Weekend Mirror 24-25 March 2018

24-25 March, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 14 / Price: $100

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

Govt dismantling Jagan’s progressive policies - Jagdeo PAGE 2

SEE INSIDE

Chronicle’s halt on Hinds’ and Lewis’ columns was inevitable APNU+AFC thrashed for failure to act on major issues in oil and gas sector PAGE 3

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Establishment of Granger Energy Dept a dangerous Practical policies needed to deal with development challenges of racial polarisation – Jagdeo - Ramsaroop

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Group photo of attendees at International Woman's Day forum at Freedom House

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Govt dismantling Jagan’s progressive policies - Jagdeo T

he progressive social and economic policies put in place by the late President, Cheddi Jagan, to benefit the poor and middle classes are being gradually being dismantled by the present APNU/AFC coalition.

This is the view of the General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo, who at the time was delivering a presentation on the life of the late founder of the PPP on the oaacasion of his 100 birth anniversary at Red House.

He further stated that decisions taken by the coalition Government since its assumption to office has been repressive and anti-people and are having a disastrous effect on the lives on tens of

thousands of Guyanese.

The event was organized by the Cheddi Jagan Research Center and comprised veteran politicians and members of the diplomatic corps on Tuesday last.

“We have seen some trends of this Government for the three years they have been in office that has caused a lot of worry for many people. The first is the dismantling of the pro-poor policies of the PPP, whether in the housing sector, taxation on basic food items, water, and electricity,” he stated, while outlining that ironically the same situation prevails for the private sector.

“One would think that with no pro-poor policies that they [APNU/AFC] will

be pro-private sector but paradoxically, they are also dismantling the environment in which the private sector thrived in the past,” he added.

He claimed that in addition to implementing a slew of taxes, there is now constant harassment of the business community, where there is no longer much dynamism in the sector. “If you do a survey of the business sector you would find that they are all speaking with gloom about the future,” he said.

Another trend of the coalition Government, according to Jagdeo, is the blatant attempt to reverse the democratic gains of the country. “So Parliament and

the separation of powers, sometimes the unilateral or arbitrary interpretation of the President of the Constitution and the laws of Guyana.”

Jagdeo also pointed to what he described as decisive politics being displayed by the current Government.

He referred to the example where hundreds of Amerindians in various hinterland communities had their jobs taken away from them that were created under the PPP Administration.

He also referred to a series of broken promises made by the Government that they are yet to fulfill.

Referring back to the struggles made by Dr Jagan, Jagdeo said that the bravery, resilience and hard work of

the former President must never be forgotten. He noted also that ever since the PPP was formed by Jagan, it has been an all-inclusive party, which has welcomed people of all walks of life to join.

According to Jagdeo, it is no different today although people would from time to time question the ideology of the party. He said while the major question is whether the PPP is departing from socialism, he said that Jagan’s polices will never die in the party and therefore there is room for everyone.

Reflecting on the struggles that Jagan made to return free and fair elections to Guyana, Jagdeo directed his attention to the diplomatic corps explaining that the

biggest fear in the minds of many Guyanese is whether the coalition would tamper with the election process in 2020.

Jagdeo said that the diplomatic community has an important role to play in ensuring that there continues to be free and fair elections in Guyana. While noting that this is a genuine concern, he urged his party supporters to work harder to ensure this doesn’t happen, and never to give up hope.

This year (March 22) marks the 100th birth anniversary of the late Dr Jagan who is widely regarded in Guyana as the ‘Father of the Nation’ because of the role he played in fighting for Guyana’s independence.

Practical policies needed to deal with challenges of racial polarisation – Jagdeo

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pposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has underscored the challenges posed by racial polarization and ethnic insecurities and stressed the need for con-

certed efforts to formulate practical policies to ensure that these challenges can be overcome so that Guyana can move forward as a united nation.

“Our country was polarized in the 60’s and this is still an issue…there are several issues that did not help the problem,” he said at a news conference, held on

March 22, 2018 at his Church Street office.

Jagdeo outlined the several initiatives of successive PPP/C administrations since 1092 to rebuild democratic instutitons to ensure all Guyanese had a voice in running the country.

According to him, until democracy was returned in 1992, many Guyanese felt excluded from national processes. Secondly, referring to views expounded on by the late Dr Walter Rodney, Jagdeo said, “The fact that we live in almost ethnic enclaves did not help because stereotypes about each other thrived…we did not have many mixed villages…this did not help us.” Thirdly, he noted that rural and urban socialization of Guyanese was different. He also pointed to the fact that pre-1992, communities felt like certain polices, adversely affecting them, were advanced in a targeted manner.

Since 1992, he stressed that successive People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)

administrations rebuild democratic institutions to ensure that all Guyanese were included in Guyana’s democratic processes.

Jagdeo added that there was also focus on ensuring that mixed communities were developed, with the various housing scheme developments. He explained that having Guyanese from all walks of life pick a lot number from a bag was geared to ensuring that housing allocations allowed for the development of mixed communities.

Moreover, Jagdeo stated that it was under the PPP/C that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was established and given powers to sanction political parties, including the Executive for any move that is racially divisive.

“Nowhere else in the world this has happened,” he said.

He emphasize, too, the fact that successive PPP/C governments also advanced policies to ensure that all Guyanese saw improvement in their standard of living.

According to him, there was

no entrepreneurial class pre1992, but this was changed with an increasing number of Afro-Guyanese being able to own and operate their own businesses. “Look what is happening today, after three years under this government, with those very businesses,” he said. Jagdeo also rapped the government for its policies on access to land, having revoked leases for agricultural lands held by several Guyanese farmers, including Afro-Guyanese in the community of Seafield, Region 5.

In addition to building an entrepreneurial class and ensuring access to lands, he noted that other social support initiatives for groups like single mothers, such as the Women of Worth (WOW) scheme, were also advanced.

All considered, the Opposition Leader charged that efforts were made to ensure Guyanese society is united and urged that policies advanced by the current APNU+AFC Government ought to ensure the same.

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

My View D uring last week, we witnessed the mini drama of the Guyana Chronicle standing by its decision to cease publishing articles by Dr. David Hinds and Mr. Lincoln Lewis. Both men and several others have expressed great disappointment at the Chronicle’s decision. Both are supporters of the APNU and are, no doubt, feeling betrayed. This is the continuation by the Chronicle. Recall Ricky Singh was earlier banned. At that time Hinds and his cohorts said nothing.

Another member of the WPA, who like Hinds, has a history of struggle against the PNC dictatorship also joined in expressing disappointment at the actions.

These gentlemen seem surprised and taken aback by the action to ban them.

They are surprised because they chose to forget and abandoned the strong an-

By Donald Ramotar Former President

ti-dictatorial, pro-democratic position of Walter Rodney.

Instead, they have embraced the racial positions of the PNC/APNU. Having said that, let me hasten to say that Rodney was an even stronger defender of the Black working people than Hinds and Ogunseye. However, he was also a strong opponent of Black racism. He was in the mold of Mandela and Cheddi Jagan, who were all opposed to any form of oppression of the working people or of oppression of any race.

The behaviour of the likes of Dr. Hinds and Mr. Ogunseye is in a way, a demonstration of the power of Rodney’s intellect and charisma.

It is clear that Hinds and Ogunseye were only concerned about the position of Afro-Guyanese. However, despite themselves, Rodney was able to pull them along

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Chronicle’s halt on Hinds’ and Lewis’ columns was inevitable

a progressive path - that of freedom for all oppressed peoples in Guyana and everywhere.

Rodney was aware that you cannot succeed to free people from oppression at the expense of another race. In fact, to try to free Afro-Guyanese from poverty at the expense of Indo-Guyanese would only be forging the chains of the black masses as well.

Our experience under the PNC regime confirmed this. Afro-Guyanese suffered greatly under the PNC as well. All our working people, regardless of their ethnic origins, suffered.

Indeed, the leadership of the PNC/APNU is a bureaucratic, capitalist elite. They use the state apparatus to enrich themselves. Their superficial talk about defending Black people is just hot air.

However, it is useful to them to keep some mass support.

Hinds and Ogunseye should have known this.

That is the only basis for

their support. Both between 1964 and 1992, and from 2015 to the present they have failed in every area, economy, social sector, etc. They are holding on to the racial card. It is the only card they have.

Hinds and Ogunseye have abandoned Rodney. That is why they said nothing when Indo-Guyanese were and are being purged from the public service. Not a word on the obvious racial bias in hiring in the public service; the Elections Commission and public corporations.

Even the Black people that the APNU/PNC attacked, like the farmers at Seafield and Number 47 village, West Coast Berbice have not been defended by those “Rodneyites”. They have not come to their defense because they have been sucked into the PNC/APNU’s position that those people support the PPP. For them, racism is acceptable once it is not directed at the masses of Black people.

Our country produced some very powerful intellectuals among all races.

Many of them were able to break free from the narrow confines of their own ethnic groups to be fighters for freedom everywhere. Cheddi Jagan, Walter Rodney, Ashton Chase, Brindley Benn, C.V Nunes, C.R Jacobs, Boysie Ramkarran, Fenton Ramsayohe, E.M.G. Wilson and Janet Jagan are some that immediately come to mind.

The PNC/APNU has not changed. It has never apologized for their anti-independence role, their undemocratic rule and the accompanying brutality. Not only did they assassinate Rodney, but they also murdered Ohene Kwame, Dublin, Jagan Ramessar, Bhola Nauth Parmanand, Michael Forde and many others.

All the signs now point to a deterioration in democratic norms. We are moving back to the worst days of the 1970s and 1980s.

Hinds and Ogunseye have

travelled some distance, but still find themselves trapped in purely ethnic confines.

The weight of colonial and racial propaganda of PNC still weighs heavily on their minds. They are consciously or unconsciously allowing themselves to be used by an elite that is more interested in their own aggrandizement than the masses of people in Guyana whether Indo-Afro-Amerindians, Chinese or Portuguese Guyanese.

Maybe their lucrative jobs have stifled their conscience and made them forget the main principles that Rodney stood for.

Hinds and Ogunseye should not be surprised by their treatment. It was bound to happen. As the regime moves more and more in the direction of a dictatorship ,more of this and worse is to come.

They must be stopped before it is too late.

Let your voices be heard now.

APNU+AFC thrashed for failure to act Bulkan thwarts on major issues in oil and gas sector local democracy

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omments made by President David Granger at yesterday’s High-Level Caucus on Oil Sector Strategy opened him up to criticisms from Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the issue at a news conference today (March 22, 2018). “Did he wake up a week ago…what have we been doing for the past three year?” he questioned.

Jagdeo’s question was posed in light of the fact that Granger stressed the need to educate the Guyanese people on matters relating to the oil and gas sector, when in reality there has been a lack of collaboration with the political Opposition and civil society on germane issues that would ensure the success of the oil and gas sector.

NO STRUCTURE The question was also posed in light of the fact that Granger said, “We need to create the organisation, the structure that will manage this resource.” Jagdeo stressed that the political Opposition has been calling for an apolitical framework for more than a year now.

At a previous news conference, he stated that the current state of affairs is: A proposal for a Petroleum Commission that vests significant control

in the hands of a minister, not technical personnel; No defined local content policy; No defined or established principles for the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund; No clarity on a process to deal with the remaining oil blocks; and No clarity on engagements with future investors; what sectors will primarily benefit from oil resources.

The Petroleum Commission, he argued ought to be a purely technical commission, but in currently configured in a way that gives excessive powers to one Minister of Government – the Minister determines: the size of the establishment; the employment of staff and the terms and conditions of employment; the provision of equipment and use of funds; reorganization or such works of development as to involve a substantial outlay on capital account; training, education and research; the disposal of capital assets; and the application of the proceeds of such disposals. “Clearly this is the wrong signal,” Jagdeo said.

Relative to a Local Content Policy, Jagdeo proffered the view that a strong local content policy will allow Guyana to safeguard opportunities for locals and not allow locals to be crowded out in the sector.

“This is vital for local private sector and local people,” he said.

On the Sovereign Wealth Fund, he noted that a statement of principles on which the establishment of the Fund would be based would have sufficed.

As he has done on previous occasions, he stressed the need for there to be: an apolitical approach to setting up the Fund; a clear definition of the purpose of the Fund; clearly defined rules on spending from the Fund; clarity on what share of oil proceeds will go to the Fund; and the conditions under which the government can access the Fund. “This model can last for the future and is one that is akin to Norway’s model,” the Opposition Leader said.

The remaining oil blocks, he added, should be subject to a competitive auction or kept for future generations.

The former president also repeated his call for the US$18M signing bonus to be placed into the Consolidated Fund, with the rest of state revenues, and not be kept in a separate account in contravention of Guyana’s laws.

The positions of the PPP/C on these matters are clear, according to him. Comparing the actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, Jagdeo

said, “There has not been a single attempt to answer pressing questions….there has to be clarity of government’s policy in a particular sector.”

A GUYANESE INDUSTRY Nothing Granger’s comments about the oil sector and its benefits belonging to Guyanese, he said, “Where are the Guyanese…they have not brought together interest groups on the way forward.

He blasted the President too for his comments on ensuring that there is no exploitation of the resource. According to him, Granger has been silent when faced with questions about whether the best interests of Guyanese were served when the ExxonMobil agreement was renegotiated.

“The answer is no,” Jagdeo declared.

The Opposition Leader stressed that while government seeks to project the view that Granger laid out a “vision” for the oil at gas sector at the High-Level Caucus on Oil Sector Strategy, the fact is that he failed in this regard. “This is their latest public relations exercise, just to create an impression when it is all disintegrating…it is all a show… the real issues are not being tackled,” he said.

‒ Unilaterally appoints Mabaruma Mayor

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he government insists on thwarting local democracy as Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan once again found himself at odds with the law following his unilateral decision to again appoint a person of his choice to the mayorship position in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima Waini).

There was a tie among councillors in the municipality for the post of mayor. The Local Government Commission which was established a few months ago is the legal body to intervene in the circumstances of a stalemate in local government elections.

However, despite the establishment of this organisation, the Minister is still getting involved in matters outside of his legal remit.

In fact, when Minister Bulkan intervened last year to appoint a Mayor of the Town of Mabaruma in Region One, his move was challenged in the High Court by PPP Executive Member and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

On April 6, 2016, Justice Diana Insanally

granted orders quashing Communities Minister Bulkan’s appointment of the mayor of of Mabaruma, as well as orders quashing his appointments of chairmen and vice chairmen for the Woodlands-Bel Air, Malgre Tout-Meer Zorgen, Gibraltar-Fyrish, Industry-Plaisance and Woodlands-Farm NDCs. In each of these areas the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C candidates had won the same number of seats.

Justice Insanally ruled that the Minister’s decision to intervene “is contrary to and in violation of Municipal and District Councils Act, Cap. 28:01, is in excess of and without jurisdiction, made in bad faith, is unreasonable, arbitrary, capricious, based upon irrelevant and improper considerations, mala fide, malicious, vindictive, unlawful, ultra vires, null, void and of no legal effect”.

Despite this, when there was a tie this year for the post of Mayor for Mabaruma, Bulkan went ahead and appointed Henry Rupert Smith, for the third time, to the position.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

EDITORIAL

The coalition 2020 is a straight political battle is crumbling between the PNC and the PPP

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ost people are amused at the outbursts of leaders of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) after the government-controlled Chronicle unceremoniously dumped Dr. David Hinds as a regular columnist.

People are asking the reasons for the WPA to be surprised at the behavior of the PNC, which, in reality controls the reins of power in Guyana. They recall the time in our history when the PNC used the United Force (UF) under Peter D’guair to take control of the government in 1964. Soon after, the UF was dumped and the PNC took full control.

It is the same scenario playing out once again. The PNC, as a matter of tactics, ensnared the AFC, WPA and some small outfits, into a coalition, to create a façade of joint opposition to the PPP/C government. The coalition barely won the elections in 2015.

Less than three years after, the coalition is crumbling.

The PNC has, de facto, taken over the government and has dropped even a semblance of consulting with its junior partners.

Both the AFC and WPA are complaining. But no one is listening.

Both parties have been reduced to nothing as their few members have abandoned them, especially in light of anti-working class politics of the government and the endemics corruption, nepotism and moves toward authoritarianism by the Granger-led coalition.

The leaders of the WPA, especially, must know the ways of the PNC. These are the people who fought alongside Dr. Walter Rodney, against the PNC’s paramountcy of the party.

So why are they now crying out?

Did they think that the PNC would change its nature?

The bigger problem for these two parties is that there is a huge gap between their leaders and members. The leaders are now busy keeping their lucrative jobs, which the ordinary man is bawling. The anti-working people measures of the government are hurting. Today, the leaders of these parties are joining the PNC in punishing the Guyanese people.

A good example of the behavior of the PNC is the recent removal of responsibility of the gas sector from under Raphael Trotman to the Office of the Presidency. Many AFC leaders were involved in the dealings with the oil companies, a situation which displeased the PNC. So now the sector will be controlled directly by the PNC. The potential benefits of such control will not be shared by the PNC with anyone.

Rupert Roopnarine was removed as Minister of Education and a PNC operative has taken over in another move to sideline the smaller coalition partners. Today, with the attacks on the WPA by the PNC, Rupert Roopnarine says that sticking with the coalition is the best way out.

Then we have the recent ousting of the AFC from the deputy position at City Hall. The PNC grabbed both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions It is clear that the President and the PNC, the main element in APNU, feel that they do not need these smaller outfits and with oil production coming on stream soon, they are going to dump them altogether.

This was bound to happen since the coalition was never founded on any strong commitment to move this country forward. It was formed with the sole intent to take power from the PPP/C to fill their pockets. This became clear a few weeks after they took office. There was never any strong commitment to deal with the issues of development and the upliftment of the lives of the working people.

This is evidenced by the failure of the government to put forward a single coherent plan for national development.

Even the oil sector, which promises greater revenues for the country, there is no plan on how the revenues will be used.

Instead, the government has embarked on a blind path of destruction by destroying the productive sector, strangling the private sector, introduction of a wide range of punitive taxes, crime has seen an unprecedented upsurge, unemployment has increased especially with the closure of estates and firing of some 5,000 sugar workers and the poorer sections of the population are experiencing a sharp decline in living standards.

Dear Editor,

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oday I must again expose Mr Tacuma Ogunseye from the WPA as he issues another of his statements captioned in SN ‘WPA should put on its political agenda whether it makes sense to stay in APNU, coalition government’ (SS, March 18).

Someone has to be hallucinating if they believe that the PNC gives a hoot about what the WPA or AFC or Mr Ogunseye thinks or wants at this point in time. The PNC leaders are clear in their mind: 2015 is gone and these coalition partners are nothing else but disposable slippers, they cannot help the PNC in 2020. The PNC is wise enough to know that it would be to their political advantage to focus on its own internal party machinery to get out the votes because there is not much to expect from these little aggravations passing themselves off as political parties in the coalition, especially the WPA. At least the AFC can market their 2011 numbers of 35,333 votes as a badge of honour today, although that will count for naught

in 2020 where if the AFC chose to run on its own it would not even get 1,000 votes on a sunny day. The WPA is in even worse political shape.

