– CARICOM should be very worried

Dear Editor,

FOREIGN electoral interventions are attempts by governments, covertly or overtly, to influence elections in another country. There are many ways that nations have accomplished regime change abroad, and electoral intervention is only one of those methods.

In fact, Corstange and Marinov have identified two types of electoral interventions, partisan foreign influencer takes the side of open of the parties and process – this is when the foreign influencer tries to dictate a democratic electoral process i.e. how the electoral process and system ought to work.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) hired Mercury Public Affairs to engineer foreign interference in Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, Guyana’s electoral system and the constitutional agency responsible for managing and overseeing the electoral system – GECOM. In addition to this, the PPP hired Mercury to engineer social unrest and deepen divisions among the Guyanese people.  Such blatant disregard and disrespect for Guyana’s Constitution by the PPP follow a track record of the PPP.  In 1997 Janet Jagan threw a Court Order preventing her swearing-in because she was secretly sworn in before the Court Order was served, thereby nullifying the effect of it.

In short, Mercury was hired to solicit and shape the opinions of a several US Government Officials, elections observer missions, the US Foreign Relations Senate Committee, the Ambassadors of the ABC countries, and the President of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. among others. The range of topics that Mercury and the PPP sought to influence public opinion and the narrative on including the no-confidence motion, the Caribbean Court of Justice, performance of the economy and a range of elections issues including the presumptive winner, riggers and the use and threat of sanctions to influence and dominate public opinion in Guyana and further afield.

Encouraging foreign interference in Guyana’s elections is unprecedented. In fact, this has never happened in any other CARICOM member state. This should be a grave concern for CARICOM as we can expect more of this type of strategy being used by political parties in the region. If this continues in short, this will bring greater political instability, social unrest, and denial of the will of the people in each member state. Foreign electoral interventions are attempts by governments, covertly or overtly, to influence elections in another country. There are many ways that nations have accomplished regime change abroad, and electoral intervention is only one of those methods.

Regards,
R. Chung-A-On

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana-chronicle-epaper_03_24_2020_

—- Lincoln Lewis blasts disregard of court’s role for political motives

THOSE who profess to be leaders and the defenders of democracy, uprightness and decency, but are guided by these standards only when it meets their personal motives are pretentious and the opposite of what they proclaim to defend.

This is the strong opinion of trade unionist Lincoln Lewis who penned the same in his weekly column in the Kaieteur News on Sunday with the title: ‘I feel I have all right to be angry. Listen to my story.’

Lewis’ words ripped into leaders who have been verbally fighting against the interim injunction filed and granted by the High Court blocking the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from facilitating the national recount of all the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Lewis said he was angry and had every right to feel so as those now criticising a citizen for utilising the very existence of the court sang a different tune when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured three injunctions in the court to block the release and declaration of the results for the elections.

Lewis said that it is understandable that one would be angry when some in the Guyanese society “operate in ways to suggest that they are the guardians of right and wrong” with one hand, but “blatantly violate those basic tenets” with the other hand under the pretence of uprightness.

“Anger is an appropriate emotion when one observes that those who set themselves up as morally right, as victims, themselves are amongst the worst who seek to deny others their right. Our recent example is a case in point, where one group exercises their right to file an injunction to stop GECOM from declaring results until a recount was done, yet they turned around and sought to denigrate a sister for similarly filing an injunction to stop an act that she believes was wrong. The body fabric of our society has become so tattered,” he lamented.

Equally terrible, he said, “are the silent and condoning acts of persons looked up to in society as others disregard for the role of the court and take on an attitude of overstepping on the basis of “getting it over and done with.”
The trade unionist observed that leaders have gone as far as to challenge and demand that President David Granger overstepped his constitutional powers by ordering the elections commission on the actions it should take.

Lewis stated: “Why shouldn’t I be angry when a President is on record, repeatedly committed to non-interference into GECOM, to respect its constitutional independence, the Laws of Guyana, and the rulings of the court guiding its function, yet he is being called upon by some to disregard these and deliver to the nation a recount in the absence of the court having pronounced.”
He noted that such efforts have been realised by both “internal and external forces” ulterior motives than what they profess as “uprightness and decency.”
He also said that such actions have led to manipulation of the wider public with the stirring up of animosities and ethnic differences.

Whether the fact was already clear or not, Lewis reminded that each branch of government – Executive, Legislative and Judiciary – has a function and undermining of the court’s function will harbour nothing but undemocratic societies.

He made it clear that despite whatever agreement brokered by President David Granger, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo and CARICOM, the lines of right and wrong with regard to the law must not be blurred.

What we ought to be wary of is leadership devoid of substance and opinion used to sow seeds of discord,” he advised.
“Sometimes I get angry when the lines become blurred or good men act in a manner that will divide rather than weld the nation. This Guyanese man has a right to anger over the indiscretion of those who conveniently cast aside time-honoured principles, laws and rights in furtherance of an agenda. The only thing that has kept this nation, in spite of periodic tension and conflict, as a unitary body and will guarantee our individual and collective peace, safety and harmony is adherence to the law,” Lewis said.

