some flaws that were identified.

As such, he reasoned that the February 2020 end date may very likely have to be extended further.

He added too that Guyanese will have to wait until 2020 to get back to the position we are currently at – that it having a valid National Register of Registrants.

The Opposition Leader pointed out too that the move to house-to-house registration was done on the basis of the secretary gazetted June 11, 2019 order, which was overtaken by the June 18, 2019 ruling of the CCJ, as well as the its consequential orders issued on July 12, 2019.

Jagdeo lamented the fact that in addition to pushing Guyana months past the constitutional deadline for elections to be held, houseto-house registration will result in the de-registration of countless numbers of Guyanese – Guyanese students who are studying abroad and Guyanese working overseas and persons in

and young people are not registered. Jagdeo dubbed these as weak arguments.

He noted that any such matters can be addressed through a Claims and Objections exercise.

For these reasons, Jagdeo stressed that there must be a move to Claims and Objections.

the hinterland who are not at their place of abode at the time GECOM officers visit, among others – and it is currently the subject of a court challenge. Guyana’s Constitution only requires that to be registered as a voter you must be a Guyanese and are 18-years and older. There is no residency requirement.

The Opposition Leader pointed out that the legal challenge to house-to-house registration before the High Court could end up all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice. He charged that if house-to-house registration goes forward, and an Election is held on a Voters’ List generated through that process, that Election could be invalidated if the CCJ rules that the houseto-house registration, as currently being done, is unconstitutional.

Jagdeo said too that currently, a major stakeholder, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was not invited and is not participating in the ongoing house-to-house registration.

“Why go a route that will create more problems for country? Why go a route that is vastly inferior and will take longer?” he ques-

tioned.

NO COMPLAINTS Currently, Guyana has a National Register of Registrants – which is used to produce a Preliminary List of Voters that is then finalized as the Official Voters List to be used at Elections.

The current National Register of Registrants has not expired.

Jagdeo stated that there we also no complaints about the National Register of Registrants by GECOM’s Commissioners or the former GECOM Chairman, who was illegally appointed

by President David Granger.

The Opposition Leader stated that the very National Register of Registrants was used for the recently concluded Local Government Elections and the Voters’ List, not the National Register of Registrants, only expired on April 30, 2019 – weeks after the March 21, 2019 deadline when the CCJ said Elections should have been held by.

He noted that the only argument being made to justify house-to-house registration by the APNU+AFC Coalition is that the Voters’ List is bloated

GECOM has said that a Claims and Objections exercise will allow: 1. Allow any eligible Guyanese who has reached the age of 18-years-old to be registered if their name is not on the Voters’ List.

2. Allow any eligible Guyanese to get a transfer from one voting district to another, in the event that they changed their place of residence.

3. Allow any eligible Guyanese to do a name change.

4. Allow for the removal of a dead person from the Voters’ List.

5. Allow for objections to be made to the name of someone not eligible to be on the Voters List.

Notably, despite these facts, Granger is holding the line that the Voters’ List is flawed – bloated by some 200,000. This is a position that has been publicly rejected by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, on July 23, 2019. When asked to comment on Granger’s assertion that the voters’ list is bloated by about 200,000 names, Lowenfield, on July 23, 2019 said, “You are saying my List is bloated…. bloat is not a word it would affix to it (the List).” The Chief Elections Officer also stated that Granger’s claims is based on speculation. Lowenfield said, “It’s

speculative. I will want to do an exercise to determine that amount and that exercise can be done,” he said.

UNDP POSITION Further the Report of the United Nations (UN) Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) – May 7-11, 2018 – which made clear that a Voters’ List will not have more credibility.

The report said: "It is the view of the NAM that there is no certainty that a new voters' list will have more credibility than the current list and that stakeholders will trust it more.

Furthermore, any list created close to the elections will likely be criticized as political motivated.”

REASON MUST PREVAIL The Opposition Leader added that moving forward reason must prevail.

He said, “If the President listens, he would understand that house-to-house registration will not allow for compliance with the Constitution or the ruling and orders of the CCJ…. the concerns he had raised about the Voters’ List can be addressed by a Claims and Objections period. “…if the President is interested in credible election, then work with us… it doesn’t matter which part of the political divide you are on, it is plain pure logic.

This is where our arguments are, logic.”

Despite the continued calls by the Parliamentary Opposition, the Granger-led government has not significantly changed its position on the way forward – even as Guyana is weeks away from the September 18, 2019 deadline.

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

GECOM cannot remove names from National Register of Registrants, other options can update Voters’ List – CJ rules A

cting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane GeorgeWilshire, on Wednesday (August 14, 2019), ruled that the ongoing House-toHouse Registration is not unconstitutional, but noted that it is unconstitutional for qualified persons to be removed from the list.

The CJ did not grant any of the orders sought by Christopher Ram, who had challenged the constitutionality of the House-to-House Registration and wanted the court to compel the holding General and Regional Elections by September 18. In her ruling, Justice George-Wiltshire concluded that the House-to-House exercise being conducted is not unlawfully or unconstitutional. However, the Court did note that it is unconstitutional for qualified persons to be removed from the list if they are not in the jurisdiction or not at their residence during the registration exercise.

She further stated that only deceased persons and those otherwise disqualified under Article 159 (2), (3), or (4) are to be removed.

Pointing out that the “right to vote and the right

to be registered to vote are sacrosanct”, the High Court Judge said “residence requirements from citizens is no longer a qualification for registration”.

Furthermore, the Chief Justice had noted that while it is not up to the Court to determine whether Houseto-House should be held, it is not the only option available to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to update the list. To this end, the Court further noted that it is up to the Elections Commission to determine a way forward within the confines of the constitutional provisions.

“The Court did not agree with submissions from the CEO (Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield) that House-to-House is necessary… GECOM may have to consider other options…

GECOM cannot operate as in a normal elections cycle,” she said, adding that it has to take into consideration the December passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) which has been validated by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Ram had sought a conservatory order compel the

CEO and others to host early elections on or before September 18, 2019 in compliance with the constitutional provisions in Article 106 (6) and (7) and the rulings of the CCJ. However, Justice George-Wiltshire, in her ruling, posited that the High Court cannot name a date for when elections ought to be held, especially since this was not done by the country’s highest court – the CCJ. “It is not the role of the [High] Court to establish when elections are to be held… The CCJ did not and could not name a date for when elections are to be held… therefore, this court cannot decisive a date when elections ought to be held,” the Chief Justice ruled.

Further, Justice George-Wiltshire also dismissed the applications filed

by Attorney General, Basil Williams, for the Court to dismiss Ram’s challenge, and one filed on behalf of the Chief Elections Officer for the Chief Justice to recuse herself from hearing the case.

Ram’s lawyers included former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran.

House-to-House registration has been a complete waste of time and money - Jagdeo A “We are vindicated in telling “colossal waste of time” was the term used by Opposition Leader and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, to describe the ongoing House-to-House registration exercise by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

His comments came after the ruling from Chief Justice, Roxanne George-Wiltshire, on Wednesday (August 14, 2019), in the challenge to the continuance of houseto-house registration. The Chief Justice ruled that while the ongoing Houseto-House registration by GECOM is not unconstitutional, persons cannot be removed from the Official List of Electors (OLE).

The OLE is the list which contains every eligible voter in Guyana. GECOM has been conducting this exercise under the supervision of Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, with the aim of creating a new list of electors.

Prior to the commencement of the process, the PPP had objected to it on the grounds that it would deregister thousands of Guyanese who were either not in the country at the time, or those who were

people not to register; it’s is a colossal waste of time. You name cannot be removed from the register whether they participate in the enumeration exercise or not…nobody, not even GECOM, can remove your name now.”– Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

simply not home.

Give that it would be unlawful for GECOM to remove person’s name from the list following this exercise, the Opposition Leader described the process as “a complete waste of time and money” He said, “It would be unconstitutional for people who are already registered, if they are removed because they reside in another jurisdiction or location in Guyana. So it is a complete waste of time.”