Mr Ogunseye and the WPA leadership need to wake up from their political slumber and fast because it is the PNC which saved that terminal politically ill party by including it in the 2015 coalition or else they would have been politically dead by now. Thus they should be grateful to the PNC for propping them up when they needed such an extension on their political life. But in exchange for saving its political life, all the PNC gets from the WPA is heavy doses of ingratitude. The people are watching this hypocrisy from the WPA today.

Only the politically confused will not recognize that 2020 is a straight political battle between the PNC and the PPP. The Guyanese people are not confused and will not be confused in 2020; they have all gone back home to the PNC and PPP. It is my conviction that in 2020, all else will be crushed to political dust because the voting population will never forget what the AFC

did to them.

I feel sorry for Mr Ogunseye and his small group in the WPA because they came from a strong Rodneyian legacy, but because of their unprincipled political position since 2015 they have orchestrated their own self destruction.

When they were unceremoniously ejected from the Education portfolio and replaced by the PNC they did nothing.

As I said then and I say now, Dr David Hinds would have made an even better Minister of Education than Dr Roopnaraine but he was never considered because Mr Granger is insecure around Dr Hinds’s advocacy skills and brilliance.

Mr Granger’s ‘cuppa’ is more along the line of intellectual lightweights who cannot detect the difference between our national holidays.

So Mr Ogunseye should fall in line with the PNC like Clive Thomas and the other political opportunists have done.

Walter Rodney would have been totally ashamed of them.

Yours faithfully, Sasenarine Singh

Bungling in sugar industry symptomatic of coalition Dear Editor,

T

he confusion that has emerged regarding the appointment of a new Board of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) has brought, once again, to the fore what could only be described as the Administration’s shifting goalpost approach to the sugar industry. It can well be argued that the Coalition Government’s approach to many pressing matters of national importance is also incoherent and our policymakers are reactive rather than being proactive.

While I will refrain from commenting on the individuals supposedly named, though I have reservations, the bungling mess that has ensued is sadly symptomatic of our Administration.

When one looks at the Administration’s changing positions regarding sugar, it is not difficult to reach such conclusions.

Recall, the Sugar Commission of Inquiry. The APNU/AFC manifesto said the “APNU+AFC will convene a Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation… [to] review, analyze and recommend the way forward for the Guyana Sugar Industry, including options for infusing critical investments and the optimum utilisation of its valuable capital infrastructure”.

The Government on appointing that Commission of Inquiry said in a GINA report of June 26, 2015 that “…the eleven-member Commission…will develop a 15-year plan which is expected to bring the industry back to profitability to ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability.” Then who can forget Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo saying at the National Cane Farmers

Conference, according to the August 15, 2015 Kaieteur News, that “…there was no question of Government scaling down or abandoning the industry”.

After all of that and in spite the Sugar Commission saying no estate should be closed, the Government decided to close Wales Estate and President David Granger, in the January 26, 2016 Kaieteur News, is reported to have said that “The COI is not gospel”. Though from the previous statements, in the pre and post May, 2015 election, rationally one could conclude that the COI would guide the Administration’s approach to sugar. The President, in the same Kaieteur News report, went further saying “arrangements are going to be made over the next 11 months to ensure that the workers don’t get hurt, that they can be reemployed”. Well, we all know how that turned out and today the Wales workers, the cane farmers and their dependents have been hurt and remain jobless.

Then after all that, President Granger, in the February 05, 2016 Guyana Chronicle, said “…it’s unlikely that (closure of another estate) is contemplated”.

But just months after, the Government announced that Skeldon was to be sold and Rose Hall and Enmore closed. The President in the Chronicle article also reportedly said “…the CoI report would be discussed in the National Assembly, after which there would be a national consultation on the state of the sugar industry”. Again, time has shown that the President’s undertaking was unfulfilled.

It should not be forgotten that the Government earlier this year voted against a motion which called for the Sugar COI

report to be discussed by the Economic Services Committee. And, there was no national consultation as the President committed would be done. In fact, the sugar unions in spite of their efforts have contended that their engagements with the Administration remained wanting.

Now the Government, in an aboutturn of sorts, has decided to divest Rose Hall and Enmore rather than close those estates and move into diversification activities as it initially decided. Nevertheless, nearly 5,000 workers have been sent home and entire communities are now finding themselves in troubled waters. Furthermore, the diversification activities at Wales, it appears, have been shelved after millions of dollars were spent and hundreds of man and machine hours expended. And we are now told that $30 billion is required for Guysuco over the next four (4) years.

When one looks at the totality of the Government’s confused, disjointed and not well-thought-out adventure in the sugar industry one reaches the sad conclusion that the Government was not and is not serious about the sugar industry and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods. The ‘seat of your pants’ decision-making as we have seen playing out cannot be the modus operandi of any Government especially when the implications are so terrible. As the APNU+AFC said during the 2015 campaign “IT IS TIME” that our leaders stop jetting off to exotic lands and take time to work in the interest of the people and our country.

Yours faithfully, Patricia Persaud

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Ministers not truthful on oil sector Dear Editor,

I

believe it is the mandate of any citizen of the land, who expects veracity in the leaders they have chosen, if they are in possession of facts, to expose any politician for duplicitous statements or actions.

Recently, three ministers of the government, namely, Minister Raphael Trotman, Minister Dominic Gaskin and Minister Khemraj Ramjattan released incorrect information to the public via the press corps, which indicated that in 1997, according to Minister Trotman; 2008, according to Minister Gaskin; and 2011, according to Minister Ramjattan, that then President Bharrat Jagdeo had amended the Petroleum Act so as to ensure that the ExxonMobil contract could not be released to the public. They cannot even get their dates straight when concocting their stories.

These contradictory pronouncements by the three Ministers are all untrue. Neither former President Jagdeo nor any other PPP president ever amended the Act to prevent disclosure of the contract. There is an obvious agenda by members of the coalition government to malign the reputation of Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

Shortly thereafter, at a recent press conference, Minister Patterson, supported

by Ministers Ramjattan and Cathy Hughes, also informed the Guyanese public that there were no remaining un-assigned oil blocks because Dr Jagdeo had already distributed all. Again, this is palpably untrue and has compelled me to release the list of concessions and expose the falsehood being repeated by the current administration in another effort to defame Dr Jagdeo. The following advisement reveals that, of the ten existing concessions, none had been given out by the Jagdeo administration.

When faced with exposure of this misrepresentation, the decent thing to do would be to apologize and withdraw the erroneous claims. Instead, in Kaieteur News of Friday September 22, the Minister, in another act of deception, now claims that all the offshore blocks in which people are interested are gone and that is what he was referring to. The map from the GGMC, published in the Kaieteur News article of September 22, outlines the offshore blocks that are yet available.

ExxonMobil was given by the late Janet Jagan (1999); eight were given by former President Donald Ramotar, to wit, Mid-Atlantic (2015), CGX (2012-13), Repsol (2013), Retio (2015), Anadarko (2012), On Energy (2013), Nabi (2012).

The tenth one was given under the

Granger presidency by Minister Trotman to Tullow Eco Atlantic. Based on recently released documents by GGMC, there still remain several unallocated blocks.

Let me hasten to add that all of the blocks allocated by PPP presidents were properly issued, as a result of which ExxonMobil invested millions of dollars, which led to the discovery of oil.

I wish to deplore the constant misrepresentation of facts by the coalition administration, and the incessant repetition by sections of the print media. It seems that deflecting the public’s attention away from their own inadequacies and ungrounded accusations against PPP leaders, especially Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, is a norm in the coalition construct and its partners in the media.

One glaring instance is the lie that has been exposed, time and again, that is yet repeated by coalition ministers of government and reprinted in the Kaieteur News, for example, Trotman’s allegation in Parliament that Dr Jagdeo and the PPP gave out all of the productive land in the forestry sector. This has been repeatedly refuted. According to the Opposition Leader: “The fact is that about fifty-five per cent of the state forest has been given out so far in our history: It’s about seven million hectares out of 12.5 million hectares; and out of that 55 per cent, just about 40 per cent is under extraction. Of the (millions of) hectares that were given out, almost half was given out in the pre-1992 era. Barama alone had 1.7 million hectares.”

In conclusion, I have observed the recent headlines and hype surrounding the government’s announcement that they are engaged in discussions with ExxonMobil to bring gas onshore to generate electricity. Again, this is obviously a ploy to divert the public’s attention from the atrocious spate of blackouts that have been ravaging the lives of citizens.

This cannot be the solution for the pressing problems we face on a daily basis.

I was with the Leader of the Opposition when he asked officials from ExxonMobil whether a feasibility study to use gas for electricity, as compared to other alternatives, was done. The answer was in the negative.

The PPP/C is prepared to defend its legacy as it relates to its decisions to grant oil and gas concessions, in particular, since its decision to embrace ExxonMobil has borne fruit, and has been proven to be a transparent process.

Yours faithfully, Odinga Lumumba, MP Vice Chairman Natural Resources Sectoral

Hollow rhetoric brings little relief to sugar workers Dear Editor,

R

egional Executive Officer of Region #6, Ms Kim Stephens, is reported in the March 19, 2018 Stabroek News, during her remarks at the ceremony to honour the Rose Hall Martyrs on March 13, 2018, “… that that severed sugar workers are ‘timid and afraid’ of diversification”. Ms Stephens went on, according to the Stabroek News, to say “We were told of diversification that we can have because of the fertile land, not to mention our human resources that we have, capable skilled human resources.”

The GAWU finds Ms Stephens’ remarks unfortunate. Nevertheless, maybe she could spell out the diversification opportunities she referred to. As recent history has shown that at Wales the planned and heavily-promoted diversification activities, like in the previous attempt by GuySuCo, turned out to be a miserable and utter failure. We recall the Guyana Times recently reporting that the cane fields converted for seed paddy cultivation, at high costs, were being slowly overtaken by bushes, seeming to indicate that those plans have been abandoned. In fact as far as we are aware nothing is going on at Wales and we read recently that the houses that were used by the managerial personnel are up for sale. Bearing those factors in mind, one can understand workers apprehension.

As they say once bitten, twice shy.

It is always easy to say something, but bringing it to reality is a completely different matter. The Wales experience is an excel-

lent case-in-point. To move in the direction as being advocated by Ms Stephens is a substantial undertaking which has several and many important factors that must be addressed. Simply to tell workers to take up lands and plant as they see fit cannot be deemed, in anyway, as a realistic solution.

The Stabroek News article also refers to remarks made by Minister of Social Cohesion, George Norton during the activity.

Minister Norton is quoted by the Stabroek News to have said “[a]s Guyanese, we need to stand firmly to guard against injustices…”. Indeed they are inspiring words by the Minister but also most ironic at the same time. While the Minister speaks about guarding against injustices he must be reminded the Government he is a part of has committed probably the gravest injustice against the people of Canje when they decided to shutdown Rose Hall Estate and affected the well-being of thousands of ordinary Guyanese.

As the sad situation in the communities of Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara and Wales grows direr by the day, the hollow rhetoric brings little relief and reprieve to the suffering that has gripped the people.

Today, realistic and workable solutions are needed and moving in the reverse gear is the best remedy.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

Cheddi Jagan – Advocate for the poor

A

s we approach the 100th Birth Centenary of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan it is opportune to reflect on the life and work of this outstanding son of the soil who is regarded by many as the Father of this Nation.

Once in a lifetime history throws up leaders who possess that unique ability to understand the historical moment of his time and on the basis of that understanding articulate and represent the issues of that particular moment in order to transform society.

Their mission was not simply to interpret the society in which he lived but to change it in positive ways.

Dr. Jagan was one such person. He was able to view things holistically and dialectically. He saw for instance, the interconnection between poverty and the capitalistic mode of production and distribution where the fruits of human labour were not equitably distributed but were siphoned off by a handful of people who owned the means of production. Poverty for him was structural and resulted from a production mode in which profits were placed ahead of people and their basic economic and cultural needs.

From the very inception of his insertion into the landscape of Guyana's politics he recognized and passionately advocated the

need for a new political and economic architecture where the commanding heights of the economy in particular sugar and bauxite should be socialized. The true benefits of economic socialization could only be realized under a working-class government. In other words, there must be a convergence of the economic base and the political superstructure failing which there could be all manner of aberrations such as parasitic state capitalism as in fact took place during the early stages of nationalization under the "socialist" PNC regime.

Dr. Jagan was, in a nutshell, an advocate for the poor and the downtrodden not only in Guyana but in the world at large. This found expression in his strong advocacy for a New Global Human Order which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Dr. Jagan has left a legacy of struggle that is second to none among Caribbean and other world leaders. It is for us now to embrace his call for national unity and for a society in which every Guyanese, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or creed is provided with an opportunity to develop his or her potential to the fullest.

Hydar Ally

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Collectively we must work to remove fear, hate, envy and mistrust

By Normal Whittaker

O

ur Country’s multi ethnicity has been for a long time a cause of political and social upheavals. Indeed, many have used this ethnic diversity for their own political and other gains; and in the process, the end results have been bad for us all.

It was the late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa who said: “No man is born hating another because of the color of his skin: it is learned behavior and we must therefore teach our people to love”.

As kids we play, we sing, we eat and we sometimes even sleep together. But as we grow older, the people and the Institutions that influence our thinking and behavior and redefine values and behavior begin to take over… the parents in the home, the teachers in the school, the neighbor next door, the older workers at

our workplaces, the Trade Unionists, the politician and yes, the Pastor and the Priest in the Church; some of whom do not stand out as the paragon of good and exemplary behavior which they seek to represent to us.

And sadly enough, many of us who have been living in harmony begin to develop a fear and mistrust for each other based on a factor we had no control over : the fact of our ethnicity, our religious beliefs, our political persuasion and based on the hate teachings of some in our Society to whom I alluded above. The contribution of the Ministry of Social Cohesion as part of our efforts to alleviate these socio-economic and political challenges remain pegged at zero.

My friends, we need to stop listening to hate preachers or we will all suffer. We need to get rid of the stereotype thinking that racists have engendered in us and its halo

effects which cause blacks to believe that (i) East Indians are responsible for their economic deprivation when often it is the choices we make (ii) blacks are responsible for every crime committed and that blacks are extravagant while all Indians are stingy.

We may never have a society free of ethnic tensions and suspicions but we must make an effort to achieve such a Society which is wholesome for all of us.

Like rational human beings, we all want the best for ourselves, our families, our organisation, our groups; but we need to recognize and to accept that while we have a right to ‘the good life’; so too do the other people nearby and next door. We need also to respect their rights and their cultural diversity. All of us must be involved. We must see ourselves as agents of change. Thus the Government has an important role in facilitating and accommo-

dating the PPP’s involvement for we too have a continual important role as a Change Agent and an experienced one at that. Approximately 204 000 Guyanese voters by their votes at the 2015 Elections, affirmed this even as they also affirmed their confidence and trust in the PPP/C and we must never lose sight of that fact.

Let’s start in the home.

Parents/Guardians can make a difference by setting the right example. Installing hate free values in your children and spending quality time with them. They learn not only by seeing and observing what we do but by also listening to what we say. The arrogance, disrespect and hostility displayed by many of our youths towards adults; the racial slurs hurled by many could only be a representation of the learned behavior they would have inculcated in their homes, schools, work places and communities, and sadly enough, adults to whom they look often for guidance would have been the teachers.

At school through Family Life Education among others, we must help children develop the capacity to live in peace and harmony with and to love and respect each other’s culture and religious

values; to show racial tolerance; to deal with emotions; to handle peer pressure and to make their own decisions.

Family Life Education must focus on character education: on attitudes, behavior, moral values etc providing our children with the capacity to live in peace and harmony and to show love and respect for each other. Talk of Social Cohesion… Empty!

The role of the Church must go beyond the singing of hymns and praying, important though they be.

The Church’s role must be redefined to include influencing thinking and positive behavioral change; and also being good examples to their congregation. Many are they who are very vociferous on the pulpit and portray characteristics that must be similar to that possessed and displayed by some of Jesus’ disciples. Albeit, off the pulpit the antagonist and questionable attributes they portray must have been similar to that displayed by Judas Iscariot. Not good examples of laudable human behavior.

Many are overtly hostile to the Peoples Progressive Party and its supporters as if the Almighty had delegated the task of passing judgement to them.

My friends, we may never

have a society free of ethnic suspicions and tensions but we must make a special effort to achieve this. Integral to the desired behavior changes we seek is the work of the Political Parties among the people of Guyana. We must all be carrying the same message intended to benefit all and not some; for the task before us is to govern our multi-ethnic nation. In this regard there is a very important role for the Peoples Progressive Party.

After all, the PPP has always been in the forefront of every effort to bring improvement to the quality of the lives of the Guyanese people. Let APNU+AFC be reminded that almost 50% of the Guyanese voters indicated by their votes on May 11th, 2015 that they have confidence in the PPP’s ability to deliver further improvements in the lives of the Guyanese people.

Presently, that figure would have moved closer to 55% or more.

Collectively we must work to remove the fear, hate, envy and mistrust that stalk this dear land of ours or talk of change is merely what it has been thus far: mere empty talk devoid of any intent to deliver but intended to keep some peoples hopes and expectations alive.

AFC’s national leaders sold out local leaders N

ational Leaders of the Alliance For Change (A FC) have “s old out” local leaders, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who commented on the fact that the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are now controlled by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

“In spite of all we have heard about how atrocious King (Town Clerk, Royston King) is and almost all civil society thinking that both he and the Mayor not good for the city, the PNC persisted in reinstating them….the AFC leaders at City Hall fought against it, but they were fighting a losing battle…. their national leaders have sold out all of the ordinary AFC members,” he said at a news conference held to-

day (March 16, 2018) at his Church Street office.

According to him, there has been no support or even a “word of protest” from any of the national AFC leaders – Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo or Raphael Trotman – about what took place at City Hall.

Notably, AFC leaders at City Hall were pushing for the removal of Royston King as Town Clerk and for other changes at City Hall.

Jagdeo reasoned that the AFC national leaders seem more concerned about keeping their positions intact – more so given that their “bread is well buttered” and they receive the mega-salaries they gave themselves.

Asked about his view on the Cummingsburg Ac-

cord, he said, “I don’t know if it exists or not…I think they (AFC’s national leaders) are afraid to raise the issue…they don’t want to lose their perks….so god help any ordinary AFC supporter who needs support from their national leaders; they will be thrown under the bus.”

The diminishing of the AFC, according to the Opposition, is being seen with other Coalition partners, including the Working People’s Alliance, whose member, David Hinds, was dropped as a weekly columnist for the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, according to him.

