JUNE – JULY, 2016

VOLUME #7/2016 ISSUE#7

Growing militarization of the State and Government apparatus in Guyana July 18, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) is opposed to the growing militarization of the State and Government apparatus in Guyana. This tendency is increasingly manifesting itself under the Coalition administration, coupled with this development, is the steady but rapid progression of our country in the direction of a “police state”. This dangerous and unwelcome development has its historical antecedents in the Burnham era of which David Granger is a product. The Coalition administration has a penchant for placing retired and serving military officers in government agencies and departments and to head Commissions of Inquiry into one incident after another. This practice has become so blatant that one letter writer recently posed the question whether; “being an officer or having once been an officer in the Guyana Defense Force offer a distinct advantage over the ordinary mortal of this country or is being an officer or having been an officer now is a prerequisite for certain State appointments?” Effectively, what the Coalition pro-militaristic administration has done by virtue of this practice is to demonstrate its distrust for civilians albeit qualified to perform such functions in contradistinction to military personnel. The PPP is of the view that the rise of the ruling Coalition sponsored police state will inexorably result in the decline of freedom in Guyana. Under the PPP/C, Guyanese abided by the rule of law and successive PPP/C administrations were held accountable for their actions. With the advent of the ruling Coalition to office our country is gradually evolving into a police state where justice has become one-sided, an urban middle-class bureaucratic elite runs the show, accountability and transparency in government is a mockery, the Guyana Police Force is gradually being transformed into an appendage of the military, surveillance of persons of interest (POI‟s) is rampant, privacy is constantly being invaded and eroded and the law is little more than a tool for the Granger administration to browbeat Guyanese into compliance. Meanwhile, the government‟s propaganda machinery is being used to fool the people about heaven on earth with a good life. The situation is reminiscent of the once dreaded PNC police state that is responsible for the hounding down, 1

jailing and killing of political opponents. Witness the present day situation with the establishment of the politically anti-PPP inclined State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), the use of Special Organisation Crime Unit (SOCU) for political witch-hunting, the use of the Guyana Police Force to harass and arrest activists of the PPP, and the use of the Criminal Justice System to delay and thus deny justice to the electors‟ of the PPP vis-à-vis the 2015 Elections Petition. The PPP understands that recently, based on political directives, warrants have been solicited from the Court to gain access to bank accounts of former PPP Ministers and to carry out searches at their respective places of residence. All of the above are politically inspired and motivated. The PPP has noted the persistent threats the Head of SARU to PPP leaders and former government and State functionaries. The Party reminds once again that SARU has no locus standi within the meaning of the Constitution of the Republic or the laws of Guyana. Any attempt to use SARU to illegally harm the legitimate economic and financial interests of any PPP/C leader and/or former government functionary on the basis of wild, unsubstantiated and politically motivated allegations of corruption will be stoutly and resolutely rebuffed by the Party. Attempts by the Coalition administration to harass, intimidate or resort to trumped up charges against PPP leaders merely to satisfy their revenge seeking constituents will not succeed. The PPP has the resilience and the experience to ensure that this does not happen. The PPP notes that the Coalition administration‟s use of the socio-psychological tool of fear and deception is becoming more and more prominent with each passing day. The fear of losing one‟s job, of being watched, of being heard/overheard is mounting more and more among Guyanese. Interestingly, it is this fear that is bringing Guyanese closer and closer together in the mounting opposition to the ruling Coalition‟s discriminatory and witch-hunting practices. And the deceptive mouthings about “a good life for all Guyanese” which many have come to recognize will never be realized continues unabated notwithstanding the declining living standards of the Guyanese People.

GECOM decisions deeply suspicious July 18th, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party is concerned by recent decisions taken by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which has serious implications for the holding of free and fair elections in Guyana. General Secretary Clement Rohee listed GECOM‟s decision to share its database, which includes confidential details of Registrants, with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security as a cause for concern. He said that such a move is “unprecedented” and the justification provided by GECOM‟s chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, and the representatives of the ruling Coaltion creates grounds for suspicion. He stated that the use of linkages between GECOM‟s and the Ministry of Education‟s respective public relations programmes to inveigle GECOM to share unsolicited, its database with the Ministry of Education is fraught with unimaginable implications for free and fear elections in Guyana. He charged that electoral skullduggery facilitated by the ruling Coalition and Surujbally is once again in the 2

