…or the Highway
So who’s surprised that Prezzie has rejected the Opposition Leader’s second list of nominees for the GECOM Chair?? Not THIS Eyewitness!
And not anyone with an open mind who reads the expose by this newspaper on the rabidly pro-PNC female ex-Judge Claudette La Bennet, whom Prezzie really wants to fill that spot. Not long after the PNC-led coalition got into office, the Trade Union Recognition Board (TURB) had to be reconstituted, since its two-year term was over. Now this is a very critical body, since it decides who speaks for workers.
The Govt took away one of FITUG’s members and gave it to Lewis’s TUC, but didn’t trust him to toe the PNC line. To make certain of the loyalty of the TURB, the PNC, without consulting either of the two major trade union umbrella bodies, applied its coup de grace and appointed La Bennet as Chair. In what was clearly a dry-run of what would play out a year later on the GECOM Chairmanship, the Government ignored the clear stipulation of the TURB Act, which demanded that the “Minister” “consult” with the most representative trade union body to select the chair.
Both Lincoln Lewis of the TUC and Komal Chand of FITUG complained bitterly of the Government’s high-handed action in making a travesty of the word “consultation”. The TUC had submitted a name, but wasn’t even given the courtesy of being informed it was rejected. Clearly La Bennet was trusted by this government to call the shots, as the Government — read PNC — sees them. The Chair of GECOM is even more crucial to the survival of the PNC.
Just as in 1967, when Burnham decided to rig elections to remain in office, and appointed Desmond Hoyte to represent the PNC’s interest on the Elections’ Commission, he also insisted on a totally compliant Chair — Ex-Chief Justice Donald Jackson. In 1980, the latter was replaced by another compliant pro-PNC ex-Chief Justice, Harold Bollers — dubbed a “toothless poodle” by Cheddi Jagan.
Ex-Justice Jackson presided over the 1968 elections, when horses voted in England; and the 1973 one, when ballots were counted at Camp Ayanganna, away from prying eyes.
Ex-Justice Bollers presided over the 1980 elections, which the observing British Parliamentary Group described as “more crooked than barbed wire”; and also the 1985 elections, in which Hoyte gave himself an even bigger majority than Burnham ever had! And so, in 1990, Desmond Hoyte was forced by President Carter to agree to amend the constitution to go beyond judges and consider “other fit and proper persons”.
It’s clear that being a judge didn’t guarantee “independence, impartiality and integrity”. But then these words mean whatever the PNC decides, do they not?
…on development
One thing about this government is: you can’t blame them for ambushing the Guyanese public about their policies and programmes. They did take the time to declare that President Granger would be faithfully following in the footsteps of the “Comrade Leader, LFS Burnham. We can see that promise kept on the running of key institutions like TURB and GECOM; and over this weekend, a new announcement keeps the ball rolling on the path of Burnhamism — cooperatives.
Minister Keith Scott informed that he’s now completed his survey of cooperatives, and the institution which was at the heart of Burnham’s revolution — we were to be a “Cooperative Republic, remember? — was alive and kicking. All it presumably needs is money, and we will have our new “engine of growth”. No wonder the Government gives short shrift to the Private Sector!! What the heck do they know about Ujamaa Socialism??
Now why would the Government revive a model of development that failed miserably before?
Why? They didn’t stick to the founder leader’s vision!!
…to solve fishy problems
Another aspect of the “Burnham Stride” was strut on the world stage. And last week, Agri Minister Holder followed suit. He jetted off to Norway to regulate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
So what if our Agri’s tanking??