None of the PNC-led Coalition Government partners have been vocal about the state of the Coalition of recent.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

“AFC no longer has a voice at City Hall”

G

eorgetown’s outgoing Deputy Mayor and Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor, Lionel Jaikaran says that his party has now been kicked to the curb at City Hall following the re-election of Mayor Patricia Chase Green and subsequent election of Councillor Akeem Peter as Deputy Mayor.

Jaikarran also revealed that no one in the leadership has contacted him on the matter.

The Deputy Mayor made the comment after his AFC colleague, Councillor Sherod Duncan, was denied the opportunity to nominate him for the position of Deputy Mayor.

Following the Mayoral Election, Chase Green opened the floor for nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor and both Duncan

and Chase Green’s People’s National Congress (PNC) colleague, Councillor Oscar Clarke, rose to nominate their candidates.

However, Clarke was allowed to nominate his choice, which was Councillor Akeem Peter, and Duncan had to take his seat. Immediately after, Councillor Ivelaw Henry rose to second the nomination after which both Duncan and Councillor Tricia Richards both stood up resulting in the Mayor asking one of them to be seated.

When they both remained standing, she was asked to recognise one Councillor and she chose to listen to her other PNC colleague, Richards, who then successfully moved a motion for nominations to be closed resulting in Duncan being denied the opportunity to speak.

It was that scenario that prompted Jaikaran’s comment, signalling some amount of bad blood between the coalition partners.

“In the process, Local Government democracy at City Hall represents that the AFC was kicked to the curb.

In other words, the AFC no longer has a voice at City Hall. I think Sherod [Duncan] would concur with me.

Strong words for a strong afternoon,” Jaikaran told reporters immediately after the elections.

On Monday, Councillor Heston Bostwick brought a motion calling for Duncan to be disciplined after he accused him of unethical behaviour. The motion had to be amended to strike out Duncan’s name and substitute it with all Councillors.

When asked about what he thought of the Mayor’s refusal to acknowledge him, Duncan said Chase Green’s decision was final and she made one she saw fit.

Additionally, the Georgetown municipality held its election for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor resulting in Chase Green being re-elected and young Councillor Akeem Peter elected as her Deputy.

The duo, both from the PNC, received an overwhelming amount of support from their fellow Councillors.

As opposed to secret ballot, the majority of the Councillors decided on a show of hands as the voting process.

Following the election, Chase Green stressed that the Councillors must work together to further develop

the city of Georgetown.

“I know that the road going into the Local Government Elections will be especially hard. Councillor Akeem Peter and others would have asked that we work together and we all would sit here and shake our heads, but when we get out there we all know the negativity that comes from all of us if we don’t have our way,” she said.

“Councillors again, in my speech, I will ask all of you, it’s not about your ego, it’s not about you, it is about your service that you give to the people that elected you and if you could only think about them then this Council and this city of Georgetown would move to better development,” the newly re-elected Mayor added.

Additionally, Peter said

he intended to work alongside Chase Green and be her eyes and ears over the next year. He said he would be there to support her, as he believed that was his function, while bringing a fresh outlook because of his youth.

He told the media that the new position would be a challenge, but it was one he was ready to accept.

“It’s a good feeling but a feeling that comes with a lot of controversy, a feeling that comes with a lot of work that has to be done. City Hall has caught itself in a place where it’s not favourable and it’s not a favourable entity to even work at. That’s one of the things for the first half of the year for my tenure that we will have to work on assiduously to correct the image of the organisation,” he noted.

BASIL BLUNDERS BIGTIME AGAIN Cabinet caucus on oil a window-dressing exercise Guyana’s AML/CFT regime still in chaos

D

espite repeated public disclosures over the last three years, that Guyana’s AML/CFT problems are over by Attorney General Mr. Basil Williams, his statements on this issue in the National Assembly last Thursday contradicted that impression of compliance, which he has been proclaiming.

The nation would recall that the APNU+AFC used their one-seat majority in the 10th Parliament to vote down certain legislative amendments tabled by the PPP Government, which were required to be enacted to bring Guyana’s financial system into compliance with international standards established by the FATF and the CFATF. As a result, Guyana’s financial system was visited by a regime of sanctions, which are still in force.

I am sure that everyone would recall the monumental efforts which were expended in attempting to get the Opposition to cooperate and support the amendments tabled by the then Government in the National Assembly.

Every major local organisation appealed to them; the Diplomatic community intervened; calls came from CARICOM Heads of Government; even the Organisation of American States added its voice. They were all futile. The APNU+AFC held firm to their position. As a result, Guyana was placed on a list of delinquent nations and an international direc-

tive was issued, deeming the country’s financial system as contaminated and tainted by money-laundering.

During that period, the AML/CFT Bills were taken to a Select Committee twice. The APNU+AFC took the majority seats in that Committee. So they controlled it. In that Committee, they made a host of amendments to the Bill that was under review. Prominent among those amendments was the creation of a topheavy, 20-member Authority to oversee the functions of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Ten of these 20 members were ex-officio office holders of various statutory/constitutional offices in Guyana, for example, the Commissioner of Police, the Governor of the Central Bank the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority etc.

The Government side disagreed with these amendments. I pointed out that the creation of such an Authority was not among the recommendations from the international agencies. I further pointed out that such an Authority would compromise the functional independence and autonomy of the FIU and that the independence of that Unit was an indispensable requirement of FATF and CFATF. I further argued that the National Assembly, which is comprised of “politically exposed persons”, cannot be part of the appointing mechanism to the AML/CFT infrastructure because these

very persons are to be investigated by the FIU and that this will constitute a conflict of interest.

All these arguments fell on deaf ears. I remember distinctly, Mr. Carl Greenidge arrogantly asserting that : “we are a sovereign nation and no one can tell us how to legislate”.

When they took Office in 2015, the very first Bill that they passed was the AML/ CFT (Amendment) Bill No.1 of 2015. It was tabled at the very first sitting of the 11th Parliament. It contained all of the objectionable amendments to which I have made reference above. It was tabled by Basil Williams. He was boastful that he was able to pass the Bills that the previous Government could not pass .

Last Thursday, the AG admitted on the floor of the Parliament that he was informed by the CFATF that those very amendments are in violation of the international guidelines and he was directed to remove them from the legislation. It is obvious therefore, that we were never compliant with the international requirements as the AG previously informed the nation.

So, while in the Opposition they caused us to be blacklisted by the CFATF and to be sanctioned internationally, now in Government, they have caused the very same thing to happen!

The incompetence knows no limit! (Comments by Anil Nandall)

T

he decision by the government to assemble a caucus of international experts for cabinet members is nothing more than a window-dressing exercise given that the coalition has ignored all advices offered by industry experts in the past.

Government announced last night that the Ministry of Natural Resources has organised a high-level caucus for Cabinet Ministers to engage global thinkers and experts on natural resource management as part of the Government of Guyana’s agenda to prepare for petroleum production in 2020, and beyond.

The event will be facilitated by Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs through its

New Producers Group, and will feature world renowned experts Sir Paul Collier, noted Professor of Economics at Oxford University, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Caribbean Statesman and Advisor, Mr. Eric Parrado, former Manager of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Chile, Amb. Patrick Duddy, Lecturer, Duke University, Dr. Valerie Marcel, Chatham House Fellow, Prof.

Matthew Andrews, Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Prof. Peter Harrington, Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Mr. Patrick Heller, Advisor, Natural Resource Governance Institute, and Dr. Paloma Mohamed, University of Guyana.

But sources within the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) say that this event is a

waste of time and resources.

“No amount of international scholars can shy away from the fact that they signed an abysmal contract with ExxonMobil,” they explained.

In fact, the sources highlighted that when all the international experts told them that the best move would be to auction off the remaining oil blocks, the APNU+AFC just ignored the advice.

Petroleum Adviser to the President David Granger, Jan Mangal told a forum at the University of Guyana that the 2% royalty on oil from the ExxonMobil was way below global standards and that the tax regime should have been greater. Despite his advice for higher royalties, this was not followed.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Local Government and You!

Racism and bigotry have become the bastions of the APNU/AFC coalition

T

he approach used to brutally kick out former Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran from his previous role on the Georgetown Municipality is a serious slap to the democratic rights of the elected Councilors. However, given that the objectivity he displayed during the past term conflicted with the irrational behavior of most on the Council, one would have expected a natural challenge at these elections.

There is no denying that most would be inclined to accept the results of such challenges whenever they occur under conditions of transparency and without violation of people’s rights.

According to unchallenged media reports, however, the ‘kick in the butt’ effected on the former deputy was exercised in a shameful and most un-democratic manner. The occasion of the election for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor was forcefully imbued with much vindictive, power drunk arrogance, exemplifying the partisan

party paramountcy position of the PNC of old.

Presiding over the proceeding of the rigged elections of the Deputy Mayor was the returned Mayor herself. In a most undemocratic and vicious manner, she moved swiftly to silence any dissenting voice, even among the PNC-laden Council.

Although persons stood to identify their intent of making nominations, no other was allowed under the seeming one-person judge, jury and executioner. The nomination of the Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikaran and others should have been allowed and put to a vote. The covering up of the sore in this case, however, would only serve to keep the infection locked inside.

It is, therefore, clear as day follows night that the PNC racist elements wanted to get rid of Mr Jaikaran. Objectivity is of no consequence to this group and the need to send a strong message to any intruding elements of more intent than acceptable

procedure.

The undemocratic foul play that took place must not be allowed to continue.

Guyanese MUST rise up and be prepared to struggle against all forms of racism and rigged elections.

This brutal assault on local democracy in the Local Government Areas must be forcefully confronted. Minister Bulkan’s attitude and his high-handed approach to governance in the RDCs and NDCs must be vehemently opposed. The PNC Party Paramountcy is drilling deep holes in our people’s minds, as efforts are made to impregnate our existing space with the suffocating culture of PNC darkest days.

Effective Local Governance is not about one particular race in charge and the time has come for the PNC-led Government to dispel this seeming engrained trait. Even under the globally rejected apartheid system, a few ‘Blacks’ were used to window show some form of inclusiveness. We will

never forget those who went to apartheid cricket in South Africa.

What is more disgraceful is the fact that Minister David Patterson was present when all the shenanigans were allowed to masquerade.

Further, in several RDCs, the open racism and political directives by the Regional Executive Officers will have to be dealt with.

Regarding the functioning of the Local Government Commission, this must get into full operation. And the time is most opportune when the LGC must deal with the inept Town Clerk in Georgetown.

We have also witnessed the Minister of Communities’ continued moves to undemocratically enforce and install Chairmen and Mayors to LAAs areas that were tied during the 2018 Internal Elections. His actions are by no means helping the situation when persons are placed in leadership positions without one iota of the required knowledge of the

systems and functions of a Local Authority.

The Minister has made an unconvincing effort to explain his undemocratic move by saying that the laws do not provide for by-elections, thus he has the authority to install persons of his choice for the statutory “elected” positions as Chairmen or Mayors of LAAs. Mr. Bulkan needs to be properly guided and advised that the Local Government Act, Chapter 28:02 does provide for by-elections after two ties at any internal Elections. One would recognize that he has no respect for the Laws that govern and guide the operations and functions of the LAAs, like his boss who has no respect for the Constitution of this country.

With poor leadership, the LAAs where Bulkan has placed his cronies would continue to retrogress like the other productive government sectors in this country. This is a clear case of politics before progress or development for the people, something that

this dictatorial Government has been practicing since it took office. The APNU appointed political REOs, like the questionable Town Clerk of the Municipality of Georgetown, continue to follow the instructions of their masters to disintegrate and divide our society along racial lines, while Bulkan sits back and does nothing to address the calls of the people for better services.

The Town Clerk and the Mayor of Georgetown have become the least favoured couple in this country, with the entire city calling for their replacement. Yet, the Minister is not intervening, but he finds time to disrupt the progress in the rural areas by his favoured APNU Councilors. A ray of hope in the tarnished image of the Georgetown Municipality has been viciously dispelled and the days will become darker if citizens do not reject these pretenders.

(This article is prepared

by Neil Kumar, Mr. S and Mr. A)

Jagan’s life celebrated in Pennsylvania

T

he Association of Concerned Guyanese – Pennsylvania (ACG-P), is pleased to announce that on Saturday, March 17, 2018, it celebrated the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, at in Levittown, Pennsylvania. The occasion was graced by invites from as far away as Maryland and New York. Mr. Flattie Singh chaired the event and feature addresses were offered on the work and life of Cheddi Jagan by Dr. Randy Persaud and Mr. Sasenarine Singh.

Dr. Persaud spoke five major things he remembered as Dr. Jagan as a child growing up in the village of Cornelia Ida and for the rest of his adult life. First off, he saw Cheddi Jagan as a dignified person who saw his political opponent as his personal enemy but a force to dialogue with for the betterment of the working people.

He alluded to the quiet dig-

nity upon which he assumed office in 1992, graciously and without vindictiveness against those who stole elections from him. Secondly he saw Dr. Jagan as person committed to the decolonization struggle internationally.

Thirdly he saw Dr. Jagan as internationalist who spoke and wrote about the terms Bandung Declaration (first African-Asian Conference - 1955) even before 1955.

Fourthly he saw Dr. Jagan as a man who can move from an internationalist to a villager grounding with the ordinary people in short orders. He was never aloft of elitist, he spent real time with the villagers when he visited and took the time to listen to their complaints in a sort of personal compassionate manner that created an unbreakable bond between him and the people. Fifthly represented a man of courage for the villagers who ob-

served how he was prepared to forgo all the trapping of compliant power to live a simple life in service to the people.

Mr. Singh, speaking from a more youthful perspective spoke about the Jagan legacy of being one of the greatest third world political leaders of our time because of his consistent commitment to working-class unity. Mr. Singh outlined that this legacy revealed one with no prej-

udice who refused to follow the path of racial supremacy but choose instead a path of working-class harmony.

Mr. Singh took the chance to remind the audience of the 1947 elections when Dr. Jagan won the Central Demerara – East District against more established local politicians in Afro-Guyanese villages like Buxton.

It was a representation of how the people saw Jagan as a nationalist committed to

working-class empowerment and who lived his life for the people rather than any one race. This reality reconciled to the actions of the Buxtonian upon the death of Dr. Jagan who demanded that his coffin spend a few minutes with them out of respect for the work he has done for all Guyanese.

ABOUT ACG-P The ACG was formed in direct response to the wide-

spread electoral fraud and massive political repression carried out by the People’s National Congress (PNC) in the pre-1992 days as a Diaspora support group.

With the advent of the return to the dictatorial actions in Guyana post-May 2015, the members of the ACG across the Diaspora are working at re-tooling and rededicating their efforts to the new struggle for working-class freedom in Guyana.

After the official ceremony, the Cheddi Jagan domino’s competition was played between three teams from Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. The winner was the New York Team and Mr. Bunty collected the winning trophy on their behalf.The man of the match was Mr. Ameer from New York for winning the most games.

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

I

t is said that some men are born great while others acquire greatness. Dr. Cheddi Jagan defies this proposition.

He was both. It can hardly be disputed that no other personality has dominated national life in Guyana over the past century more than Dr. Cheddi Jagan. It is, therefore, impossible to pay tribute to such a towering and dominating personality in a singular column.

Whatever I say here about the man is simply a drop in an ocean.

I say that Dr. Jagan was born with greatness because he originated from the logies of a sugar plantation at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice to which his parents were indentured and grew up in those sub-human conditions, in a life of poverty and deprivation, identical to hundreds of thousands of indentured children, born in territories to which Indian labourers was exported at that time; yet, he elevated himself to become, disputably, the most illustrious son of an indenturedworker anywhere, and has earned himself a place amongst the top personalities of the world, over the last 100 years. Indeed, he is an enigma.

My greatest fascination with Dr. Jagan has always centered around the source of his vision and perspicacity to dream the dreams, which he did, and the energy and tenacity to be able to work so indefatigably to achieve them. When he returned to Guyana in 1943, from his studies in the US, Dr. Jagan was only 25 years old. At that tender age, he had already read almost every publication

by Marx and Engels, was already enamoured by the struggles of Mahatma Ghandi in South Africa, as well as, the struggles of Ghandi, Nehru et al, in the Indian independence movement; he had acquired a commendable understanding of world politics at the time. He was deeply affected by the class divisions and color segregation so pronounced in the US during that period. That he was affected by matters of such nature at such a tender age is perhaps the first indicia that greatness was bestowed upon him.

Dr. Jagan could have easily made a good life as a dentist in British Guiana. He was trained at one of the best dental schools in the US and there were less than a handful of dentists in the colony, at the time. However, young Jagan yearned for more. He, himself, confessed that he did not understand the restlessness, that he felt. He tried a number of social activities to occupy his time. They failed to subside the burning fire; they failed to fill the void that he felt. It was the greatness with which he was

Unruly The

Horse

Dr. Cheddi Jagan: Son of the Soil, Father of the Nation born that was igniting. He had brief stints in the major organisations of the time, the Man Power Citizens Association, the British Guiana East Indian Association, etc. but could not remain with them for long. He quickly realized that these organisations were not truly interested in representing their members and constituents. Their leadership was only interested in certain vested interests. It was during these very formative years, in an environment dominated by the plantocracy, and a very powerful Portuguese, Indo and Afro –Guyanese middle class, that this unknown product of a logie started to canvas, publicly, the interests of the workers and farmers, criticizing the plantocracy and local landlordism and articulating his vision for the working class and independence from colonial rule.

This must have sounded heretic, coming from a person of his socio-economic background, at the time. One can only imagine the contempt and disdain which would have flowed from the political and financial elites. It had to have taken remarkable strength of character, unparalleled self-confidence and an indomitable spirit of unusual magnitude, for him not only to survive but, progressively, moving to greater heights. By 1946, this unknown but enigmatic quantity had already carved a niche for himself in a society absolutely stacked against him and contested for a seat in the Legislative Assembly. Against all odds, he was victorious. He was only 29. It marked the beginning of an unmatched political career in this hemisphere.

COMMUNISM The rest is history and is well recorded. I see no need to reiterate it, except to offer my comments on a few issues on the life of this great man. He was a self-avowed communist. This ideological adherence brought him acclaim, as well as tragedy. In the Cold War World, he was

embraced by the East as an ideologue and an ally. In the Proletariat Movement, which gripped the third world, he was a hero. To the West, he was an enemy in the US sphere of influence. The hysterical fear was that he would create another Cuba.

As a result, they ousted him from Government twice.A closer examination of his life and politics illustrates that the West misunderstood him. To communism, he did pledge his unflinching adherence. However, in his own words, he explained that he did not view communism as a “dogma” but as a “tool” to be used in interpreting and understanding the complex contradictions arising in society. His, was indeed a complex society: multi-class, multi-racial and multi-religion, all converging into one melting pot. The contradictions which arose were naturally varied and various.

