Latest News 2005-11-19 to 2007-12-30

Sunday, November 13th 2005

The government has proposed amendments to the

laws to relieve the Chief Justice of a number of duties, including the

allocation of all court business, in what some see as a move that will weaken

the office and could lead to administrative problems.

The High Court (Amendment) Bill 2005 which

was tabled on Thursday would, if passed, remove a number of the administrative

duties from the Chief Justice in whom they have been long vested and give them

to the Chancellor.

Stabroek News was unable to get a comment

from Attorney General Doodnauth Singh (in whose name the bill was tabled) on

the reasons behind it, and already there is speculation as to the government’s

motives, particularly in the light of the current impasse on the Chancellor’s

appointment.

The bill seeks to confer the powers vested in

the Chief Justice under Sections 66, 76 and 77 of the High Court Act on the

Chancellor. According to the bill’s explanatory memorandum, these powers are to

determine the distribution of the business before the court; to assign any

judicial duty to any judge; to direct the sitting of the full court in more

than one division; and to assign a third judge to sit on a hearing by the full

court on appeal, where the Chancellor thinks there are any special grounds that

the full court should be composed of three judges.

The Guyana Bar Association (GBA) council will

be meeting on Tuesday to come up with its official position on the matter, GBA

President Joseph Harmon said yesterday. He said he only learnt of the bill when

a member of parliament brought it to his attention on Friday, the day after it

was tabled in the House and there was no opportunity for members to make their

positions clear. His initial reaction to the bill, however, was to see it as an

attempt to consolidate in the hands of one person what is really the powers of

two people.

But former Bar President and MP Khemraj

Ramjattan did not mince words on the amendment, which he said ought to be

withdrawn. He saw it as "a ruthless attempt to take away the powers of the

Chief Justice and to give it to someone else who the government feels

comfortable with." More than that, he also thought the amendment would

impinge on the constitution, which sets out certain duties for both the Chief

Justice and the Chancellor. Ramjattan said "to denude… the Chief

Justice’s powers is literally to make the Chief Justice a puisne judge in

effect." He went further to say that the bill would in essence

"abolish" the office of the Chief Justice. "What is a Chief

Justice if not the person who allocates the matters…?" he asked rhetorically.

Ramjattan said his initial feelings on the

bill were that it was improperly motivated and in some respects

unconstitutional. He said "it smacks of interference with the independence

of the judiciary," and as both lawyer and MP he hoped that all

parliamentarians would adhere to the doctrine of separation of powers "and

not allow partisan party politics to pass this bill."

Another attorney and MP, Basil Williams, also

thought the amendment would reduce the Chief Justice’s post to nothing more than

a ceremonial title, and could be a move towards doing away with the office.

"What is to happen to the office of the Chief Justice? It becomes

impotent," he noted, while also taking the view that holders of the post

would in essence be just regular judges.

Also, having considered the implications of

the proposed amendment he did not see how it would serve the already

overburdened judiciary by placing the entire administrative workload on the

shoulders of just one office holder. "It doesn’t make sense to me. Right

now, with the Chief Justice alone, we have had a lot of problems and people are

dissatisfied with the way things are and now you will take all the

administrative power to one office?" he said.

Like Ramjattan, Williams also felt that the

amendment was not in keeping with the spirit and intent of the constitution

given the role envisaged by its drafters.

Williams noted too that the amendment had

implications for the current consultations between the President and the

Opposition Leader for the appointment of a Chancellor and Chief Justice. In

this regard, he said, the amendment would amount to "a shifting the

goalposts" during the talks. Indeed, the tabling of the bill comes as the

consultations between President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposi-tion Leader Robert

Corbin remain open after more than six months. Since their first meeting Jagdeo

has publicly stated that Chief Justice Carl Singh is his candidate to fill the

Chancellor’s vacancy but he has not scheduled a follow-up meeting with Corbin,

saying that a committee is searching for an ideal Chief Justice candidate.

Justice Claudette Singh, who was passed over for the post of Chief Justice the

last time it fell vacant, has been named among the leading candidates for it

now. Observers suspect that the amendment is intended to dilute the powers of

the Chief Justice in the event that Chief Justice Carl Singh is appointed

Chancellor, along with a Chief Justice that the government does not look

favourably on.

Under the revised constitution, neither of

the appointments can be made unless the Opposition Leader agrees.

2005-11-05: Exposing a

benign paramountcy in the National Assembly – another national tragedy <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:#0031FF’>

By Khemraj Ramjattan Saturday, November

5th 2005

(MPs Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman do

monthly columns for Stabroek News on a topic of their choice)

In my address at the launch of the AFC last

Saturday I argued the case that the continued presence in the National Assembly

of Trotman, Holder and myself, until such time as we individually decide to

leave, if ever we so decide, is wholly constitutional and moral. The Telfords

and Stellas and Bakrs disagreed. I respect their position and will fight to the

very end to safeguard their right to so express their opinion.

My position on the constitutionality and

legality of our present status cannot be questioned. It is supported by the

Speaker of the House who ruled that he has no jurisdiction to throw out Raphael

upon Mr. Corbin’s application to have him disqualified. Earlier, when the PPP

after my expulsion wanted me out, he had similarly ruled.

Moreover, the Learned Chief Justice Carl

Singh in an application to disqualify Manzoor Nadir, who crossed the floor from

The United Force to the PPP/C, ruled that there is nothing unconstitutional about

such conduct and dismissed the application.

Legal opinion sought by the President from a

famous Guyanese lawyer, who straddles the highest courts in the <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Caribbean and the Privy Council of London, supports this

position.

Now if such a position as ours in the AFC is

legal and no way constitutionally improper how can it be immoral? Legal

propriety is generally synonymous with morality. I suppose the argument will

just get down to a subjectivist realm.

There needs to be a re-emphasis of certain

points I made at the launch, and an emphasis of an additional few.

Firstly, the concept of Parliamentary

democracy which is at the foundation of the electoral system focuses on

peoples’ power and peoples’ interest; not party’s power and party’s interest. A

party is simply the vehicle to getting worthy members through a list system

into that destination called the National Assembly. Once that destination is

reached, through a combination of election – by the electorate, and selection –

by the leader of the list, such members of the National Assembly become

representatives of the people and defenders of the constitution and the

national interest.

Members of the National Assembly who

understand this will ensure a greater efficacy of the Assembly. It is because

on vital issues, on matters that really matter, members see themselves not as

the peoples’ representatives, but as puppets of a party, that that authentic

Parliamentary culture we want in our country is devastated. This is why those

who make the call do not realise that they are unconsciously subscribers to the

doctrines of party paramountcy and democratic centralism.

Additionally, members of the National

Assembly have constitutional rights which do not fade into oblivion upon entry

into that august body. My appointment as an MP never entailed a restriction or

subjugation of my right to associate, which includes my right to dissociate, or

my right to express dissenting views. Service in the National Assembly is not

and cannot be premised on the deprivation of or restriction on my fundamental

rights to freely express myself and to freely associate/disassociate.

Consequently, the call by party leaders,

columnists and letter writers for us to vacate our seats clearly demonstrates

what contempt they have for our constitutional rights to disassociate and

dissent.

Paradoxically, in taking the stance we have,

we are defending not only our individual fundamental rights but also those of

each and every member of the National Assembly extracted from their respective

party’s lists. It is the sacred duty of each and every Member of the Assembly

to stand with us in defence of the constitutional right of each and every

member to freedom of association and to free _expression. If they are unwilling

to defend their own interest, they hardly can be expected to defend the public

interest and the constitutional rights of the ordinary citizens.

