Georgetown, Guyana.
For Immediate Release
AFC Press Statement
The Chairman of the AFC and its Presidential Nominee, Khemraj Ramjattan, recently returned from USA after a hectic schedule of meetings and interviews with a number of US Officials and members of the Guyanese Diaspora. A number of very important issues were discussed, and various decisions of the AFC taken recently were explained and clarified.
Undoubtedly, the impact of these meetings and interviews were very obvious. The international image and profile of the AFC was very much enhanced with many members of the Diaspora who were hesitant in their support for the Party now openly embracing its message. In Guyana the publicity given, especially of the meeting with State Department Officials, has caused obvious concern to the Jagdeo Administration resulting in his puerile allegation of unpatriotism on the part of the AFC.
The following constitute the schedule of the meetings and interviews, and a synopsis of what were discussed.
August 18th 2010, 11 am to 12 noon ( Washington DC) Meeting with Amnesty International USA – Ms. Kathryn Striffolino, International Advocacy Associate Director (Latin America),
In attendance were Ramjattan, Dr Ally, Dr. Rohan Somar, and Mr. Ron Alert. A presentation on the Human Rights state of affairs in Guyana largely consistent with the Dossier compiled by JOPP in 2009 along with a status report on the case of Twyon Thomas V AG presently before the High Court and a number of others where there were allegations of torture. Mention, too, was made of the stifling of freedom of expression by the State when applicants who having won their cases in Court like public critic, CN Sharma, cannot get their licences to set up radio stations and extensions to supply nationally their TV services. Ms Strifollino was surprised that there was only one State radio in Guyana in this age.
The team dealt with issues of the Guyana Government’s extremely friendly relations with Iran and other countries in the Mid East of a non-democratic character.
Raised, too, were the important issue of rights of minorities especially as it related to the so-called consultations pertaining to the LCDS; and, the Mc Dougal Report concerning discrimination and marginalization of the Afro- Guyanese.
Ms Striffolino was particularly interested in the police brutality incidences and wanted to know if anything was being done to better the Police Force. The team indicated that there is a lot of talk on this issue but the non-acceptance by Government of British assistance of some $1.6 B and the refusal to facilitate the setting up of a DEA office in Guyana reflects no urgency to move to a more professional Force. She also wanted to know how expeditious is the Justice System. This was explained to be very slothful notwithstanding timelines being adumbrated within which Judges should give their decisions….a proposed four months period.
August 18th 2010 – 3pm to 4pm Meeting at State Department with Ambassador Charles Shapiro, Senior Advisor for Economic Initiatives, Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs, and Bob Piehel, Southern Caribbean Desk Officer, Office of Caribbean Affairs.
A presentation on the state of corruption instanced by the massive financial impropriety which recently occurred concerning the $4 B Guy for which the Minister of Finance and Minister of Water &Housing sought approval from the National Assembly after having disbursed the said sum… this in breach of all the regulations governing the spending of taxpayers monies was made. Also, how the Speaker of the House did rule that a prima facie case was made out against Minister of Water & Housing for misrepresenting in the face of the Assembly which matter will be dealt with in the Privileges Committee.
The abuse of Contingencies Fund, the pronouncements by the Auditor General of corruption and irregularities in high and low places, the misuse of the billions collected through the Lotto Funds and NICIL revenues (through sale of State assets) which billions are not scrutinized by Parliament since the Government has placed these in specialized accounts commandeered by top officials of the Executive branch, were all mentioned.
The suspicious deal with Fip Motilall’s Synergy Holdings Inc concerning some $15m US on a road project and the unanswered questions by Government, the Government utilizing taxpayers monies to set up a competitor Marriot franchised hotel to compete with Pegasus and the lack of transparency of this deal, the nepotism whereby friends of the Government get lands for low prices from which huge profits will be made, examples being Boyer and Lumumba recently, were all mentioned.