In this melting pot, Dr. Jagan was unwaveringly committed to racial, class, religious and national unity. This remained one of his ideals with which he fiercely persevered until his death.

Despite his embrace of communism, Dr. Jagan never envisioned a one-party state.

From the beginning of his political career, he advocated for a multi-party system of Government, where each man is entitled to a singular vote, based not on class and property but by virtue of the age of majority. He was a champion of human rights.

In fact, at the Independence Conference, London in 1961, perhaps his most significant input in the Constitution that was then being crafted at Westminster, was the incorporation into that Constitution of the then newly promulgated “Declaration of Human Rights” by the United Nations Charter. Today, that remains in our Constitution as the Fundamental Rights and Freedom of the citizens.

Dr. Jagan was also an irrepressible protagonist for democratic culture, institutions, norms and practices.

Most of his political life was spent advocating for free and fair elections, an independent Judiciary and a deliberative and representative Parliament. He strongly believed that the masses’

interests must dominate the agenda of Parliament and he envisioned a strong causal nexus between freedom and democracy and development.

Dr. Jagan was not opposed to private investments, either foreign or local. He embraced investors as developmental partners. He favored local over foreign capital. What he was irreversibly against, was the exploitation of workers and plunder of our natural resources, without the nation benefiting in a fair way. As such, Dr. Cheddi Jagan would have never ever countenance an agreement like the ExxonMobil Contract. His position on private capital can be traced back to his 1957 Government, under which he established the Caribbean’s first industrial estate at Ruimveldt. When he returned to Government in 1992, he inherited an economy in which the private sector was virtually non-existent. His Government and later succeeding Governments of his party created the environment, which conduce to the establishment of a private sector of such size and vibrancy as never seen before.

The above is by no means exhausted, but it provides a formidable array of glimpses of Dr. Jagan’s politics and policies, to demonstrate beyond doubt that the fears that the West harboured about him was absolutely exaggerated, if not misplaced. His approach to Marxism was by no means dogmatic. In 1992, his manifesto promised to build “a national democratic state”, which would be governed by the rule of law, where the constitutional rights of the citizenry would be respected, where the private sector was to be the ‘engine of growth’ and where there would be social and ecological justice for all.

A MAN AHEAD OF HIS TIME The term “a man a head of his time” has been used to describe many. However,

9 that adjectival prescription fits Dr. Jagan more than most.

Since the 1950’s, Dr. Jagan saw agriculture as the base of our economy. Under limited governmental authority, his Government begun to unleash Guyana’s agriculture potential. This period saw the establishment of agriculture schemes at Black Bush Polder, Canals no. 1 and 2 and Tapacuma. It was during this period that surveying and irrigation works begun on the vast mass of land which now fall under the administration of the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Developmental Authority (MMADA). These mega agricultural schemes were the first of its kind in the Caribbean. This period also saw the bridging of the three rivers by ferry, as Dr. Jagan saw farm to market access, as essential to our agri-potential.

It was during this period also, that Guyana was identified as the “Bread Basket of the Caribbean”. Since then, Dr. Jagan realized the need for cheap and renewable energy.

During the 1957 Government, he secured a US $22M loan to construct a hydro power plant at Malali Falls.

The visionary Dr. Cheddi Jagan recognised very early that education is one of the surest avenues through which a society can exit the cyclical sin of poverty. Thus, he saw scientific methods as integral to our agricultural and industrial advancement.

In achieving this objective, he established an agricultural research station and an agricultural school at Mon Repos and established the country’s first technical institute. He proceeded to establish the University of Guyana, which commenced holding classes at Queen’s College. The University of Guyana was the first indigenous university established in the British Commonwealth. Such was the vision of the man. I had the privilege of reading certain correspondences between Dr. Jagan and Dr. Harold Drayton, who was assisting with the establishment of the university. Dr. Jagan was so involved in the process that he even identified areas of study, which he wanted the university to focus on in its Syllabi.

My grandfather, now deceased, was literate but not educated. He once told me, that at the public road at Mon Repos, he joined the PPP 1961 motorcade, which originated from Crabwood Creek and was travelling to Georgetown. He was armed with a banner which he made with white cloth and on which he painted, in bold red, the words “DR. CHEDDI JAGAN: SON OF THE SOIL, FATHER OF THE NATION”.

My grandfather was so correct, so many years ago!

STRAIGHT TALK 10

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Things were never so bad

By Cheddi Jagan (1973)

A

n ever-escalating cost of living and a high and increasing unemployment are the major problems affecting the Guyanese working people.

As a result, crime including praedial larceny, delinquency, prostitution and suicide are on the increase.

Alcohol and drugs provide anescape. And thousands, seeing no hope in the future, yearly emigrate to North America.

The PNC is at fault. Under its regime, the cost of living has more than doubled.

During the term (1957-1964) of the PPP government, the consumer index rose by 11.1 points; during a comparative PNC term (1965-72), it rose by 26.7 points.

The PNC government would like the Guyanese people to believe that it is not responsible for the erosion of their standard of living, that the fault lies with prices which are constantly rising on the external market, and with businessmen and market sellers who are resorting to black-marketing.

Actually the present desperate situation has been created by the PNC government’s faulty economic planning strategy pro-imperialist anti-working class trade, fiscal, monetary, industrial and agricultural policies, and by-corruption, squandermania and discrimination.

TRADE POLICIES Pressured by Anglo-American imperialism which brought it to power, the PNC reversed the liberal and progressive trade policies of the PPP government, and placed restrictions on trade with the socialist world.

The PPP had removed all import quotas and licences on goods from Japan and the socialist countries. It had also developed trade and cultural relations with Cuba.

In 1965, the PNC regime broke off relations with Cuba, and re-introduced import quotas and licences. Later, it also imposed a 10 per cent tax (surcharge) on all imports from the socialist states.

Three four-yards-for-a-

dollar cotton piece goods and other inexpensive goods from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries disappeared from the shelves.

The restrictive measures were imposed in accordance with the wishes of the United Kingdom and the United States of America, which were and are suffering from a decline in their share of world trade.

The PNC must not be allowed to get away with their excuse of rising prices in the external market. The deliberatelychose to get our imports mainly from the capitalist world where prices are rising and not from the socialist world, where prices are stable or are falling.

The PPP government in the early 1960’s had established that if all government medical supplies alone were purchased from the socialist states the annual saving would have been about onehalf of a million dollars per year.

Here is an admission of PNC blunder. In the draft Second Development Plan (1972-76), it is stated: "United Kingdom export prices, for example increasedby about 25 per cent between1963and1971, as compared with an increase of about 14 percent in Japaneseexport prices. Prices of exports from the miscellaneous non-European/ Non-American countries increased even more slowly than Japanese export prices. However, the proportion of the value of imports from those countries declined over the period, thus suggesting an insufficiently in import purchasing rather than unsuitability of the products of non-traditional suppliers.”

Mismanagement and inefficiency at the External Trade Bureau (ETB) have also led to shortages and high prices.

FISCAL POLICIES But the high imported price is not the only cause for the high price in the shops.

There is also a tax (import duty) on the imported goods.

This form of taxation (indirect taxation), which falls heaviest on the poor, in-

subsidies (duty free gasolene bags and fertilizers, free drugs for acoushi ants; free injections for rabies in cattle, etc.) were removed.

The cost of a 10-acre plot of lease land, including surveying fees, was increased from $22 during the PPP's term to nearly $109. How is the small man to raise this initial amount? Land rent has increased from 25 cents per acre to $2 for the first five years, and $4 thereafter.

creased tremendously from $32 million 1964 under the PPP to $ 69 million in 1973 under the PNC. Under the 1962 "Kaldor" budget, the PPP attempted to shift the burden of taxation from indirect to direct, from the working, class to the capitalist class.

'It sought not only to get more from direct taxation, but also to prevent tax evasion. This was why businessmen paid workers to go on strike against the budget.

In 1965 the PNC-UF coalition abolished some, and drasticallyreduced other, capital taxes of the 1962 budget.

And year after year, indirect taxes were imposed. The Defence Levy (3 per cent customs duty on imports) alone gives the government about $5 million a year.

The PNC regime also reversed the PPP’s policy of subsidisation. In 1966, it introduced in the National Assembly a White Paper, indicating that $14 million in subsidies would be cut out.

Fryoil and other subsidies were removed; the East Coast railway which subsidised transportation cost for workers and school children was closed down.

MONETARY POLICY Devaluation of the Guyana dollar in 1967 and 1971 caused consumers to pay more for their goods. But it gave extra profits -- about $8 to $10 million annually -- to the capitalists. The PPP’s suggestion that this super-profit should be taken

back by the government and used for subsidising essential commodities -- milk, meat, fryoill flour, rice, split peas, school books -- was ignored by the Burnham government.

Devaluation has also increased Guyana’s t s public debt, adding to the burdensome debt payment of $35 million in 1973, equivalent to 21 per cent of the current budget expenditure. This meant higher taxation and higher prices.

INDUSTRIAL POLICY Countries like Guyana remain poor because they also suffer from unequal international trading; they buy dear and sell cheap. Industrial goods from developed capitalist states are constantly rising in price, whilst the prices for the foods and raw materials (mainly minerals) from the underdeveloped countries are lagging or falling.

Under the PNC regime, Guyana is being fixed permanently in a disadvantageous straitjacket. The PNC has accepted the neo-colonialist plandesigned by the imperialists for the English- speaking Caribbean and Guyana.

Under the scheme of regional integration (Carifta, Caribbean Common Market and Community), which L.F.S. Burnham launched, Guyana has been relegated to the role of an agricultural appendage to a deformed type of industrialised West Indies, U.S. Big Business has set up branch-plants of their multi-national corporations, mainly in Jamaica, Trinidad

and Barbados. Here inferior-quality and higher-priced goods, even in relation to the capitalist world, are being produced and shipped to Guyana. These exports are being facilitated by integration (free of movement of goods) and import restrictions (banning of $12 million of imports from outside of the region).

AGRICULTURAL POLICY Despite emphasis on the importance of agriculture, the PNC has a bankrupt agricultural policy. This has contributed to higher prices for local goods.

It shifted emphasis on infrastructuredevelopment from drainage and irrigation (the key to agriculture) to roads, sea defences, airport and air strips, stellings and public buildings. Allocations for drainage and irrigation was reduced from 30 per cent in the PPP D Plan (1960-64) to 17 per cent in the PNC D-Plan (1966-72).

And only about one-third of the money allocated by the PNC was actually spent on water control; the rest was diverted to non-productive infrastructure.

Farmers were held down by unremunerativeprizes.

Until recently, milkand rice prices were lower than in 1964. Copra price is the same as it was in 1964, although in the West Indies, farmers are getting about 5 ½ cents more per pound (about 35-40 per cent increase).

Crop bonuses and other

CAPITAL INFLOWS AND BANS By relying heavily on foreign capital inflows (loans and grants) for the D-Plan;by concentrating on infrastructure which did not increase production, and by banning $12 million of imports, mainly foods, an inflationary spiral was bound to develop.

CORRUPTION AND EXTRAVAGANCE The Guyanese taxpayers have to pay also firstly, for high cost of corruption which has become a way of life from the top to the bottom; secondly, for Daimlet-Benz and Rover-style living and big salaries and fat allowances while the masses are called upon to "eat less, sleep less and work harder", and to accept wages restraint; thirdly, for jobs-for-the-boys through political and racial discrimination.

ECONOMICS AND POLITICS And because industry and agriculture were neglected, production did not expand sufficiently to cope with the costs of the expanded government machine (personal emolument jumped from $28 million in 1964 to $72 million in 1973), and increase debt charges ($10 million in 1964 to $35 million in 1973).

Thus, increased taxation and cuts in social services were resorted to in order to fill the gap (the social services of the current budget declined from 44.5 per cent in 1964 to 37.7 per cent in 1973).

So long as the PNC’s economic planning strategy remains unchanged (and there is no real change from the (Turn to page 11)

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Establishment of Granger Energy Dept a dangerous development - Ramsaroop T

he creation of a Department of Energy in the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP) with sole control over the purse strings of all incoming oil revenues is a dangerous development that must be vehemently opposed on all fronts.

According to Economic Advisor to the Political Opposition, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, in a public statement issued last Tuesday, said the Department, and not Ministry... “with its control over the deposit account—called Wealth or Natural Resources Fund—is the creation of a slush fund with no Parliamentary oversight over the spending of the money receives from our oil fields.”

According to Dr Ramsaroop, the Dept. is no different from outfits created by the PNC and how they were run under that regime during the 1970s and 1980s autocratic rule.

Dr Ramsaroop in fact believes that the recently announced Energy Department to be annexed under MotP... “is part of a much bigger matrix of machinations by the party leader and President David Granger - an autocratic party takeover of Guyana’s Oil and Gas Revenue.”

“What the President has done, has in effect taken control over the revenues to be earned through the already lopsided contracts with the oil companies with no oversight, not parliament to fund the PNC as the Government in Office, always,” Ramsaroop posited, This atrocity, he said, cannot be allowed to prevail.

“Not only will the rest of the country and its economies be laid waste to by the ravages of the predator-like propensities of those currently in Office, the good life will get greener for the PNC

and its acolytes to feast on fine wine and steak but down trodden sugar worker, teacher and average hardworking Guyanese will continue to question “what’s in it for us?”

The Private Sector Commission has already laid its cards on the table and as such ... “it is incumbent on the business community more than any other group to arrest the current developments, so together as a multi-stakeholder grouping - government opposition and civil society - chart and govern Guyana’s oil and gas destiny. Let us not leave it in the hands of a few,” Dr Ramsaroop stated.

“For all intents and purposes, Raphael Trotman is still the Minister of Petroleum—a portfolio he holds in conjunction with Natural Resources (no longer Environment).”

The Minister of Petro-

leum (Mr. Trotman) is the person with whom Petroleum Laws dictate and divulge every power—not the President, he said.

“The President knows this and has instead yanked everything from Minister Trotman including staff and responsibilities, leaving only signing duties when called on since the laws names a person.”

According to Dr, Ramsaroop “...with a Department of Energy under MotP, the de-facto President of Guyana, Joseph Harmon will now wield Ministerial power over the critical department.”

“The Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader, Mr. Trotman, has now been left as a rubberstamp—much like had happened with his colleague rubberstamp Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo.”

Dr Ramsaroop also believes, the Granger/Harmon-controlled Department

Businessman to lose millions in renewable energy investment after runaround from Gov’t

D

espite resounding calls for more Guyanese to “go green”, the government is not prepared to support the investments as is evident with a Berbice businessman who may lose millions after going on a royal runaround with the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI).

Shamnarine Narine, the

proprietor of Classic International Hotel in Berbice, has invested in a wind turbine with the capacity to generate 350 KVA of power, but of which only 20 per cent can be utilised by his hotel.

Narine is complaining that Government has not responded to his offer to supply national grid with the excess electricity which the wind turbine will be gener-

Things were... first to the second D-Plan), the standard of living of the working people is bound to deteriorate.

With increasing crime, more money will be required to pay salaries to additionalpolicemen, magistrates, judges and prison personnel, and for the upkeep of prisoners. The army will also be enlarged to cope with possible future revolutionary upheavals. Debt charges will sharply increase when 5-year and 10-year moratoria (grace periods) come to an end.

These will be met by addi-

(From page 10)

tional taxation and/or further cuts in social services.

As popular discontent increases from further erosion of the standard of living of the workers, the PNC, to maintain itself in office, will resort not only to fraud at elections, but also to denial of fundamental rights. The tendency towards fascism will be intensified. Guyana needs a new deal. The PNC is incapable of changing. Only the PPP can move Guyana forward.

SAVE GUYANA COME OUT AND VOTE PPP!

ating.

“We are very perturbed and dismayed that we have not yet received a response to our offer to the government for the supply to the national grid from our 250 kv wind turbine, set up at Skeldon, Corriverton, Berbice,” the businessman said in a letter to the editor.

He added that “as the situation stands right now, apart from feeling deflated in our quest to be supportive of national development efforts, we are contemplating dismantling the turbine, which is already operational, at tremendous cost to us, and shipping it back out of the country, because as it stands now it could become a white elephant.”

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson’s excuse for not accepting the surplus energy from the wind turbine is that the amount is too little for GPL – which is constantly faced with issues of limited power generation which results in a spate of

blackouts across the country.

Commentators say it is assuming that GPL is refusing any amounts of surplus energy which can assist in improvements to its service, i.e. to limit the instances of power outages nationwide.

Patterson, in a letter to the editor in response, said the 250 kW excess energy is too little for GPL. “GPL’s existing frameworks cover the connection to its grid of either independent power producers (IPPs) supplying 10 MW and more or businesses supplying 1.5 MW and above. As a result, Mr Narine was advised that it was not possible at this time for an individual to connect to the grid unless the supply met the minimum of 1.5 MW,” Patterson said.

Sources close to the management of the hotel told Citizens’ Report that it is sad that the government is urging people to pursue a “Green Economy” but they are giving them such a hard time in doing so.

flies in the face of international best practices, to have such wealth funds placed under a-political control - so that no one president or ruling party can abuse or laying waste to such a fund.

He expanded in his missive that Minister Trotman would have us believe, like he believes, to have the sole powers to pull the purse strings under MotP and the President is a good thing.

“Would Minister Trotman still would have said this is a good arrangement if it was the PPP who was doing this? Mr. Trotman’s platitudes do not veil the shenanigans at work as David Granger emboldens his and the PNC’s autocratic rule over Guyana’s oil destiny, more so its oil revenue.”

Dr Ramsaroop believes Granger has now set the stage, not only for the oil revenues in 2020 to “...go to his private party purse

behind the green monstrosity erected around the country’s seat of executive power at Vlissingen Road, but for all decision making to be done in that enclave.”

This has been done, while the Petroleum Commission Bill has mysteriously come to a grind with a promise at more amendments.

He said this represents another delay in the establishment of the regulatory commission and by extension a delay in the putting in of the staff, their training and familiarization with the Department in addition to its teething woes.

“By no stretch of the imagination a task that will be accomplished in less than two years…of interest too, and tied into the bigger matrix of tomfooleries, is the delay without explanation of the approval for the members of Anti-Money Laundering Committee,” he concluded.

US Ambassador bemoans crime situation in Guyana

T

he United States Government, through its embassy in Georgetown, has donated several pieces of electronic equipment to further advance the work of the Guyana Police Force’s Strategic Planning Unit as the Force embarks on reforming the sector.

The US$20,000 donation was made on Monday in the Police Commissioner’s Conference Room at Eve Leary, Georgetown.

Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine, received the donation on behalf of the Force, and said it speaks to the intense collaboration between the United States and British embassies in Guyana. He said that, just recently, the Guyana Police Force, with the help of UK Security Consultant Russel Combe, embarked on the Security Sector Reform Project to improve various sectors within the Guyana Police Force.