making as sharing of GECOM‟s database with these two Ministries is unnecessary given that they both have the capacity to rectify their respective institutional deficiencies. The second decision which the PPP finds disfavour with is the entity‟s acceptance of “source documents” in the form of late registration birth certificates presented to Registration Offices by applicants who it said are primarily middle-aged persons. The General Secretary said that the party views this decision as dripping with suspicion and recalled the strong criticisms it expressed in respect to the efficacy of a Department of Citizenship, under the Ministry of the Presidency, which many view as the part of a rigging machinery established primarily to issue birth certificates to underage persons and as well as to middle-aged persons as in currently being done” he said. Thirdly, he alluded to the breaching of an obligation made by Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally at a meeting held with a PPP delegation on April 21, 2016. At that meeting, GECOM‟s Chairman personally and exclusively committed to providing written answers to a number of questions raised by the General Secretary of the Party. In this regard the General Secretary said that the party is reliably informed that Surujbally has “reconsidered his commitment and did not see the necessity to write the PPP/C”.

PPP condemns mismanagement of country’s affairs June 20, 2016: The PPP noted with utter disgust and rejection the manner in which the Granger-led coalition is administering the affairs of the country. It appears to be totally oblivious to the sufferings of the Guyanese people from all walks of life. Beginning with the dizzying salary increases to government Ministers and super salaries for the recently recruited contracted government employees, when contrasted with the non-fulfillment of promises of a twenty percent (20%) salary increase for the security forces and a ten percent (10%) across the board increase in salaries to all government workers; followed by the heavy tax burdens foisted on the backs of the Guyanese working people with the passage of Budget 2016 all of these cumulatively, exposes the shamelessness of the ruling Coalition Administration. The unfulfilled promises to rice farmers coupled with the refusal to award 2016 salary increases to hardworking sugar workers is another disgraceful manifestation of the attitude of the Granger administration to the productive sector. The regime‟s cynical and boastful offer of a good life to all Guyanese is in reality a good life for the fat cats in government. Further, the meaningless recognition that; “Each citizen, no matter his or her race, creed, social status or gender, has the right to access opportunities and to make a contribution to Nation-building.” rings hollow since in reality, the witch-hunting and racial and political discrimination continues unabated. The total disregard and utter disrespect for more than half of the population who voted for and supports the PPP/C and the regime‟s pretence that these voices in particular and the needs of the citizens in general do not matter and are ignored in and out of Parliament is an indictment of the ruling Coalition Administration. 3

Young people are the hardest hit June 20, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted that one of the chief spokespersons of the ruling Coalition Administration has finally woken up to the realization that; “We are having some bad economic times and generally in times like these there would be increased unemployment especially at the youth level.” All over the country, at many levels of society and across the political spectrum Guyanese are complaining bitterly about the prevailing economic conditions currently prevailing under the Granger coalition administration. Many are speaking out stating that if this is the change they voted for they do not want it. Hundreds of thousands are anxious to see the PPP/C back in government knowing that with such an eventuality the economy will recover and there will be a resurgence of economic and financial activities in the country from which all Guyanese will benefit. Those who voted for change have lost the little hope they had that that change would bring them the much touted „good life,‟ in contrast, what they are seeing is government Minsters and their cohorts enjoying the good life which the common people should be enjoying. In this situation of hopelessness and disgust the young people are the hardest hit with unemployment spiralling upwards reaching about forty percent (40%) according to the Caribbean Development Bank. The manifesto promises by the ruling Coalition to the effect that; “The APNU+AFC Youth Policy will focus on reducing risk factors such as crime, drug abuse, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, suicide, violence and illiteracy”. And that it‟s; “programme will generate support and allocate resources to make recreation, the arts and sports hallmarks of excellence and will restore the bond between young people and our communities.” are now ringing hollow as efforts are desperately being made to assure the populace that change is coming. And the Commission to; “study issues which lead to alienation of boys and young men from our education system, including: dropping-out from schools; engaging in crime and violence; marginalization; accessing the labour market; and poverty alleviation;” has become meaningless to many young people who see no future for themselves under the Coalition Administration. The coalition‟s promise have all gone up in smoke and left young people not only at risk but as ready and available prey for the criminal underworld. The PPP it is part in its 2015 manifesto expressed its commitment to; 1. 2. 3.

Implement national apprenticeship and special youth employment programmes; Provide incentives and opportunities for employers to have youths; Develop entrepreneurship and apprenticeship programmes.