Today, the attorneys in the matter currently before the court will put forward arguments on whether or not applications in question should be heard simultaneously.
These applications are the ones filed by Bharrat Jagdeo and Reeaz Holladar, Attorney Anil Nandlall’s personal driver, seeking to set aside the second declaration made by the Region Four Returning Officer on March 13 and the application filed by Ulita Grace Moore barring GECOM from doing the national recount.

Holladar had asked the High Court to invalidate the March 5 declaration by the Region Four Returning Officer. Jagdeo, through his lawyers, will be required to submit an affidavit in defence by today, while Moore’s attorneys have until Wednesday, March 25, to submit their replies.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

HE threat of sanctions on Guyana should the 2020 elections throw up a certain outcome is very much in the air. It is being encouraged not just by hardliners in powerful global capitals, but by a vocal cadre of Guyanese with partisan axes to grind.

It is a reality that we as a country need to come to grips with. In global power relations, small countries such as Guyana are often at the mercy of the developed world on these matters. This is the way it has been for several decades, and it is not about to be changed. This publication, therefore, does not seek a fight with those countries which have hinted at sanctions.

Rather, we join in appealing for less strident rhetoric from both external and internal forces.
To begin with, it is our considered view that the threat of sanctions is tantamount to attempting to influence the outcome of an election. This may not be the intention, but this is how it will ultimately be perceived.

It is clear for all to see that we are facing a contested election. This is nothing new to Guyana; no election in recent and not-so- recent memory has thrown up results which have been readily accepted by all contestants. We make this observation to suggest that there may be an over-reaction to the post-election developments. The situation has engaged the attention of the courts, which have done an admirable job of bringing the Rule of Law to bear on the issues before them. It is better to allow the matter to come to its logical conclusion, rather than preempting the outcome with threats of sanctions.

In international relations, sanctions are a last resort. Imposing sanctions on another country is akin to a declaration of war. The penalty must fit the alleged crime. We feel that a disputed election should not be a cause for sanctions, or the threat of sanctions. Those who wish to help Guyana in its hour of need should expend their energies towards helping to foster an environment of reconciliation. The threat of sanctions on one competitor in a dispute is unhelpful to such a process.

International sanctions on a country like Guyana would have one guaranteed outcome: Hardship for sections of the population that are already vulnerable. Guyana’s economy cannot withstand the shock of sanctions. So those who are advocating such an approach are indirectly and directly supporting an economic war against the poor and working people. It would represent a direct attack on the human rights of all Guyanese; something that those who cherish humanity should raise their voices against.

Those Guyanese who, for narrow political gains, are advocating for sanctions are shortsighted. We stop short of labeling them anti-national, but would have great difficulty recognising them as profiles of courage. You simply do not invite aggression on your country to satisfy partisan ends. All Guyanese of goodwill should take a stance against such forces, and call them out for cherishing short-term political gain over the security their country.

We end with a direct appeal to our friends in the Global North. Guyana and Guyanese are survivors of centuries of domination. Hence, we hold up our independence as a reminder of the long struggle to turn back such indignities. We cherish our friendship with those who have been there for us, but we ask for respect for our collective dignity. We have the capacity to overcome our differences; we have shown that in the past. If you must intervene, then do so as agents of caution and reason, not as bearers of messages of force.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

Dear editor,

AS A kid, I couldn’t help overhearing the ladies of the house discussing the popular ‘Soap’, ‘The Young and the Restless’. I would admit that initially I found the discourse fascinating, as they re-enact each day’s instalment of the never-ending series. Unfortunately or fortunately with time, I became completely switched off, or rather came to my senses, because of a character known as Victor Newman. You see, one day, the chit-chat got really animated, because the “star-boy,” Victor Newman apparently died. The cause of death was unknown, or at least unknown to them, but that did not deter the dames real-life travel of each and every one of the painful 1000 stages of grief. By then, I’d lost interest in the daily palavering, until one day, the damsels appeared to be in significant distress, and in the process came distressingly close to shaking the one-bedroom cottage that housed 20 of us off its foundation. Out of a combination of fear and curiosity, I proceeded with great caution to investigate the cause of this off-the-Richter-Scale-level tremor. Shockingly, the celebration was around the once-dead Victor Newman, who apparently rose from the dead, with a dramatic entry via the stage door. This Christ-like phenomenon once again stimulated my interest, which was unfortunately short-lived. This God-like character, Victor Newman, apparently had a further two deaths and two resurrections. That was my limit, because, surely, he should not have done better than Christ, who only did the trick once. This elaborate expostulation was the birth of my dislike of ‘soap’ operas; all ‘soap’ operas. I hate them!

So today, a good friend called to query of me if I read Freddie Kissoon’s most recent instalment of his gossip columns. I politely reminded him that I treat ‘soap’ operas like the Coronavirus; I stay miles away from them. He reassured me that it is worth the read, providing I do so with a good dose of commonsense. You see, Freddie lost his way sometime in 2018, when he met his new political lover, Charrandass. I don’t know the exact date that this romance started, but what I do know is that it was consummated on December 21, 2018, in the Halls of the dark Parliament. It was at this point that his gossip columns took a turn for the worse, with most of the content surrounding ‘Charran’ and anyone who dislikes him. Top of that list was the APNU-AFC, who ‘Charran’ once considered his employer, until he betrayed them. As a result, the now hated ‘Charran’ sought refuge in the freezing temperatures of Canada, which precipitated the start of Freddie’s public emotional decline.