Ramnarine added that the Strategic Planning Unit is particularly responsible for that reform, and the equipment donated is much needed to enhance the image and functionality of the GPF. US Ambassador Perry Holloway said the donation is just another form of assis-

tance given to Government through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative with intention to further increase the capacity of the Guyanese justice sector.

He noted that the computer equipment would allow the Strategic Planning Unit to do more of what is required to do, since strategic planning requires the help of modern technology.

“Since the establishment of Caribbean Basin Security Initiative in 2010, the United States Government has heavily supported efforts to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes threatening the region through capacity building, equipment donation, and technical assistance. The specific programme that US Embassy Georgetown administers seeks to strengthen our law enforcement capabilities…,” Holloway noted.

Holloway added that despite recording an 11 per cent decrease in serious crimes, much more effort is required to tackle the issue of crime in Guyana, since one crime is one crime too many. He also noted that sound strategies by policy makers are what aids in enhancing the effectiveness of the ranks who receive training.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Moment in history

PPP’s Foundation For Progress Destroyed By PNC

By Cheddi Jagan (First Ppp 1973 General Election Broadcast Delivered By Dr Cheddi Jagan On June 17, 1973)

Fellow Guyanese, Soon It Will Be Time For Another Important Decision - Which Party To Vote For. Fortunately, You Are Now In A Better Position To Judge; You Have Had Experience Of 7 Years Of The Ppp In Office And 8 ½ Years Of The Pnc In Power.

I Have Deliberately Used The Words; “The Ppp In Office” And “The Pnc In Power” To Make One Point Clear - When We Were In The Government, Guyana Was Not Independent; We Had Very Limited Powers.

Not So With The Pnc. Yet We Scored Many Successes, Some Of Which Are Today Taken For Granted - Independence, Republic, Nationalization, Recognition Of Socialist States, Guyanisation And So On. Yes, We Pioneered Them. And We Had To Fight Every Inch Of The Way As Well As Suffer To Achieve Them.

In The Economic Field, We Blazed A Revolutionary Trail. We Severed Some Of The Shackles With Which Sugardom Bound Our Nation And Stultified Our Development. The Ppp Removed The Brakes On Agriculture; We Released The Land, Long “Bottled Up,” And We Embarked On A Comprehensive Scheme Of Drainage And Irrigation.

Because Of These And Other Measures Too Numerous To Mention, Our Agricultural Policy Proved Successful; It Wasn’t Just Propaganda As We Have Nowadays. The Farmers Were Happy - They Got Many Benefits, Good Prices And Were Meaningfully Involved. And The Workers And Consumers Too Were Satisfied - They Were Able To Get A Good Supply Of Inexpensive Foods.

But Our Concern Was For Industry As Well As Agriculture. So We Set Up The Industrial Development Corporation And Industrial Estate At Ruimveldt. We Nationalized The Demerara Electric Company And

Began The Programme Of Rural Electrification.

The River Front Land At Garden Of Eden, Now Used

By The Guyana Defence Force For Farming, Had Been Cleared For Glass And Cement Factories.

Unfortunately, These And Other Factories From Socialist Countries Including A Cuban-Financed $32 Million Hydro-Electric Scheme At Malali, Were Blocked By The British Government.

But Despite That, The Foundations For A Post-Independence Industrial Future Were Laid. We Got The United Nations To Carry Out Several Vital Surveys.

In The Monetary Field We Established The Bank Of Guyana And Were The First Government In A British Colony To Impose Restriction On Sterling.

We Had A Proud Pro-Labour Record. The Now Famous “Kaldor” Budget Of 1962 Had As Its Aim The Redistribution Of Income; We Wanted The Shifting Of The Tax Burden From The Poor To Those Who Could Afford To Pay. The Ppp Government Pioneered Free Medical Care And Established A Network Of Health Centres; We Began A Country-Wide Programme Of Immunization And The Environmental Sanitation Scheme. We Extended Pure Water Supplies.

In The Sugar Estates The Logies Were Tumbled Down; They Are Now Only A Memory.

In Georgetown, We Started Cheap Subsidized Housing For The Working People, With A Minimum Rental Of $5 And The Maximum Of $17 Per Month, Something The Pnc Government Has Not Yet Done Despite All Its Propaganda About Housing.

Towards The Development Of A National People’s Culture, We Set Up The University Of Guyana, Derogatorily Dubbed “Jagan’s Night School” By The Pnc; Instituted A National History And Culture Week; Established A National Steel Band; Gave Annual Prizes For Literature And Art, And Initiated Dress Reform - The Shirt Jac. And We Brought Down

Dr Jagan and other Ppp members protest the results of the massively rigged 1973 elections

The Symbol Of Foreign Domination, The Georgetown Golf Club. Its Lease Was Terminated For A People’s National Park.

And In Our Draft Independence Constitution.

We Inserted A Fundamental Rights Section, Including The Right To Vote At Age 18.

Yes, Ours Was A New Vision And A New Approach. We Made Far-Reaching Innovations. We Truly Laid The Foundations For Change And For A Free Society.

That Was The Foundation Which The Pnc Inherited. And What Has It Achieved With Its Unlimited Power And All The Advantages It Had? You Have Been Told Of The Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars Spent, About A High Growth Rate, And So No. But What Has It All Really Meant For The “Small Man”? For Him, Success Is Measured In Terms Of Jobs, Standard Of Living, Peace Of Mind And Security - Security In Old Age And Security At Home And In The Streets.

For The Large Majority Of Guyanese Housewives, Life Has Become A Nightmare. If It Is Not High Prices, It Is Shortages. Also Anywhere I Go, It’s Always The Same Cry: “Doc, Things Bad.” A Few Weeks Ago, A Former Pnc Activist Stopped Me At The North-Western

Gate Of Bourda Market, Opened Her Shopping Bag And Cried Out: “Look What $5 Buy; Wha You Guine Do About It?” And The Unemployment Situation Worsens Daily. It’s Commonplace To Find An Advertisement For One Job Bringing Out No Less Than 300 To 500 Applicants For Interviews.

And The Results Of The Daily Frustrations Of Living Are Plain For All To See - A Growing Crime Rate, A Bigger Prison Population, More Mental Cases And Suicides, More Émigrés.

Thousands, Seeing No Hope In The Future, Want To Get Out As Fast As They Can. The Queues For Passports And Visas To Emigrate Are Never Ending; They Get Longer And Longer.

Of Course, We Are Asked To Have Faith In The Future. The New Pnc Development Plan, You Are Told, Will Solve All Your Future Headaches; By 1976, You Would Be Fed, Clothed And Housed.

To Those Of You Who Have Been Seduced Into Believing This Propaganda, I Say: “Remember 1967.”

Then You Were Told That Under A Pnc Government, There Would Be Free Milk And Cassava; That Not A Soul Would Go To Bed Hungry. Remember How The Last $300 Million D-Plan Was To Have Put Us On The “New Road” And The

“Highway To Happiness. “ The New Plan Will Fare No Better; It Will Land Us In A Deeper Hell Than We Are Now In; Things Will Definitely Get Worse - The Inevitable Result Of The Course Charted By The Pnc. Don’t Let The Big Figures Mesmerize You. Spending Huge Sums Of Money Alone Does Not Make For Real Progress. Far More Important Is The Economic Planning Strategy And What Is Given Priority And Emphasis. This Means A Sound Philosophy, Correct Policies And A Revolutionary, Anti-Imperialist Programme.

We Have Always Said That The Root Cause Of Our Ills Was Foreign Ownership And Domination. Unfortunately, Political Independence And Republican Status With The Pnc In Power Have Not Materially Altered The Situation From Colonial Days .

The Ppp Believes In Scientific Socialism, Not The Pnc’s Illusory Cooperative Socialism.

We Say: Nationalize The Commanding Heights Of The Economy; We Are Against Playing The SoCalled “Partnership” Game With Imperialism.

We Say: Put Emphasis On Industry And Agriculture And Not On Infrastructure.

And To Achieve This We Advocate Foreign Policy Based On The Closest Cooperation With The Socialist

World.

Our Land Reform Policy Will Place The Land In The Hands Of The Tillers.

And We Will Deal Ruthlessly With Corruption And Discrimination.

We Believe In The Fullest Development Of Our Human Resources And The Meaningful Involvement Of The Workers, Farmers And Intellectuals.

We Give You These Broad Outlines Of Your Programme Because It Has Been Charged That We Are Irresponsible And Have Nothing To Offer.

They Also Say That We Are Planning Violence, That We Want To Disrupt The Peace. I Am Sure You Are Not Fooled By These Falsehoods. You Know Very Well Who, To Serve Personal Ends, Started The Violence In The 1960S. Recall The Terrorist Plan, X-13, And The Large Quantities Of Detonators Found Buried In A Certain Yard.

Remember Peter Owen, Former Commissioner Of Police, Describing In 1964 The Pnc As “An Organized Thuggery Which Is Centrally Directed.” In Fact, You Also Know That It Is The Sense Of Responsibility Of The Ppp Leadership Which Has Preserved The Peace - Responsibility In The Face Of Gross Discrimination Against, And Provocation Of, Our Supporters, The Pulling Down Of Their Homes, Constant Police Harassments, Arrests And Raids As Well As The Unleashing Against Workers Of Terror, Tear Gas And Police Dogs.

With The Ppp, You Know Where We Stand; We Are Consistently Behind You. Ever Since The Mid1940S, We Fought Relentlessly Against Terror And Intimidation To Win For You The Right To Vote.

Don’t Let The Professionally-Trained Riggers Deprive You Of This Sacred Right.

Turn Out As Never Before.

On Monday, July 16, Record A Massive Vote Of No-Confidence Against Our Common Enemy, The Pnc, And Send Them Reeling Out Of Office. Vote Solidly For Your Party, The PPP.

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

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International Women's Day forum at Freedom House

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

An evening of reflection on CBJ - Red House

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PPP Activists meetings WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Essequibo youths tour Freedom House

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

GIT donates $2M in food hampers to jobless – Hot school meal estate workers in Canje programme for Skeldon

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wo organisations have come together to assist former workers of the Rose Hall Sugar Estate in East Canje and the Skeldon Sugar Factory, after Government closed those estates in a move which is widely being viewed as political.

The Guyana Islamic Trust, in collaboration on Sunday with the Muslim community and Bakewell, donated $2 million worth of food hampers to the Canje workers, while the East Berbice Sugar Workers Relief Community organised a schools hot meal programme for students of severed sugar workers on the Upper Corentyne.

Executive member of the Guyana Islamic Trust, Wasir Baksh, told this publication that the organisation met with the people of Canefield, Canje in January to find out ways in which it might be able to assist them. He said one of the people’s main needs was the creation of jobs based

on the available skills in the affected community.

Baksh, Head of Department of Education and Training, noted that the community had said there would be need for food in three months.

“They mentioned to us that by March they will need some foodstuff, based on what they have and based on what they anticipated to get from the Sugar Welfare Fund; that by March they would have a need for foodstuff. So we decided that, on March 18, we will do some distribution of food hampers.

“Basically, we decided to make this intervention in East Canje, because at Wales and Corrivertom there are people doing some programmes to assist the workers in those communities who have been terminated. However, based on our investigation, nobody is doing anything in Canje, so we decided that we should go to Canje and see what we can do to assist.”

He said it is hoped that

this occasion would not be the only time the organisation can coordinate assistance for the community, but future assistance would depend largely on corporate Guyana lending assistance, more so

the Muslin community.

“We are encouraging the private sector if they can come and make some intervention and create business or better industries in the community,” Baksh said.

He also said that investors would have to take note of the skills available. This, he said, should go a far way to create some stability for East Canje through the creation of jobs.

The hampers were distributed at three locations: 350 at Canefield, 250 at Cumberland, and 150 at Overwinning, Greater New Amsterdam.

The hampers were distributed to “the sugar workers from the Canje estate who were sent home, because we are dealing with the retrenched workers. So, where they are located, we are trying to meet them,” he explained.

Nine hundred workers were sacked when the Rose Hall Estate ceased grinding and closed in December last.

Since then, about 150 either were re-employed, found alternative jobs, or migrated.

Some 4000 sugar workers from Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon were dismissed from

their jobs.

Meanwhile, on the Upper Corentyne, where the Skeldon Estate was closed, putting more than 1000 workers out of a job, the East Berbice Sugar Workers Relief Community has come on board to assist the children of some of those workers with a community service programme called Schools Hot Meals.

The feeding programme, brainchild of Shanta Romana Youngkam and S.K. Bhagerath, was started on January 29, and provides for children of the affected workers on Mondays and Fridays.

Seven schools are currently benefiting from the programme: Skeldon High, Linepath Secondary, Linepath ‘C’ Nursery, Crabwood Creek Nursery and Primary, Skeldon High Annex and Skeldon Primary.

A total of 225 students from these schools are provided with a hot meal two days per week.

Political motives afoot as Lindo Creek Commissioner attacks media

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he Chairman of the oneman Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the 2008 Lindo Creek Killings yesterday attacked the Guyana Times and Inews media outlets because he did not like the angle they took when reporting on the testimony of

outgoing Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud.

In his testimony before the COI, Seelall – who was Crime Chief several years ago – maintained that police evidence showed that the Fineman Gang headed by Rondell Rawlins was respon-

sible for the murder of the miners around June 2008.

In light of allegations that police were the ones who murdered the men, Seelall also denied his ranks were ever in Lindo Creek during the period in question.

The Guyana Times and

Inews reported just that, chronicling the events as explained by Seelall – just as every other news entity.

However, Commissioner Donald Trotman launched a scathing attack against the news entities yesterday, creating an uncomfortable environment for the reporters.

According to the Chairman, the Guyana Times reported that the witness “emphatically maintains that the men (miners) were executed by ‘Fineman’ gang.”

“I, therefore, wish to reprimand the authors of both of those outlets for the incorrectness of their reporting.” He continued, “this commission, has among its main purposes, to find the truth of what happened. And the pursuit of that objective by the commission, will not be helped by lies which seek to counter that truth and objective.”

Trotman is the father of Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman. Since his appointment by President David Granger to head the COI, concerns arose about the credibility of the exercise.

Compounding the situation is the fact that the COI

attorney is Patrice Henry – the brother of Minister of Education Nicolette Henry.

Former Attorney General, Mr. Mohabir Anil Nandlall has expressed grave concerns over the manner in which Henry – who is supposed to be impartial – openly doubted the testimony of Seelall Persaud before the Commission.

“This learned gentleman was vigorously cross- examining Seelal Persaud throughout his testimony! He even openly doubted Persaud’s testimony on certain issues.

This is unprecedented in a Commission of inquiry!”

Nandlall stated in a public post.

He concluded that it is clear that this COI has preconceived notions to which it is pandering.

“One must wonder whether the fact that the sole Commissioner is the father of the AFC leader who is a Minister of the Government, and the lawyer for the Commission is the brother of another Minister, have anything to do with it,” he stated.

Oil palm investment likely for Guyana

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group of investors are eying Guyana’s arable lands to invest in oil palm cultivation, which can produce four tonnes of crude oil per hectare annually, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the reddish pulp of the fruit of the oil palms.

A team of investors from Agro Atlantic (Guyana) Inc. Friday called on Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr Oudho Homenauth at the Ministry’s Regent and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office to discuss the prospects of Oil Palm in Guyana.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

THE HINTERLAND CONNECTION The Caribbean Indians and the tribes of Guyana (Part 1)

By Jagnarine Somwar

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he history of the Caribbean did not begin in 1492 when Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas.

The islands were already inhabited by the Ciboney, Arawak and Carib peoples from mainland America.

The Ciboney were a food-gathering and hunting people who may have migrated from Florida in southern North America.

They moved in to the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) at least 5,000 years ago. The Ciboney were more or less killed off by other Amerindian (American Indian) peoples, as they are called, who moved into the islands.

The Arawak probably

came from northern South America, about 5,000 years ago. They settled on a number of the Caribbean islands, where they lived by farming.

They are often known as the Taino and the Igneri.

Later migrants, the Carib people, moved into the Caribbean islands and in some places pushed out the Arawak people. The Arawak were displaced in eastern Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and almost all of the eastern Caribbean islands. This displacement happened within 100 years of the Spanish arriving in 1492. In the eastern Caribbean islands at least, it is likely that the Carib killed the Arawak men and married the Arawak women.

The Spanish noticed on one island at least that the men and women spoke different

languages.

The Spanish, the first Europeans to claim land on the Caribbean islands, were often harsh taskmasters. The Spanish cleric Bartolomé de Las Casas was appalled by the treatment of the island peoples. In 1560 he published a book, History of the Indies, to show how they had been killed and abused. Describing an attack on a village on the island of Trinidad, he wrote “I think 185 Indians were taken [as slaves] to the ship that day.

Those who had managed to escape joined others in a village house … [the Spanish leader] Bono … set the straw on fire and burned them all alive”.

Colonisation by the European powers destroyed the existing island cultures. The

Arawak people were friendly towards the newcomers. In return, they were made to work in the fields and mines, often being worked to death, and killed by European diseases like measles and flu.

The island peoples had no contact with Europeans before 1492, and had never encountered smallpox, measles, flu and similar diseases.

Because of this, they had no immunity to them. When European sailors brought measles or flu to the islands, the effects were devastating and many local people died.

The Caribs resisted European settlement on their lands and were therefore seen by Europeans as aggressive and dangerous. Many of the Carib died fighting the invaders.

Today, in Guyana there

are four main tribes, namely the Warrau, Arawak, Wapishana and the Carib, with several sub tribes, Arrecuna, Akawaios, Patamona, and the Macushi. The Wai-Wai is also included in the Carib-speaking group. The name Indios, given to the indigenous peoples by Columbus, was not at all accurate as he thought he had found the Indies, making the people there Indians.

In order to show the difference between East Indians and these indigenous Indians, as well as to indicate their homeland, the word Amerindian, a blend of American and Indian, was later coined.

The Amerindians, with their rich culture and profound heritage, are the proud first people of this country who had struggled

over the decades under the Burnham dictatorship’s rule and through perseverance, they were able to grow and mature from poverty and a primitive lifestyle to a force to be reckoned with, all due to the opportunities that were provided to them under the PPP/C Government.

The Amerindian people can today boast the same academic gains as any Coastlander and is second to none.

The People’s Progressive Party has committed to continue the works in developing the hinterland regions of this country and to provide equal opportunities for the first people to acquire jobs, qualify themselves on their own accord and/or through scholarships and create a future of prosperity and achievements.

Less than half of working-age Guyanese employed - FITUG ‒ Labour Survey welcome but conclusions worrisome

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he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) was indeed pleased to learn that the Bureau of Statistics managed to conclude successfully the Guyana Labour Force Survey as at September, 2017. We indeed look forward to the quarterly publication of the survey which we believe will provide several useful statistics which on the functioning of our labour market and more importantly the circumstances of our working-people. Having been able to review the inaugural report, the Federation is convinced that the regular publication of such statistics is important on many fronts but certainly is critical for our policymakers to come up with appropriate policies to address the dayto-day challenges our people face.