With the PPP having stated its objections to the process since its inception, the party’s General Secretary said that they have been vindicated. “So we are vindicated in telling people not to register; it’s is a colossal waste of time.

You name cannot be removed from the register whether they participate in the enumeration exercise or not…nobody, not even GECOM, can remove your name now,” he said.

He noted too that the PPP had felt that thousands of Guyanese would have been deregistered simply because they were either not home at the time of registration or out of the country.

However, Jagdeo believes that the ruling is a movement forward, and it expected now that GECOM respects the decision of the court and swiftly move to the claims and objections period to update the list for the hosting of General and regional elections at the soonest possible time.

CJ’s ruling reaffirms APNU+AFC gov’t operating illegally –Nandlall

W

ednesday’s (August 14, 2019) ruling of the Acting Chief Justice (CJ), Roxanne George-Wiltshire, on matters related to the holding of General Elections clearly indicates that the government has been illegal since March 22, 2019.

This was according to Former Attorney General (AG) and PPP Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, in comments on Wednesday (August 14, 2019).

The former AG explained that the implication of the ruling of the Acting Chief Justice is that the government

has been illegal since March 21, 2019.

He pointed out that the CJ’s ruling highlighted that Articles 106 (6) and 106 (7) were “triggered” upon the successful passage of the no confidence motion on December 21, 2018.

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

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) adds that: “Notwithstand-

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

However, the APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government, including the Cabinet, has refused to resign and name a date for the holding of elections within that

Constitutional timeline.

As such, Nandlall noted that the CJ’s ruling essentially reaffirmed that the threemonth period stipulated by the constitution, expired, and therefore, the implication of that is that the government has been operating illegals. “…that is what the Chief Justice has ruled. That it is not September the eighteenth.

That we [the PPP] were essentially being benevolent when we gave them the date of September the eighteenth.

That they became illegal by March the twenty-first because that is when the first

three months expired and elections should have been held by then” Nandlall explained.

The former AG also highlighted that while the CJ ruled that House-to-House registration was not illegal or unconstitutional, she also stated that the removal of names from the National Register of Registrants Database, and the scrapping of the existing National Register is unlawful and unconstitutional.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been using the ongoing House-to-House registration

to remove and add names to its database, which the CJ has said is unlawful.

Nandlall said the final declaration made by the CJ was that the current list of electors can easily be refreshed by a claims and objections period which GECOM has routinely employed in the past.

Notably, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, is on record admitting that the current list of electors can be updated via a Claims and Objections process and used to conduct early Elections.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Perspectives from the PPP/C Presidential Candidate

Constitutional crisis will ultimately destroy our economy and add tremendous hardships – Ali T

here is abundant proof that a strong nexus exists between economic growth and development and social and political stability, according to People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/) presidential candidate, Ir-

faan Ali. He said, “In fact, the literature shows that economic growth and development are inextricably intertwined with economic and social and political stability. However, in Guyana, we are asked to

jettison this incontrovertible fact by senior leaders of the APNU-AFC Government.

“A casual examination of the literature would show that social and political stability is an essential condition for economic growth

and by extension, economic development. The theoretical justification provided in the literature is that economic and social stability creates the enabling environment for investment, which is the catalyst for growth in a market-driven economy.”

He explained that the empirical evidence from across the globe reinforces this theoretical view.

Ali said, “The literature argues that the development experienced in China may be attributed to political stability associated with the country’s decision to create political institutions to ensure political stability through a unitary state. In Africa, on the other hand, political instability has been identified as one of the factors responsible for the economic performance of countries on that continent.

In a recent study, Tabassam, Hashmi, and Rehman (2016) show that political instability exerted a significant adverse effect on the economic growth of Pakistan.

“Even in Guyana, where theory is not always confirmed, studies show that the political unrest in 1998 and 2001 was responsible for the economic slowdown during the late 90s and early 2000s (see Grenade and Pasha, 2012; World Bank, 2008).

“So the literature provides sufficient evidence to debunk the claim by Jordan and Williams that political and social stability will not affect our economic performance. For those who are interested in gaining a better understanding of this issue, google ‘nexus between political and social stability and economic growth and development.’ I am sure you would find enough material to preoccupy your time for a few months.”

The PPP/C presidential candidate charged that Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, and Attorney General, Basil Williams, are among senior APNU+AFC Coalition government officials who seem bent on creating the false impression that ‘everything would be alright’.

“They are trying to create this misleading impression, even with the uncertainty

created by the constitutional crisis they will engender by holding onto power after September 18, 2019,” he said.

Ali added, “From all the indications, the government will not honor the constitution and push the country off the precipice. This will injure the economy that is already ailing and expose the country to grave external risks.”

Honing in on Guyana’s economic performance, he noted that despite the expansion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the economy is hemorrhaging. “The official statistics on output, investment, and revenue generated by the key sectors paint the real story of our economy,” he said.

Ali added, “It is important to note that over the past four years, the economy posted growth below the forecast presented by the Minister, even after downward adjustments. The figure below shows that the actual economic growth was significantly lower than the projected and revised GDP growth rates between 2015 and 2017. This outturn means that the policies of the government are not generating the intended economic benefits. The view of the Minister of Finance that the economy will not be affected by political instability should be taken with this fact in mind. In other words, the Minister is the last person we should rely on for providing accurate forecast of our economic performance. His models are obviously flawed.”

According to him, the official statistics show that sugar production trended downward from 216,186 tonnes in 2014 to reach 104,642 tonnes by 2014.

This, he said, was accompanied by declining revenue from the export of sugar from US$88 million in 2014 to US$US$27.1 – a decline of approximately 69 per cent.

Ali said, “The forestry sector displayed similar poor performance between 2014 and 2018. The production of logs fell continuously from 406,431 cubic metres

in 2014 to 293,081 cubic metres during 2018. The export revenue of timber products trended downward to reach US$33.3 million during 2018, from US$53.4 million in 2014. Many jobs were lost, and the wellbeing of those who depend on the sector severely diminished.”

The PPP/C presidential candidate added that rice output also trended downward from 635,238 tonnes during 2014 to 626,684 tonnes in 2018. As a result, he said, the revenue lost from the export of this commodity slipped continuously from US$249.5 million in 2014 to reach US$186.1 million during 2018.

He said, “The sub-optimal performances of the critical sectors were masked by the overall growth in GDP that resulted mainly from the surge in the gold declaration by the two large foreign mining companies.

However, the impact of the decline was felt by most Guyanese, except the privileged government officials and friend insulated by public funds. It is not surprising therefore that the people, through their elected representatives, successfully carried a no-confidence motion against the government. The people refused to be ‘taken for a ride’ or lied to.”

Ali stressed that the key sectors are likely to sink further with heavy tax burden foisted on them by the APNU-AFC government.

“The late response by the government to reduce VAT on hinterland travel will not necessarily help miners at this stage. One would recall we argued against this and hundreds of other hardship taxes and policies from the inception,” he said.

All considered, Ali charged that the only solution at this moment is for the government to call the election constitutionally due

by September 18, 2019.

“This would prevent our country from a constitutional crisis that will ultimately destroy our economy and add tremendous hardship on all segments of the Guyanese population and stare away potential investors,” he stressed.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

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

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (August 15, 2019), including the implication of the High Court ruling on the challenge to house-to-house registration, among other things.

WPA put on blast over calls for Coalition cannot 'argue away' provisions life of APNU+AFC caretaker gov’t to be extended of the Constitution ‒ Elections deadline is clear

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he constitutional provisions – the constitutional imperatives – cannot be argued away, declared Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in response to ‘spins’ from elements in the APNU+AFC Coalition that somehow the ruling of the Acting Chief Justice on the challenge to house-to-house registration amounted to a victory for the Coalition.

“Some seem to think you can go on forever without elections…this is not so… some are arguing that they got a victory, as if there is no timeline for elections to be held,” he said during his Thursday (August 15, 2019) news conference.