A Corruption Dossier (partial list) was given to the Ambassador along with a document stating why the AFC is of the view that Guyana could enter the abyss of a failed State category. The case was made here that there is a tremendous dictatorial tendency in the present administration, instances evidencing this being adumbrated, and how it has criminalised the State through relations with narco-dealers now convicted in the USA. The document “Report on Guyana Government Blogging as paid for by taxpayers monies” done expertly by Gerhard Ramsaroop was also given to the Ambassador. This showed how PPP propaganda and often vicious libels against opponents are carried out on these sites, all from taxpayers’ monies.
We recommended that certain consequences attach to corrupt officials. And that there be visa cancellations for corrupt officials and more stringent demands for transparency and accountability before monies are lent to Guyana. We were told that these may be slow in coming because the USA has to respect sovereignty; and, to deny aid to a poor country may be doing more harm than good. However, there has been a heavy drive to ensure that aid finds its target rather than finding itself in pockets of high officials.
What was very significant coming out of this meeting was the Ambassador’s tremendous interest in a concept called “Secured Transactions”. What it is all about is granting of credit to small businesses without the high transaction costs normally associated with small loans. He informed us that monies for this project once the infrastructure…legal and administrative….are implemented, can be procured from the USAID. He even gave us a model law which can be used, cautioning, however, the need to know the actual individual financial legal landscape so there are no clashes with other legal provisions.
He has indeed commenced a direct line of communication with the team since, already pointing out a ‘toolkit’ and personel from other countries who may be of help in lobbying the various stakeholders like banks, big businesses, Government, and the potential beneficiaries-small businesses. Ron and Tarron Khemraj have been asked to develop this idea.
August 19th 2010 Manhattan New York Meeting with Mr. Matthew Canzer, Political Advisor US Mission at United Nations at the Waldorf Astoria
In attendance were Ramjattan, Dr. Ally, Dr. Rohan Somar, and Mr. Ewart Marshall. A presentation was made on the unmistakable tendency of the Jagdeo Administration in heading towards the Mid East for aid and investment. I mentioned that scrutiny and subtle persuasions he may be getting for some time now and more recently from the Western democracies and institutions like the World Bank (re the recent tiff with Mr. Ashni Singh and Mr Georgio Valentini concerning the disbursements of Norway’s monies, and the nasty tiff with Minister Manickchand and the State Department re the TIP Report, etc) may have consolidated this shift. Allowing Iran to do mapping of our mineral resources more particularly uranium resources is a dangerous development. Not wanting British assistance to the tune of $1.6B Guy for a security sector reform, nor not facilitating a DEA office in Guyana when there is so notorious relations within Government circles of relationships with well known and now convicted narco-dealers, and the country is a well known transshipment point, are all very unsettling.
The team pointed out the absence of Local Government Elections may continue this year all because the Jagdeo Gov’t do not want to allow decentralization and devolution of powers away from his Central/ Ministerial Government. The continued abuse of State resources for campaign purposes which are going on right now all across the country was also a complaint laid.
The team took the opportunity to give Mr. Canzer the same set of documents it had provided Mr. Shapiro at the State Department. We urged that pressure be brought on the Jagdeo Administration to pass the Freedom of Information Bill presented in Parliament by Mr. Trotman of the AFC and the Broadcasting Bill presented by Khemraj Ramjattan. And that there be visa cancellations for corrupt officials and more stringent demands for transparency and accountability before monies are lent to Guyana.
27th August 2010 – Interview with baiganchoka.com
28th August 2010 – Interview with ITV (a television network)
29th August 2010 – Interview with Bobby Veira of “One Caribbean Radio” at Brooklyn New York
These interviews were to inform the Diaspora on the AFC‘s perspectives on the decisions of the National Executive, the State Department visit, political developments at home, and a number of other issues. These interviews will be placed on the AFC website. Already the one on baigan choka.com has had some 400,000 hits.
Meeting with Norwegian Team
The AFC met last Friday September 3rd with members of the visiting International team of experts assigned by the Norwegian Government to assess Norway’s environmental initiatives here in Guyana. They were here in Guyana on a fact finding mission. Mr Ramjattan and Ms Sheila Holder, Chair and Vice Chair respectively of the AFC, met with Mr Hardcastle, Ms Davenport, and Ms Phillipa at the Cara Lodge.
