Dear Editor,
Political commentary in a newspaper with a national reach should have a strong evidentiary basis in support of sweeping claims. While one can appreciate that in the world of politics, anything is fair, the limits of the possible are quite stretched when there are unsupported accusations of corruption. In this context, I think Ubraj Narine owes the PPP a formal apology for the direct attack put forth in his letter in the media on July 24, 2023. Mr. Narine is also encouraged to review his mediocre performance as Mayor of Georgetown.
Ubraj Narine should also apologise to the people of Georgetown for the rude way he demitted office. Protocol and tradition are important things in good governance. Arrogance and contempt from an outgoing public official are performances of immaturity, and should not be tolerated.
Narine should also reflect on the inferior performance and legacy of his own tenure, and those of his comrades. The Auditor General Report found that “[f]rom 2006 to 2011, no financial statements were submitted; during the period of 2012 to 2015, financial statements were submitted, but the information required could not have allowed auditors to express an opinion; and no financial statements were submitted (from) 2016 to 2020. In 2021, a special audit into M&CC revealed similar discrepancies” (Guyana Chronicle, 5/26/2021).
There are specific instances of warped governance by M&CC under Narine, evidenced in a $21 million solid waste contract that was not properly reviewed. According to a reliable report, “Mayor Narine openly declared that the Council ignored his request for an additional review of the figure and went ahead and endorsed the $21 million contract” (Ibid). Narine’s explanation for not examining the contract, as is required by standard operating procedures, is that “…he and Chairman of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, had to leave the country…” (April 1, 2023).
What Ubraj Narine fails to state is that, without PPP support, Georgetown would have been in a much deeper state of disrepair and drudgery. Between 2016 and 2019, City Hall received $1 billion from the Central Government under the Georgetown Restoration Programme. “Under the GRP, City Hall had received incremental disbursements of $300 million in 2015, $200 million in 2016, $200 million in 2018, and $300 million in 2019. The funds were disbursed by the now disbanded Ministry of Communities under the former APNU+AFC administration, which was in office from 2015 – 2020” (Ibid).
Ubraj Narine’s direct attacks on the Vice President make him part of an industry dedicated to ruining the domestic and international prestige of Jagdeo. Jagdeo was a brilliant president who was the essential force behind the Low Carbon Development Strategy. The revised 2023 version under President Irfaan Ali has given innovative ideas, life, and momentum to what was already a path-breaking set of development innovations.
Let us recall that under the PPP/C, Guyana signed the first ever bilateral avoided deforestation deal (with Norway) to the tune of US$250 million. That was under Jagdeo. And only recently, Guyana signed the first deal within the ART-TREES framework for US$750 million. 15% of those funds are being distributed to over 240 Indigenous/Amerindian communities in Guyana.
Despite the externally driven cost-push inflation, the shortage of skilled labour, and the backward-bending mentality of those like Ubraj Narine, this country is on the rise. Morality and justice can surely be found in uplifting the lives of the Guyanese people, regardless of race, class, religion or region. This is happening at an accelerated pace now. Narine is welcome to join this effort. By so doing, he may be able to extract some measure of badly needed professional and moral recompense.
Sincerely,
Dr Randolph Persaud