Much more than the skirts of the PNC and the

PPP is being revealed. The extent to which these parties have subjugated, or

are seeking to subjugate, constitutional rights of Parliamentarians to narrow

party interests is now being exposed.

Having exercised our freedom to dissociate

and dissent from our respective parties, and to associate with and express

support for the AFC, can never mean that our vote in the National Assembly on

whatever issue will not be one in the national interest.

Standing up for fundamental rights, and

sacrificing the party’s interest for the national interest, can hardly be

classified as politically immoral. Party sycophancy is antithetical to

political morality. But it may just be that party sycophancy has cultivated its

own peculiar moral values in its conscious or unconscious adherents.

By the way, is not this exactly what Manzoor

Nadir did? Was he immoral? Was the PPP/C aiding and abetting immorality when

they took him on board? Why this moral outrage from the PNC now when it

benefited from similar cross-overs by Parliamentarians like Teekah and

Chandisingh? Wilbert Telford, was the PNC immoral when it caused so many

PPPites to cross over to its side of the House? Or is it moral only when

Parliamen-starians come into these parties’ fold; but not when Parliamentarians

abandon such parties to form their own? What hypocrisy!

Finally, let me say that all the recommendations

of the various experts will mean nothing, absolutely nothing, if an

appreciation of this approach to Parliamentary democracy is missed by

Parliamentarians. They will remain stultified in their growth as defenders and

promoters of the national interest; they will remain just as their parties’

controlling cabals want them to be, mere glorifiers of party interests. This

was the genesis of Burnhamism. We must prevent a reincarnation of this

despicable system

So my message to my colleagues in the

National Assembly will go something like this:

"Parliamentarians unite – you have only

your Party shackles to lose".

2005-11-03: The messages

delivered at the launching were impressive <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>(Stabroek News) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

By Haemwattie Ragnauth Thursday, November

3rd 2005

Dear Editor,

I happened to attend the inauguration of the

Alliance For Change (AFC) at the Ocean View Convention Centre on October 29,

2005.

The launching of this new political movement

has created political history in <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Guyana. There was not only a packed

auditorium but a mixture of races including members of the diplomatic

community, businessmen and women, academicians and people from various walks of

life. The messages delivered by the co-leaders of the AFC, Raphael Trotman and

Khemraj Ramjattan were very comprehensive and impressive. The other members of

the steering committee are all persons of integrity and moral values. I have no

doubt these distinguished characters will bring about a change to the politics

of Guyana.

Many persons at the launching including myself

were impressed when the audience was introduced to the team of the AFC steering

committee. I have no doubt that after its launching, shock-waves must have gone

through the spine of the two major political parties. For more than forty years

Guyanese were taught only to be loyal to their respective parties and leaders

and not to their country and citizens. As a result of this, their very

existence has been shattered. The time has now come when Guyanese are conscious

and they reflect how they have been kept in bondage by the two major political

parties whose mottos are the same, divide and rule.

It’s time for change. Change is the key to

success and prosperity of this land. So let’s do it now.

Yours faithfully,

Haemwattie Ragnauth <span

be protected (Stabroek

News)

By Rakesh Rampertab Wednesday, November

2nd 2005

Dear Editor,

Now that the AFC is a political party, I wish

to say something that is appropriate and very important: Mr. Raphael Trotman

and Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan must be protected. To the entire group of people

surrounding them, one would hope that you are security-conscious at all times.

The WPA was warned to ‘guard Rodney from assassination’ by many people

including CLR James. Obviously, they failed. Obviously, <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana

failed…and

we all paid dearly, including the

accomplished hangmen who killed him.

So let me say it again, the people of <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana must

protect these two young men. The hangmen may have changed their ugly masks, but

the rope is still the same. Yours faithfully, Rakesh Rampertab

2005-10-31: Retain your

seats so you can serve Guyanese in Parliament <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>(Stabroek News) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

Monday, October 31st 2005

Dear Editor,

I do hope that the new thinking and the new

way of doing things promised by the Alliance for

Change will, at all times and in all places, seek to espouse the paramountcy of

Guyana

over and above the paramountcy of the party, be it the PNC/R or PPP/C. We ought

to remember that parliamentarians have sworn allegiance to the Para-mountcy of

the Constitution of Guyana and this must supersede and override the narrower

concept of the paramountcy of the party.

Messrs. Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael

Trotman, please do not give up your seats in The National Assembly. You must

retain your seats so that you may continue to serve all <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana in the

highest decision making forum, where decisions that affect the lives of all

Guyanese, even the unborn are made. By doing so you will have demonstrated that

you have placed service to Guyana

and all Guyanese over and above the paramountcy of the party thus giving us

reason to hope for improved social conditions and brighter futures.

The old way of thinking (for example, the

paramountcy of the party, democratic centralism, benevolent dictatorship, etc)

which has gotten us into our present economic, political and social

predicaments, has never served Guyana

and Guyanese well.

The quality of life in <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana is,

inevitably, affected by the moral character of our political institutions. If

the system of national governance is dealing unjustly, with some of its

citizens, they are not the only ones to suffer. The quality of life for all

Guyanese is degraded (today’s reality). A system of national governance that

privileges some citizens over others is giving the ‘privileged citizens" a

corrupted view of democracy even if it gives them a social or economic

advantage.

You, Sirs, have had the courage to take up

the mantle of Guyanese leadership and have affected a change to a higher and

more sophisticated type or level of thinking – from the traditional either/or

(e.g. democratic centralism) with its inherent limitations to the more

encompassing and futuristic both/and. The former tends to be divisive and to

exclude new thinking and new ideas. This is undemocratic. The latter is more

inclusive and synergistic. It encourages new thinking, new ideas and as a

consequence is far more enduring and democratic – all Guyanese are important.

We have to realize that running a national

government is a country’s biggest business. No other organization in that

country handles the vast sums of money the national government does. The manner

in which this business is run affects every other business within the country.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for institutions and

organizations to be truly effective if the system of national governance is

ineffective.

Climb every mountain, "young Sirs".

Encourage all Guyanese to put Guyana

first and always. The only question we need to ask is: "What is best

(using public criteria) for Guyana?"

The answer is: "Support Change" "Support the <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Alliance for Change"

Yours faithfully,

(name and address supplied) <span

membership (Stabroek

News)

Tuesday, October 18th 2005

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has received

some 1,000 applications for party membership over the two weeks since the forms

were made available to the public, joint leader of the new movement Raphael

Trotman said.

Asked to comment on developments within the

party and preparations for the October 29 launch of the AFC, Trotman said that

since the forms were made available the response had been heartening. The

number of applicants was probably more than some of the established parties

could boast about, he added.

Membership to the AFC requires a fee of $200.

The sum was based on recommendations the leadership of the movement received

during their interactions with the public.

Trotman said over the last few weeks the

party worked on developing and refining its vision, mission statement, and

strategic plan among other things, which both himself and joint leader Khemraj

Ramjattan would present at the launching.

Local and foreign experts including

overseas-based Guyanese are assisting in crafting the strategic plan, he said.

He said that the party was focusing on a

strategic plan and was shying away from the word manifesto in presenting its

philosophy, objectives and plan of action.

The strategic plan, he said, covers a broad

spectrum including the adoption of the National Development Strategy in which

some of the strategies would be updated. Issues of crime, regional development

(including a devolution of political and economic control) and moving the

regions away from a number system to giving them names and personalities of

their own are also being looked at, he said.

He said the main principals of the AFC

included WPA MP Sheila Holder and television station owner Anthony Vieira, but

there were other personalities giving support to the movement and they would

associate themselves publicly with the party after it has been launched.