At the said meeting, the AFC emphasized that the Jagdeo Administration is exhibiting an increasingly commandist and controlling posture, doing very little to curb rampant corruption in all quarters of Government, and to veer away from obvious nepotism so flagrant in contract awarding and land deals. The promise for years now, which is not being kept, concerning Freedom of Information and Broadcasting legislation was argued by the leaders as an exhibition of the PPP’s Government adherence of their Communistic and Marxist/Leninist ideals as enshrined in the Party’s constitution.
The demand was made that any monies given by the Norwegians to the Government of Guyana, apart from being strictly monitored by the World Bank, must also suffer an additional Parliamentary scrutiny. Moreover, projects which these monies are to be directed towards must find consensus among the Peoples’ representatives, and not simply the Cabinet making the decisions as to where they should go.
Minister Lall’s Trafficking Misconduct
The AFC condemns the irresponsibility and criminal conduct of Minister Kellawan Lall in failing to render assistance to Mr. July and another whom he knocked down whilst driving his motor vehicle on the East Bank Public Road on the 4th September, 2010.
The Minister’s cowardly performance of fleeing the scene and then sending his son is sufficiently reprehensible conduct which ought in view of a previous reprehensible outburst of a shooting incident sometime ago would have seen in a normal democracy his removal from public office.
The Police Force’s handling of the issue, just like its handling of the previous shooting incident leaves much to be desired. This is certainly discriminatory conduct and a case of the Minister being treated as more equal than others.
The AFC wishes Mr. July a speedy recovery and proper compensation from the Minister.
Diamond Sugar Workers’ Protest
The AFC supports Diamond Sugar Workers demonstration against GAWU and GUYSUCO, and their call for severance status and severance benefits from that Company.
The AFC wishes to remind the public it was only after the Party had given the representatives of these workers a legal opinion, to wit, that because of the closure of Diamond Estate and the distance to travel to the East Coast estate, that their status under the Termination of Employment Act is tantamount to “terminated employees” and hence entitled to severance benefits. This triggered GAWU into going to Court to avoid an AFC led litigation.
GAWU must not let the declarations that it is seeking just rest in Court. There are procedures which could be utlised to urge the Chief Justice to ensure an early hearing in matter of this nature. GUYSUCO, led by the so called working class ideologues like Nanda Gopaul, and Donald Ramoutar can consent to an early hearing to this cause. It is the AFC’s understanding that these directors do no want an early hearing because they feel the ruling will be in favour of the workers. The Company as is well known does not have the finances to make the pay out.
The AFC wishes to point out also that over $110M for the year 2009 has not been paid over to SILWF’s account from the sugar levy monies. This is wholly a financial breach by Guysuco under the Stabilisation Fund Act. The true financial picture of Guysuco must be give to the public.
A review of Outreach visits by the AFC
The outreach activities of the AFC have been ongoing over the last four years with emphasis being placed on sections of all ten regions of the country. The party’s objectives in expanding our support are based on the belief that it would be futile to appear a few months before national elections to campaign in the hope of gaining the people’s support. Consequently, the AFC has been building a relationship with the people by enlisting members, providing representation and assistance where possible in fulfilling the desire of Guyanese for self reliance to improve the quality of their lives.
In this regard we have established a ‘heifer project’ in some Region No. 9 villages with the donation of several cows that see each one of those villages selecting a deserving family to receive a heifer when one is dropped. The objective here is to assist our members and supporters to improve the nutritional needs of their families. The party has also been encouraging competitive sports among hinterland youths, through donations of sports gear.
Over the last few weeks our leaders, Members of Parliament and activists have held meetings and visited Moruka, Annai, villages on the EBD, and in Madhia for the purpose of providing urgent relief to the devastated fire victims. Last week as a result of a well advertised scheduled AFC outreach activity in WCB, President Jagdeo paid an unscheduled visit to the Region causing our activists to reschedule our visit to later this month. On Tuesday of this week the entire leadership of the party was in Linden to address concerns of our members and supporters.
A significant event on the calendar of the AFC will be the observation of the party’s fifth anniversary on October 29. You will be hearing more on this programme, which is currently being arranged.
Dated 9th September 2010
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