– we’re now free of GTT monopoly
The first week of October is becoming known as Liberty Week for very good reasons. On Monday night, October 5, the Prime Minister announced that, finally, after three decades, Guyana has been liberated from the stranglehold on its telecommunication system. The PM announced that the GT&T monopoly has now been ended; Guyana is now free to ensure there is fair competition.
Every Guyanese would benefit from cheaper and better service, as no single company would be able to limit other companies from providing service to the Guyanese people. Over time, cheaper rates would apply, cheaper and better internet services would become available.
In 2016, Parliament passed a bill that allowed for ending GT&T’s monopoly; but, five years later, the monopoly stayed firmly in place because, for reasons unknown to the Guyanese people, the Granger-led Government allowed GT&T to carry on. Monday night, October 5th, Guyana extricated itself from those chains that had bound us for three decades. This does not mean that GT&T did not do good things in Guyana, but a good thing in 1990 became a sore along the way that stifled development in Guyana. We are now free of those chains.
This first week of October actually started with Guyana signing with EXXON for the development of the Payara fields. It was not a deal that could have remedied the giveaway of Guyana’s oil to EXXON by the PNC (APNU+AFC), but Guyana was able to untangle itself and sign an agreement with superior terms than the Granger-led Government was able to get from EXXON.
The PPP Government maintained the timeline for development of this field, which is likely to yield more than 200,000 barrels per day once production starts, while simultaneously getting EXXON to agree to many things that are in Guyana’s interest. For one, EXXON’s claim to expenses will no longer be a free-for-all, with weak auditing arrangements. Two, Guyana ensured our environment is protected. Three, Guyana ensured that flaring stops, and that the gas by-product is piped to the coast for use by Guyanese households and Guyanese businesses. Guyana ensured also a strong local content policy. We added to the reputation of the first week of October being Liberty Week. We faced one of the biggest conglomerates in the world; we stared them down, and we got a better deal for Guyana.
There was another October 5 night Guyanese remember very well, and now even the young Guyanese have begun to appreciate. That October 5 was in 1992, twenty-eight years ago. That day is forever etched in our collective psyche. It was the day freedom and democracy were restored. After living all of our years of Independence under a dictatorship, Cheddi Jagan became the first democratically elected Head-of-State of an independent Guyana. While Cheddi and the PPP led the fight for freedom and democracy, Guyanese, as individuals and from various other political and civil society groups, joined in the fight. Fast track to 2020, twenty-eight years later, Guyana had to come together again to thwart the efforts of the same people who ran a three-decades-long dictatorship as they attempted to thief another election again to stay in power. The Guyanese people, led by the PPP again, stood their ground and made them know Guyana will not allow another era of dictatorship to reign in our country again.
Even as we celebrate Liberty Week, we are reminded of the dark days of election rigging and dictatorship. On Monday, October 5th, the Police announced they were looking for the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, whom they want to question about the sordid efforts to manipulate Guyana’s elections results – an attempt that the world watched in amazement, as the attempt was live-streamed. Already, the Chief Elections Officer, one senior Returning Officer and other GECOM staff have been arrested and charged, and are in front of the courts. Now the Deputy Chief Elections Officer is wanted by the Police for questioning. The Police cannot locate her at home, nor can they find her at her office. But she has a full-time job, and she is being paid by GECOM a salary few Guyanese earn. Ms. Myers cannot say she has not been at work because of COVID-19. If that is the case, the Chair of GECOM must say so. But, in that case, she is supposed to be working from home. Why has Ms. Myers made herself so scarce? Why is it that she cannot avail herself so that the Police can question her about what really took place at GECOM?
For some inexplicable reason, the Leader of the Opposition and his party want GECOM to begin preparation for a new house-to-house registration. But all the people charged for inappropriate actions in the effort to manipulate the elections’ results and those who are wanted by the Police for questioning are in charge of the secretariat and of these activities. Why should any Guyanese be comforted that these same persons would conduct an exercise that has to be free, transparent and accountable? GECOM is in need of an entire shake-up. This week, Liberty Week for Guyana, reminds us all that our freedom is fragile and does not come without threats. In March and for five months after, we witnessed, in total shame and amazement, the lengths some people will go to thief that liberty. We must never allow it again.