During a walkabout on Water Street on

Saturday with the other principals, he said, one of the frequently asked

questions was whether or not they believed in God which gave an indication that

people were looking for divine intervention in the governance of the country.

Meanwhile, regarding the launching of the Guyana Third Force, Trotman said the

AFC was not perturbed about the grouping but observed that it was unfortunate

there has been some confusion about the identity of the two entities.

The AFC, he said, was not out to pick fights

with persons competing to get followers but rather to keep focused on the task

ahead which was to ensure that the ruling party in government did not get a

majority at the next elections.

2005-09-20:

Sheila Holder’s Response to Robert Persaud <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>(Stabroek News) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

By Sheila Holder 20th September 2005

Dear Sir,

The Sunday September 18 edition of the

Kaieteur News carried a viewpoint by Information Liaison Officer to the

President, Robert Persaud that was dedicated to the ‘Third Force’,

recently named ‘Alliance For Change’ (AFC) by winner of the

‘Name the Third Force Competition’, Corentyne resident, Jagdeo

Kishon.

Attempts were made in the viewpoint to defame

the AFC by suggesting it was a hoax when in fact it was the PPPC that are the

experts at playing many a hoax on the Guyanese people. For instance, during the

last elections campaign when they promised to create thousands of jobs for the

desperate jobless that never materialised.

The AFC assures its supporters and the public

at large that the AFC exists and has a vision that embodies the elements of servant

leadership that recognises God as omniscient, consensus politics as a means to

political stability, a meritorious reward system based on equal treatment and

equal opportunity for all irrespective of race, colour, class or creed. We

believe that when these basic principles are embraced, peace and harmony among

our diverse peoples will follow and regency shall be given to the reform

measures promulgated in our Constitution, which enshrines independence to the

three arms of the state and other institutions so defined.

As the mouth piece for the PPP/C government

that undemocratically monopolises and controls the only radio station in the

country, the state media comprising the people- owned NCN television stations

in Demerara, Essequibo, Berbice & Linden and the Guyana Chronicle

newspaper, to the exclusion of the political opposition generally and other

critics in the society specifically, Robert Persaud presumptuously inferred

that what the PPPC Government does in monopolising the state media is alright

but when it comes to sections of the private media exercising their right to

give political coverage as they see fit, he declares it does not bode well for

the journalistic profession.

He grumbled about the large number of letters

in the print media calling for the establishment of a ‘Third Force’

that featured AFC principals; about the various attacks coming from the

political and non-political sections of the society and the Diaspora critical

of the poor performance of the Jagdeo government. The manner in which he did

this suggested that somehow critics had a hand in the unholy state of affairs

brought upon this nation by successive PPPC governments over the last thirteen

years.

It was they who made no secret of their

self-interested policies by habitually using their simple parliamentary

majority tyrannically even when it became blatantly obvious that such practices

were to the detriment of the body politic and to the nation as a whole.

One such example is their refusal to hold an

enquiry into the devastating coastal floods which affected some one third of

the population after eight long months. Persistent calls by the parliamentary

opposition and civil society to ascertain the causes of the floods continue to

be spurned. Compare this stance with the current situation in <st1:place

w:st=”on”>New Orleans where the Bush administration has

already moved to establish several enquires into the devastation wroth by

hurricane Katrina. Another example of their self-serving attitude is the

refusal to release the population census after three years thereby denying the

society access to essential public data while utilizing same for their own

partisan purposes, what bigger hoax than that has been played on the Guyanese

people by any other political group in the country? Witness their refusal to

grant the indigenous people their wish to be described as

‘Indigenous’ rather than ‘Amerindian’ while daring to

claim that the Government’s consultation process is working.

Robert Persaud and The PPPC government are in

no position to cast aspersions on sections of the private media or the

political opposition. Their practice of double standards must be brought to an

end by the electorate in order that democratic values might prevail in <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana. It is

only when such values become entrenched in our country that the debilitating

issues of joblessness and poverty; underdevelopment and crime would be

overcome. We urge the Guyanese people to choose change at the next general

elections because change is the ‘key’ – the symbol of the AFC designed

by Marlon Williams, winner of the AFC logo competition.

Regards,

Sheila Holder, MP 2005-06-26:

Ramjattan/Trotman breakaway is sign of maturity <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>(Stabroek News) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

By Miranda La Rose Sunday, June 26th 2005

The desire of Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael

Trotman "to bridge the racial divide that has developed due to the

dominance of the two major political forces… could only be a good thing and

people like me have an obligation to support it and that is what I am

doing."

So said WPA Member of Parliament Sheila

Holder in an interview with Stabroek News on Friday when she stated that she

makes, "no secret of [her] enthusiasm for the combination dubbed the Third

Force. I believe that Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman breaking away from

the two major political parties is a significant event in this country [at a

time when] MPs, feel that they are locked into their parties, that they are

owned and controlled by their parties, that breaking away is quite a traumatic

experience and that the fear associated with it is almost as if they have to

get permission."

They have signalled by the breakaway "a

maturity to branch off on their own. That is what someone does when he or she

reaches the age of maturity whether it is in the political or the human

sphere," she said.

Noting the country’s need for new leadership

and the support for it, she said, the movers behind the Third Force are

signalling that, "They’re concerned about the racial insecurities in this

country; that they have a desire to bridge the racial divide that has developed

due to the dominance of the two major political forces in this country."

Holder sees the Third Force having an impact

on the upcoming elections particularly with the support of the young people.

"I see evidence of young people likely to break away from the traditional

positions taken by the parents. They are the ones driving the Third

Force."

She has no illusions, however, that the Third

Force would be able to wipe out the PPP/C and the PNCR but, "Young people

have come to realise they can craft out a niche for this Third Force [until

they can find a name] that would give them an opportunity to play a crucial

role in the future of this country."

She is aware that there are die-hard

supporters of the PPP/C and the PNCR who would never change. "They don’t

care what the PNC or PPP do they would stick with them come what may. They are

not going to shift on any arguments even if you presented them with evidence

that from my perspective would be substantial to make anybody shift. They

represent an older generation [who are] so locked into the old mindset of the

PPP and the PNC that they do not even get to the point of being prepared to

acknowledge that it has been detrimental to their own well-being."

Holder said the Third Force was operating in

a kind of political environment where threats are to be anticipated.

"We’re not in a political environment where morality prevails… Any new

political entity has to be aware that the current political environment is

hostile; that it does not play fair; and that the political environment in

which we are operating puts them at a disadvantage.

"If they [Trotman and Ramjattan] start

off from that position, they are informed and can design their strategies

sensibly. To believe that you can change this political environment based on

some preconceived notions of morality in sheep’s clothing, you are putting

yourself at a disadvantage and you’re doomed to failure. I’m not going to fall

for that trap. One has to be wise and to recognise politics for what politics

is worth in this country."

On the question of whether many now

supporting the Third Force would on elections day return to the two major

ethnically based parties, Holder said, "It is not for me to believe it.

People get the government they deserve. If people do that they deserve what

they get from the PPP if they put the PPP back in office. It is not within my

power to predict how people behave but it is my responsibility to ensure that

people are properly informed about the consequences of their behaviour. If they

choose to vote race they have no leg to stand on when at a later date they

themselves are subjected to racist treatment and racist behaviour. You must

understand that this society is what it is because of how we the people behave.

This society has not become as decadent as it has because of the PPP or the

PNC. It is so because the people have allowed it and have embraced this kind of

lawlessness and vulgarity."

Taking a stand

She feels it is time <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana "takes a stand against [voting race]

instead of running like cowards out of this country to the <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>United States of America

and every other country under the sun… What the Third Force is doing is

giving people the opportunity to take that stand. That’s all we can do. The

decision rests with the people. If the people choose to take the stand we have

as those who offer ourselves for service the burden to deliver. If we don’t

deliver, the people are obligated to get rid of us as well. People must

understand that if they don’t want to execute their responsibility to

themselves no one can help them."