The Government‟s myopic approach in addressing youth employment by fighting crime and providing more money for guns and not for bread will prove disastrous as long as he insists on holding that petard in his hands. 4

Local Government bodies being stifled by Coalition Administration June 28, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) condemned the Granger administration in general and the Minister of Communities in particular for their total and complete disrespect for the legal procedures governing the relationship between the Minister of Communities and the newly elected Local Authority Areas (LAAs). In this respect, the withholding of Ministerial approval for budgets submitted by the LAAs is a blatant manifestation of the arrogant and spiteful behavior of the Minister to punish the people in those LAAs controlled by the PPP/C. The LAAs are being financially stifled by the APNU+AFC coalition administration thus preventing them from executing their functions in the interest of the people who elected the Council members to administer their affairs. Residents in the affected LAAs are urgently awaiting the cleaning of trenches and canals. Works to be done to internal roads, environmental sanitation, maintenance issues and other civil works are badly needed in these communities. The problem is further compounded by the failure of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Minister to discharge their respective responsibilities to bring an end to the deadlock affecting the six (6) Local Authorities. Many of the LAAs have savings already committed to be spent on public works and/or community projects in their respective communities. The Governing Coalition, contrary to all its high-sounding rhetoric, is clearly obstructing progress in the communities where there are Local Authority Bodies controlled by PPP/C Councillors. Moreover, it has now become obvious to all that the Coalition administration has embarked on a studied policy of frustrating the activities of the PPP/C controlled LAAs. And the ruling Coalition‟s so-called “democratic renewal” of the lives of the newly elected Councils has been made a mockery by withholding Ministerial approval for spending monies already in the possession of the LAAs. The LAAs will never be able to “work for the good of their communities” when in actuality the same ruling Coalition which spouted these words continues to pursue policies to the contrary effectively blocking the development of the communities. In this respect, it is anybody‟s guess when disbursement of monies to LAAs will take place having regard to the fact that budget 2016 was approved since February of the same year.

Guyana Peace Council Steering Committee established June 29, 2016: A group of like-minded Guyanese met on Thursday, June 23, 2016 to resume activities directed towards the resuscitation of the Guyana Peace Council as an affiliate of the World Peace Council, which has its headquarters in Athens, Greece. A Steering Committee has been established which is tasked with the responsibility of formally reestablishing the Guyana Peace Council over the next months. The meeting was held at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, Kingston, Georgetown. 5

During its discussions the Steering Committee noted a number of ongoing international developments which impact on achieving world peace. It welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Havana, Cuba. This peace agreement will hopefully bring to an end fifty-one (51) years of war in Colombia which has resulted in 250,000 deaths and five (5) million refugees. The Committee noted the recent statement by German Foreign Minister, Frank Steinmeier in which he warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) against “war-mongering” through military exercises in Eastern Europe which could worsen European security. The Committee, also, noted the High Commissioner of the United Nations Committee for Refugees (UNHCR) Filipo Grandi recently stated concerns for sixty- five (65) million refugees and internally displaced persons existing as a result of wars and other conflicts and the lack of funding, despite pledges, to support these distressed persons. The continuation of wars and conflicts, with associated terrorism, particularly in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, were noted as the prime drivers of social and economic decline leading to migration, refugees and the persistent decline in world peace.

Amerindians complain about undue hardships July 5, 2016: People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Clement Rohee recently made a three day visit to a number of villages in the Rupununi where he met with villagers. During his stay in the Region, the General Secretary held meetings in several villages. The General Secretary briefed villagers on the political and economic situation in the country. Villagers were also updated on the work of the Party following the local government elections and its work in Parliament. The General Secretary delivered presentations on the socio-economic and the political situation in the country to over two hundred representatives from the villages. The gathering was also informed about the work of the Party at the Parliamentary and extra-Parliamentary level and its preparations for the 31st Party Congress. Villagers praised the PPP/C government for the assistance provided to their respective communities and denounced the Granger administration for neglecting them since assuming office. The villagers, at the meeting, complained about what they described as the five (5) plagues, i.e. drought, caterpillars, floods and wild animals; all of which contribute to the destruction of their crops, livestock and the livelihoods of their families and village economies. Villagers expressed their total disgust and frustration with the ruling Coalition‟s inability to provide Amerindian communities with basic necessities for their existence. Amerindians complained about efforts being made by the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs to convert the entire South Rupununi into territory belonging to one Tribe without due respect to the other Tribes residing in the South Rupununi. Amerindians also expressed disgust with the views expressed in certain quarters to the effect that 6