I thought it was imperative that I provide that preamble to shine some light on my trepidation of venturing into this gossip column. The gossip column of interest was March 21, which is titled, “The Key to understanding why the ballot boxes were removed”. The first infuriation was of basic semantics, which I discovered in the headline that was worded, “ballot boxes were removed.” The fact is the ballot boxes were never removed from where they were positioned. They remained in that position in the “container”. What transpired was that the ballot boxes were moved from the ACCC to the GECOM office. So once I had overcome this bit of linguistic annoyance, which was also repeated in the body of the gossip column, I bravely moved on. The first few paragraphs were very poorly written, and was a foolish attempt at justifying Roy Beepat’s actions of focusing his CCTV cameras on property that does not belong to him. His argument is weaker than the GT&T Internet supply, hence I am confident that I will only need a few lines and minimal brain matter to debunk it. Freddie, how would you respond if I were your neighbour, and proceeded to acquire sophisticated CCTV cameras and focus those cameras on all your bathrooms and the bedrooms of your daughter, your wife and yourself? Get me? Cameras are intrusive, and can provide a record of events that others might not have consented to. In many malls in western countries, especially America, you cannot go randomly making recordings of them, or security will stop you. It is well known that terrorists do video surveillances before they carry out their terrorist act, hence those restrictions. Back to my initial argument, if someone is allowed to do recordings or focus CCTV cameras on your driveway, then soon they will be in your house. Not sure if there are laws that govern this, but commonsense would suggest that it is just not right. Roy Beepat should focus his CCTV cameras on his property, and any reasonable public space, e.g. the road. Extending his CCTV cameras to the ACCC would not be considered reasonable. If he wishes, he could have joined the ballot-box-guarding brigade, but he cannot be making recordings of a property that does not belong to him, especially after he was warned.

Then Freddie went into this ridiculous argument that the political parties were not informed that the boxes were being moved. Not sure why they should be informed, since it is highly unlikely that anyone can gain access to a moving container, which has police outriders and a million peering eyes, to tamper with the highly-secured ballot boxes. The fact is that the ballot boxes were being taken to GECOM where they were housed since March 2, with no foolish political party standing guard. Why do the parties need to be informed now? To stand guard over secured locked-away ballot boxes which were lying in the compound for over a week when none of the foolish parties had no interest in them.

Freddie then argued that the ballot boxes were being returned to GECOM to be tampered with. This is the usual hogwash emanating from Freddie’s mouth, with not an iota of evidence to support his ridiculous claim. He even went further to argue that the process that will be used to tamper with the ballot boxes is a high-level State secret that he cannot discuss in his gossip columns. Seriously! If they are such high- level State secret, then how the hell he found out? Secondly, if he wished for the Government to be caught red-handed tampering with the ballot boxes, using this sophisticated technique, then I would have thought that he would not have made them aware that he and others are on to their tricks.

It was Dr. Sam Sillington, the former adviser to SOCU, who in a Kaieteur News interview, made the point that grand corruption under the PPP is impossible to prove, because the evidence are either locked away, burnt, or missing. The point that Dr. Sillington and now myself are making is that no sensible white-collar criminal would commit a white- collar crime and leave evidence that is easily accessible. Freddie Kissoon has claimed from Day One, without an iota of evidence, that APNU-AFC rigged the election. Those ballot boxes were in the said GECOM compound for over a week before they were transported to the ACCC. If the APNU-AFC had rigged the elections and had access to the ballot boxes for over one week, why would they not complete the job then? Why would they wait until they transport the boxes to the ACCC, where there was more visibility, then try tampering with them, right under the noses of the brigade of political ballot box guards and interfering Roy Beepat? Also, why would they then return the boxes to GECOM compound, when more people would be on the alert to their plans, and then try to tamper with the boxes? If the Government or GECOM wanted to tamper with the boxes, they would have done so from the inception, when it was alleged that they tampered with the spreadsheets and SoPs. Why would they do so now when all eyes are on the boxes? It is either I am missing something, or Freddie is completely foolish.

Freddie would honestly believe that the entire Guyana is as cretinous as he. Thankfully, they are not. Thankfully, they know the difference between move and remove. I do sympathise with those students who came under his tutelage. I do believe that the university should do a Commission of Inquiry into what transpired when those students were miseducated, with a view to re-educating them. Guyana is now an oil-producing country, and we need as many intelligent professionals as we can possible have, to develop it. Presently, we have one too many idiots.

Regards,

Dr. Mark Devonish

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

WITHIN the past weeks Guyana and its present leadership have come under attack from various sources. The perplexing question is why so many outside voices without any ‘real evidence’ have opted to take a particular position. Well, besides the fact that Guyana has now become of strategic importance, having recently been dubbed an ‘oil rich’ nation, it is important to realise that this has brought about cohesion between persons and groups that arguably want a piece of the pie and are hell bent on taking it no matter what. They view themselves as the emerging decision-makers.

The notion of ‘groupthink’ is associated with the scholar Janis, who argues that the pressure to conform is a personal vulnerability. This he purports is amplified in situations where there is a strong voice within a group: this creates an atmosphere where dissent or opposing views are often stifled, resulting in conformity with the ‘opinion leader.’ Janis defines ‘groupthink’ as ‘a mode of thinking people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.’