Asked how the WPA viewed her support for the

Third Force, Holder said, "My personal view is that the WPA would be part

of this new thing, if not the WPA, individual members of the WPA." She

said many people who at one time or the other were associated with the WPA were

now encouraging her to take the move forward with the Third Force. Some in the

country and some residing overseas have indicated to her that they welcome the

new force.

Both Trotman and Ramjattan have been talking

with the various political parties, including the WPA, and those discussions

are ongoing, she said, adding, "I don’t intend to comment on those as I

don’t want to jeopardise that. The WPA would have to make that decision to be

or not to be a part of the Third Force. I would hope they would."

Asked about giving up her seat in the

National Assembly, Holder said some journalists have asked her about rumours

that she has been given an ultimatum to give up her seat in parliament because

of her public expression of support for the Ramjattan/Trotman combination.

However, she said that there has been no such request from the executive of the

WPA and any such request would be premature on the part of the WPA since there

was no new political entity to which she was aligned even though she has

expressed public support for the combination. Additionally, she represents an

alliance and any request for her to give up the seat in parliament would have

to come from the GAP/WPA alliance.

Her relationship with the WPA was "an

interesting one," she explained. She joined the GAP/WPA alliance under a

citizens’ component and was never a WPA member. "Many who were part and

parcel of that initiative kept their eyes on me, kept in touch with me and let

me know how they feel on issues, particularly on my public utterances and my

work in the National Assembly," she said.

Before entering parliament on the WPA ticket,

she was involved in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector spending 30 years

working pro bono. "I am concerned about the welfare of our people or I

would not have given so much of my life to that service; and my enthusiasm

about moving in this direction is what I consider is needed in this country to

lift our people out of the quagmire that we find ourselves in. I don’t need to

be apologetic about that," she said.

Parliament

Asked whether she was satisfied with her work

in the opposition, Holder said, "Sir Michael has hit the nail on the head.

I am pleased that I resisted initial attempts made by some with whom I was

associated to de-emphasise the importance of the National Assembly. There were

people within [opposition parties], who think that the parliamentary work

amounted to nothing much. They did not think that the environment was conducive

to delivering what they thought needed to be delivered and therefore attempts

were made to pull me out of the National Assembly but I resisted it and I

stayed."

She added that, "Because disillusionment

of the parliament existed and there is that element of disillusionment within

the WPA itself, attempts were made at times to persuade me that I was wasting

my time in the National Assembly. I didn’t buy into that because I believed the

only way the system could improve was to put it to the test… That is what I

did and I thought it delivered some measurable benefits eventually. Had I not

done so, the status quo would have remained the same."

Even though she was representing the WPA component

of the GAP/WPA alliance, Holder said basically, she was on her own in the

National Assembly for the four years she was there. "One person who has

given me a great deal of advice, whenever I requested it, was Brother Eusi

Kwayana even though he is out of the country."

The WPA in her opinion has a very liberal

view on issues, which she benefited from because of the free rein to do as she

saw necessary in the National Assembly. "Except on one occasion when I was

asked to withdraw a motion to enquire into the [Ronald] Gajraj accusations

about the death squad, which I withdrew, the WPA has never asked me to do

anything instinctively that I found objectionable."

On what has been her disappointment with

parliament, she said, "the unwillingness of the PPP/C administration to be

futuristic and to understand that the gains they had been able to bring to the

parliament are insufficient. The PPP has a preoccupation with the past, a

preoccupation with wallowing in their achievements as if that’s the be all and

end all." Achievements, she said were measurable and if measured with the

needs of the society; the performance of parliament and oversight functions,

such as scrutinizing the executive; and keeping the parliament separate and

distance from the executive, the government was still procrastinating and has

not moved in that direction.

Principles

To say they answer questions when in the

previous administration questions would be dumped in a waste paper basket does

not advance the cause of society or make it more accountable and transparent.

On her own political future, Holder said she

started her political career very late but any political future for her will

"be hinged to the needs of the society and we have to educate the people

to play a far bigger role than they have played so far in the administration of

this country whether it is at the civil society or political level."

While she does not consider herself as having

any special political gift, she declared that she lives her life on the basis

of some fundamental principles in keeping with the Ten Commandments. She said

she would not bear false witness against anyone. If that position benefits the

PPP/C or the PNCR "so be it." Stating, too, that one should not kill,

she said that she was not taking the revisionist view which would suggest that

you must not kill an animal or a tree, she said, "God gave us dominion

over the trees and the creatures of this earth and ‘Thou shall not kill’ means

that we mustn’t kill our brothers and sisters whatever race they may be."

Quite frankly, she said, the people who share

this view "would recognise that the Lord Almighty has not prescribed any

political party to deliver our people from the injustices to which our people

have been subjected to over the umpteenth decades. All the other forces have

tried and they have not brought us peace and harmony; they have not brought us

economic development and prosperity, but instead have forced people to leave

these shores in large numbers."

She said that <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Guyana as a nation was going to be

40 years at the independence anniversary next year. "That has a great deal

of biblical significance for those of us who believe in God Almighty. I believe

that our people have grown up sufficiently to embrace that coming of age, that

epoch, and that new movement waiting to take this nation out of the wilderness

which we found ourselves in the last 40 years."

2006-01-10: AFC EMBARKS ON

OUTREACH PROGRAMME

The leadership and activists of the Alliance For

Change (AFC) working in teams have commenced an intensive programme of outreach

activities throughout the nation. The outreach work is meant to introduce the

movement to communities and persons in areas not previously visited during the

pre-launch listening tour. Visits have been planned and targeted based on

requests received from members of these communities for the AFC to come and to

interact with members of the public and supporters.

The teams are led by members of the Steering

Committee and will interface with members of the public to unveil the

AFC’s platform for elections, to hear of issues confronting communities,

and to work with leaders in the communities to find solutions to the problems

being encountered.

Since the commencement of the new year, areas

visited include Linden,

Maichony Creek to address concerns arising out of the flood, and West Coast

Berbice. In the coming weeks, teams will fan out to cover the East Coast of

Demerara, The Soesdyke/Linden Highway communities, Rupununi, Pomeroon, Mahadia,

Kurupung, and Matthews

Ridge and other

communities in Region 1 (Barima/Waini).

The AFC intends to field candidates in each

of the electoral Regions, and will also be seeking to identify candidates to

represent the movement both at the National and as well as Regional levels.

Reports and photographs will be posted at the

conclusion of each visit.

January, 10, 2006 <span

News)

Some farmers of flood-hit Mahaicony Creek are

contemplating leaving the area, while others fear that their properties may be

seized by lending agencies because they are unable

to repay their loans. The farmers expressed

these fears on Saturday when Executive Members of the <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Alliance for Change (AFC), Mr. Khemraj

Ramjattan, Mrs. Sheila Holder and Mrs. Gaumatie Singh, visited the community to

distribute flood relief hampers and to have a firsthand look at the crisis.

According to some farmers, flooding in the

community has worsened during the past 10 or 12 years.

They said that as soon as they try to recover

by taking loans to replant, the area would be flooded again.

“Many of us have properties that are at

very high risk of being seized by the bank and lending agencies, and the

government did not even make a move to help us to come to some

reasonable solution to get out of this

mess,” one farmer said.