Interestingly, the survey points out very early on that less than half of the working-age population is actually employed and it, therefore, begs the question what are the other half doing to get by. Moreover, we have

noted a decrease in the male employment rate between the 2012 census and the end of September, 2017 and an increase in the female employment rate in the same period. It seems to indicate that men who have lost their jobs are finding it difficult to secure new jobs and their wives are forced to enter the job market. This is particularly worrying noting that females earn 36 per cent less than their male counterparts, in salaried jobs. In those instances where a woman has become their family’s breadwinner, their family, depending on its size, at best, has become vulnerable to slip into poverty or, at worst, find themselves in an impoverished state.

Notably, while the Administration is encouraging our people to become entrepreneurs as a means to achieving the ‘Good Life’ objective, the survey’s findings, on the other hand, has painted a very different picture. We dismayingly learn that the self-employed, on average, earn about 23 per

cent less than their counterparts who are in salaried employment. At this time, when the people are being pushed in this direction, is such a decision rational bearing in mind the realities that are prevailing?

We also recognized that the unemployment rate has remained relatively unchanged falling marginally from 12.5 per cent in 2012 Census to 12 per cent at the end of September, 2017. It would be interesting to see what the rate would be at the end of March, 2018 following the implementation of the mass redundancy in the sugar industry. The survey also revealed that women represented more than half (50.7 per cent) of the unemployed though they account for 39.9 per cent of the labour force. It means that women have both a lower chance of getting a job and a higher possibility of being unemployed. For our womenfolk, this is not encouraging especially at this time.

Youth unemployment, we note, still remains alarmingly

high and stood at 21.6 per cent at the end September, 2017. For the thousands of graduates emerging from high school and university, this is not good news and belies the Government’s promise of jobs for youths.

The situation of the youth is especially worrying considering that the survey advised that half the population is under 25 years and a quarter of those between 15 and 24 years are enrolled in educational institutions. It, therefore, means that a vast number of our young people are looking for work or have become fed up with job hunting and may be encouraged or forced to take another path. The report also shed some light on the availability of jobs. From the survey, we learnt that 42.5 per cent adult unemployed population and 36.9 per cent of the youth unemployed population have been without work for over a year. This seems to indicate that jobs are becoming more difficult to come by.

For us it is very vexing that notwithstanding a national 40-hour work week, workers are working be-

yond the stipulated time.

It is especially bothersome for males who are working, on average, more than 10 hours per week above the stipulated working-week.

The FITUG cannot help but wonder whether our workers are compensated for these extra hours. But the findings also serve to expose another sad reality of our times. That fact that workers are forced to work beyond their normal time seems to indicate that low rates-of-pay are being offered and the workers must work the extra hours in order to make ends meet. Certainly, when the correlation is taken with the underemployment data that the report revealed, our conclusion seems to be corroborated.

The report also pointed out that about 50 per cent of those employed work in the informal sector. The ILO has generally warned that such situations should not be encouraged as workers tend to be exploited and such precarious forms of employment tend to lend to increased impoverishment. On this score, we were very surprised, and at the same time upset, to

learn that 8.8 per cent of public sector employees appear to have an informal job. If this is indeed the reality it is sad that our Government is encouraging such employment relations and should take every step to formalize the situation.

For the FITUG, the Guyana Labour Force Survey was certainly an eye-opener and brought out several important concerns which our policymakers should not lose sight of. We recognise that, though not contained in the report, during the launching activity it was disclosed that 53 per cent of our people either live in poverty or are vulnerable to impoverishment. This is not a very comforting statistic especially taking into account the developments since the conclusion of the survey. While we commend the Bureau of Statistics for a well-done job and look forward to the timely release of future reports, we call on our Government to take heed of the stark realities the data depicts and to address in a pragmatic and comprehensive manner the terrible conditions revealed. (FITUG Release)

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APNU/AFC clueless on how H to move Guyana forward

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Govt.’s tribal approach on oil hurting development – Ramson

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

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ach day brings one or more stupid acts by this government and the people that they have placed in power. This is not by accident. APNU/AFC’s development blueprint for Guyana is the absolute stupidification of Guyana. They are clueless about how to move Guyana forward. They believe that if they succeed in making us all stupid, they can make us all believe that the naked emperor is indeed decked out in the most glorious outfits. Take the requirement that all minibuses must be painted green because the APNU’s colour is green.

The joke is on them – we see the stupidity of their governance and we see it every time. Just in the last several days, we have some glaring examples.

In the last two weeks, President David Granger has been travelling – first to India for a solar conference and, second, to Brazil to attend a water conference.

I have no reservation about the President attending these meetings. But days prior to travelling to India for the solar conference, the President announced he was foregoing a Caricom Heads meeting because of the border crisis with Venezuela. What happened? Has the problem with Venezuela been solved

and there is no more threat at our borders?

The REO of Region Two flabbergasted us with the newest excuse for corruption – excitement to spend money. For almost three years now, the Region Two REO has ruled as if he is an emperor. He has committed one corrupt act after another and has spent taxpayers’ money as if it belongs to him. He has ignored warnings from the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. Called to explain himself, he arrogantly offered the excuse that he was “too excited” about spending the people’s money. This absurdity is enough to fire him, but in the halls of APNU/AFC the Region Two REO is embraced as a hero. In APNU/AFC’s stupidification posture, they expect we will overlook corruption and accept excitement as an excuse for

abusing Guyana’s treasury.

Over the last several weeks, we have looked with amazement at the incompetence of the Government as revealed by its handling of GuySuCo. Is there a new Board or not? We are told yes and then we are told no. There was even a whole-page advertisement announcing the new Board with the pictures of the new members. Then Minister of State, Joseph Harmon cautioned that this was not the case and the advertisement is a rogue one. Sheer incompetence, but they think we are too stupid to see it.

Last week, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan visited Canje where recently unemployed sugar workers are confronting tough times. This is the same Ramjattan, who, during the campaign for the May 2015 election, promised sugar workers that all estates will be kept open and that sugar workers will be given a 20 per cent annual increase in wages and benefits. Now in March 2018, Ramjattan looked the workers in their eyes and lied again, insisting that APNU/AFC gave the Region Six RDC money in the 2018 Budget to purchase a bus to provide free transportation for the children of sugar workers in Canje. The Regional Chairman immediately slammed the barefaced

lie. Ramjattan fully expects people to believe the lie, because he thinks we stupid. In the meanwhile, his Region Six sidekick, Charandass Persaud, is demanding that sugar workers be jailed for not being able to send their children to school.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder for more than two years ignored the US requirements for new fishery regulations, leading to America banning fish exports from Guyana. Hundreds of fishermen have already become unemployed because we lost one of the most important markets for fish. Instead of accepting blame and accelerating their efforts to resume the trade, the Minister demanded our sympathy because the loss of the market is simply a consequence of America’s protectionist policy. The truth is the Minister is derelict in his duty, AWOL, missing in action.

President Granger’s favourite governance tool, the CoI, if enforced in this case, would reveal total, brazen and reckless incompetence on the part of one of the most inept Ministers in the Cabinet. Instead of President Granger holding him responsible, he is silent and expects us to blame America. The refusal for accountability is based on APNU/AFC’s stupidification strategy.

Wales diversification – “a miserable and utter failure” says GAWU ‒ land overgrown with bushes

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eneral Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, Seepaul Narine, said the promised diversification of Wales estate has not materialized and the land earmarked for farmers to cultivate rice is being overtaken be bush. He also dispelled statements that sugar workers are unwilling to diversify, noting that Government has failed to establish the opportunities and factors to incentivise workers for the move.

A case in point is the lands at the Wales Sugar Estate, which were once earmarked for rice cultivation under the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). According to GAWU General

Secretary Seepaul Narine, on Tuesday, the fields have instead been overtaken by weeds, indicative of an ambitious plan now abandoned.

“As recent history has shown at Wales, the planned and heavily-promoted diversification activities, like in the previous attempt by GuySuCo, turned out to be a miserable and utter failure.

We recall the Guyana Times recently reporting that the cane fields converted for seed paddy cultivation, at high costs, were being slowly overtaken by bushes,” Narine said.

He added that as far as the Union was aware there was nothing going on at Wales.

“We read recently that the houses that were used by the managerial personnel are up for sale. Bearing those factors in mind, one can understand workers’ apprehension. As they say once bitten, twice shy,” Narine related.

Referring to speeches at the recent Rose Hall Martyrs ceremony from Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton and Region Six Executive Officer Kim Williams-Stephens, GAWU blasted the Administration for its “hollow rhetoric”.

“While the Minister speaks about guarding against injustices, he must be reminded the Government he is a part of has committed probably the gravest injustice against the people of Canje when they decided to shut down Rose Hall Estate and

affected the well-being of thousands of ordinary Guyanese,” Narine related.

“As the sad situation in the communities of Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara and Wales grows direr by the day, the hollow rhetoric brings little relief and reprieve to the suffering that has gripped the people. Today, realistic and workable solutions are needed and moving in the reverse gear is the best remedy.”

Williams-Stephens, who was quoted on March 19, 2018 by sections of the media, saying that “severed sugar workers are timid and afraid of diversification”, also came in for flak from Narine. According to Narine, the official’s comments were unfortunate when one considers all the prevailing factors.

e is the holder of a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management from the University of Aberdeen Scotland, United Kingdom; yet, Government is refusing to make use of him. Charles Ramson thinks that it is Government’s tribal approach to the building of the oil and gas industry that is causing him to be kept at bay.

Ramson returned to Guyana last year. He said that both he and the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said that oil and gas is a national issue. It can change Guyana’s trajectory, therefore they were willing to lend a helping hand at any level.

Asked if the government made any attempt to work with him, Ramson, a member of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, said that the government made public statements about its willingness to work with him, but no invitation was offered off camera.

“They made public statements through (Minister of Natural Resources) Trotman. When we had the business summit, he made a public statement there.

He said, ‘I hope I can work with Charles Ramson.”

However, Ramson said, “The government has been fairly tribal about what it is doing.”

He said that he is well aware that tribal approaches are often taken in oil and gas economies. “This is so the political elites are the first to get rich. They also have to satisfy the people who they think are necessary to support them, to get back in office. So they skim off and share the spoils among those elites.”

Ramson continued, “Those people will hold top positions of institutions that are necessary for the good functioning of the oil industry and their jobs will just be to carry out the business of Government.”

Ramson said that it is quite clear that the fact that he is from the political opposition supersedes anything else he can offer.

Ramson said that he also knows that Government can import advisors and other experts needed.

He said that the experts will have more experience.

“But I am a young Guyanese who want to contribute to the building of the industry the right way; I have a vested interest to create a better country for my child and for your child.

But, they do not see that, they see that I am PPP so

any other asset that I might bring to the table takes back seat.”

Ramson said that he has a fair idea that this would have been the case even before he took the scholarship, “But I saw it necessary as a young leader, as a young Guyanese to know about our new frontier.”

Forbes Burnham, the founder of the People National Congress Reform (PNCR), a powerful party in the government, had set the example decades ago.

During the Burnham era, he worked with many young intelligent Guyanese who were qualified in various fields; some of those persons were PPP. A good example would be Steve Naraine, an engineer who was considered to be among the best. Government would not have been creating history if it had utilised the services offered

by Ramson.

In 2016, Ramson resigned as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect to pursue a Master’s Degree in oil and gas.

Even back then, he spoke of the need for the youth of Guyana to be given more prominence.

Ramson had registered his disappointment at the lack of youth representation in the House.

“It is absolutely critical for our national development that we have Guyanese who are technically trained in the oil and gas sector. This is particularly important for us as a nation in this preparatory phase as we frame the relevant policy, law and vision if we are to avoid the often cited ‘resource curse’ commonly associated with oil and gas producing nations.”

According to Ramson, there is no doubt that the absence of any member of the Cabinet with any such technical training or experience in the sector will have a “militating effect on the pace and quality of development not only of the nascent sector but of the country.”

Ramson explained that it was for this reason that he applied for and was offered a place to study at one of the best oil and gas universities in the world.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

By Dr. Bheri Sygmond Ramsaran

Getting It Right

Jagan Bottom House School aka The University Of Guyana T

he University of Guyana (UG) at its Turkeyen Campus on Wednesday, 21st March, in honour of the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Cheddi Jagan launched a photographic and book exhibition. The well attended event is part of the commemorative activities for the 100th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, founding member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and late President of Guyana. I was at the launch and first viewing of the Picture and Book Exhibition on Campus.

The University undertook this activity in recognition of Dr. Jagan’s role in conceptualizing and creating the instruction even while the country was still a British colony and there was at that time no physical campus to accommodate it nor were there funds available to construct a physical campus.

Dr. Jagan saw the cre-

ation of a national university level institution as a game changer for the then British colony - British Guiana.

The urgency for the creation of a university was well meshed with Dr. Jagan’s wider endevour to win political independence from the UK. Dr. Jagan anticipated the need for large numbers of professionals to manage and develop an independent Guiana.

Many people associate the efforts/creation of the University with the early 1960s. As a matter of fact, the groundwork planning for the founding of the UG actually began in late 1959, and much work was put into this process by the time the UNESCO Mission visited Guyana from late 1962 and early 1963 to conduct an educational survey on the invitation of the Jagan-led PPP Government. The members of that high-level interna-

tional team expressed to Dr. Jagan their great surprise that so much planning could have been completed in a mere three years, since he had first floated the idea of creating a national nursery to train Guianese to take up the challenges of nation building.

At that time, his Minister of Education was Mr. Cedric Vernon Nunes. Unfortunately, not enough is written or said of this patriot and nationalist whose work and contributions played such a significant support role in the realization of Dr. Jagan's plans. Except for a public school named after him on the Essequibo Coast, there is a paucity of information and recognition of the contribution of this son of the soil.

The PPP may well want, at this time of veneration of Cheddi Jagan ,to also consider it timely to celebrate the sterling support roles

of this and other party stalwarts. Another candidate who stands out for such recognition by the PPP comes easily to mind — E.M.G. Wilson, fondly known as “the Admiral” for his role in keeping the T&HD ferries afloat and operating during the infamous strikes and social strife of the said early 1960s funded by foreign agents and executed by the PNC and its local cohorts in the Trade Unions.

Dr. Jagan’s sojourn in the USA while training to become a dentist allowed him to observe a model of adult education, which he thought would be replaceable in the British Guiana (BG) of those pre-independence years. Resources were scarce and administrative initiatives were cramped by the British colonial power through its representative, the Governor General. In the USA the dental student, Cheddi Jagan, had benefited from attending evening adult classes held in buildings, which during the day were used for schooling of children or other purposes, but were underused after those classes were dismissed by 3pm.

BG at that time had similar buildings, which could

be pressed into similar use as a home for the nascent UG until more funds were available. The laboratory facilities of this school would also come in handy for adult education in the evening and night hours.

The disruptive Political Opposition of the time — mainly the Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) and the minuscule United Force (UF), led by Peter D’guiar, mounted a major slander campaign against Jagan’s cost-effective initiative Queen’s College.

These two opposition parties denigrated Jagan’s progressive efforts with the introduction of their label for the fledgling University of Guyana. They deridingly baptized UG as “JAGAN NIGHT SCHOOL”.

The introduction of this model into the then British Guiana was practical and would address the need for a University Campus.

This was innovative thinking. Hence the University of Guyana was established with classes held on the premises of one of the leading secondary schools —- Queen’s College.

As I sat through the well

executed launch of the Picture and Book Exhibition in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, I recalled the similar opposition by the PNC in more recent years to the Specialty Hospital that the Jagdeo-led PPP/C Government had commenced constructing not too far from the UG Campus.

The minuscule United Force has disappeared from the national conversation decades ago. I mused as I sat through the launch ceremony in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre. Its disruptive role has been taken up by another minuscule political party — the Alliance For Change (AFC) led by Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan.

The University of Guyana was established in April 1963 with the following Mission: “To discover, generate, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation, and of all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom that allows for free and critical enquiry.”

While supporting these lofty ideals, we must not forget the true history and genesis of the JAGAN NIGHT SCHOOL.

Guyoil halts credit arrangement with Region 6 Admin …regional vehicles grounded

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ehicles attached to various Government departments in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) have been grounded by a lack of fuel.

Region Six Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop explained that the administration has been recalcitrant in paying for fuel supplied, and the supplier has consequently pulled the plug.

“There is no fuel shortage, but Guyoil has stopped giving (Region 6) now because they have a big outstanding bill. This started to happen last year, and the oil company (stopped supplying) fuel; so all the important work has stopped (because) the engineers cannot go out in the fields…,” De Roop explained.

He, however, noted that Guyoil continues to issue fuel to ambulances attached to

Government hospitals.

According to DeRoop, the administration has money to purchase fuel from Guyoil, but under the current arrangement, the fuel is supplied and then billed for, before payments are made.

DeRoop explained that the administration is given a month’s holdover, and is expected to make payments for fuel in a timely manner; but has failed to so do, resulting in the company withholding issuance of fuel.

However, while some departments are made to suffer as a result of what the vice-chairman calls negligence some Government vehicles have been exempted from that type of treatment.

“We continue to see this negligence from top to bottom, and incompetence of persons put in a position to do a job. At the top level, we

fuel company refused to supply fuel until paid. He noted that January 2018 payment is outstanding; that should have been taken care of in February.

“We have money budgeted, and it is just to do the transaction in a timely man-

ner. I never experienced (this situation) prior to 2015. We had some issues last year, and the ambulances were given fuel even though the bill was not paid. The REO [Regional Executive Officer] sees it fit to focus on other things, when this is so important,”

De Roop declared.

The Vice Chairman noted that the David G buses will also be affected, forcing hundreds of children who depend on the school bus to find alternative ways to get to and from school.

Jagdeo says APNU+AFC can’t get even the ‘simplest things’ right

T are seeing it; at the regional level, we are seeing it; all over, you are seeing the incompetence. They just don’t have the right people to do the job, and residents are suffering because of this,” the Vice Chairman said.

He said this situation evolved last year when the

he brouhaha over the naming of a Board for the Guyana Sugar Corporation – with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, saying the actions of the Special Purposes Unit (SPU) was premature; Minister Jaipaul Sharma’s defence of the Board members named; and the initial moves by SPU to constitute a Board of Directors – evidence confusion in the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s camp.

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the matter today (March 16, 2018) at a news conference held at his Church Street Of-

fice. “There is so much confusion to just appoint a board. It’s like they can’t get the simplest things right, much less the bugger issues, like charting a future for Guyanese,” he said.