So how does this relate to the current situation in Guyana and its citizens?
It was clear from the time the leader of the opposition picked the presidential candidate for the PPP/C that the pressure to conform was a personal vulnerability of his executive members. The reasons for this vulnerability may vary; however, what is clear is that there is one strong voice within the PPP/C, the ‘opinion leader,’ against whom none of its members is willing to publicly dissent or present an opposing view. This is a demonstration of the cohesive group Janis speaks of.

Now this ‘opinion leader’ having successfully utilised ‘groupthink’ within his party then took it a step further. He realised that he now had to create another cohesive group, one that would lend its support to the PPP/C, so that it could actually be declared the winner of the 2020 elections.

The next cohesive in-group that had to be cultivated by the leader of the opposition comprised international actors. But, how was he to galvanise this cohesion with persons and groups who were so distant from the everyday goings on in Guyana? Easy, engage Mercury LLC, their services were for sale to anyone. However, that is not completely true, their services were available to clients who had ‘big bucks.’ It is no secret that the Private Sector Commission and many wealthy businesspersons are part of the opposition leader’s cohesive in-group. As the ‘opinion leader,’ the one with the way forward and subsequently the required narrative, it would not have been difficult for him to gain unanimity from this group to come up with the required funds to support his endeavours. They did, and into the ring steps Mercury LLC. Once again cohesion kicked in.

The mayhem that has ensued as a result of the engagement and meddling of Mercury LLC in Guyana’s 2020 elections has been witnessed by the masses and commented on vigorously by those who really want to see a ‘New Guyana,’ where the majority rather than the minority benefit. The narrative that is incessantly pushed through social media, an alleged trademark of Mercury LLC, alongside the utterances of its cohorts and other so-called ‘independent’ actors, is based upon the ‘opinion leader’s’ false cries of ‘election rigging’, which can be traced back to months before the elections.

One may ask, why would these ‘so-called independents’ be part of the opposition leader’s cohesive in-group, well the answer is simple — money. Social groups have many bases: religion, political, cultural, economic, as well as thematic issues such as climate change and so on. So, the next cohesive in-group is cultivated, ‘the capitalists,’ and as we all are aware capitalism is about the few and not about the majority. Those who invested in the plan, as with any investment, are expecting returns. Hence, the reason why this election is a serious matter, the fight brought about by the ‘opinion leader’ is real.

Now during the campaign season, it was clear to see that the President and his coalition partners had reinvigorated its support base; don’t take the author’s word for it, check out the rallies that occurred, revisit social media. The ocean of support kept growing so that by the time the final rally was held in Georgetown, it was like a tsunami. One can only wonder if it was at this point that it dawned on the opinion leader of the PPP/C that they were up against a runaway train. The plan had to take a new direction, election rigging had already been planted in the minds of the members of each cohesive in-group but, to make this play out on the world stage, it could not be left to a mere challenge, chaos had to ensue. This chaos manifested itself in the release of shared fake SOP results by the PPP/C before the election results were finalised and the mob intrusion at the GECOM counting office for Region Four. Plato said ‘an empty vessel makes the loudest sound’ now take a view of the video coverage of the intrusive mob at the GECOM counting office for Region Four as they harassed its personnel. They kept going on about election rigging. The same group that was adamant that the voters list had to remain in place,

despite the fact that GECOM had months before embarked on a clean register process through house-to-house registration. A fair assumption, as outlined in Janis’ groupthink model is that the ‘opinion leader’ is able to exploit his/her position and narrative more, once aware of the structural faults. It would be fair to say that this structural fault was the bloated voters list. Now with all of these glaring nuggets of concern, one would expect independent actors to examine these before deciding, obviously they did not. However, scholarly voices from many of these countries, which these ‘independent’ actors represent, impart that ‘groupthink’ is something to be challenged, as it drowns alternative perspectives through one-directional thinking. Their behaviour suggests that the scholars are wrong, because they have all subscribed to a notion of wrongdoing by GECOM, the President and his coalition partners.

Now turning to the President and what he stands for — social cohesion and economic equality. Any right-minded individual would commend such a stance and undertaking. However, none of the ‘independent’ actors defended this man’s integrity, someone with whom many of them have met and talked with on numerous occasions. Instead, threats of sanctions and isolation were broadcasted across the globe. Still, this is no surprise to those of us who are conscious that others often view us differently to how we see them, and this has been the downfall of many a nation. The so-called ‘independent’ actors were obviously of a view that only certain alliances were worth making. Furthermore, their actions, premature claims of sanctions and isolation flouts the Vienna Convention’s undertaking ‘of the sovereign equality and independence of all states and of non-interference in the domestic affairs of states.’

The other person in recent decades who took a similar position to the current President was Desmond Hoyte and history shows how that turned out.
Cohesion is no doubt a great thing. But, what the violent acts, racist and derogatory verbal assaults that ensued after the elections demonstrate is that cohesion is a state of mind and cannot be achieved through an ideology. What we as humans are blessed with is free will and as a result, only we as individuals can decide to accept each other unconditionally and foster cohesion. However, we should not fool ourselves into thinking that this will and can happen overnight; there is much to do before such cohesion can take root or before the people would be truly ready to accept a Government of National Unity.