“I don’t believe that all the flooding

we have in this area came from the rainfall. Some is due to the negligence of officials

and these persons must be held responsible for some of our losses and

punishment.” Another farmer said that over 50 acres of his rice is

completely destroyed and he already utilized more than 1,000 gallons of fuel in

an effort to save the rest. He believes that even though some crops might be

saved, they will not make any profit because so much is spent on trying to save

them. “I will try and save some of my crops but what about those persons

who don’t have millions left to invest in saving theirs?” he asked.

“I think that after this flooding a serious change will be experienced in

this area, either many farmers will leave or they will be forced to leave

knowing that they don’t have the

finances to replant their crops.

“The contribution and visit by AFC has

helped because listening to the plight of the people and helping them to find

solutions to their problems has restored some hope in us today.” Yet

another farmer who has lost millions due to the floods said many of the cattle,

especially the calves, are stranded on small areas of land surrounded by flood

waters and as a

result they will die. He said over 50 acres

of his crops are already destroyed and over 30 calves died. He anticipates more

losses in a few more days. “This is serious suffering the people in this

area are going through. It will be very difficult to pull ourselves out of this

disaster. I have to spend over $1,500 a day just to send my

child to a secondary school. “Tell me

how we can manage this when so very often our livelihoods are destroyed by the

floods. I think a lot more can be done by the government to prevent this

flooding or even reduce it to an extent and I also think that they can do much

more to help us at this point in

time.” They alleged that only once have

officials from the Government visited the area since the floods began. They

were reportedly given $100,000 which they think is inadequate, considering

their losses amount to millions. “The $100,000 compensation cannot even

help us save our crops much less to help us replant or get back on

track,” one man said. “At the moment we are concerned with having

the water drained out of the area and none of that was discussed by the

government official who visited. “They just come in and try to fool us by

giving the money but they should have estimated our losses and then come

in” one farmer said. The residents thanked the AFC executive members for

the hampers and some remarked that at least somebody has their concerns in

mind. Farmers are also complaining about the poorly maintained drainage systems

in the area and additional water which they think was drained into the area

from another area or

possibly the conservancy. “The members

of AFC really impressed us…they don’t have the resources and finances

that are available to the government and yet they can come and help us.”

The residents said they are also encountering several other problems in the

area. AFC Executive Member Khemraj Ramjattan said the AFC will be following the

flood closely and immediate arrangements will be made to distribute more relief

to the residents who

are severely affected. He pointed out that

the AFC will also be visiting the area again since the interest and concerns of

the people of Guyana

are a first priority.

2006-01-28: The AFC has been

letter to Br. David Hinds <span style='font-size:13.5pt;

color:blue’>(Stabroek News) <span style='font-size:13.5pt;

color:blue’>

Dear David,

Thank you for your interest in the future

well being of the AFC and promoting the movement as having creditability and

influence to change the political culture and landscape of <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana.

At last count according to GECOM, some

thirty-one political parties had registered their intention to face the

electorate at the upcoming General and Regional Elections. Except for the two

dinosaurs and a couple of others, you seem by your ommission, to have dismissed

the other parties from sharing the political space, and being part of a

possible National Unity Government that you are so eloquently promoting.

For the records since last year the AFC has

been engaged in meaningful dialogue with most of those opposition political

parties that you identified in your letter of Jan. 25, 2006 (SN). Unfortunately

the WPA though invited did not display any measure of good faith and/or

commitment, and opted not to be part of these engagements giving the seat issue

as the basis for non-engagement.

The AFC leadership did not set any terms or

preconditions for current engagements with other parties. Fortunately for the

process, every representative who participated, rejected outright the terms and

conditions for participating, which had been proposed by the WPA – What Irony!

The critical issue is not the political

posturing of the WPA and you, as their mouthpiece, on a Government of National

Unity, which you have so justifiably presented as the only hope for <st1:country-region

w:st=”on”>Guyana. It is

that unity of oneness and committment to Guyana’s

ethnic security, social and economic advancement, which the Guyanese electorate

and those in the Diaspora are expecting from all parties occupying the

political space in Guyana.

Incidentally, it is well known that the AFC

has never shied away from a discussion on the issue of a Government of National

Unity and has repeatedly stated its commitment to work towards the

establishment of the framework of such a government.

The AFC has listened, and Guyanese at home

and abroad are of one voice which is that – It is Time for Change! Most agree

that the two monoliths have had their chance and both failed miserably. That is

why the space was created for you and the WPA starting almost three decades ago

and now for the AFC and a few others.

The last thing anyone wishes to see at this

crucial time is a crab-in-a-barrel mentality.

This is not the vision of the AFC and its

Agenda For Change.

The AFC avails itself to continue meaningful

dialogue with the other political parties and looks forward to the WPA

participating even at this stage, it is never too late.

Youre faithfully, Steering Committee Alliance

For Change

2005-10-30: <st1:place

w:st=”on”>Alliance For Change Launched <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:#0031FF’>

2006-2-11: The AFC did make a statement on the

Waddell murder (Stabroek News)

Dear Editor,

In my letter published on Thursday, February

9, I said the following:

"It is indeed ‘unfortunate’ that after

hearing so much about the Alliance for Change, we haven’t heard them take a

public stand on the execution of Ronald Waddell in this, an election year. I am

willing to retract this if indeed I missed it in the newspaper reports or if

they did issue a statement and it wasn’t reported."

I have since received the following from

Sheila Holder of the AFC:

"Please be advised that as leader of the

AFC, Khemraj did issue an immediate public statement of condemnation of

Waddell’s murder on the electronic media.

"It appeared on a newscast the night

after the murder became known and was broadcast in full on the AFC programme, ‘Alliance

On The Move’ a couple days later. Raphael and others were out of the country on

business during this period.

"Khemraj Ramjattan in fact called for

the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to move quickly to solve this brutal murder and

not allow this one in particular go the route of the others that were left

unsolved but to bring the perpetrators to justice to give some level of

satisfaction to Waddell’s grieving family and supporters. He expressed sympathy

to them and also called on Waddell’s supporters to use restraint and not to

retaliate as an eye for an eye would leave us all blind; but allow the GPF to

do the job that was expected of them.

"He also asked that the GPF increase

their presence in East Coast villages in order to deter any wanton acts of recrimination.

Of course you know Noel and I attended the funeral to represent the

AFC…"

I would like to publicly acknowledge this

response.

Yours faithfully, Alissa Trotz

2006-2-1<span

Diaspora (Stabroek

News)

Dear Editor,

The heightened interest being displayed in

the activities of the Alliance For Change (AFC) is indeed refreshing. Such interest

can only serve to energize and propel us further.

The AFC has recognized contributions to the

daily newspapers by Bro. Dr. David Hinds, an uncharacteristically benevolent

article by Stella Ramsaroop, the concerns of Dr. Alissa Trotz following the

slaying of Ronald Waddell, and recently, the more expansive review by F.

Skinner now being supported by Paul Ramsaroop. As an aside, I have to concede

that it is beginning to appear that the Ramsaroop family’s concern for the

survival of the AFC is genuine. We view these interests and the sometimes

stinging criticisms as actual displays of genuine concern and support for the

AFC, as we are undoubtedly and expectedly being held to a higher standard than

is required by all others.

I hope Stella would not be offended if I

borrow from her article in the Kaieteur News of Feb. 5, 2006, when she quite

aptly stated of the AFC "…the people’s third force alternative lies

squarely on your shoulders now." Certainly, when the AFC was launched in

October, 2005 those who participated in the ceremony and were in attendance

felt the weight of responsibility that had been transferred from the shoulders

of those who had been battling for a breakthrough for decades, to the shoulders

of those of us in the AFC, and other parties, who have taken up the cause

because we believe that Guyana can only survive if administered a strong

injection of a healing serum.