Acknowledging that there are spins being put on the ruling of the Acting Chief Justice, he explained that Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire was clear that: • Elections should have been held since March 21, 2019 and there has been no extension of the life of the APNU+AFC Government; • The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is

not in a normal electoral cycle; • GECOM has to consider other options available to update the Voters’ List in light of the constitutional imperatives that follow as a consequence of the passage of the no-confidence motion; • House-to-House registration, with the intention of deleting people from the existing National Register of Registrants, is illegal; and • Field work, via house-tohouse visits, to verify the addition of new persons as registrants to the National Register is illegal.

Jagdeo said, “So what victory are they talking about…as a tool to scrap the database, house-to-house registration is illegal and this is what they were pursuing… so what victory. “…as far as we are concerned, we achieved the purpose of what we set out to do….to ensure that thousands are not deregistered….now they cannot touch the database.”

He explained that the database has gone through

years of verification, had been updated through at least 15 cycles of continuous registration. “They were going to scrap this database for one that was not even developed yet,” the Opposition Leader said, reminding that even the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, declared that the last valid List of Electors was clean.

Jagdeo added, “This is a victory for every Guyanese, every Guyanese voter.”

He expressed the hope that President David Granger has a “modicum of residual decency” left to understand what is at stake and the necessity for him to comply with the Constitution.

When asked about the next step for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Jagdeo explained that the calls for Claims and Objections to be dome will continue, since it will allow a List of Voters to ready for Elections to be held in the shortest possible time. [SEE ADDITIONAL REPORTING OF THE CALL FOR A CLAIMS AND OBJECTIONS EXERCISE TO BE DONE ON PAGE 8]

T

he Working People’s Alliance (WPA) came in for blows on Thursday (August 15, 2019) by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who rubbished their statement about the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) having to return to the National Assembly to extend the life of the APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government.

During his weekly news conference, he reiterated, yet again, that the PPP/C will not give the Coalition the twothirds majority it needs in the National Assembly to extend the deadline for general and regional elections. Jagdeo

said, “We’ve already made it clear, there shall be no extension. We are not voting to extend the life of this Government, period. That’s it.”

He underscored the fact that Elections were supposed to have been held since March 21, 2019 following the passage of the no-confidence motion. “They want us to facilitate this desired extension? Desired by whom?

This corrupt cabal that’s just raping the resources?” he questioned.

The Opposition Leader added, “You will see the first month in office, we [the PPP] are promising that we

will outline to the Guyanese public all these things that are being done. It will shock the hell out of everyone about what’s taking place now… they’re using this timeline to just hustle and making new promises. Pure hustle on every level…we must facilitate their desire to steal more. That’s what the WPA wants.”

Jagdeo reminded too that any contracts signed or extended, any lands issued among other acts by the Government since March 21, 2019 will be deemed illegal when the PPP/C returns to office.

Decision by GECOM on way forward likely to be made soon T

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) held its first meeting under the stewardship of GECOM Chairperson, Claudette Singh, on Thursday (August 15, 2019).

And, according to Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, it was agreed that a decision on the way forward – whether or not houseto-house registration will be scrapped and decisions about elections preparations – will be made at a later date.

He explained that the Commission

Members of the full Commission

agreed to wait on the written ruling of the Acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George-Wiltshire, which was handed down on Wednesday (August 14, 2019) in the challenge to house-to-house registration. “Before any decision is made, the Commission agreed to wait on the written decision of the Chief Justice,” Gunraj said.

The meeting lasted about two hours.

The next meeting is likely to be held either on Monday (August 19, 2019) or on Tuesday (August 20, 2019).

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

PPP/C continues protest actions, c

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

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calls for constitutional compliance

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Focus on Guyana’s First People

Deplorable main community Region 9 residents question road increasing hardship for value for money Orealla community A R esidents who live on the higher lands of Orealla have been experiencing difficulty in getting goods transported to their homes and businesses. This is so because of the deplorable state of the road going uphill.

Several tons of commodities are taken uphill on shoul-

ders or in wheelbarrows daily. It is the only way to bring goods into the village.

The Orealla Village Council in February received $1.5 million from Government in the form of a grant to upgrade the road leading uphill. However, since then, nothing has happened.

Orealla is a major pineapple producing community.

The fruits are grown uphill and have to be transported to the stelling, which is downhill, to be shipped out.

There has been no response from officials on when or if the state of the road will be addressed.

Commodities have to be manually fetched uphill because of the state of the road

whopping $12M was spent on the still incomplete Health Centre at Fly Hill, Central Rupununi, Region 9.

And residents are questioning value for money, give the state of the incomplete structure. Defects in the floor,

roof and other parts of the building were pointed to.

Meanwhile, the APNU+AFC Coalition has failed to say when the Health Center would be complete and failed to provide answers about the visible shoddy work.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Focus on Guyana’s First People After scrapping Land Titling Unit….

Coalition touts unit as ‘new’ initiative to deal with ALT

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he current APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government is now in its fifth year in office and has not issued a single new land tittle. This week, in a surprise move, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, said his ministry is in the process of establishing a permanent unit to deal directly with the Amerindian Land Titling Project (ALT).

After taking office, the Coalition Government, sent home the entire unit dealing with the Amerindian Land Titling programme.

The Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to support the implementation of the project.

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

In 2010, MoAA together with UNDP and the Office of the President has initiated a Land titling Project that sought to process ap-

plications for titling and demarcation.

Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project.

Earlier this month, Allicock announced that the life of the Amerindian Land Titling project has been extended to 2021.

RECOGNISED Under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Guyana had been internationally recognized for its policies and constitutional and legal architecture with regards to Amerindian land rights. As of 2015, land communally owned by Amerindian communities increased from 6.5% to 14% of its land mass in less than a decade.

In addition, Guyana‘s “first people” population is the fastest growing ethnic group in Guyana increasing in size from 5% to over 10%

between 1992-2015 due to improved access to the delivery of health and education services, and, water, and improved quality of life, which reduced levels of infant and child mortality and increased life expectancy.

Successive People’s’ Progressive Party Civic Administrations (1992-2015), addressed a large number of Amerindian land issues under the 2006 Amerindian Act. As of May 2015, 103 Amerindian villages were awarded Absolute (and Forever) communal grants of which 83 were demarcated by 2014.Fifteen (15) applications for extensions were pending and 6 were awaiting title by the time General and Regional Elections were held in May 2015.

This success was the culmination of a very long struggle by Amerindian communities to have their rights and their land rights recognized. Following the Amerindian Lands Commission Report of 1969, an amendment was enacted in 1976 to the 1951 Amerindian Act which provided for the

granting of lands to Amerindian communities.

In the same year sixty-four (64) Amerindian communities received legal recognition to the lands they used and occupied. In 1991, these very state lands for an additional ten (10) communities were granted under the State Lands Act through the issuance of Absolute Grants.

This brought the total percentage of lands owned by Amerindians to almost 6% of Guyana’s territory.

BUNGLED MOVE As a result of the lack of consultations with these Amerindian Communities by the then PNC governments before the descriptions of the areas were gazette, many considered the areas legally recognised via the Absolute Grants to be inadequate, and, or incorrect; in some cases, the communities were located outside of the legally recognized areas.

Additional problems were caused due to the absence of physical surveys, since many communities disagreed with the descrip-

tions in the then Amerindian Act as being unrelated to the reality on the ground. This resulted in many communities requesting demarcation, and in some cases, extension to their communities' legally recognized boundaries.

With the change of government after the first free and fair elections in 28 years in October 1992, President Jagan set about fixing this mess his Administration had inherited. He created at the level of the Office of the President, a special “Amerindian Unit” headed by a Minister who was himself an Amerindian and the first Amerindian to become a Minister. This Unit was mandated to correct the more pressing issues affecting Amerindian communities while efforts to setup more permanent interventions and structures were taking shape. President Jagan took a personal interest in its supervision. This “Unit” was the predecessor of the fully-fledged Ministry of Amerindian Affairs established by 2001, also headed by an Amerindian. That Ministry grew in stature under

the PPP/C over the years.

With Cabinet and subsequent PPP/C Presidents support, it continuously sought resources and advocated and worked with other Ministries to produce tangible improvements in the lives of Amerindians and their communities.