One such matter that has to be addressed is economic equality, something the President is championing through his education and entrepreneurship initiatives. There will always be a void when there is a great economic divide between citizens of a country, where there are a few that have plenty and significant others who struggle to meet their basic needs. It is no secret who fall into these categories and as demonstrated during this election, money is power, hence the engagement of Mercury LLC and the many unknown investors.

As we await the declaration of the election results and the swearing in of a fit and proper President, realise that there is more at stake here than just who will govern the country for the next five years. It is about who will champion economic equality and move the nation closer towards the notion of social cohesion, ‘One people, One nation, One destiny.”
Forward Ever, Backwards Never. Shez (LYRIC GROUP)

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

Sir Shridath expects adherence to Constitution, Constitutional Reform

DISTINGUISHED Guyanese diplomat Sir Shridath Ramphal has said that once the proceedings before the High Court regarding Guyana’s electoral situation are ruled upon in accordance with the Constitution, political parties in Guyana must be able to move forward, knowing that the Rule of Law crafted decades ago prevailed, and avenues are there for improvement.

In a statement on Sunday, Sir Shridath said: “If events next week are treated with the solemnity and purpose asserted in every Constitution of Guyana since independence, based on commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and in the spirit they proclaim of ‘reconciliation and cooperation’, our nation has every opportunity to overcome and prosper. When the Court pronounces next week, it is upon what is truly constitutional that it must pronounce. By so doing, it will allow all the parties and the people of Guyana to move forward lawfully, and in fulfilment of their solemn pledge to each other.”

Sir Shridath, who had a hand in writing the Constitutions of Independent Guyana in 1966; the Republic of Guyana in 1970, and the 1980 Constitution, said that in each of them the same declaration rings through, “Guyana shall be a sovereign democratic State.”
He said that the 1980 Constitution, which stands today, declares that Guyanese are proud crafters of a system of governance that promotes “concerted effort and broad-based participation in national decision-making in order to develop a viable economy and a harmonious community, based on democratic values, social justice, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law.”

The fundamental laws were adopted, amended over time, and inspired by the “collective quest for a perfect nation” which holds true to the characteristics of the said Constitution.
Sir Shridath said that in these words lie the DNA of Runnymede, the French Revolution, the American founding fathers, the genes of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America and the Anti-Apartheid struggle in Southern Africa, in which an impoverished Guyana played a noble part.

The “collective quest for a perfect nation”, he pointed out, remains the collective goal of the Guyanese people. However, he noted and encouraged the return to the 1998 Herdmanston Accord, which he said called for constitutional reform and outlined the process to achieve it.
CARICOM brokered the Herdmanston Accord with the Leaders of Guyana’s two main political parties following the post- December 15, 1997 election unrest. It included an agreement to complete the reform of the 1980 Constitution.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

DETERMINED employees of the Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) continue to assiduously preserve their barrier across a section of the Berbice River, and are eagerly awaiting the election results to pave the way for government’s intervention.

It is now two months since BCGI, owned by aluminum giant RUSAL, first laid off a batch of employees on January 24 and the employees responded by blocking the river.
Since then, the employees have been vigilantly guarding the blockage at Landernsville, to obstruct the company from shipping out materials or equipment from its Kurubuka Mines in Region 10.

Notwithstanding their determination to see the situation through, it’s has not been easy for the group maintaining the blockage.

“We are sleeping in hammock, on tables and bench by the river corners now two months and change, and yet nothing has been done as yet. We know the situation but things are rough here. You have to leave your family and be away so long it’s very rough,” Leandre Clarke, an employee, told the Guyana Chronicle as he described of the situation.
The employees see the blockade as their only leverage in making the company pay attention to their grievances. In original demands issued through their union, the employees called for the re-hiring of employees; the addressing of compensation for two employees who suffered electric shocks while on duty in December 2019 and increases in wages and salaries.

The employees are remaining optimistic in their hopes.
“Things ‘lil’ tight but we still have good faith and we’re working together. Is not everybody is here, but the people are here holding down the fort,” Clarke said.
Earlier in February the employees had even defended their blockage against confrontation with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) when police officers had descended on the area. The relentless employees said their protest was peaceful and they did not harm anyone. The police presence was eventually removed.
The employees see their situation as all part of their fight to ensure that they stand up for their rights.

“We are in good spirits. We have to be like that, we can’t give up. It’s a struggle and a fight, we have to fight for our rights. We cook every day, and we even share our meals with the members of community, because they have been a part of the fight too,” shared Garfield Brutus, an employee and Branch Vice-President of the employees union, Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU).

Brutus appealed to private citizens and businesses to come on board and lend assistance if possible.
“We would like some more support from foodstuff and so on. Because we are not working, we would glad if other entities could come on board, meet with us and talk with us in a group. Meet the workers plus members of the community and make our voice be heard a little more,” Brutus said.

After initially laying off 288 employees, BCGI officially terminated 326 employees on February 2 and suspended operations at the mines.
The company has since sent a shipment of equipment out of the country, lending to allegations by employees that the company is closing down entirely. Government officials, however, including Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, have said that the company gave no official indication of plans to shut down.