The AFC has never doubted for one moment the

significance and magnitude of the task, and quite frankly we have found it to

be a humbling and at times an intimidating experience; yet we are persevering

nevertheless. Today, some months on, the AFC remains intact despite every

attempt to disturb and destroy it. We have thankfully remained on friendly

terms with all parties which formed the now defunct GTF platform and resolve

not to allow our relations with any party to disintegrate into open hostility

though the provocations will be ever present.

The principals and other leaders of the

movement have been on the road since its launch, introducing ourselves to

Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora, and have commenced the arduous task of

raising finance to fund our activities. We have been busy engaging and

attempting to recruit the best minds and abilities to support and enable us to

discharge the burden of responsibility that has been placed squarely on our

shoulders. One truism which we accept is that we cannot do it alone, and it was

to our great disappointment when the GTF platform went "caput," as

Stella described its unfortunate downfall. Despite differences in approach, the

AFC intends to continue to engage all the former members of the GTF and others,

in our quest to do what is best in Guyana’s interest.

Admittedly, we have not been doing enough to

give prominence to publicly communicate our position on issues and are taking

steps to remedy this situation. However, we have made various pronouncements

included in the speeches at our Launch, released information to the media, and

distributed materials. Unfortunately, because many persons living abroad feed

on the material placed on the online versions of the newspapers, and on second

and third hand information provided from friends and relatives, they are most

likely to miss the facts as they are, as was recently the case with my sister

Alissa a week ago.

As patriotic and caring Guyanese we in the

AFC are concerned about crime and security, the economy and job creation, and

good governance as being the issues occupying the minds of our brothers and sisters.

To this end, the AFC is studying and refining every useful comment and

recommendation on the above and more, that has been made by all stake holders

whether they be in, or out, of Guyana. We have stated the AFC’s position

against the call for an electoral boycott, long before others expressed their

views. We have condemned violence in all its forms, and at every available

opportunity so much so that on a recent visit to Buxton, the AFC was invited to

help mend relations with neighbouring communities; and have now publicly called

for national healing and reconciliation in a recently published advertisement

(SN & KN of Sun. Feb. 12, 2006).

Representatives of the AFC have travelled

literally from Corriverton to the borders of Venezuela and Brazil and have

entered villages and towns not because we wanted to share footballs and

trophies, but because we were invited by the people to hear from them their

anguish about how they feel about the decay that has set in on the body of our

motherland, and of their sanguine expressions of hope for a change.

We acknowledge that all questions raised must

be answered. Our commitment to the notion of servant leadership has compelled

us to adopt a bottom- up approach for inputs to influence and contribute to

designing an action- plan for change and development. We must listen to the

voices of those who have experienced and suffered the most from the degradation

that has taken place over the decades.

We recognize the need for expert advice from

those at home and just as importantly, from those abroad and this is where the

Stellas, Alissas, Davids, Skinners and Pauls, will prove invaluable if they

decide to put their shoulders to the wheel. With the AFC putting its best foot

forward, and with their invaluable assistance, we would be able to provide all

the answers to the questions and more in the most reasonable timeframe.

The AFC therefore urges all those who believe

in the inevitability of change and transformation not to snipe at it, but to

blow wind into its sails by offering encouragement, objective criticism and

tangible support. With the right attitude, support, faith, and timing, all

things are possible.

Individuals who have an interest in the AFC

and its activities may contact us directly at our offices at 354 Cummings

Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, Guyana; telephone (592) – 225 – 0452 or

225 – 0455, or by email at alliance4change @yahoo.com; or by visiting our

website www.afcguyana.com; or securing a copy of our monthly publication The

Key.

Remember, Choose Change …It’s Time! Yours

faithfully, Raphael Trotman Chairman

2006-2-27:

Freedom of Information bill is the priority

now – Trotman By Miranda La Rose (Stabroek News)

Alliance for Change Chairman Raphael Trotman

is passionate about Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation and a bill that

seeks to bring this about, a labour of love for the AFC, is to be tabled as a

private member’s bill.

"Our main duty is to bring this bill to

the place of the peoples’ representatives and we would like to see how the

peoples’ representatives react to a bill that is going to open up press

freedoms and so on," Trotman said in an interview with Stabroek News on

Monday.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan has presented

the bill to the Clerk of the National Assembly. Ramjattan, who was expelled

from the PPP/C and another AFC principal Sheila Holder, who formerly

represented GAP/WPA, have refused to give up their seats in Parliament. And

while Trotman acknowledged that it was an issue, which was not going to go away

completely, he said the AFC was continuing to review it. "We continue to

act in what we think is best for the movement and what the people want,"

he said.

While Ramjattan’s absence is noticeable in

Parliament at many sittings, Trotman said he was pressing forward "with

the work that we have committed to; he is seeing it [the FOI bill] through.

That bill is before the Clerk’s office to be sent to the Chief Parliamentary

Counsel Office for review."

Trotman, who had resigned from the PNCR, had

also held on to his seat in the House for a while before withdrawing as he had

promised he would do. He said the withdrawal of the others would be in keeping

with their internal arrangements to pilot the bill through Parliament and in

time they would follow suit.

Told that there were other MPs in Parliament

and within the opposition who could have piloted the FOI bill, such as ROAR MP

Ravi Dev, who some feel the government and the main opposition would have been

more inclined to support, Trotman said that argument was "disingenuous".

He said no other MP had ever proposed,

offered to draft, or had been involved in drafting such a bill. "This is

our labour. We have also received assistance from the Human Rights Initiative.

They are in contact with us two or three times a week. So we have a commitment.

It is a private member’s bill. It is something we feel strongly about. While we

feel others would take it through we recognise that the others have never in

the past identified it as an issue that they wanted," he said.

Asked whether he thought an "AFC"

bill would get the required support for enactment, Trotman said, "I’ll

tell you what is important. What is important is that a FOI bill sees the light

of day in Guyana. If the government is as backward enough to shoot it down…well

then it just adds another nail in its coffin." If the main opposition went

the same route, he said, in 2006 when the cries of corruption, nepotism and

cronyism are so alive and rampant, then, its members too, would have to give an

account of themselves. Asked whether the AFC drafters consulted other MPs,

Trotman said some of them behaved as though the FOI bill was not needed.

Trotman added: "We have shown it to some

stakeholders in civil society. It is posted on our website. When we get a

signal from the Speaker that it is ready, we intend to hold public symposia on

the issue. We are going through the various stages."

Elections

Asked whether the AFC would support the call

for a boycott of the general elections due by August 4 this year, he noted that

the party had already said it was not in favour of a boycott based on ethnic

grounds which appealed to one ethnic group in society only. "That would

only reinforce the division rather than help the situation," he said.

He said the African Cultural Development

Association (ACDA), which put forward the notion in the first instance, should

have called for a national boycott, which would have given it credibility,

rather than appeal to a section of society.

While he could appreciate where ACDA was

coming from and the frustration it was expressing given the fact that after

three successive elections the lot of Guyanese of African descent has not

improved, he said there was a growing sense that the utility of political

parties and elections was lost and what was played out at elections was an

ethnic census. "We share ACDA’s concerns and sympathise but believe that

true power could be shown at the elections rather than staying away from

it," he added.

Asked about alliances and why the AFC was not

part of the Guyana Third Force Platform, Trotman said the platform was launched

before the AFC was, so it could not have been part of the initial process.

However, he said, after the AFC was launched a series of meetings were held

between the AFC and the GTF; the last one was in December when the GTF members

asked for a postponement of the talks because of an internal issue they wanted

to resolve. He believed the internal issue had to do with GAP Leader Paul Hardy

leaving the platform.

