APNU/AFC’s brazen actions are to deny will of Guyanese – FITUG

…era of rights being trampled on should not return – GAWU

Guyana’s 54th Independence Day celebration has served as a reflection for trade unions, as the current political situation was compared to hurdles in the past which interfered with the rights of the people.

This year, Guyana is celebrating its Independence anniversary without a legitimate Government in place while at the helm of an ongoing National Recount of the March 2 ballots to return credibility to the polling process.

On Monday, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) in their missive sought to share insight into the second tabulation – established after the District Four declaration was riddled with anomalies and breached protocols.
It stated that while this recount has mimicked the original declarations provided, it gives “a breath of fresh air” from the “obnoxious stench” of the Region Four data that was initially provided by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. These “heinous” acts, the Federation said, impeded on the will of the people and highlighted the fragileness of democracy in Guyana.
It went on to say that the process should be further accelerated to end this disturbing chapter in the country’s history.
“The brazen actions displayed are, for us, a heinous act and constitute nothing less than a bare-faced attempt to deny the will of the Guyanese people. There can be no justifiable reason for such actions and those who played a role can no longer be seen as decent or honest and certainly lack any strain of integrity. As the recount continues, we are sure that the conscience of the decent-minded Guyanese will continue to be shocked as the depravities that were pursued reveal themselves…reminds us of the fragileness is our democracy and the utmost need for us all to continue to protect and consolidate it,” the organisation opined.
In relation to the ongoing recount, FITUG observed that the recount has given insight into what transpired during the Region Four tabulation and “the heavily altered results” confirmed that this is where the credibility of the process was tainted. The Guyana Elections Commission, the statement said, should conduct a full probe and legal actions should be levied against culpable wrongdoers.
“We saw too harping coming from the coalition which has made unsubstantiated accusations admittedly on the basis [of] hearsay. This, we contend, can hardly be the basis to lodge an objection. It appears, nevertheless, that objections are being lodged for objection sake and we hold, like many others, they are misplaced in the first place.”

Recovering from adversity
Additionally, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) voiced similar sentiments, stating that the country is heading down the path of a “dictatorship” regime. With concerns, it stated that such an era should never return.
“We see too our potential being threatened by those who seek to derail our democracy and take us down a road of fraudulent elections and dictatorship. We have experienced such painful times before and history has recorded the harm it brought to the well-being of our people and the stagnation and regression Guyana experienced. We do not wish to return to such an era where our freedoms were trampled upon and impoverishment became a defining feature,” GAWU said, as they called for the process to be hastened.
Recollecting their struggles on the Independence Day commemoration, GAWU said the country can withstand “great adversity and withstand the intrigues” that are formed against it.
“We are reminded too that those struggles involved Guyanese from all walks of life who were all committed to the common goal of political freedom and the desire for our nation and people to realise its full potential. Indeed, we hail those who played an active role in those struggles as they faced up to difficult circumstances and unstinted efforts to crush their resolve and to thwart their advancements.”
With the political situation aside, Guyana’s fateful oil boon was mentioned but followed by worries of the agreements that were brokered which might not benefit the Guyanese people as it should have. The low royalties and other fragments of the oil deal have caused room for dismay, according to GAWU.
“It is yet another reminder of how endowed we are as a nation. At the same time, it stresses the need for our people, today and tomorrow, [to] benefit from pragmatic programmes and policies to really benefit from our natural wealth while we safeguard our environment. It is against this background, that the GAWU must express its dismay, once again, regarding our arrangements with respect to our oil resources. Undoubtedly, there is a mountain of evidence which confirms the sad conclusion,” the statement read.
In these unprecedented times, the Union recognised the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic – another reason for a legitimate Government to be installed at the soonest.