CLEAR GOALS On the specific issue of land tilting, the ALT project, under the former PPP/C government, sought to achieve three major goals: completion of land titles issues and demarcation process for all Amerindian villages that submitted requests, increased use of existing and alternative mechanisms to resolve land titling disputes and thirdly a communication strategy including a handbook describing the process of titling, demarcation and social economic impact of secured land tenure.

While Indigenous people in many Countries have right of use of the Land only, in Guyana Amerindians own land including the forests resources within their Titled Lands.

PPP/C team engage residents of Yupukari A team of People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) reps engaged residents of Yupukari, North Rupununi, Region 9, on the current state of affairs, as well as listened to several concerns being raised. This meeting was one of several done in hinterland communities.

THE APNU+AFC GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED THE AMERINDIAN PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES: ► NO INCLUSIVITY ► NO FREE PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT ► DISRESPECT SHOWN TO THE TOSHAOS AND VILLAGE COUNCILS ► DISRESPECT SHOWN TO THE NTC ► NO JOBS ► INCREASED POVERTY ► NEGLECTED COMMUNITIES ► NO LAND TITLES ISSUED ► UNDERMING LAND RIGHTS ► NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN SPENDING $$$ FOR AMERINDIAN COMMUNITIES ► NO INTEGRATION OF THE VILLAGE ECONOMIES ► NO MODERNIZATION OF THEIR ECONOMIES ► ABANDONED PROGRAMMES THAT HELPED TO ADVANCE AMERINDIANS AND COMMUNITIES ► WORSENING OF THE CONDITIONS OF ACCESS TO HEALTH AND EDUCATION SERVCIES ► NEGELCT OF INFRASTRCUTURE IN COMMUNITIES AND BETWEEN COMMUNITIES WITHIN REGIONS WITH THE NO CONFIDENCE MOTION PASSED AND VALID THE CORRUPT APNU+AFC CABAL MUST GO!!!

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Reverse VAT on exports.

11. Reverse VAT on building materials.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Deliver quality health care and end drug shortages.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. Protect our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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

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

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

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

OBSERVER

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Granger is not beyond reproach (Part 3) I

n this the final part of a three-part series, we continue to address the dismantling of the false notion that somehow President Granger is beyond reproach.

In the first part of this series we highlighted his failings and his ultimate culpability for the ridiculous levels of corruption that is synonymous with his Government time in office. Secondly we revealed how Granger is ultimately responsible for the hardships being inflicted on the Guyanese public with regards to crime, health and cost of living. This week, we will expose his role in the undermining of Guyana’s democracy.

Since assuming office President Granger has made it quite clear that he is a great admirer of the late former leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Forbes Burnham. His comments exalting Burnham expose something of a lofty vision in his mind of his personal destiny to complete Burnham’s mission.

At the recent wreath laying ceremony to mark the death anniversary of Burnham, Granger declared: “We are inspired by his vision.

We his heirs and successors,

recommit to perpetuating his legacy…we remember him with reverence and respect.”

One of Burnham’s missions was to ensure party paramountcy be enshrined as the guiding rule under which Guyana was governed. This rule meant that the PNC reigned supreme over all other governmental institutions and laws. Therefore, decisions made at the PNC level reigned supreme over any parliamentary or court decisions.

Guyanese who lived through the Burnham era know only too well the pitfalls of this type of governance.

Today, it is clear that the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition caretaker government is attempting to bring this back.

It was none other than PNCR Chairperson and Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, who is recorded advising some Party supporters that only card-carrying PNCR members would benefit from the largesse of the state.

More recently, the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition continues to attempt to undermine the judiciary, which is expected to be independent and free from any

attempts to influence their decisions. We have had the PNCR Executive and Attorney General, Basil Williams, openly criticizing and threatening a Judge who he felt wasn’t ruling in his favor.

Article 226 (1) of the Constitution states that: “In the exercise of its functions under the constitution a commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.” Despite this the President in August 2017 wrote to the Police Service Commission a constitutional mandated commission instructing them on promotions within the police force. This was a blatant attempt to subvert the authority of the commission.

This was a clear example of the President ignoring our Constitution and acting in defiance of its provisions.

Granger also ignored the provisions of this same article when he suspended Carvil Duncan who at that time headed the Public Service Commission. This is another clear example of the President ignoring the Constitution.

Our Constitution stipulates that all should be treated equally under the law.

Under the Granger-led ad-

ministration this is not so. A clear example of this is the government’s action with regards to the court’s ruling with regards to Dipcon. The courts granted judgment in favor of Dipcon and instructed the government to pay the company a specified sum.

To date the government has ignored the rulings of the courts and have refused to pay as instructed. The President even intervened when the Minister of Finance was threatened with incarceration for failing to honor the court’s judgment. To date no payment has been forthcoming. Instead the government unleashed the GRA on Dipcon in an act of revenge As to the issue of rule of law, there is the well-known instance of the President going against the provisions of the Constitution and unilaterally appointing the Chairman of GECOM. Even now we have the Granger-led Government acting in open defiance of the Constitution, relative to calling elections – which follows as the consequence of a validly and successfully passed no-confidence motion. The most glaring example of this President undermining our constitution is his behavior

and actions since the passage of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly on December 21, 2018.

His hypocrisy is on display for all to see as one remembers his utterance when he was the Opposition Leader. Now that he is President it is obvious he believes that laws don’t apply to him.

Granger continues to set a poor example for the citizens.

By continually acting outside of the law the president is setting a bad precedent to all our citizens. Citizens of a country take their example from our leaders, and more so our President. His actions are a clear demonstration to us all that we should not use him as an example; he is leading us down the wrong path.

President Granger is well on his way to achieving his vision of carrying on the vision of Forbes Burnham. A vision of acting unlawfully, honoring the constitution only when it suits your purpose and ignoring it when it doesn’t; usurping the authorities of constitutional bodies.

Rigged Elections seems to be the only act of Burnham that Granger is yet to imitate.

Needless to say, this will be the final nail towards undermining our democracy.

President David Granger before becoming president was seen as someone beyond reproach. Since becoming president this impression remained, and persons blamed the failures of his government on everyone else, except him.

This is a fallacy.

He is heading an administration that is supremely corrupt, that has seen an alarming rise in criminal activities.

Our health sector is in decline. We are overly taxed and cost of living has reached a level that makes daily living extremely difficult. There is no transparency and accountability that he boasted about before assuming office. He has undermined our democracy. His government acted in a manner that undermines our judiciary and has played games with the Constitution of Guyana.

The buck stops with him.

He is ultimately responsible for the failings of his government. He has not disciplined any of his Ministers or taken any real action to address their failings. His actions instead point to either ignoring or encouraging their unacceptable acts.

President Granger has failed the Guyanese people.

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

Patterson must be held accountable

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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he cold, hard facts are clear - first, a contract obtained illegally through sole-sourcing for a feasibility and design studies for the Demerara River Bridge was signed for $146.3M between the Ministry of Infrastructure and LievenseCSO; second, the Minister of Infrastructure requested cabinet approval for $161M, without an explanation why he required an additional $15M above the

$146M contract price; third, the payment for that contract ballooned to in excess of $293M (more than $215M in 2017 and more than $78M in 2018), a sum more than $132M in excess of the cabinet approved sum; finally, the payments did not come from the Ministry of Infrastructure's capital budget, but from the Demerara River Bridge Asphalt Fund, without any approval from the Board of the Demerara River Bridge.

All of these are egregious breaches of the law.

The Demerara River Bridge feasibility studies scandal, keeps getting worse.

Almost $300M has been used for an illegal contract that was signed for $146M. The corruption is not only the illegal single-sourcing of the contract, but no explanation has been given why almost $300M has been paid out when the contract was for only $146M and when

the Cabinet approved only $161M. The Public Procurement Commission (PPC), in a damning report late last year, deemed the single-sourcing contract was illegally procured by the Ministry of Infrastructure. SOCU pretended it did an investigation of the Minister's handling of the contract and found no reason to charge the Minister.