He said when he last spoke with Vision Guyana

Leader and member of the GTF platform Peter Ramsaroop at a Miami airport,

Ramsaroop confirmed there would be no further meetings between the GTF and the

AFC since the notion of what the GTF stood for was lost.

Alliances

Trotman said it was not a case where the AFC

refused to be a part of the GTF and while some had objections to the AFC coming

on board until Ramjattan and Holder had left Parliament, it was not seen as a

stumbling block to discussions.

But since the GTF platform has more or less

collapsed, Trotman said, the AFC has been making itself available for political

unions or collaborative efforts. The AFC has had talks with the Justice For All

Party (JFAP), GAP, ROAR and the Unity Party. "All are led by persons and

have persons within who are making or could make a contribution to

Guyana," he said.

Asked whether the AFC was courting these

political parties to join the movement, he said the ideal was to have everybody

under one banner but barring that the next best thing would be to have a

working relationship for a common purpose with a preagreed agenda should they

get into Parliament.

But isn’t that going back to the GTF platform

set up? Trotman replied that even though the third force concept came from

Ramjattan and himself about two years "predating Peter Ramsaroop’s

platform" they never claimed ownership of it. "We don’t say we have

copyright for it. At the end of the day, the most important thing is a working

relationship of third, middle, or, centrist parties, which do not cleave to the

two major parties."

He said all the political parties that stand

in the middle and are prepared to offer themselves as an alternative to the

PPP/C and the PNCR would be friends of the AFC in the preelections period. In

the postelections scenario, he said, the AFC would have to work with them all.

"We are not out to destroy the PPP or

the PNCR," he said. "We are out to change the political system so

much so that if at the end of this exercise the PNCR and the PPP/C collate, or start

to speak to each other, we would have been successful. We intend to create

space between them. It is for the people to decide how wide that space would be

in terms of how many seats they are going to give us. Both parties have people

who are quite worthy."

On current engagements, he said the AFC was

enthused with the way discussions were going and were moving to formal talks.

However, he said the fight was not for one group only and they could either go

as a union or as groups within a given set of rules.

In terms of preparations for the elections,

he said that apart from administrative matters, the AFC was benefiting from the

advice of some external campaign strategists.

To date, he said, outreach programmes have

had positive results and have penetrated traditional PPP/C or PNC strongholds.

These include some support in the Corentyne, West Coast Berbice and sections of

the community in Essequibo, Pomeroon, Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and the North

Rupununi. He said the support was encouraging but there was need to consolidate

it.

On the remarks by PPP General Secretary

Donald Ramotar that the upcoming elections would be a contest between the PPP/C

and the PNCR with no space for the smaller parties as they have created no

impact, Trotman said he disagreed based on surveys and meeting with the people.

He said people would either reject the third force change concept or accept it

all together.

Stating that Ramotar would be proven wrong,

he said he was aware that the PPP/C continued to pay keen interest to the AFC’s

activities and was worried. Even the Bisram opinion poll showed that the PPP/C

was not likely to get the 51% of votes required to form the government, he

said.

To charges that the AFC was bringing nothing

new to the political stage, Trotman said the AFC was going to push the issue of

healing and reconciliation, atonement and forgiveness and call on the people to

do likewise and put aside grievances and race hate. Already, he said, leaders

in Buxton have asked the AFC to help heal relationships with Annandale and the

process has begun.

2006-3-17: Sheila Holder has

provided yeoman service as a Member of Parliament (Stabroek News) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

Dear Editor,

I am aware that Mrs. Sheila Holder, GAP-WPA

MP and the WPA whose women leaders identified her as a likely MP, are now at

variance.

This letter will steer clear of that issue

and of reports of what her new platform thinks of the WPA. I simply wish to

make sure that the contribution of persons who do good work in any area be not

clouded by issues that arise later. Her breach with the WPA does not erase the

work that she did.

I did not know Mrs. Holder well before she

became politically active. I wish to say some things about her, as a newcomer

to national politics.

As an MP Sheila Holder has been zealous, hardworking,

alert and competent. She reads every official document and always has a living

grasp of the issues. She reads the Auditor General’s Reports and seeks out and

obtains information relating to the work of the National Assembly, and the

welfare of the country. She is not shy of economic, financial or budgetary

issues, memoranda of understanding, documents from the multilateral or

international financial agencies, and of procedure; she has harried the

Ministers with questions and has been always articulate in communicating. I

know of her efforts along with a few other MPs to implement the changes to the

constitution made by the CRC.

When I was in the Rodney House as general

political handyman and co-opted member of the Executive, we visited several

villages, often with Desmond Trotman, the Centre Manager and my fellow office

jumbie. We even began trying to make young people in three West Coast Berbice

villages aware of the threat of HIV and AIDS. She drove us there, as we had no

other transport.

With a public-spirited supporter of the

GAP-WPA, Richard Finemesser, a non-member, she followed the WPA tradition of

ongoing service to the remote Pakaraimas, Region Eight, and assisted in the

formation of an empowering local organisation among the residents. She

frequently lamented the failure of the Parliament Office to serve her fellow MP

from the Rupununi.

Her request for office space at parliament

building, refused by the Speaker on suspicion, showed the narrow concept of the

rights of MPs and thus of the people they are seen as representing.

I know nothing of her early, formal

preparation. From the news she has been known as a consumer activist, an area

also occupying the talents and competence of an exceptional Guyanese resource,

Ms Eileen Cox, Mr. Pat Dyal and others. This pursuit seemed to penetrate every

aspect of public life often involving the thorny and complicated issues of

utility regulation.

It will be no exaggeration to say that,

because of the decision of the main opposition to boycott most sittings of the

Assembly in line with their view of things, for much of the time a handful of

MPs often one, carried much of the weight and brunt of the attempts in the

National Assembly to make the government accountable.

Since no one else may be willing in these

circumstances to speak of Mrs Holder’s service to the country I do it, aware

that the politics of the letter may be misunderstood.

Elsewhere I have regretted that MP Mrs

Backer’s most ingenious motion on the conduct of the Guyana Police Force has never

been debated, first because of the government’s stubborn refusal for about a

year to bring it forward and next because of her own party’s boycott of the

Assembly. A timely debate on that issue would certainly have made a difference.

Two years of negative developments might have been avoided or might have taken

place in quite another context.

I suspect that some of the personalities

named in this letter might not have chosen to be read on the same page as

others. I have not spoken of similar persons, but of persons whose service may

have gone unnoticed. I hope that this qualifies it as a non-partisan or

politically neutral letter.

The PPP also has resourceful women, but they

have been too cramped until recently with democratic centralism, as we were reminded

by Dr. Luncheon.

Yours faithfully,

Eusi Kwayana

2006-3-19: The Alliance For

Change is willing to assist in crafting a strategy to stave off anarchy

(Stabroek News)

Dear Editor,

If one is to take President Jagdeo’s recent

fulminations on crime, security, and politics at the sacred Babu John Memorial

site seriously, one would believe that there is no government and leadership in

Guyana. The President’s analysis is that the real power is growing out of the

barrels of guns held in the hands of a guerrilla force operating under the

auspices of the opposition parties of Guyana. The nation expects that the

Head-of-State and Commander in-Chief will display greater strength in times of

national upheaval and not be given to irresponsible and unsubstantiated

outbursts. To date, there are approximately thirty opposition parties intending

to contest the upcoming elections. To believe that one or more of them may be

involved in unlawful, insurrectionist activities is a serious charge which must

be fully investigated and proven, failing which, an apology should be issued

forthwith.