The government, through the Department of Labour and Ministry of Social Protection, has engaged the executives of RUSAL over the situation with the employees since it began.
They have been lobbying the company for rehiring of the employees, while the Labour Department has been investigating benefit payments made to the employees who were terminated.

Efforts made to contact Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle for an update on that situation proved futile.

The situation however has somewhat been impeded as Guyana is currently awaiting declarations of the results for the March 2 General and Regional Elections by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“We are anxious for this thing to resolve, but the problem is the political situation right now and so we can’t do nothing until that fix. We’re waiting on the elections because without a new government nothing won’t happen. So we’re at a standstill, just maintaining the blockage at the river,” Brutus explained.

RUSAL owns 90 per cent of BCGI, while the other 10 per cent is government- owned, administered by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
Head of NICIL Colvin Heath-London, recently shared that NICIL had initiated engagement with RUSAL over dividends owed, if any. Heath-London said that to the best of his knowledge no dividends has been handed over to the government during RUSAL’s time here.

On Sunday, Heath-London told the Guyana Chronicle that meetings with RUSAL have been placed on hold, pending the installation of a new government.
Being a shareholder in BCGI, NICIL last month took the initiative to pay the fired employees their February salaries as the dividends negotiations continued. BCGI was established in 2004; however, RUSAL took it over in 2006 after acquiring the assets of Aroaima Mining Company from the government.

Relations between the company and its employees have been strained since 2009, when the company terminated over 50 employees and refused to recognise the union.
Efforts made to contact GBGWU General-Secretary Lincoln Lewis for a comment, were unsuccessful.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

Dear Editor,
PRESIDENT Granger, for the sake of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Constitution for which it stands, do not capitulate to outside interference from the Organisation of American States (OAS) and others along with the PPP in their attempts at undermining the Rule of Law. Stand your ground for fealty to the Constitution and the Rule of Law. The Constitution is clear as it relates to who participates in elections, and what the redress is for disputes. Guyana’s Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, and Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) are the impartial arbiters of dispute AFTER GECOM, the constitutional body duly empowered to conduct and declare the results of the elections.

History and the understanding of geo-political forces at work is important for all Guyanese to understand what is at stake when there are external forces who parachute in to put their thumb on the scale in favour of their candidate while seeking to subvert the will of the people.

In the United States, it’s codified that presidential elections are held every four years on the second Tuesday in November. On November 7, 2000, a presidential election was held that featured George W. Bush, Republican, and Al Gore, Democrat. That hotly-disputed election was settled more than a month later by the United States Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore on December 13, 2000. As of today, it’s been 19 days since Guyana’s elections.

Democracy and elections at times can be messy, but in nations that are governed by laws and not by men, there is orderly legal redress to peacefully settle disputes. I’ve said that to say that even in America, where the Republic is more than 240 years old, I don’t recall the OAS and other outside observers forcing their way into offices to bully election workers to declare the winner of their choosing. Process is important; Rule of Law is important. The PPP and their international cohorts initially, physically and subsequently through the courts, interfered in the completion of the process as set forth by GECOM and Guyana’s election laws.

It is a documented fact, for the world to see, that the CIA infiltrated Guyana to foment unrest and racial strife between the PPP and PNC; Blacks and Indians in the 1960s. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. In 2020, it’s no longer necessarily State actors who destabilise countries, but it is paid lobbyist; political consultants and organisations such as the OAS. Look at the countries where there are post-elections disputes; these countries are underdeveloped, and are blessed with natural resources that are exploited by multinational companies, and developed countries interfere under the guise of being impartial referees, often doing so because their interest align with corrupt and compromised leaders such as the PPP in Guyana’s case.

With respect to the OAS, in Bolivia in October 2019, they claimed that there were electoral irregularities, and that President Morales must leave. In February 2020, a respected study found that “they greatly misled the media and the public about what happened in Bolivia’s elections.” It is well worth reading and becoming familiar with the article, where the same modus operandi used in Bolivia is now being employed in Guyana. President Morales subsequently left and sought exile in Mexico, where he remains to this day. ( https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/27/oas-has-lot-answer-new-study-disputes-key-claim-paved-way-right-wing-coup-bolivia).

Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is credited with saying, “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interest.” Guyana was labeled a narco-State under Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP prior to 2015 by the United States and the other ABCE countries. Bharrat Jagdeo has travelled a short distance from being CARICOM’s pariah who presided over ‘Death Squads’ that saw over 400 young black men and the poor disappear, narco-trafficking, money-laundering, corruption, violating constitutional norms by not holding Local Government Elections as well as a litany of other crimes; to now being refashioned into a paragon of decency and democracy by these very same folks. It’s amazing how $34M can rehabilitate one’s image. Guyanese are being played for fools and suckers by Mercury Public Affairs, a company that features prominently in the Muller Report into Russian interference in the United States’ 2016 elections. Bharrat Jagdeo stated that the PPP raised the millions to pay Mercury through fundraisers and donations. You’d have to be a fool to believe that! The “investors”, both foreign and domestic, expect a healthy return on their investment. Guyana is now an oil-rich nation, in addition to being blessed with other natural resources. Follow the money.