Now the PPC has referred the scandal to the Office of the Auditor General for a

forensic audit because of possible misuse and abuse of tax-payers money, way above what the illegal contract was signed for. The whole episode of securing and paying for the feasibility studies for the Demerara River Bridge stinks. Someone must be held accountable for a contract that clearly has criminal implications.

Worse after spending almost $300M of hard-earned (Turn to page 19)

18

City Hall in Focus

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

PNC-stranglehold on City Hall continues with more corruption, scandals and authoritarian acts

By Bishram Kuppen

The Local Government Commission appointed Ms. Sherry Jerrick as the Interim Town Clerk as a result.

I

am sure that the residents of Georgetown would love to enjoy at least an entire month without hearing of another scandal, corrupt act or failure to do something at the Georgetown City Council.

While we have had sporadic but short-lived occurrences of welcome news such as garbage being picked up on time or some drains being cleaned, those temporary moments are soon replaced with the some dysfunctional act or scandal at City Hall.

At the statutory meeting of the City Council on August 14, 2019 we were informed that an entire stretch of fence which was installed around the temporary location where vendors from Stabroek Wharf were relocated was stolen from that public area. Now, how can a partial or entire stretch of fence be stolen from an area that is so busy without the City Constabulary and other City officials observing or discovering that it was missing? And even if it was discovered missing, no one bothered to report the matter.

This revelation came to light during discussions relating to the vendors in that temporary location who were lamenting the lack of electricity, sanitary facilities and security in that area. In fact there have been a number of break-ins of stalls in the area including three stalls broken into over last weekend. I had asked the Chief Constable at the meeting to explain what measures he would take to increase security in the area but his response was quite shocking and offered little comfort for an immediate solution to the security situation there.

This situation comes on the heels of the discovery of a bag containing a large amount of cash in a constabulary vehicle which was left there for close to one month without anyone in the Council reporting that the cash was missing.

This speaks volumes of the absence of systems of accountability at the Council and the wanton indifference exhibited

by Council officials.

Outrage was expressed by many of the elected Councilors but it is uncertain if that will result in a proper investigation and the culpable individuals held accountable.

FAILURE TO REMIT EMPLOYEE DEDUCTIONS TO NIS Another of the major corrupt acts of the Georgetown City Council is the deliberate failure to remit NIS contributions to that agency for employees of the Council. This matter has been highlighted before in the media and the Council by the PPP Councilor but the situation continues with a massive amount of $218.4 million owed to the National Insurance Scheme. This indebtedness is only one among many others which stands at close to $3 Billion in total indebtedness.

Failure to make these payments to NIS could lead to employees being denied benefits from NIS to which they are entitled. There have not been any serious efforts to reduce the amount that is owed to the agency.

But the bigger question to be addressed is the failure by the government and the National Insurance Scheme to prosecute this matter in court since it appears to be a clear and persistent violation of the laws and apparent fraudulent conversion of money belonging to the National Insurance Scheme.

This issue has attracted the attention of the Local Government Commission which has written the Council to furnish a schedule of all payment made to NIS in an apparent

move to get the Council to give an accounting of the NIS contributions.

So the City Council has been engaged for a very long time in the illegal practice of diverting the NIS contributions to other uses without being held accountable.

Hopefully, this intervention by the Local Government Commission will remedy this situation and hold those who are culpable accountable for violating the laws.

ACTING TOWN CLERK SENT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE Councilors were notified at the last statutory meeting that Town Clerk (ag.) Ms. Sharon Harry-Monroe was sent on administrative by the Local Government Commission.

This action resulted from the failure of the Town Clerk and the City Treasurer to furnish documents which were requested by the Auditor General in relation to the limited forensic audit being which is currently being conducted at City Hall.

The Local Government Commission had authorized a Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Georgetown City Council in 2018 after years of complaints by citizens and stakeholders of corruption and mismanagement of the Council.

Numerous findings of corruption and illegal acts were reported to the COI headed by retired Justice Cecil Kennard.

The COI had made a number of recommendations to the Local Government Commission including reporting some matters to the police and also conducting a forensic audit of the City Council.

After the forensic audit had commenced, it was reported that the Auditor General had made a number of requests for documents to be provided which the City Council failed to do. The Auditor General then contact the Local Government Commission which instructed Town Clerk (ag.) Sharon Harry-Monroe to provide the documents to the Local Government Commission for onward transmission to the Auditor General but she failed to do so.

As a consequence of that failure, the LGC made a unanimous decision to send Town Clerk Ms. Sharon Harry Monroe on administrative leave.

AUTHORITARIAN ACTS BY MAYOR Councilors were summoned to an extraordinary meeting of the Georgetown City Council on July 29, 2019 to discuss decisions which were made by the Council and to get updates on actions taken on those decisions by the administration headed by the Town Clerk.

But to our surprise, the standing orders of the meeting were suspended on a motion moved by an APNU Councillor to allow Mayor Ubraj Narine to make some announcements.

The Mayor then stated that based on the powers invested in him, he would make some on-the-spot promotions in the City Constabulary Department and he went on to promote a Corporal to Sergeant, a Sergeant to Inspector, an Assistant Superintendent to Deputy Superintendent and an Assistant Superintendent to full Superintendent.

He also asked that the promotions be recognized with immediate effect.

Even though we were taken by surprise, I knew that Mayor Ubraj Narine did not have such authority but I needed to verify that by consulting with the relevant laws relating to the City Council.

At the following meeting when this matter was placed on the agenda as a decision of the Council, I firmly objected since it was not a decision of the Council and the Mayor did not have executive power. I argued that no Mayor in Guyana had the authority to promote senior officers without the approval of the full council. In addition, the Mayor did not consult with the head of the City Constabulary which was necessary before any promotion could be forwarded to the Council for discussion and debate. I had reminded the Mayor and the Councilors that they had suspended the standing order of the meeting for Mayor Ubraj Narine to make announcements and not for any substantial issues to be discussed or debated such as promotions of senior officers of the City Constabulary. In addition, the matter was not even discussed or debated since Mayor Ubraj Narine stated that he was vested with the power to make on-the-spot promotions.

I informed the Council that Mayor Ubraj Narine had usurped the functions of the Human Resources Department, the Human Resources Committee, the elected Council and the Local Government Commission by those unilateral appointments and his call for the promotions to be recognized immediately.

I further stated that even if the principles of custom and practice were assumed, it could not apply to appointment of senior officers of the City Council which would require the approval of the full Council. I also notified the Mayor and Councilors that I intended to write to the Local Government Commission to address I suggested that the matter be deferred until the Local Government Commission which is responsible for approving appointments and promotions respond to these actions.

In the end, they agreed to defer the matter until the Local Government responds to the letter which was sent by the Town Clerk notifying the Commission of those promotions.

All of the perverse actions at City Hall have been allowed to go on for decades without any firm actions taken either to remove the corrupt and incompetent officers or to restructure City Hall.

Your PPP/C Councillors will continue to push for the overhaul of the City Council so that our citizens and stakeholders can finally benefit from efficient, effective and consistently high levels of service from the Georgetown City Council.

19

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

GRDB fails to support farmers, no explanation given R

ice farmers on the Corentyne in Berbice on Tuesday (August 13, 2019) picketed the Guyana Rice Development Board’s (GRDB) Seed Paddy Drying Facility at Number 58

Village, calling for the aerial spray of crops to combat the current infestation of paddy bugs.

The GRDB had made a decision to have aerial spraying done since in May

Patterson must be... tax-payers money, the feasibility studies for the new Demerara River Bridge has now been abandoned. Outside of the sandal that more than $132M was spent above the $146M for which the illegal contract was signed, there is the additional corruption that the money was taken from the Demerara River Bridge Asphalt Fund without Board authorization. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the APNU+AFC cabinet are guilty of sidelining the Board. In

2017, more than $215M was used from the fund for the feasibility Studies. Now we find out that another $78M was used in 2018 for those studies. No one feels responsible for explaining these anomalies.