Certainly, in Guyana we have seen a

remarkable increase in the level and frequencies of crimes all of which have

certain common features namely, the use of force and the use of weapons,

including the lethal AK-47 assault rifle. The question is whether these crimes,

as they are still described, have a political motive or edge to them. In

October, 2004, the Commissioner of Police made remarks to suggest that the

criminal elements on the East Coast had a political agenda. This sentiment is

now being echoed by the President. If what they say is true then we are in

serious trouble and something must be done urgently and immediately to avert

the coming anarchy. Insurgencies take root and thrive where there are

governments that are incompetent, corrupt, and place continued enjoyment of

power ahead of making changes and reforms that would negate the insurgent’s

appeal. Most experts agree that a viable insurgency has three defining

characteristics:

margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in’><span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>1.<span

style=’font:7.0pt “Times New Roman”‘>     <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>It is organized as seen from signs of planning, a

hierarchy of command, and a distribution of function within its ranks.

margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in’><span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>2.<span

style=’font:7.0pt “Times New Roman”‘>     <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>It relies on armed force to advance its cause. This

armed force is usually deployed in the countryside.

margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in’><span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>3.<span

style=’font:7.0pt “Times New Roman”‘>     <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt’>The activity is not a brief affair, but lasts for

years.

A cursory examination of Guyana’s

circumstances establishes the presence of one or more of these characteristics.

This in itself does not point to any political agenda to remove the existing

government, or to re-arrange the political status quo. Experts have been

careful to point to the fact that criminal gangs involved in kidnappings,

narco-trafficking, and robbery are just as organized, and can also have the

self same characteristics as an insurgent force. However, where we are, and

what we are to do about it, are matters that should concern all of Guyana’s

leaders. Rather than repeating unsubstantiated generalizations we need an

intelligence led operation to ascertain and analyse what is taking place in

Guyana.

With the daring and spectacular assault on

the East Bank seen in conjunction with the disappearance of 33 AK-47’s and an

assortment of handguns, the fear that grips Guyana is palpable and can be felt

everywhere. Of all the weapons most feared, is the AK-47 which is often

described as the world’s most popular assault rifle capable of indiscriminately

firing 600 rounds per minute. One realistic observation put forward as to the

AK’s awesomeness is: "There it is, the AK-47. When you absolutely, positively,

have to kill every single person in the room, accept no substitute." The

military has a lot of explaining to do and seems oddly enough more interested

in who on the outside could have moved the weapons, than on those on the

inside, who must have assisted in carrying out the crime of the millennium.

Since the disclosure of the loss we have seen photographs published and heard

of DNA testing of heaps of human waste, but little else as to the serial

numbers of the weapons, and the names, ranks, and photographs of the persons

within the military who ought to be persons of interest.

The continued presence of these weapons on

the streets of Guyana is a matter of grave concern as we witness the steady

drift into lawlessness and anarchy. Every person, every organization, and every

leader, has a duty to stand united against those who would bring our country

into chaos. The Alliance For Change extends its support to the security forces

in their fight and remains ready, willing, and able to assist in crafting a

strategy to stave off the coming anarchy. It would be remiss and irresponsible

of us if we did not take the opportunity to point out that systems have been

too lax and someone must be held responsible. This situation if left alone

without drastic intervention has the potential to plunge this country into an

unprecedented dark and dangerous period.

Yours faithfully, Raphael Trotman

2006-3-31: The Alliance for

Change and the fine art of sales By Paul Sanders (Caribbean Daylight) <span

style=’font-size:13.5pt;color:blue’>

Oh my gosh! We have found a new gig that

pitches tasty foods, delightful drinks and a great company of men and women who

are just party animals. The “party” part is more important than the

“animals” part. There’s a reason for that.

Last weekend, the Mangoville Lounge was jamming

with Caribbean rhythms and brimming over with a colorful cast of Indo and Afro

Guyanese folks celebrating change. Lots of changes too!

The food was strictly Indian with a marvelous

touch of authentic Indo-Afro Guyanese blend, fusing tradition and technique. It

was one of those “home-grown” flavors that is a huge departure and

a fascinating time-out from the rum-shop/cookshop “authentic Guyanese

cuisine” that clutter the Richmond Hill – and some neighborhoods in

Brooklyn -areas. Well, that’s a good change. Celebration, c’mon!

But one thing remains unchanged in these

get-togethers. The bar is literally a watering hole for real party animals.

Like desert creatures anticipating a long, scorching trip in the sun, the guys

were guzzling up drinks and stockpiling them in their body reservoir for the

long haul. In a sense, the bar was an oasis, and no one was moving until they

were completely replenished.

The fundraising dinner that benefited the

Alliance for Change was in many ways a grand event – and a great adventure

in exploring Indo-Afro relations. Like the aroma of curry and the different

flavors of true Guyanese ingredients, Indo and Afro Guyanese were participating

with each other, exchanging notes, toasting and working together on a formula

to get rid of the disease that’s eating Guyana.

So how is it possible that folks were writing

out checks much bigger than their week’s salary? Because people were

investing into the future of Guyana’s politics. Like the futures market,

folks were convinced that a down payment today would earn great dividends

tomorrow – or next week. They were absolutely sure that they were

qualified investors and shareholders in Guyana’s future prosperity.

And how big is this market? As big as Guyana

itself. And the actual market segment is the totality of the voters list. And

if PPP outcast Khemraj Ramjattan is to be taken seriously, this market for his

political vision is enlightened by the madness that is developing in the Guyana

equation. His political premise is simple: The diffuse, fast moving threat of

social, economic and political collapse requires a fast, moving response.

To put it another way: there is a huge

windfall given the PPP/Civic’s ineffectualness and the PNC/R’s lack

of credibility to run an efficient government as an alternative. And anyone

with a sense of Guyana’s turmoil today will easily gravitate toward the

politics of change as a radical alternative. At least that’s what the

brokers are saying. But this is going to be a different ball game than the

commodities trading market.

The Alliance for Change believes that they

have just run into a political bonanza. Strange how they seem to detect

opportunities in a minefield of corruption, racism and brutal violence in the

land they call “home.”

So when pitchman Khemraj Ramjattan and

colleague Sheila Holder arrived in town last week to provide impetus to the

marketing strategy they were both aware of the political season. Both speakers

worked the floor, shaking hands, greeting people and extending personal

invitations while revving up interest in the audience.

In his discourse, Ramjattan started things

off by explaining the current position of the PPP and the PNC/R in relation to

the growing influence of the Alliance for Change. He warned that it

wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. He continued to reiterate the

differences he had with the PPP while he was with them; he also shared the

positions of Sheila Holder and Raphael Trotman who subsequently left their

respective base.

Ramjattan stated that the trading will get

rough (meaning hot clashes with PPP and PNC/R hoodlums); hard times will be

ahead but the payoff will be magnificent. “Panic,” he assured the

audience, “both parties are showing signs of nervousness at the sway of

the Alliance of Change. We are digging roots in the villages across the

regions.”

Damn right. The anxiety has already rippled

outside Guyana. The PPP support group in New York had deployed their

“crashers” Saturday night on a recon mission to evaluate, access

the progress at the Mangoville meeting. Confident that they were incognito, the

dumb, rookie spies misunderstood their welcome even though the ghost whisperers

had snickered satirical cordiality at their entry. And their “next

day” delivery of the bad news was leading story in their session.

In the crowded hall, Ramjattan quickly went

over the relationship of both the PPP and the PNC/R pointing out the evolution

of Guyana’s disaster. A “symbiotic” relationship he

synthesized, recalling some history to illustrate the point. In dismissing their

importance, he referred to both parties as “dinosaurs.”

There’s always something majestic in a

stranger who’d stop by to detail to you what you’ve always felt and

known. Gue