Today marks the second anniversary of the Cummingsburg Accord, the Valentine’s Day Union between the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC). Two years on, however, what has this union really achieved, from its stated goals, for Guyana?
When it was signed just before the May 2015 General and Regional Elections, the Accord had designated considerable responsibilities to the Prime Minister. For
President David Granger and Prime Moses Nagamootoo
instance, he had been given responsibility for domestic affairs and chairing Cabinet meetings.
This had been in an effort to ensure adequate power sharing, not only between the President and Prime Minister, but between the two parties. In actuality, this was never put into practice as President David Granger continued to host Cabinet meetings.
When these promises did not materialise, the Opposition had noted that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s role was largely ceremonial. The Prime Minister has always insisted otherwise, stating that the Accord’s provisions were not cast in stone.
But the joint manifesto of the Coalition was also something vividly promoted during the elections campaign. And while some of the promises were fulfilled, the Coalition is yet to make good on crucial policies aimed at improving their accountability to the people and to improve the livelihood of the nation.
Significant salary increase
According to the 2015 manifesto, the Coalition had promised “significant salary increases for Government workers, including nurses, teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education, security personnel and civil servants on the traditional pay roll.” These increases became a front burner issue, especially when the Coalition made a retroactive decision to raise the salaries of its Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials, not long after winning the elections. Based on what they were earning at the time, workers received a one to 10 per cent salary increase in the 2017 budget.
Public servants were, however, left disappointed when, instead of Government announcing a month tax-free bonus, they were instead treated to a tongue lashing by Finance Minister Winston Jordan during his reading of the 2017 budget estimates last year.
In addition to announcing marginal adjustments to the taxes paid by workers, Jordan lashed out at the public service, calling it lethargic and inept.
Failure to pay sugar workers their performance bonuses also led to protests in front of the Ministry of the Presidency last year.
Code of Conduct
In the 2015 manifesto, it had stated that “A Code of Conduct will be established for Parliamentarians, Ministers and others holding high positions in government public office to abide by, including mechanisms for demitting office if in violation of the Code of Conduct.”
The draft Bill had included provisions against public officials accepting gifts of more than $10,000, conflicts of interest, and even gambling.
Its implementation was a crucial 2015 campaign promise by the Coalition, but despite draft codes of conduct being prepared and reviewed it is yet to be brought to Parliament.
Phased reduction of VAT
The manifesto had promised a phased reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) and its removal from food and other essential items.
While VAT was indeed reduced in the latest budget from 16 per cent to 14 per cent, it has been implemented on a number of basic services such as water, electricity and even school fees and healthcare.
These moves have prompted intense criticisms and a petition was recently started at School of the Nations, a private school which caters for students from different economic backgrounds.
During the recently held National Executive Conference (NEC), then AFC General Secretary David Patterson had spoken of the Accord, which expires in February 2018. According to him, “not every element of the Cummingsburg Accord has functioned as the framers intended and a number of issues have arisen that need to be addressed in an effort to enhance its effectiveness.”
“One of the main weaknesses of the Accord is the silence on the way in which the Coalition would treat with the local government elections. The Coalition partners, despite some effort, were not able to reach an equitable political arrangement, which led to a less than satisfactory outcome for those elections.”
That being said, Patterson went on to say that the AFC was committed to the Coalition and where there are issues, they would be addressed. According to Patterson, these issues should be ventilated within the party, rather than in public because “it becomes fuel for our enemies”.
“This Coalition is good for the country. Let us resolve any issues we have in a consultative manner, rather than in a publicly adversarial manner.”
After the results of the AFC NEC were declared, President David Granger had issued a congratulatory message to new AFC Leader Raphael Trotman. In the message, the Head of State recommitted to the Cummingsburg Accord.