The new GuySuCo Board members, who were named, include: SPU Head Colvin Heath-London; Fritz McLean; Komal Singh;Verna Adrian; Vishnu; Annette Arjoon; Arianne McLean; Roshan Khan; and George Jarvis.

The appointments, according to the SPU, took effect from March 1, 2018.

SPU Head, Heath-London, was named as the Chairman of the Board.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Cheddi Jagan – A teacher of the people:

A tribute by Seepaul Narine, General Secretary, GAWU H

is accomplishments as a consummate politician and his stature as a statesman sometimes overshadow his role as a Trade Unionist. One of Cde Cheddi Jagan’s outstanding attributes was his ability to link the struggles for Guyana’s freedom from colonialism, to the struggle for political power while, at the same time, organizing and inspiring the working people in their day-to-day actions for increased wages and improvement in their living conditions. On the Trade Union front, in the early years of his involvement, he was close to the Sawmill and Forest Workers Union and to workers’ struggles in the sugar industry. At the same time, he established relationships with leaders of other trade unions. Our farmers’ interests were also never neglected. He played a major role in the work of the Rice Producers’ Association and assisted with the formation and work of other farmers’ organisations. And to his credit, due to his persistent efforts, landlordism in the countryside was dislodged from its prominent position, and we saw that, increasingly, land was given to the real tillers.

But, I believe, any remembrance of Cde Cheddi’s life cannot be completed if we do not recognise his

pivotal role in the founding of GAWU and the history-making struggles in which sugar workers were involved.

Cde Cheddi Jagan embraced the sugar workers’ struggles for over forty-five (45) years. That association brought to the workers formidable leadership, led to great militancy and their growing class awareness.

Cde Cheddi rose in GAWU, the Union he founded, to the high position of Honorary President. But, as we know, he was never carried away by the attainment of high offices in the Trade Union field or in Government. His primary goals, though not the only ones, were freedom, the consistent improvement of the working people’s lives, establishing in a sustainable way, economic and social progress for our country.

In the years of his association with sugar work-

ers’ struggles much was accomplished. The plantocracy was challenged and that brought on the wrath of the owners and rulers and their support agencies; company unionism was exposed; living conditions and the lives of the people steadily improved; the atrocious logie-schemes gave way to housing schemes with tolerable infrastructure; a system of community centres for workers was established; dispensaries attached to estates to cater for workers and their families were set up. These are among the accomplishments that workers led by their Union and Dr Jagan fought for, stoutly and selflessly, and won.

In reference to Cde Cheddi Jagan’s advocacy in the Legislative Council, Cde Ashton Chase, Senior Counsel and outstanding Trade Unionist wrote in “History of Trade Unionism in Guyana”, as follows:“In Dr. Jagan, the workers found an outstanding champion of their rights.

The solemnity of the Legislative Council was rudely shaken by his vigorous advocacy of the cause of workers. He had a passion for statistics. He used these in his pungent and forceful arguments to expose reaction and to lay bare before the workers, the vicious system that exploited them. At sit-

ting after sitting, he assaulted the vaunted privileges of the capitalists. On many occasions, single handedly, but nevertheless most heroically and inspiringly he fought for the workers’ rights” Cde Jagan’s was a strong voice, an ardent advocate for “Nationalization of the commanding heights of the Economy”. For him and the organisations he headed, the rich resources of Guyana belonged to the people and should be developed and worked to their well-being and the country’s benefit. Thus, back in 1970’s, when the sugar, as with the bauxite industry, became State-owned and foreign ownership drew to a close, Cde Cheddi advocated and supported the Act but called, at the same time, for a deepening of the process where workers would have a say in the industry’s management and decision-making.

His life as a politician and trade unionist, we should remember, was not all smooth-sailing. The colonialists and their local collaborationist’s props were certainly angry by his advocacy, the demands he made and the struggles he guided and led. He had to face the wrath of the forces of reaction which helped to defend and perpetuate colonial oppression and exploitation of our country’s resources. He

paid a heavy price for his stance, but he did not waver from that course, in the face of such adversity. For that he has earned our lasting respect and an honoured place in our memory.

In our fond memories of Cde Cheddi Jagan, we would often think of him as a “Teacher of the People”, rightly so, that is one of his attributes. And the important question to ask is: What did he teach? His speeches and writings are filled with lessons than can guide us as we face up to new challenges and continue in our various struggles. However, some things stand out. His fight for democracy and arguing that it is a condition for development is still applicable today not just to Guyana but other countries too. He subscribed, in words and deeds to international solidarity, believing correctly that we must give support to just struggles of others as we expect to receive support in our struggles.

Class struggles, he held, was inevitable in a society divided by hostile classes and it is this struggle that will determine the future of the working people. He brought to our attention the practices, machinations and dangers of imperialism in Guyana and the world and further showed that capitalism, a system that puts

profits before people, breeds inhumanity, poverty, injustice and exploitation.

In the vault of such rich memories of Cde Cheddi Jagan, we find another gem.

He was a fighter for World Peace. He was Vice-President of the World Peace Council, a body that conducted activities throughout the world in opposition to unjust imperialist war-mongering, a body that championed world peace in the face of the threat of nuclear conflagration of our planet. Today, world peace has again become a central question before mankind.

More than ever the question of world peace must engage our attention. Let us walk in the footsteps of our celebrated leader.

Twenty-one (21) years have gone by since Cde Cheddi took leave of us. We well remember today those qualities that have made him an outstanding leader. In our complicated times and in confronting unusual challenges, he is gravely missed.

But, we take comfort in the thought that he left us a legacy which, if creatively followed in these dynamic times will serve as a guiding compass in our many-sided struggles for a better, democratic and peaceful future.

We in GAWU pay homage to this great leader of our country.

World Water Forum:

Irfaan Ali cites reduced funding for developing countries M

aking water a fundamental right for people was emphasised by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and former Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali who chaired three sessions on the role of parliamentarians and rights to water at the 8th World Water Forum in Brazil.

While addressing the audience on Tuesday, Ali stressed the importance of water being a fundamental and constitutional right. “For this to occur we must address issues of equality and the issue of water as a source for growth verses an economic good,” the MP told a large

gathering of MPs from across the globe.

Ali cited the high capital cost and investment made in water treatment plants and facilities by many developing countries. But he noted that the issue of increased access to concessional financing must be tackled, as more often international development agencies have been reducing funding.

“Continuously, the allocation in terms of concessional financing to water and this is severely affecting developing countries. Issues of equality.

We have to tackle the issue of whether a minimum limit

in national budgets for water development, production and conservation is needed,” he explained.

NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER RAPHAEL TROTMAN The former Minister said MPs should all look carefully at how to marry the issue of water as a fundamental human right versus water as an economic commodity.

“What are the basis elements or framework MPs can follow in the push of water agenda.

I think these are questions and issues we should tackle,” he said.

At the completion of the session of MPs, a draft Parliamentarians’ Manifesto was developed with certain clear strategies in helping to ensure water security, universal access to safe drinking water and sustainable development.

The MPs will therefore be pressing for water security to be priority in the allocation of budgetary and non-budgetary, national and international for countries with difficulties, among others.

It was also decided and included in the manifesto that MPs will work to make viable the legal changes and public policies that improve

water governance, rational use of water, water efficiency in productive processes and research and innovation in the areas of water and sanitation; guarantee budgetary resources for public works and polices, as well as improved efficiency in the use of water resources.

The MPs also agreed to adopt the actions established in the manifesto to strengthen their roles in the universalisation on the human right to water and sanitation; reinforce the need to prioritise measures to mitigate climate change that are related to water security, among others.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

NBS officials charged with false imprisonment T

hree officials from the New Building Society (NBS) were on Wednesday charged with eight counts of false imprisonment.

Anil Kishun, Anil Beharry and Deka Tularam appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore where the charges were read to them for confining eight persons from leaving the Bank’s Avenue of the Republic Headquarters on January 23rd.

Members of the public were not allowed inside of the courtroom while the matter was being presided over.

According to reports, on the day in question a party of

Soldiers fined for stealing milk and butter from Army headquarters

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lawyers representing former Chief Executive Officer of the NBS Maurice Arjoon, in the company of High Court Marshals, moved into the NBS headquarters to seize the company’s assets

in a bid to recoup the $59 million pension awarded to Arjoon.

NBS immediately locked its doors to the institution, trapping among others, a lawyer and a court-marshal.

hree Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers were on Monday fined $100,000 after being found guilty of stealing milk and butter from base Camp Ayanganna back in 2017.

Richard Charles, Kevin Philips and Linton Logan were found guilty of the charge which stated that between February 13, 2017, and 14, 2017 at Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown they stole 11 bags of 25-kilogram powdered milk worth $ 153,890 and seven cases of Golden Cream Margarine, the property of the Guyana Defence

Richard Charles and Kevin Philips

Force.

The men were on trial before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly.

The men were each fined $100,000 or on default, one-

year imprisonment.

According to reports, on February 14, 2017, the men were busted while carting out the stolen items from Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown.

bandits killed at Kingston Seawall Four persons detained as Suspected were shot six times each – autopsy carjacking busts continue A

The intercepted vehicles

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s the Guyana Police Force (GPF) makes more inroads into the carjacking rings operating in Guyana, a team of officers during an intelligence-led operation intercepted two vehicles and detained four persons in ‘A’ Division (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara).

According to the police in a release, the vehicles’ chassis numbers appeared to have been tampered with and the drivers alleged that they were given the vehicles to operate by a close relative of a suspect who is currently being sought and who is the suspected mastermind of the

“carjacking ring” and another who is on remand having been charged with five counts of receiving stolen property and three counts of imitation of an identification mark.

After months of investigations, the Force recently smashed a number of carjacking operations across the country, recovering multiple vehicles suspected to be stolen or illegally obtained.

An ex-policeman, identified as Jason Harry, thought to be the ringleader, was apprehended at Kuru, Kururu on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway after he was allegedly found with suspected stolen vehicles and parts in

his possession.

He appeared before the court twice for various charges and was granted $1M bail, but remained remanded on a robbery charge.

Several persons have so far being charged in connection with these matters.

Shawn Archibald and Timothy Waldron have also been accused of carrying out a series of carjackings.

Only recently, a fatherand-son duo of Nigel and Ricky Chung, both welders, were arraigned in court on accusations of welding on false chassis numbers to a Spacio and an Allion motorcar.

post mortem examination conducted on the remains of two of the suspected bandits; Kwame Assanah and Dextroy Cordis, has confirmed that they were both shot at least six times each with the bullets exiting their bodies.

It is unclear how many times the third man, Errol Adams was shot.

The post-mortem examinations were conducted on the bodies of the three men on Monday.

The three men were shot dead during an alleged shootout with the police on Thursday last at the Kingston Seawall just behind the GNS Ground.

According to reports, based on the post mortem examination, it was confirmed that the bullets entered and exited the bodies of Assanah and Cordis. Assanah was shot five times to the chest and once to the upper right arm while Cordis was shot five times to the chest and upper body and once to the

head.

Now that the post mortem examinations have been concluded, there are more unanswered questions as to what really occurred on the day the men were shot and killed.

Law enforcement officials are maintaining that the men were about to commit a robbery and the consequences could have been more severe if the Police did not take the action it took on the day in question.

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine on Monday threw his support behind his ranks claiming the use of deadly force against the suspected bandits was justified.

Man’s lifeless, partially burnt body found in Rosignol fishing vessel

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he lifeless and partially burnt body of a man was discovered during the wee hours of Tuesday morning in a vessel after it caught alight at the Rosignol Fishery, Mahaica- Berbice.

Police say they have only been able to identify the man as “Rajaul” of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

While details remain sketchy, Police “B” Division Commander, Linden Alves

stated that the discovery was made when two watchmen on duty at the fishery noticed smoke emanating from the boat.

The watchmen quelled the erupting fire before the Rajaul’s body was discovered.

It is believed that the now deceased man, who is said to have been an alcoholic, may have been imbibing and lit a stove onboard the vessel, before falling asleep, which

most likely fell during that time, resulting in the fire.

Rajaul’s body was found with burn marks, suspected to be as a result of the blaze and no marks of violence.

No one has been arrested in this regard.

However, Alves posited that until a post mortem examination is completed, it is difficult to ascertain if the now deceased man died before, or during the fire.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Grade Six Assessment

Mathematics

1. What is the greatest common factor of the following numbers: a. 2 & 4 b. 3 & 9 c. 4 & 20 d. 35 & 49 2. Round each number to the nearest 1,000: 1) 504,544 2) 936,391 3) 498,896 4) 123,477 5) 510,318 6) 707,407 7) 848,220 8) 758,807 9) 217,933 10) 437,293 11) 941,756 12) 272,321 13) 741,112 14) 663,578 15) 586,756 16) 173,288 17) 166,325 18) 994,173 19) 275,579 20) 562,549

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Children’s Corner

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The Ship

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voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.

The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.

He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one

who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

Name: ............................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................ ......................................................................................... Tel. No: ................................................

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Animals are mankind’s best friends

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here is no doubt that cats make good companions (certainly many dog lovers would argue that fact),

but history shows the contrary. Archaeologists can date domesticated cats back to the Ancient Egyptians, who lived over 3,000 years ago! Who knows what fascination early mankind had with these animals?

I will leave such big questions to the historians and stick to a more personal realm shared with me by a friend.

She said that she has always been a cat lover, and the proud owner of two adorable felines - Phoebe and Rufus. Phoebe especially is very people oriented, often greeting her at the door for a tummy rub and settling in her lap while she is working at her computer. Both cats are cherished companions. She told me that her furry friends are sometimes lively, sometimes lazy, but never boring. In fact, on the contrary, I find them extremely entertaining and sometimes almost mesmerizing.

Have you ever watched a cat chase a string or a moving light ray reflecting off a piece of jewelry or of glass?

This simple little pastime can be a tremendous source of amusement and stimulation for these animals. It makes you wonder what is going on in their heads!

Usually, the interest is short-lived, but while they are in the middle of it, they exhibit focus and determination and nothing else seems to matter!

My friend said that she always envy this kind of abrupt abandonment. Upon reflection my good Readers, I know from my own personal experiences and from working with comrades , students and colleagues that we humans have a much more difficult time separating ourselves from our current worries and preoccupations and the moment we happen to be living. As a consequence, we often forfeit the daily joys of our own life. This is certainly one lesson we take from our four-legged, furry feline friends.

Remember, do not procrastinate, do not allow any problem to take control of you and whatever you have lost or has left you is definitely for your own good.

Comrades, this week, I hope that you will take some time out to do just that. Just enjoy being in the moment!

And spend some time with your Mirror Newspaper catching up with the facts on current issues.

Happy 68th Anniversary to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Remember to purchase and read your copy of the Mirror Newspaper and tune to Freedom Radio, streaming on 91.1 FM in GT and its environs, 90.7 in Essequibo and 90.5 in Berbice. Streaming online freedomradio 91.com. Follow us on Facebook at freedomradiogy.

Join the Annual Cheddi Jagan Fitness Walk this Sunday at the National Park at 7am. (G. Persaud)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

WPA peeved at strong arm politics of PNC

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iting instances of decisions being made at Cabinet without consulting the smaller coalition partners among other exhibitions of strong-arm politics, a Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member is of the view that coalition politics in Guyana has failed to live up to expectations.

According to WPA heavyweight Tacuma Ogunseye, leaders of the party owe it to their members to put their continued involvement in A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on the agenda for serious discussion. He noted that there are concerns that the party’s time in the coalition has not done the party, and the country as a whole, any good.

“Relations with the WPA and the PNC/R in the APNU, on a number of issues, have been a serious problem. It has created a lot of internal tensions within the party,

both at home and overseas.

And I believe that during the last almost three years in Government, many people in the party, both abroad and home, have varying views as to whether the WPA’s presence in Government has been beneficial to the country and the party,” Ogunseye disclosed.

He made it clear that after observing coalition politics and the way it has played out in Guyana since 2015, he is convinced it has failed to live up to his expectations.

According to Ogunseye, coalition politics has involved the cabinet making and executing policies with the WPA party leaders ultimately being informed through the press.

“I am disappointed that in the APNU, the way in which the coalition has developed over the last three years leaves much to be desired.

There is little consultation.

Little forum for articulating concerns and views; and in any coalition, the groups form policies and the cabinet executes the policies that are designed by the parties.

“But the way in which matters have developed in this coalition is that the cabinet usurps both positions,” Ogunseye explained.

Ogunseye stressed that this is not how a coalition is supposed to work. According to him, a comparison with the PNC’s dealings with the WPA and with the Alliance for Change (AFC) shows that the latter party is shown more consideration than his party, and for obvious reason.

“The AFC will have to speak to what extent they are satisfied…(but) the AFC is in a position to make the Government collapse. It’s a strategic position, (and) they have to deal with them differently,” he explained.

Additionally, he noted that the AFC negotiated an arrangement, the Cummingsburg Accord, with APNU. He pointed out that the WPA was not afforded the opportunity to negotiate a formal arrangement for the 2015 elections. As such, only the PNC’s “moral decency” could hold it to the principles of coalition politics when dealing with the WPA. In the meantime, Ogunseye noted that the WPA has been forced to accept collective responsibility as a party on issues it played little to no part in. Far from improving, he expressed concerns that things were getting worse.

“We don’t believe it is helping the coalition. The coalition is not getting better.

We don’t believe it is helping the country, because the country is not getting the best demonstration of coalition politics. Coalition politics is gradually becoming the

politics of the past.”

No concern Meanwhile, PNC/R General Secretary Amna Ally has expressed unconcern to talk of the WPA breaking away. According to Ally, things were being blown out of proportion.

When contacted, WPA Executive Dr David Hinds dispelled any ambiguity about the party’s intention.

He noted that contrary to Ally’s assertion, the party leaving has always been on the agenda, and its members have always been aware that the day may come when hard decisions would have to be made. Early talks of leaving, however, were suppressed in the interest of “the collective and country.”

“The strength of the Coalition is its (unity). Yet the Minister is saying that she is not worried that one partner is so dissatisfied that some of its leaders are raising the

possibility of leaving. How can a spokesperson of a Government and Coalition with a tiny majority in the National Assembly not be worried that there is grave dissatisfaction within the coalition?”

But Hinds made it clear that the idea of a coalition party was much more popular with voters than the idea of the individual parties: the PNC, AFC and WPA. He made it clear that none of the parties could have achieved victory at the polls in 2015 on their own.

“The Coalition won the election in 2015 because a small majority of the electorate perceived that a coalition of parties stood a better chance of defeating the incumbent PPP,” Hinds explained. “And my knowledge of Guyanese politics tells me that any rupturing of that coalition would work to the disadvantage of the Coalition at the next election.”

Region 2 RDC expresses no confidence in its REO Rupert Hopkinson ‒ PPP and APNU/AFC councillors unite in calling for action as millions of $$$ in irregularities uncovered

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he Regional Democratic Council of Region 2 has distanced itself from reports that it supported REO Rupert Hopkinson in the mismanagement of the Region's budgetary allocation.