The Minister under whom these anomalies occurred is the same one who had $US9,000 deposited into his private account by a Chinese company, insisting it was a refund for monies paid out by another independent agency

but for some unknown reason, the farmers are being made to repeatedly apply insecticides.

After huge losses during the last rice crop resulting in farmers not being able to

meet financial obligations, the farmers made a decision to plant this crop hoping to make up for previous losses but they are now being faced with a situation which seems even worse than the

last crop.

The farmers are demanding that aerial spraying be done but this, they claimed, has been falling on deaf ears.

As such, they are seeking to get wider attention.

More than 20 rice farmers held placards and chanted ‘aerial spraying now’ and ‘GRDB Manager must go’, as they marched in front of the Rice Board’s Corentyne facility.

be commended for her diligence. The PPC has done its constitutional duty, deeming the procurement of the contract illegal and in contravention of the procurement laws of Guyana. But there are also other organizations which must act - where is SARA? National Assets, tax-payers money, have been abused and misappropriated without any concern from SARA. Where is SOCU? SOCU has charged people not for misappropriating money, but

for inappropriate accounting entry, yet is silent on the clear misappropriation of almost $300M. There has not been a word from Transparency International.

Will the auditor general be able to conduct a forensic audit of the feasibility and design studies of the Demerara River Bridge, however,? This is a legitimate question because the office of the auditor general has not been able to conduct a forensic audit of the Durban

Park Project that cost more than $1B, with more than $600M from the Ministry of Infrastructure that cannot be accounted for. The office of the auditor general has complained that the Ministry failed to provide documents required for the audit. Clearly something is amiss. The Minister must be held accountable. The question is will the Minister and his officers cooperate with the office of the auditor general?

(From page 17) under his charge. There has not been an accounting to ensure the money was ever refunded to the agency itself.

Such arrogant sidelining of independent boards and agencies in themselves represent a violation of the law.

The referral from the PPC to the auditor general comes because Ms. Gail Teixeira, the PPP Whip in Parliament wrote to the PPC on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition and the People's Progressive Party. The PPP MP must

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Civil Society demands CONSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE Claims and objections must be the way forward, rule of law must be respected T

he Private Sector Commission (PSC) notes with considerable satisfaction that President Granger on Thursday (8th August, 2019) met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) under the leadership of its newly appointed Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, and offered the assurances of his government to respect and support the independence of the Commission and the role and advice of the Commission on the conducting of General and Regional Elections.

The Private Sector Commission was heartened at the appointment of Justice Claudette Singh to the post of Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission. We look forward to the Commission carrying out its functions as required by the Constitution and in accordance with the judgment rendered by the Caribbean Court of Justice on 18th June, 2019, with regard to the holding of General and Regional Elections.

The Private Sector Commission continues to believe that it is extremely unfortunate that the Commission hastened to introduce houseto-house registration resulting from a questionable deci-

sion made under its previous Chairmanship and expects this matter will receive the urgent attention of the Commission under its new Chair.

The PSC wishes to reiterate that it is a fact that the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD), which was compiled in 2008, has continued to be updated from continuous registration and, since that time, has been used credibly in all subsequent General and Regional Elections and Local Government Elections with the total acceptance of all the contesting political parties.

The Private Sector Commission holds firmly to the view that the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD), compiled since 2008, supported by photographic and finger print biometrics, which has not expired, and which has benefitted from continuous registration since that time, needs only to be subject to the statutory option of claims and objections to be brought up-to-date.

The Private Sector Commission wishes to emphasise that the Caribbean Court of Justice clearly advised that “given the passage of the

no-confidence motion of 21st December, 2018, a general elections should have been held in Guyana by the 21st March, 2019, unless a two thirds majority in the National Assembly had resolved to extend that period”.

The CCJ further observed that: “the National Assembly has yet to extend the period, the filing of the Court proceedings in January challenging the validity of the no-confidence vote effectively placed matters on pause, but this Court rendered its decision on 18th June, 2019.

There is no appeal from that judgment”.

“Article 106 of the Constitution invests in the President and the National Assembly and implicitly in GECOM responsibilities that impact on the precise timing of the Elections which must be held. It would not therefore be right for the Court, by the issuance of coercive orders or detailed directives, to presume to instruct these bodies on how they must act and thereby pre-empt the performance by them of their constitutional responsibilities”.

“It is not, for example, the

role of the Court to establish a date on or by which the elections must be held, or to lay down timelines and deadlines that, in principle, are the preserve of political actors guided by constitutional imperatives”.

The Private Sector Commission, however, recognizes that the “constitutional imperatives” are that General Elections should now, therefore, be held within three (3) months of the consequential orders rendered on 18th June, 2019, that is, no later than 18th September, 2019, and expects that the President and GECOM, as the CCJ assumed, “will exercise their responsibilities with integrity and in keeping with the unambiguous provisions of the Constitution bearing in mind that the no-confidence motion was validly passed as long ago as 21st December, 2018”.

The Private Sector Commission continues also to be concerned that in spite of the assurances offered

by President Granger in his address on 25th July, 2019, of the government’s recognition of its “caretaker” status, the President has refused to accept the requirement of Article 106 (6) of the Con-

stitution that “the Cabinet including the President shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of the majority of all of the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of noconfidence”.

The PSC considers it worthy of recall that when Justice Singh, in her capacity as a High Court Justice, was required to rule in 2001 on the status of a caretaker government, the Court ordered that “the President and his Cabinet, as presently constituted, shall perform their respective functions of office” subject to the following limitations: a) no legislation shall be introduced in Parliament except those required for the proper and timely holding of fresh National and Regional Elections; b) no substantial contracts for the execution of public works shall be awarded without the permission of this Court; c) the State owned media shall only be used for elections purposes through paid advertisements”.

The Court at that time also ordered that “Parliament, as presently constitut-

ed, shall continue to function for the necessary and limited purposes of enacting such legislation as is required for the proper and timely holding of fresh National and Regional Elections… and shall stand resolved by Nomination Day”.

We wish to repeat that it is very much the business of Guyana’s business community to engage the national political process to ensure electoral democracy and democratic governance.

Political actors need to understand and accept that the first and foremost requirement for business to operate effectively and to succeed is political stability, added to which there must be respect for the rule of law and political freedom.

It is the position of the Private Sector Commission and the 26 business organizations and the 29 of the largest companies in Guyana which we represent, that not only does the business community have a natural democratic right to participate in the political processes of the country, but also a Constitutional right enshrined under Article 13 of the Constitution. (Private Sector Commission)

Disrespect for the Constitution equals disrespect for Guyanese - MAPM A civil society group, Mass Action People’s Movement (MAPM), staged a peaceful protest outside the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday (August 15, 2019), calling for the David Granger-led caretaker government to comply with Guyana’s Constitution. This is the latest civil society grouping to join in on similar calls from other bodies.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

21

Crime can happen anywhere: Protect Yourself As part of its Crime Prevention Strategy the Guyana Police Force has urged the Guyanese public to adhere to key Crime Prevention tips.

SIGNS OF SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR – Attempting to enter a residence or vehicle without proper access.

– Body language that suggests being watched or chased.

– Forcibly attempting to enter a locked vehicle or building.

– Transactions conducted from vehicles, especially near schools or parks.

– One or more persons sitting in a parked car closely scanning an area.

– A person seemingly forced into a vehicle.

– An individual displaying unusual mental or physical symptom.

– Unusual noises, including gunshots, screaming, sounds of fighting, barking dogs or anything suggesting foul play, danger or illegal activity.

– Make sure you secure or remove valuables in your home or room (i.e. jewelry, computers, electronic gadgets, etc.)

–Before leaving, close and lock all windows, close all shades/drapes and lock and bolt the entrance door.

– Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your place and pick up mail, newspapers and packages while you are away.

– Leave your itinerary with a trusted neighbour or friend.

– Use timers to turn on lights or a radio. Turn phone ringers down or off.

– While on vacation, don’t carry large amounts of cash and keep a charged cell phone with you.

ATM SAFETY – Try to plan ATM visits during the day, rather than after dark.

