Georgetown, Guyana.
November 27, 2020
For immediate release to all media houses.
Statements from AFC Press Conference
Ethnicization policy of the PPP
The AFC wishes to point out to the Guyanese people that the policies of the Irfaan Ali’s Jagdeo-led administration are clearly revealing patterns dangerously discriminatory; and, with a loaded ethnicisation about them. The PPP Government’s intentional action and policy, since its disputed installment into office, has seen an unwise, unjustified dismantling of projects and policies of the previous APNU/AFC Administration which were directed to benefit the country and its people as a whole and not any ethnic grouping in particular.
Firstly, the significant move to reopen the closed sugar factories in the face of cogent and compelling evidence that this will result in a massive mispending of the country’s monies just to create jobs for its East Indian base of support is stupendously ill-advised economics. So the underlying reason is but a sectarian spending…giving red meat to its Indo-Guyanese base. The world market price for sugar is half of production costs. Where will the profits from an increased production come from?
The crisis in sugar was completely at the hands of the PPP. Millions of US dollars were borrowed from the EU, the Chinese, the IDB and the CDB for the sector, a huge chunk for the then new Skeldon Factory. Over $1B Guy was given per month for 36 months by the APNU+AFC Government in its first 36 months to attempt to save it.
It was not viable. And that is why it was right-sized. To continue to take money out of the Treasury, in the first case $5B from September to December 2020; and, as we are now told by Agriculture Ministry officials, another $25 B and more for Ashni Singh’s come back Budget just to continue in 2021, is but shovelling hard earned resources down a black hole. The new GuySuco’s CEO blunderings and babble must never be given any credence nor credit. Propagada will not make Sugar profitable.
The monies being pumped into Guysuco to buy Indian votes would be better spent assisting former employees if the sugar industry to develop medium scale green house farms, assist them to access market opportunities with the FPSOs that will be operating off shore Guyana, provide training and business grants that could see the former sugar workers becoming entrepreneurs providing services to Guyana’s oil and gas sector.
This type of assistance would ensure former sugar workers their economic independence and that their children would not be beholden to any political party.
Secondly, the AFC sees the recent spate of terminations of public servants, substantially of one ethnicity, Afro Guyanese, in these savage covid times as provoking trouble. Several hundreds have had to suffer. The justification as revealed by the Governance Minister, surprisingly is that the dismissibility at pleasure doctrine is back in full force.
This is an exercise of executive lawlessness. This makes a mockery of the insulation created by the various constitutional service commissions, Public, Police, Teacher and Judicial, set up to prevent the politicisation of appointments and dismissals.
A cycle of hatred can be created from this uncalled for development which can segregate our Community further. The rule of law must govern such a policy which affects the employ of so many and on whom thousands depend on.
Outside of this category of terminations, there is the instance of the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency being released from employ whilst his technical and professional qualities were needed in negotiating the Payara Production Agreement. Guyana has been the worse for this.
Thirdly, instances of this badge of ethnicisation have occurred in the area of squatting. The AFC has noticed the regularisation of squatters at Conservancy Dam Canal No 1 with provisioning of lights and water and the several at West Demerara from Ruimzight to Mary, Zeelugt, and Parika where East Indians are predominant. Yet at Success East Coast Demerara where Afro Guyanese brothers and sisters were conducting same, they are being shot at by the Police and flooded out.
Right thinking Guyanese of all ethnicities must condemn this destructive polarising development. It is provoking an explosion in an already tense national situation.
AFC condemns PPP for its anti-regional integration posture
The Alliance For Change (AFC) condemns in the strongest possible terms any action by the controversial PPP Government that would result in Haitian nationals requiring a visa to enter Guyana. It is anti-regional integration, it is against the principles of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and shows total disregard and contempt for the valiant struggle of those who fought to unite the peoples of the Caribbean.
The AFC wishes to remind the PPP Government that the free movement of people has long been viewed by all Governments of the Region as critical to regional integration and to be mindful that the CSME abolishes discrimination on grounds of nationality in all member states.
Article 45 is most pellucid, “Member States commit themselves to the goal to free movement of their nationals within the community.” As a signatory to the CSME and a forerunner in regional integration, Guyana has an obligation to uphold all principles of the CSME.
Since the earliest attempts of regional integration with the establishment of the West Indian Federation through to the establishment of the CSME, Guyana has been at the forefront in uniting the peoples of the region. The PPP must not be allowed to destroy these efforts. This situation has become even more acute by the arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention of Haitians entering Guyana.
The AFC calls on Regional Heads of Government, the Caricom Secretariat, Heads of Regional institutions and the people of the Region to condemn the racially biased and provocative actions of the PPP. We call on the Caricom Secretariat to convene an extraordinary meeting of Heads of Government to address this matter.
End.
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