In another statement issued today by Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, the public was informed that the RDC is totally dissatisfied with Hopkinson's action particularly since repeated efforts were made by the Council to have the REO act in compliance with the financial regulations, “Hopkinson as the Accounting Officer fails to follow recommendations and decisions taken by the RDC at its Statutory Meetings. Due to such negligence and incompetence the REO, who also serves as Clerk of the RDC has created numerous pending matters that residents, more precisely students are affected.”

Mr Ramdatt revealed that

the RDC's request for details regarding Budgetary and Procurement Management were always denied by Hopkinson and in fact he has never attended nor provided any report to the RDC Committee on Finance, “Despite a number of audit queries over the years, this accounting officer continues to breach procurement, financial guidelines and regulations.”

While Mr Hopkinson continues to apparently receive support from senior government officials at Ministry of the Presidency and the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, at the local level both the PPP and APNU/AFC councilors seem united in efforts to have the REO held accountable for his actions.

It was noted that at a recent sitting of the RDC Statutory Meeting, several matters regarding malpractices engaged active

discussions by councillors from both Government and Opposition all of whom are committed to accountability and transparency.

Some of these matters are: 1. Abuse of millions of dollars from the RDCs Economic Project Accounts, including the Essequibo Night Account; Hopkinson recently purchased a cellphone costing in excess of $200,000. along with other luxury items over time without getting RDC's approval and not adhering to the procurement act and stores regulations.

2. Poor implementation of projects have started already in 2018, where several residents are complaining about the quality of works done.

3. Delay in signing vouchers, affecting repairs and maintenance of schools, health facilities, roads, dams, drainage and irrigation structures, machines and equipment.

- Insanitary and unsafe conditions of our schools. Many school toilets are out of order due to unavailable building materials. Some schools may have to close due to deteriorating conditions.

- Several machines and equipment to prepare D&I dams and drainage are in need of minor repairs but are down due to unavailable parts.

- Dorms are not receiving timely supply of dietary items.

4. Trench cleaners contracts were taken away without any justification and were awarded by Hopkinson who Chairs the Regional Tender Board to friends and relatives of D&I Senior Staff. Hopkinson failed to intervene and review the wrongful awards.

5. Persons contracted to clean school compounds in September 2017 are yet to be paid.

6. Persons contracted to

clean road shoulders in 2016 are yet to receive full payments.

It does not end there as the RDC is also accusing Mr Hopkinson of misleading the Public Accounts Committee when he claimed that the funds were used for emergency projects.

The Chairman in his statement revealed that most if not all of those projects done were not emergency projects and never had the approval of the RDC, “There are numerous other priorities for Region Two, than fencing Parks that are not utilized.

The Cotton Field Sitting Area was strongly objected to by residents, the Anna Regina Town Council and the RDC.” He added that had the REO consulted the RDC or followed the request made by Councillors and even Programme Heads he would have recognized the follow-

ing projects are much more of a priority and can create better impact: 1.Fixing the Capoey Primary School Septic Tank.

2. Address the poor conditions at the Charity Secondary School.

3. Install generator at Public Hospital Suddie that was affected whenever there was a blackout.

4. Cleaning of the Hackney Friendship Canals, preparation of access dams and maintenance of drainage and irrigation structures in cultivation areas.

5. Fix rapidly deteriorating community roads.

The statement concluded by announcing that the RDC has no confidence in its Clerk Mr. Rupert Hopkinson to continue as the Accounting Officer and calls for appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken for his breach of financial regulations and other regulations.

Taxpayers lost $1B to financial waste at Ministry of Public Infrastructure A n independent analysis report found that Guyanese taxpayers have lost close to one billion dollars to “financial waste and abuse” over the last two years at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure headed by David Patterson.

The Guyana Budget and Policy Institute by economist Dhanraj Singh, Deepanshu Mohan and Aryan Agarwal

noted that the country’s Auditor General flagged almost one billion in the Ministry’s expenditures for financial mismanagement, waste, abuse and noncompliance with the country’s fiscal management and accountability laws and standards during the fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

The report recommended that the legislation must be

amended or enacted to end such waste and abuse of public resources, a practice which robs citizens of maximum benefits.

The report is the first in a series of reports the group intends on producing with the aim of helping taxpayers understand how their monies are spent by those in public offices.

According to the report,

it is extremely difficult for taxpayers to know how the billions which were budgeted every year are spent, particularly, if they are spent for the purposes which were stated.

Regarding the waste of the one billion dollar, which was on the controversial Durban Park Project, the report outlined that the misspending of these funds represent a significant loss to

taxpayers and the economy.

“The total of almost $1 billion cold pay for a new public road from Georgetown to Mahaica or retain 500 sugar workers on a monthly salary of $60,000 for three years or hire new teachers or nurses on the same salary,” the report said.

The report further highlights that audits for billions of dollars allocated to multi-

ple agencies under the Ministry are severely backlogged.

At the end of 2016, more than $3.4 billion in capital expenditures by subagencies under the Ministry remain unaudited. There are the Transport and Harbour Department, the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Maritime Administration.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Machine’ to participate CPL, Yello Media sign ‘Green in Americas Rugby challenge three-year partnership

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ello media, the caribbean’s foremost digital and print advertiser, and the caribbean premier league (cpl) have announced the formation of a new threeyear partnership designed to create community support, commerce, and engagement through cricket.

The regional partnership, the first of its kind for yello media group since its rebrand in 2017, is part of the company’s push to establish and support initiatives that celebrate caribbean people and culture. Yello media group’s director of marketing tshani jaja welcomed the initiative stating: “Cricket plays such an important role in caribbean history and culture. The cpl has in recent years driven a resurgence in the sport and has successfully engaged a wide subsection of support from all age groups, including young people. With this partnership, yello media group is able to introduce a more modern and digital take on a tradition that has been ongoing for generations”.

A Yello will, through its newly introduced mobile app and online platforms, provide match fixtures and profiles on players. Yello will also launch an online campaign to give fans an opportunity to win match tickets and special prizes in yello’s participating markets – jamaica, barbados, guyana, st. Lucia and trinidad & tobago.

Cpl commercial director jamie stewart added: “We are excited to welcome yello as a sponsor of the hero cpl for the next 3 years. Yello is the caribbean leader in the digital space and

it is perhaps testament to the league’s innovative and powerful online presence that this exciting partnership has been possible. Fans can expect some fun activities, both online and offline, with the opportunity to win tickets, merchandise and unique experiences as the cpl gets closer. We would like to thank the company for their shared vision and invite fans to find what they need throughout the caribbean with yello.”

The partnership further establishes the yello media mantra of knowing and celebrating local.

Bellevue celebrates Rajpat’s national selection

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fter many years of dormancy, the bellevue sports club (bvsc), since its resuscitation in 2013, has been creating and providing opportunities for the youths within and outside of its perimeters. The youths are not only engrossed in sports, but academics also.

The bvsc is starting to reap the benefits of its efforts as they held a simple ceremony at the bvsc pavilion to celebrate its first national athlete last thursday evening. The community and the bvsc has much to celebrate as their contribution and hard work did not go futile Nicholas rajpat who hails from the small community of bellevue, on the west bank of demerara, will be donning national colours, as part of this year’s national u-15 cricket squad, representing guyana at the

national level.

Discipline and hard work has been the main contributors to the success of this left handed opening batsman and part-time wicketkeeper.

This was a proud moment for the youngster and his father who could not hold back his tears of joy and fulfilment. His journey started five years ago through the vision of persons that understand the needs and benefits of sports and to reach out to a community that has so many youths desperately in need of something positive.

Prior to five years ago, the play field was engulfed in bushes and described as a cow pasture, but today that has changed and the main players in that change cannot go unrecognized. The involvement and contribution of pastor krishna singh coupled with the manage-

ment of bvssc, has been immensely effective positively.

Gracing the ceremony were anand sanasie – secretary of the guyana cricket board, former guyana under-19 captain travis persaud and representatives from the west demerara cricket association and local ndc.

Sanasie and persaud, respectively, presented a bat and a gear bags to nicholas and encouraged him to stay focused on his development and to capitalize on the opportunity that is in front of him. With the taste of success and the many youths that are attracted to the community, much more can be expected from the work and inspiration that is provided by nicolas and the bellevue sport club.

The club expressed its gratitude to the community and everyone that supported it over the years.

fter the resounding success of the first three seasons of the americas rugby championship, the continent will inaugurate a new performance tournament for countries in sudamérica rugby and rugby americas north.

The americas rugby challenge will be played from august 24 to september 1 in medellín, colombia, in the 15’s format.

The first edition of this new tournament created by rugby americas will be run by the federación colombiana de rugby, which has chosen the city of medellín to host it; the venue will be the estadio cincuentenario.

Two representatives from each region will take part: guyana and mexico will represent the north and host colombia and paraguay will represent the south.

Each team will play three games in the round-robin tournament – sunday august 26 and wednesday august 29,

with the final round set for saturday september 1. The winner will be the team with the most tournament points.

Paraguay and colombia are in the 40th and 41st world rugby ranking positions and are the best ranked teams after the four participants in the championship. Guyana arrives as 2017 ran senior men’s champion and mexico has been invited because of its major market designation.

For the 2019 americas rugby challenge, and in subsequent years, the two ran teams will be those which qualify first and second in ran qualification.

World rugby vice-president and americas rugby chairman agustín pichot, said: “It is a great honour to announce the dates, venue and participating teams for the newest tournament for the continent. We see competitions as the key factor in growth and to have four teams competing in a tour-

nament such as this is great news for rugby in the americas.”

“The growth of the game in the continent is increasing and tournaments such as this generate the aspiration for countries to be better and more competitive,” pichot said.

“I congratulate the federación colombiana de rugby for organising what we know will be a great event that will enhance the development of the four participating unions and our two regions.”

The president of the federación colombiana de rugby andrés gómez, added: “We are delighted to be hosting in colombia this new platform for the game, which integrates countries from the whole continent. This will be a great sporting challenge for los tucanes which will help them raise their performance.”

The match schedule will be announced soon.

Garbarran takes the lead...

ner, Followed By Ajay Gopie And Adealie Hodge In The Second And Third Positions.

In The Veterans Category, Junior Niles Won Easily From Raymond Newton, Who Came In Second And Alexis Nedd Came In Third.

Berbician, Sheneka Teixeira, Won The Beautiful Trophy.

The Oldest Rider In The Race, Montgomery Parris, Took Away The Special Trophy For The Oldest Cyclist To Participate In The Historic Annual Event.

(From page 27)

The Event Was Sponsored By Ms. Bibi Shadick And Family. Several Ppp/C Leaders And The Sponsor’s Family Were On Hand To Present Prizes To The Winners At The End Of The Race.

27

WEEKEND MIRROR 24-25 MARCH, 2018

Sport View

by Neil Kumar

2019 ICC World Cup: West Indies scrapes into final qualifying match T

he West Indies narrowly managed to scrape into the final on sunday, qualifying them to play in the prestigious 2019 icc world cup, which will be held in england.

The rains and soggy outfield forced the imminent duckworth/lewis system to come in place, resulting in scotland being booted out of the qualification process to play in the 2019 icc world cup.

Scotland won the toss and put the west indies into bat. Chris gayle went back to the pavilion for a duck and was quickly followed by shai hope, who was also dismissed for a duck. A century third-wicket partnership between evin lewis and the ‘sick’ marlon samuels did some damage control. However, samuels, while making 51 runs, also ‘ate’ up more than fifty ‘dot’ balls. In the process, his partner lewis was forced to speed up the process. Lewis was dismissed

for 66 runs and the procession started as the west indies was bowled out 198 runs.

Scotland was cursing at 125 for five wickets when the rains came and the umpires were forced to call the game off. Hence, west indies won the match by five runs and will now play in the final on sunday. It will be interesting to see what the selectors will do with samuels, who consumed 68 dot balls and was un-able to rotate the strike as he put tremendous pressure on the other batsmen.

A critical examination of the west indies’ performance thus far is most distressing.

The batting is inconsistent and the team does not have a single world class batsman.

Gayle failed miserably on the tour and his future with the team seems bleak. Marlon samuels is not a team player, and has no place in any west indies team. The west indies team to play in the 2019 world cup should include the

bravo brothers and kieron pollard, along with genuine fast bowlers and better batsmen. Further, the team must include a more professional captain.

It is clear that the west indies lacks proper leadership.

Our players must not be treated like yo yos. Shimron hetmyer should not be allowed to bat all over the batting order.

With darren bravo in the team, he should bat at number three.

Lewis will certainly open the batting. Walton is now an established opening batsman and should be the next in line to open the batting. Hope is hopeless behind the stumps.

The recall of denish ramdin seems imminent.

The ball is now in the court of the west indies selectors to choose the best players for the 2019 icc.

The west indies cricket inc needs to organize a quality regional competition and select the best players based on their performance.

Garbarran takes the lead in second leg of Cheddi Jagan memorial race

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oung Dheeraj Garbarran’s Magnificent Performance Last Sunday Propelled Him To Take The Title In The Second Leg Of The 2018 Cheddi Jagan Annual Cycle Race, Which Held At The West Demerara.

The Second Leg Of The 21St Annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial Cycling Road Race Ride Off From Demerara Harbour Bridge, Proceeded To Parika And Returned

To The Harbour Bridge For A Keen Finish.

In A Swift Race, Garbarran Came In First, Followed

By Walter Grant Stuart Second And The First Leg Winner In Berbice, Alanzo Ambrose. Jamual John, A Hot Favourite, Came In Fourth, While Junior Niles And Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey Took The Fifth And Sixth Spots.

In A Thrilling Race That Captured The Attention Of

Hundreds Of West Demerara Residents, John Led The Race Most Of The Time.

However, In A Keen Struggle On Their Way Back From Parika, There Was A Series Of Strong Attacks, With Garbarran Outsprinting John To Take The Lead.

The Junior Category Participants’ Performance Was Also Very Impressive. Briton John Emerged The Win(Turn to page 26)

Eccles PPP/Group wins Cheddi Jagan centenary domino competition T

he eccles ppp group chalked up 75 games to win the cheddi jagan domino competition last weekend.

The canal no.2 Polder ppp group followed closely behind with 74 games, while the third place team was maraki with 73 games.

The event was hosted by the eccles ppp group.

The competition was indeed highly competitive with the canal group taking an ear-

ly lead, scoring more games in the early rounds. However, the eccles group took the lead at the end of the fourth round and after a tough fifth round in which james stewart love both l. Mckay and t.

Mcallister, the eccles team went into the sixth and final round with a six- game lead.

In the final round james obermuller from the maraki team love kurt issacs from

the eccles team and it was a tough going for eccles ppp group. However, s. Gopie played smart sittings to mark six games, while the eccles skipper’ bad-man’ held canal tight to allow maraki to take the sixes, since the eccles team was well in control.

Dr. Frank anthony, former minister of sport and ppp executive member, was present to make special remarks and present the prizes.

Dr Anthony presents the winning trophy to Mr Neil Kumar of the Eccles ppp group

Oil Sector:

Govt reluctant “to consider any view that is not its own” - Jagdeo L

eader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the coalition government has “no clear management framework for the oil and gas sector” and exhibited a “reluctance to consider any view that is not its own”.

In a statement made last week, the former President said the government is not interested in laying the basis for an “apolitical management architecture” for the sector.

He outlined some measures that could remove political involvement in the sector. These include4 - no ministerial involvement in the Petroleum Commission; - that the remaining oil blocks should be subject to a competitive auction or kept for future generations; - that we should complete the work on the Local Content framework.

He again lambasted the government for not establishing the Sovereign Wealth Fund” as promised.

Below are comments made by the Opposition Leader:

For months, I, like other Guyanese, have witnessed the Coalition Government fail on its promise to deliver on the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund. The current Administration has neglected to work on a solid and apolitical management architecture for our emerging oil and gas sector.

On the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, I have, on multiple occasions, urged that Government take cognizance of the Santiago Principles and a model similar to the principles on which the Norwegian model was developed. The establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund is only one element of a management framework for the sector. I have said before that there should be no ministerial involvement in the Petroleum Commission; that the remaining oil blocks should be subject to a competitive auction or kept for future generations; and that we should complete the work on the Local Content framework. There have been no substantive moves in any of these directions. As I have said before there is no clear

management framework for the oil and gas sector.

As it relates to the statement by the Ministry of Finance in response to Ambassador Holloway, the views expressed by the Ambassador, I feel, represent a mild urging of the Coalition Government to pay attention to an important issue and take substantive action to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund. The Ambassador has repeated what I and other Guyanese have already said – the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund is quintessential to the future prosperity of our nation.

That said, the Government’s response to the Ambassador can only be described as ‘petulant’ ramblings. Minister Jordan, like his colleagues, continues to be impervious to suggestions, a disposition that does not bode well for our nation.

I feel that given the state of affairs, the response by Minister Jordan is reflective of how ‘thin-skinned’ the Coalition Government is and exposes its reluctance to consider any view that is not its own.

Gov’t launches assault on the legacy of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan – CJRC

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ccording to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC), in a press statement, there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the Government to frustrate an activity planned on March 20, to launch a Stamp on the occasion of the birth centenary of former President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The CJRC stated that they, “…we were given all assurances both by the GPO and the subject Minister Cathy Hughes that the Stamp would be available on time for the launch, only to be told by the Post Office that we should contact the Office of the President for the release of the Stamps.”

Further, the CJRC posited that, “…we view this action as an assault on the legacy of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan whose contribution to the cause of a better Guyana is second to none.”

Below is the full statement from the CJRC:The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC) wishes to place on record its disappointment over the failure by the Guy-

ana Post Office Corporation to deliver on its commitment to make available a set of Commemorative Stamps in honour of former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan on the occasion of his Birth Centenary.

The Centre views this as a deliberate attempt on the part of the Government to frustrate an activity planned on March 20 to launch the Stamp.

We wish to point out, for the record, that we were given all assurances both by the GPO and the subject Minister Cathy Hughes that the Stamp would be available on time for the launch, only to be told by the Post Office that we should contact the Office of the President for the release of the Stamps.

We find it strange that what should have been a routine transaction between the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre and the Guyana Post Office Cooperation has now been politically interfered with.

The CJRC had an agreement with the Guyana Post Office to print 400 First Day Covers and, as requested, we made a deposit of $200,000.

We were able to finalize the Stamp specimen and the First Day Cover. (Please see attached) The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre views this move by the administration as a deliberate attempt to frustrate the work of the Centre, especially when seen against the background of attempts by the Granger administration to seize the Red House, which as you are aware, is now before the Court.

Moreover, we view this action as an assault on the legacy of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan whose contribution to the cause of a better Guyana is second to none.

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