Amerindians were not the First People to occupy the national territory of Guyana. Central Lethem, the major town in the Region, is now virtually a ghost town. Many businesses have folded and hundreds have been thrown on to the breadline. The roads are in a deplorable state and no end of the sufferings of the Lethem residents appears in sight. The Amerindian people are desperately in need of help to develop their respective communities, their village economies and Regions in a sustainable manner. All the talk about a 4,000 acres of land opening up for agriculture, an auto assembly plant and a new airport emanating from official quarters will come to naught if the wishes of the Amerindian people are not fulfilled and consultations on what they want and not solely what government wants are held with each community. The PPP has proposed the following, inter-alia, for the economic well-being of Amerindians and their communities; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Building capacity in agricultural extension and introduction of modern techniques; Expanding processing facilities, targeting the production of Cashew nuts, peanut butter, farine and cassava by-products; Establishing processing facilities targeting the production of mango and citrus juices; Providing support for the production of ground coffee, ginger and cocoa processing; Supporting initiatives for aquaculture; Supporting cattle and livestock rearing; Providing modern production equipment to support processing initiatives;

CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY AT THE CROSS-ROADS July 11, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted with interest the outcomes of the recent concluded 37th Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference. The Party wishes to comment on three of the outcomes of the Conference. First, the Party notes that a; “review of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy” is to be completed by February 2017. The Party recalls that the first CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy was adopted by Heads at their 24th Meeting held in the Republic of Haiti in February 2013. The PPP is aware that save for its application in Guyana, the Region‟s Crime and Security Strategy was left to languish in the rest of the Region as a whole. The Party has noted that Member States were requested to ensure that their respective National Security Plans are in sync with the Revised Regional Crime and Security Strategy. The PPP calls on the Granger administration to immediately activate the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector and to place before that Oversight Committee the 2013 Strategy for bi-partisan consideration and revision and to vest the said Oversight Body with responsibility to formulate a National Security Plan to dovetail with the revised CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy. The Party further calls on the Granger administration to place before the Parliamentary Oversight Body on the Security Sector the draft CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty for bi-partisan consideration. The said Treaty has been languishing for several years and was to be settled since 2008. Heads have now agreed to settle the 7

said Treaty before the end of 2016. Further, the PPP calls on the Granger administration to place before the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector, for bi-partisan consideration and approval, the Revised National Drug Strategy Master Plan which was published in 2014 but which the Granger administration had pledged to revise since its assumption to office. Secondly, the Party has taken note of the decision by Heads to engage in a Comprehensive Review of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) at their Inter-Sessional Meeting scheduled to be held in February, 2017 in Georgetown. The PPP is of the view that since entering into negotiations in the three theatres of external negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the ACP/EU and the FTAA, but more particularly, at the ACP/EU level for a CARICOM/EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the CSME has paid a heavy price given it‟s vulnerable and fragile economies and the lack of technical and human resources to navigate these highly complex and, in many cases, given the unequal economic circumstances between the EU and the Cariforum countries. On top of this, following the signing of the EPA Agreement with the EU, CARICOM countries lacked the vision and resources as regards the ways and means to implement regional preferential obligations between themselves on the one hand and the EU outer-most Regions, on the other. Moreover, the EPA with the EU undermined and exposed the weaknesses and shortcomings of the CSME. The PPP finds it apposite to note that none of the three African economic groupings have settled on EPA‟s with the EU as yet, Cariforum is the only grouping to have signed on to a “full EPA”. The Party wishes to remind that it was agreed that a review of the EPA between Cariforum and the European Union would be done every five (5) years. The first EU/Cariforum review was done in 2014. That review revealed more negatives than positives for both Cariforum and the EU Member States. In this respect, reciprocity was lopsided, the transition envisioned faltered and the trade opportunities for Cariforum countries with EU Member States lacked aggressiveness. Above all, the CSME has been severely undermined and woefully lacking. Some have even said that the CSME was relegated to the doldrums. Small wonder why in the Communiqué issued at the end of their 37th Conference, the Heads simply agreed that “a Comprehensive Review of the CSME would be considered at the Inter-Sessional Meeting next February” (in Guyana). The Granger administration should encourage the Economic Services Committee of the National Assembly to discuss these matters as well as encourage all stakeholders to engage in organized public debates on the CSME as was done by the Jagdeo administration with respect to the advantages and disadvantages of the EPA between Cariforum and the EU in September of 2008. Thirdly and finally, it is totally wrong and unacceptable for the government to engage with Member States of CARICOM on a matter of national and economic importance on which there has been no organized national discussion nor consensus. Brexit is a case in point. In this regard, the Party notes that views have been expressed at various levels on the possible impact of 8