– Choose an ATM location that is in a busy, public place.

– Be ready with your card handy but not in plain view.

– Go with a friend, especially if you must use an ATM at night.

– Stand directly in front of the machine to conceal your personal PIN number.

– Cancel you transaction and walk away if anything seems suspicious.

– Pocket your money immediately. You can count it later.

– Immediately report lost or stolen ATM cards.

VEHICLE SAFETY AND SECURITY – Keep doors locked.

– Park in a well-lit and well-travelled area.

– Have your keys ready when approaching your vehicle and look in your backseat before entering.

–Make sure your car runs well and have sufficient gas.

– Keep a charged cell phone with you when driving.

– Never pick up strangers and never go with a stranger.

– If someone approaches your vehicle and attempts to enter, blow the horn continuously to attract attention and drive away.

JOGGING SAFETY – Jog with a companion in familiar and public areas facing traffic.

– Do not jog during dark hours.

– Vary your route and pattern.

– Remain alert. Don’t wear stereo earplugs or headphones.

– If you think you are being followed, go to a well-lit public area, store or residence and draw attention to yourself.

– Wear bright clothing.

– Do not jog near bushes and structures where someone could hide.

SAFETY AT NIGHT FOR STUDENTS – Try to avoid working or studying alone in a building at night.

– If you must work or study late, let someone you trust know where you are and when you will be alone.

– Keep your room or office door closed and locked.

– Close and lock the door when leaving your office or room, even if only for a few minutes.

– Never prop any door open or allow others to enter with you.

– Keep emergency phone numbers handy in case of intrusion, fire or other emergency.

– Use campus/colleges transportation services.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY – Stay alert to your surroundings.

– Do not fall asleep while riding public transportation.

– Try to maintain a schedule that ensures plenty of people are at your bus or car park.

– Beware of pickpockets. Place wallets in front pocket and carry a purse that has a secure, strong strap. Be aware of loud commotions that may be staged distractions for pick-pocketing.

– If possible, sit near the driver or operator.

– If someone bothers you, say in a loud voice, “leave me alone,” and move to another area of the bus or car park. Be rude if necessary.

– If you are followed when you exit, cross the street and go to the nearest well-lit populated area, yell for help or contact the police.

RESIDENCE SAFETY AND SECURITY – Always lock your door – even during short naps or when you are just down the hall.

– Use the peephole (if got) and identify who is at the door before you open it. If you don’t have a peephole try to identify who is it by questioning or picking up voices.

– Immediately report suspicious activity to the nearest Police Station.

– Do not prop secured doors open to let non-residents follow you in.

– Take time to familiarize yourself with building evacuation and fire safety plans.

– Keep items such as checkbooks, wallets, cash, jewelry, etc. out of plain sight.

– Do not keep large amount of cash in your house or person.

VACATION SAFETY AND SECURITY – Do not publicize travel plans. Do not announce vacation absences in voicemail, automated email response or on social networking sites.

SAFETY TIPS FOR TAXI DRIVERS – The most important equipment in your taxi is your Radio which connects you to the dispatcher.

–Be alert and aware.

– Do not flash or display your money.

– Greet and maintain eye contact with the customers when picking up.

– Know the city/community.

– Trust your instincts.

– Always keep you doors locked.

– Be extra careful late at night.

– Be aware of passengers who give you “vague” instructions.

– Be careful of passenger seated behind you.

– Keep an eye on suspicious passengers.

– Never tell customers you had a good shift.

– Never, ever, drive into alleys or back lanes.

– Know your location at all times.

– Check all emergency equipment at the start of shift.

– Do not be aggressive or argumentative.

– Keep calm – do not panic.

– Communicate with your dispatcher.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

Positions from Freedom House this week (A look at the latest statements made by the People’s Progressive Party)

CCJ overestimated the levels of integrity of some in the hopes that there will be constitutional compliance T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) notes the demonstration of shameless disingenuousness by Lincoln Lewis in his column published by the Kaieteur News today (August 10, 2019), under the headline ‘September 18 deadline for election is Jagdeo’s and others, not CCJ’.

Lincoln Lewis claims that Party General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, and others are applying “their interpretation” to the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice in setting the deadline by which General and Regional Elections have to be held in Guyana – that is

by September 18, 2019. His assertions must be condemned as nothing, but a barefaced attempt to mislead.

He selectively refers to ONE SENTENCE from the consequential orders granted by the Caribbean Court of Justice. Had Lincoln Lewis

read the consequential orders, issued by the Court on July 12, 2019, in totality, he would have been clear on what is now the constitutionally mandated deadline for elections to be held in Guyana.

By now most all Guyanese are clear that Article 106 (6) of the Constitution mandates that General and Regional Elections are to be held within three months of the passage of a no-confidence motion.

Paragraph six of the CCJ’s consequential orders states that: “Given the passage of the no confidence motion on 21 December 2018, a general election should have been held in Guyana by 21 March 2019.”

The said paragraph stated too that the three-month deadline, if it is to be extended, can only be done by vote of twothirds of the Parliamentarians in the National Assembly.

The Party’s General Secretary

and Opposition Leader has repeatedly said there will be no agreement to any extension of the life of the APNU+AFC caretaker government by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

Further, the CCJ’s consequential orders goes on to add that, “The filing of the court proceedings in January challenging the validity of the no confidence vote effectively placed matters on pause, but this Court rendered its decision on 18 June 2019.

There is no appeal from that judgment.”

The CCJ was clear that the clock on the three-month election timeline started on June 18, 2019 – meaning that the deadline for Elections to be held ends on September 18, 2019. After that, Guyana will be under unconstitutional rule.

These facts considered, it would seem that basic logic

Guyanese urged to use social media platform to make anonymous submissions about corruption

W

ith the four-year mark of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government being in office having passed and with more and more Guyanese forwarding information about increasing levels of corruption in office, a platform has been created to allow for easier communication of such information.

Opposition Leader, Bharat Jagdeo, has urged Guyanese to make use of the social media platforms and participate in the effort to continue to expose the misdeeds of the APNU+AFC Coalition. He assured that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will continue its investigations in the push for greater accountability and transparency.

Guyanese can make submissions of information anonymously via Facebook on ‘Corruption Watch 592’ and via WhatsApp on telephone number (592)-653-6637.

and reasoning continues to elude Lincoln Lewis. Either that or his political opportunism is once again on display as he sacrifices truth to remain close to his ‘handlers’ who benefit from the distortions he peddles.

That even the embattled Attorney General, Basil Williams, with his ‘fuzzy’ mathematical arguments, could concede that September 18, 2019 is the deadline for Elections to be held – albeit that he places the ball in the court of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to advise on Elections readiness – is not a comparison that bodes well for Lincoln Lewis.

On Lincoln Lewis’ point that the Caribbean Court of Justice did not set a date for Elections, he seems to miss the point that the Court pronounced on the timeline within which Elections must be held.

The Party would recommend that he reads paragraph five of the CCJ’s consequential orders.

It states clearly that: “… these particular provisions [Article 106 (6) and (7)] require no gloss on the part of the Court in order to render them intelligible and workable. Their meaning is clear and it is the responsibility of constitutional actors in Guyana to honour them.

“Upon the passage of a vote of no confidence, the Article requires the resignation of the Cabinet including the President. The Article goes on to state, among other things, that notwithstanding such resignation, the Government shall remain in office and that an election shall be held ‘within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than

two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine’.

“The Guyana Elections Commission (“GECOM”) has the responsibility to conduct that election and GECOM too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution.”

It would seem that the Caribbean Court of Justice overestimated the levels of integrity among the likes of Lincoln Lewis and others when, in paragraph seven of its consequential orders, it said: “The Court must assume that these bodies and personages will exercise their responsibilities with integrity and in keeping with the unambiguous provisions of the Constitution bearing in mind that the no confidence motion was validly passed as long ago as 21 December 2018.” (August 10, 2019)

Guyanese interested in volunteering asked to contact Party

T

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is now available on WhatsApp number 592-611-PPPC (7772) and it encouraging Guyanese, who are interested in political activism and volunteering, to contact the Party.