In conclusion, it is no secret that President Granger has not been well served by many in his government in general, and the communications shop in particular. There’s an absence of a coherent message and strategy, as well as a communication vacuum APNU created that Jagdeo and his handlers have expertly exploited. Every Thursday, the Opposition Leader has a press conference, in addition to the daily free media coverage that he gets, yet there’s nary a peep out of Mr. Granger, utilising the bully pulpit of the presidency. Have a daily message via NCN, print media, and social media that speaks to the process that must be respected by all. Condemn the incendiary language by irresponsible PPP operatives and Members of Parliament that have led to violence, loss of life and property. Those doing so must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. President Granger, above all, stand your ground for Guyana’s sovereignty and the rule of law.

Sincerely,
Patrick Nicholson

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

— Ramjattan, letter writers roast former GECOM chair over ‘dogs of war’ comment

WHAT the well-known Major General (Retired) Joe Singh had hoped would be an objective open letter to President David Granger on Guyana’s current electoral stalemate has been examined by many as a missive with an underlying grudge held for 9 months and visible hypocrisy.
Singh wrote the letter on March 18, 2020 urging the President to call off the “Dogs of War”; to “direct” the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to commence a national recount and all while claiming that he had “forgiven” the President for not selecting him as GECOM Chair in 2019.
A flood of responses by way of ‘Letters to the Editor’ have since come in response to Singh, most of which expressed astonishment at his seemingly departure from impartial, non-biased expression.

A SIMPLETON’S PERSEPCTIVE
To the Editor, Devina Mahadeo, a 35-year-old conservationist, said she had always respected the public writings of Singh but is now “deeply disappointed” in the person he has turned out to be.

She said it was the language and tone of Singh’s letter that exposed his intent. Mahadeo ventured as far as to question whether the former GECOM Chair had truly written the letter or simply affixed his signature to it as it went against his known attributes.
Singh had stated in one section of his letter to the President: “I have forgiven you for classifying me and other nominees for the Chairmanship of GECOM as not fit and proper persons but I will not forgive you if you fail to do the honorable duty of calling off the Dogs of War, and excise them condignly from wherever they are hatching their moves and counter moves.”

In July 2019, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo submitted the names of the 11 nominees, inclusive of Singh’s, during a new process of selecting a GECOM Chair, after it was found by the Court that the former Chair, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, was wrongfully appointed.

It led to the appointment of Retired Justice Claudette Singh some nine months ago. In the letter on Guyana’s electoral stalemate and what he presumed should be done, MG Singh had listed several of his senior positions held in the past seemingly bearing a grudge that he was not selected by the President to be GECOM’s Chair.

Mahadeo, in her letter to the editor, described Singh’s letter as one which portrays him as a “simpleton” and requested that, if it is that he simply affixed his signature to the written words, he finds the courage to distance himself from it.
Mahadeo said she is surprised that any wise person would take the term “fit and proper” – used on several occasions by the President – to heart.

“The letter you signed, whether you read it or not, left you bereft of the academic savvy to recognise and appreciate the use of words in context. Let me be clear: no educated and mature individual would carry around such unforgivable anger that burns like acid in his bosom over those words for as long as you have done, according to that obvious mercury campaign letter with some of the campaign messages embedded; a despicable portrayal of you– an expose of treacherous deception,” she said.

She also expressed her surprise over Singh’s sarcasm and intolerance surrounding the interim injunction accepted by the High Court to block a planned national recount as if he had no respect of the right of every citizen to have access to the court.
The woman stated: “I never heard a word from you when one side of the divide approached the courts. Why do you believe now that Mr. Granger, who is not a dictator, and does not control the minds of his followers or the courts, should somehow silence a Guyanese who has an opinion different from his, yours and mine for that matter?”

‘DOGS OF WAR’
In another Letter to the Editor, Political Commentator, Mark Devonish said that he too was taken aback by the suggestion that President Granger should call off the ‘Dogs of War’. He said that Singh failed in his letter at an attempt at appearing a-political.
Furthermore, Devonish said that the true ‘Dogs of War’ are the PPP leaders, and Opposition parties which followed suit, in their intention to kick in the office door of the current GECOM Chair.

Devonish said: “I would assume that since the retired Major- General has not commented on other relevant recent events, that his Internet is a tad slow. As a result, the terrorist incidents inside GECOM have not yet arrived in his inbox. These unsightly terrorist events include staff being verbally and physically assaulted, and the Chairwoman, Justice Claudette Singh’s office door being kicked in. When the unbiased Major-General does receive these images, I would be grateful if he can identify the owner of these vicious Pit Bull-type ‘Dogs of War’ and pen them a severe reprimand in the media. Also, I guess the retired Major-General has not received the images of the terrorist attack at Lusignan, where schoolchildren were attacked and hospitalised with broken bones; police were attacked, and they too hospitalised with broken bones; school buses were attacked; private cars set on fire; cane fields and properties burnt; innocent civilians threatened by a gentleman with a gun; roads blocked with logs, and tyres set ablaze.”
He criticized the Major General for being silent on past gruesome acts such as the killing of mostly Afro-Guyanese by the ‘Phantom Squad’ and the assassination of Former Agriculture Minister, Satyadeo Sawh as opposed to his vocalization on current presumed creators of war when the country is being led by a President simply upholding the Constitution. “You see, Joe Singh is yet another ‘victim’ who is struggling with the ‘psychological trauma’ of being part of a group that the President deemed ‘not fit and proper’,” Devonish concluded.
“Sadly, folks like Christopher Ram, Seelall Persaud and Joe Singh are telling us to euthanise our chihuahua-type ‘Dog of War’, while they are secretly feeding blood to their pit bulls.”
On the other hand, a citizen Gregory Howe said that one must be reminded that “only the owner(s) of ‘the dogs of war’ can call them off.”