Brexit on Guyana and by extension, the Region as a whole. The CARICOM Heads of Government Communiqué revealed that; “recommendations have been received by Heads for addressing the political, diplomatic, economic and financial implications of Brexit”. The PPP is of the view that these “recommendations” should be placed in the public domain for debate and discussion and the Minister of Foreign Affairs should initiate discussion on this matter at the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Party concerned by delays in hearing of election petition July 11, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) is deeply concerned over the inordinate delay by the Judiciary in general and the Chief Justice in particular with respect to the hearing of the Election Petition filed by Mr. Ganga Persaud on behalf of the party challenging the outcome of the 2015 General and Regional elections. The Party finds it troubling and worrisome that to date, a date has not yet been fixed for the Petition to be heard and no explicable reason has been offered for the delay thereby rendering it another case where justice delayed is justice denied. The PPP remains concerned that the 2015 General and Regional elections were unlawfully conducted and that the result of the said election was affected by unlawful actions or omissions. The Court was asked to; “determine and declare that the whole of the electoral process was so flawed, contained so many procedural errors and so many instances of fraudulent and/or suspicious actions that the results that have been derived from the process cannot be credibly deemed to represent accurately the will of the electorate”. Attempts by lawyers representing GECOM to strike out the Petition as “frivolous and vexatious” are clearly an attempt to deprive the hundreds of thousands of persons who voted for the PPP/C of their right to elect a government of their choice. The Party is of the view that the Chang ruling, to the effect that the Summons to strike out the Petition was “premature and that the Court should proceed in hearing it” should be upheld, the appeal of Chang‟s February 19th ruling by the GECOM lawyer notwithstanding. The PPP is of the view that given the significance of the matter which was filed since June 24, 2015, it is reasonable to expect that thirteen (13) months later, the hearing of the PPP‟s Elections Petition would have gone a far way by now. The Party wishes to remind that to date none of the applications filed have been heard, moreover, dates for hearing are yet to be fixed by the High Court for those applications and most importantly, a date for the Elections Petition itself is yet to be fixed. In the circumstances, the PPP calls for the setting of an early date to be fixed for the hearing of its Petition and the relevant application filed thereto.

Party condemns attempted coup in Turkey July 16, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) condemns the attempted coup in Turkey. 9

The PPP is opposed to the undemocratic and unconstitutional removal by force of a democratically elected government. The Erdogan administration is a freely and democratically elected government. The PPP salutes the hundreds of thousands of democratic and freedom loving people of Turkey who took to the streets to oppose and depose the coup makers and to force the military back into their barracks. Guyana and Turkey established diplomatic relations in May 1973. Under the PPP/C administration, representatives of the two countries signed a Bi-lateral Economic and Commercial Cooperation Agreement in December 2005. In 2009, former President Jagdeo and former Finance Minister attended a World Bank Meeting in Turkey. The PPP/C administration helped facilitate and welcomed a major Turkish investment in the Princess Hotel in Guyana. Tourism, disaster prevention and the promotion of trade and industry are high on the agenda of the two countries. In 2011, Turkey and Caricom signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Consultation and Cooperation. The First Caricom/Turkey Cooperation Forum was held in Turkey. The PPP supports the efforts of the democratic and anti-coup protestors to bring an end to the current political instability and a return to a state of normalcy in Turkey.

PPP condemns deadly terror attack in Nice, France July 16, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party condemns the killing of eight-four (84) people in the French Riviera City of Nice, France. The Party abhors any act of terrorism perpetuated on citizens of any Nation of the world. Guyana has long been part of the worldwide struggle against international terrorism and terrorist related activities. Under the PPP/C administration several initiatives and joint actions at the National and international levels were pursued and implemented either through Caricom‟s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security(IMPACS) and the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) as well as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC). Guyana‟s National Assembly recently passed the Anti-Terrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Bill. The legislation criminalizes terrorism and terrorist related activities and provides for the detection, prevention, prosecution, conviction and punishment of terrorism and terrorist related activities. The PPP repeats its call on the Granger administration to establish the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector to facilitate bipartisan oversight of the Security Sector in cases such as the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering, trafficking in firearms, persons and contraband and other security related activities. The government‟s reluctance to convene meetings of the Oversight Committee will jeopardize the safety, security and protection of the Guyanese people and flies in the face of the wild and premature electoral promises made by the APNU+AFC which remain dead in the water. 10

PPP condemns assassination of Honduran environmental activist July 16, 2016: The People‟s Progressive Party (PPP) condemns the assassination of Lesbia Yaneth Urquia, leader of the Civic Council of Indigenous and Popular Organisations of Honduras (COPINH). Urquia was assassinated by unknown individuals in Department of La Paz, Honduras. The murder of the environmentalist activist occurred just four months after the assassination of Berta Caceres, the General Coordination of the same (COPINH), who was shot dead by gunmen on March 3, 2016 in Honduras. The PPP joins with other democratic and peace loving forces around the world in general, and in Latin America in particular, in condemning this dastardly act and demand that the Urquia killers be brought to justice speedily.

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