WhatsApp allows persons to message from Guyana other countries at no cost.

Operators are manning the line on a 24-hour basis and interested Guyanese are asked to communicate this to the Party.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 AUGUST, 2019

People smuggling….

Teixeira says Felix’s suspicious positions hint at nefarious agenda C

itizenship Minister, Winston Felix, is trying to side step this issue that there is a human smuggling operation in Guyana with links to several other countries and he seems to be quite happy to ignore it, according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive, Gail Teixeira.

During a recently televised programme, she added that Felix casts “all sorts of inconsequential and irrelevant matters” with regard to a situation in which people in key positions are profiting from and where humans are being transported and suffering.

Teixeira said, “We believe that the Haitians and the Cubans in particular are being exploited and we should all, as being Guyanese, be ashamed of that. The Haitians are particularly targeted for exploitation.”

She reminded about President David Granger’s recent comments, where he said, “We want to protect the integrity of our sovereignty, we don’t want to be used as a congruent for illegal immigration. We always have thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the country, we are very concerned for that.

We know about the influx

of Cubans. Suddenly there seems to be concern about the influx of Haitians, but my understanding they are not going to be involved in influencing the elections in Guyana, nor the Cubans nor the Venezuelans.”

That said, the PPP Executive stressed that, “What we are seeing is a human smuggling operation but because of the components to do with exploitation and other obligations that the Haitian in particular and others are being made to carry out, then it has moved from human smuggling at the international level to what is called human trafficking.”

SMOKE SCREEN Responding to the comments that concerns about large numbers of Haitians entering Guyana are xenophobic, Teixeira said, “What is Felix referring to as race and nationality. This is a smoke screen to illicit a knee jerk reaction from his supporters and APNU+AFC supporters.”

She pointed out that the People’s Progressive Party has historically been along the side of the Haitian people in their long struggles to restore democracy through the dark days of Papa Dock and

Baby Dock and even had protests, written letters, petitions to stand up for a democratic Haiti and the right of the Haitian people to choose their government and to be able to have a right on how their country is developed. Teixeira said, “In government, the PPP/C assisted Haitians in coming here and to live and work here when other Caribbean countries were not doing so. In the earthquake which devastated Haiti and from which it has still not recovered, the People Progressive Party government sent the largest financial and material support per capita in the world to Haiti, approximately $10M US.” Further exposing Felix’s agenda, the PPP Executive noted that in June this year, Felix, through the Department of Public Information, gave a statement warning Surinamese travelers against flouting the Immigration laws, this is June 10 2019.

The report said: “Minister Felix is urging members of the public that are travelling to and from Suriname through East Corentyne Berbice, Region 6, that pursuant to section 10(3) and section 7(2) of the Immigration Act Chapter 1402, person leaving and entering Guyana obligat-

ed to present themselves to immigration officers for processing.” Felix, in the article said, “Persons arriving must first ensure that they check with immigration on departing Suriname and report to the immigration on arrival in Guyana. Failure to do so, if caught, will expose you to prosecution.”

Given his position on illegal movement across borders, Teixeira charged that his position on the illegal movement of people across Guyana’s borders is suspicious.

AGENDA She said, “The fact is that Felix admits in public in the last few weeks that yes the Haitians are coming in legally and they are exiting, he admits that they are exiting illegally from Guyana. So why is it that people coming in from Suriname, to and from Suriname, have to abide by the immigration laws, but he has decided that the immigration laws don’t apply to another group of people? “…one has to ask, why are other nationals who have come into Guyana illegally or exiting illegally, on the various borders, Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil, are being charged and brought to court

for illegal entry into Guyana or exit or over staying and why is this friendly and liberal approach for others. “…my view of this is that Mr. Felix has another agenda and so does this government.

If Mr. Felix as the mouth piece of this government on immigration sees nothing wrong with people being sneaked across the Guyana border and Brazil border illegally, then something is wrong. “…well either Mr. Felix is not too bright and I know him as the Commissioner of Police and I know what he did and didn’t do in the crime wave of 2002 to 2008. He may not be the shining penny in the class but he is certainly crafty.”

She stressed that the fact that thousands are moving across borders illegally and it is happening “right under Felix’s nose” makes the issue at hand more suspicious.”

CAUSE FOR CONCERN The PPP Executive pointed out that what is taking place must be a cause for concern. “We must be concerned about people that are disappearing,” she said, adding that the ongoing houseto-house registration adds another dimension to the

reasons for concern, since the persons being moved illegally across the borders could also be registered as Guyanese voters.

She said, “We have evidence of the government providing false Guyana documents to non-nationals who are not eligible which are issued for illegal purposes, either in order to be registered in the House-to-House exercise so they could be put on the voters list and new identity to cross the border.

“We have evidence also of persons being given Guyanese citizenship who do not have the requirement for being domiciled in Guyana for the past five years. They will then be able to be put on the voters list, once they get their Guyanese naturalization certificate. “…the illegality is happening, while Felix and others had deliberately known what is happening, it implicates the government in its plan pad the voters list, disenfranchise thousands of Guyanese.”

The last available statistics for January to July 2019 show that some 8,476 Haitian nationals arrived in the country, but only 1170 have left – leaving more than 7000 immigrants unaccounted for.

Blatant defiance of the Greenidge concedes to Constitution continues CCJ’s September 2019

M

eetings of the APNU+AFC caretaker government’s Cabinet will continue until elections are held, declared Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.

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

Further, Article 106 (7) states that, “Notwithstanding

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

The Caribbean Court of Justice in its July 12, 2019 consequential orders made it clear that Article 106 (6) and (7) became trigged on June

18, 2019 when it ruled that the no confidence motion was validly passed.

The Court made it clear that Cabinet and the President, as a member of Cabinet, must resign and remain in office in a caretaker capacity with the sole purpose of holding elections within three months of June 18, 2019 – that is by September 18, 2019.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution says, “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected mem-

bers of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

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

elections deadline

‒ even as his colleagues argue otherwise

W

hile Government has continued to argue that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) never said when elections should be held, at least one top functionary has publicly conceded that the courts did intend elections to be held by September 18, 2019.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice President and now Foreign Secretary, Carl Greenidge, made these comments during a recent appearance on the Globespan 24×7 live show in New York.

It was pointed out by his co-panelist, Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Frank Anthony, that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had set a date by which elections should be held.

Greenidge replied, “Within 90 days is not a date. It is an outside date… I don’t know you could say we didn’t want to have elections.

What you are faced with is an outside date in which the court is saying you must have elections by such and such a date… and I certainly agree that the Court has made a decision, but what I’m saying to you is that the Court has said elections must be held by September 18.”

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

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

A No-Confidence Mo-

tion was passed against the Government on December 21, 2018.

However, elections were not held and there was no resignation. Instead, Government went to court unsuccessfully arguing that the No-Confidence Motion was not validly passed.

The case reached the CCJ, where the regional Court ruled against the Government, but stopped short of issuing an order fixing an election date. The Court made it clear that the threemonth deadline for elections started on June 18, 2019.

CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders pointed out that elections should have been held on March 21, 2019, following the December passage of the Opposition-sponsored motion, but that the process was on “pause” pending the legal proceedings. That process, Saunders had clearly said, was no longer on pause following the Court’s June 18, 2019 ruling, which upheld the validity of the No-Confidence Motion and, thus, triggered the need for fresh elections. In keeping with the constitutional three-month provision, this means General and Regional Elections should be held on or before September 18, 2019.

Saunders had said too that when the No-Confidence Motion was passed on December 21, 2019, Article 106 of the Constitution had immediately been activated. According to Justice Saunders when he read the ruling, there was no need for the Court to gloss over the provisions of Articles 106 (6 and 7), but it is in fact the responsibility of the constitutional actors to be faithful to the rule of law and operate within parameters of the Constitution.

Further, the CCJ President had noted that with GECOM also responsible for the conduct of those elections, it therefore meant that the elections body “too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution.”

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