He said that Singh, though a distinguished member of society, “faltered badly” in his letter to the President and failed to equally address the Opposition which has played major roles in the country’s arrival at its current state.

“Without any shred of evidence, Mr. Singh has determined, by the tone and content of his letter that it is President Granger who is at fault and needs to do the right thing. I am not surprised, but profoundly disappointed,” Howe said in a Letter to the Editor.
“The President has neither breached the Constitutional provisions nor broken one jot or tittle of any law in Guyana, in this matter of elections in this country. He has been properly biding his time and space.”

He too spoke to the PPP’s and other small opposing party’s invasion of the GECOM Command Center on March 5, 2020 led by Jagdeo which Singh has failed to address and the highly questionable involvement of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) throughout it all.
Howe stated: “If the Major General (Retired) takes a careful look at those few events mentioned in this letter, then he would have much more than an idea about the owner(s) of ‘the dogs of war’. Certainly, those ‘dogs’ could not be owned or handled by His Excellency, President David Granger.”

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira stated in a letter that Singh’s motives are now under question as his “camouflage-patriotic language” failed to mask his bruised ego over not being selected as GECOM’s Chair.

He pointed out the error in Singh’s boastings that he holds “no brief for any political party” and, by choice, has never voted, noting that this does not speak well to the exercise of one’s democratic right that Guyanese have died for and should not been seen by any as a proper example to follow.

Figueira said on many occasions, when Guyanese would have appreciated the input of Singh, he was silent and has found his voice only to urge the President to act unconstitutionally and to create a false sense of the state of affairs.
Perhaps educating Singh post-missive, APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan pointed out that the President cannot “direct” GECOM and has no intention of ignoring the role of the court.

He said that President Granger will continue to adhere to the rule of law. The President, he said, understands the legal procedures which must take place prior to the hopeful acts of GECOM.

“Joe Singh can say – as he has done and we wholly respect that – but he must also respect the law. He has already made up his mind that some faction of the party has hijacked the process from His Excellency. This is outrageous!…this country will be in huge problems whichever party wins. And we must not abdicate any responsibility to ensure these problems are solved. The surest way there is, is being guided by the law and lessons of history,” the APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate said.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-23-2020

…supports legally-supervised recount of all districts

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) one of the six parties in the APNU+AFC coalition has once again called for the abandonment of the winner-takes-all framework of governance here even as it lends support to a legally-supervised recount of all electoral districts to resolve the post-elections impasse that has gripped the nation.

“In our earlier “Election Statement” WPA had expressed grave concern over developments since March 2 when Guyanese went to the polls to elect the next government. We stated that, for a party which is well aware of the dangers of elections within a winner-takes-all framework, we are aghast at the turn of events. At stake is the very survival of the multi-ethnic covenant that has held our country together since emancipation. The signs of severe dislocation cannot be ignored,” the WPA said in a statement issued Saturday evening.
The party noted that it has throughout its long life as a political party and actor advocated for a political solution to our historical problems in the form of a power-sharing Government of National Unity, which guarantees our major ethnic groups protection against domination by the other. It is the foremost reason for our initial and continued membership of the Coalition which we view as a steppingstone towards such a government. “We renew that call now in this hour of seeming despair. At this moment the WPA is in no better position than the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to decide which party was victorious in the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Like the rest of the nation, we continue to be alarmed about the developments surrounding tabulation of the votes. The inherent logic of competitive elections is “winners and losers”.

The WPA said at this point in the country’s national existence “we are more concerned with a different

outcome. A national unity government with a mandate for constitutional reform ending the present winner- takes- all governance system is the only way out of our historical entrapment, which hinders economic and social progress as well as racial unity.” “The WPA as a member of the APNU+AFC coalition is therefore fully committed to a resolution of this crisis in such a manner as to allow the country and its people to make the best use of our new-found wealth from our oil and gas resources.”

To this end the WPA joins in solidarity with those who call for one or more of the following:

(A) We reiterate our demand that following the examination of the ballot boxes which reveal the credibility of the elections, whichever party wins the most votes forms a government of national unity for an agreed period with a clear mandate to complete constitutional reform and ending the “winner-takes- all” governance system. (b) A verified recount of all electoral districts as legally permitted under the Constitution. For the avoidance of any doubt we welcome CARICOM’s supervision of this recount in chronological order from one to ten. We call on all political parties to accept the results of a recount and will call on them to do so if necessary; C) Full respect for the rights of citizens to seek redress in the courts of law on any related electoral issue.

(d) We denounce all calls for sanctions being imposed on Guyana. These will hurt mostly those who are already hurting from poverty and powerlessness. e) WPA rejects violence in all its forms and especially as has occurred since elections day politically-directed against children, women and law enforcement personnel.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-22-2020